1st Official Day of School. . . . .

Today was my first official day of school (refer to previous post). I got up early this morning, showered, dressed & was out the door by a little after 7. I got to school early so I can work on some of my homework from my online classes before my class started at 9. Hoko called me around 7:30 & we spoke for about 15 min. I asked him how the weather was out there since he's on the east coast & there's so much going on with all the hurricane scare. And then the earthquake in Virginia?? :( But surprisingly he replied that it was a beautiful day there. A little windy, but all in all. . . .he had no complaints. I silently thanked the Lord for Hoko's safety.

After class, I headed straight for my doctor's appointment that's right across the street from campus. Had to get checked from my doctor about my due date since this baby's measuring so big. My due date was moved from Oct 24th to the Oct 10th. But they'll start monitoring me really closely once/if I reach Oct. The ultrasound results show that I'm either having a REALLY BIG baby or I'm probably due a lot earlier than was expected. I'm hoping for the latter.

When I got home, I was exhausted. Literally. I walked in, checked on the kids & made sure they had what they needed & headed straight for my bed & knocked out. One of the perks of having so many girls is how naturally considerate they are. They kept peeking in on me & I could hear them whispering to each other & the young ones to 'shhhh. . . .be quiet. Mommy's really tired.' And it wasn't so much that I was mentally exhausted, like I know I will be once this semester gets going, but more so that I was physically drained. I knew without a doubt that it had everything to do with all the stair-climbing & uphill walking I had done that morning on campus. And all I kept thinking was, 'Why in the world would you build a university on a mountain side?' Lol. But that's just because I'm so pregnant right now & carrying around this EXTRA BIG BABY with every step I take is a workout all in itself. :D But once I give birth, I will be absolutely grateful for the extra workout I get to enjoy cause I'm gonna have a ton of EXTRA calories to burn. And I'm so anticipating & even anxious to get back on my workout routine!! I'm so EXCITED to be able to wipe the dust off all my sweat 'fits & get back in shape as soon as I get the okay from my doctor. Talking about it makes me so giddy inside & I can't wait!! :D

1st of Day School. . . . .

So yesterday was supposed to be my FIRST official day of classes for this fall semester, but a trip to the bookstore changed all that. I had already planned to head out of the house early enough so that I can go to the bookstore, pick up my textbook & then head to class. Well, when I got to the bookstore & found out that this particular class required a BUNDLE set that included a textbook, study guide & two other things all wrapped up in one. . . .I already had a feeling it was gonna cost me an arm & a leg. And it LITERALLY DID!! $310 to be exact!! Holy crap. . . .that's about how much it is to take the class!! Ugh. . . .So I decided to drop the class & pick up a different one & leave this highly EXPENSIVE class til next semester. Read on & I'll expound further on why it's gonna make a difference.

I thought I was all set for this semester, financial aid wise, but I got a surprise email last Friday stating that my financial aid was suspended. Apparently I didn't take enough classes this past summer semester in order to bring my GPA to where it needs to be. I was feeling so devastated on Friday. I spoke with the financial aid counselor & my only option was to pay for this semester or seek a private loan through my bank. Never mind that I was completely unaware of the fact that if I would've taken a couple of more classes, it would've been enough to pull my GPA out of the hole. Lesson learned that the past always catches up with you. Let me explain.

I attended SLCC seven years ago for two semesters in a row. I was pregnant with baby #4, working & tried to handle wayyyy too much & ended up failing miserably both semesters!! :( I wasn't too focused on school in the first place & really only went because I felt that's where my parents wanted me to be. Not because it's where I should've wanted to be. So because of those two miserable semesters & the lack of focus back then, I am paying for it now. I felt sick to my stomach just thinking about having to explain this nightmare to Hoko. He already works so hard to provide for our family in just our temporal needs alone that I didn't wanna burden him with my tuition as well. :( I decided before talking to him that if we didn't have the means for me to attend this semester, it was okay. I would wait til I gave birth & then I would find a temp job that would allow me to pay for a semester & then return to school. And even as I already finalized this decision in my head, I was so scared of the possibility that I may never return. Or that it may be YEARS before I'm in a position to do so. But how could I ask so much of him? I was absolutely torn.

I picked up the kids from my mom's & we headed to the park. I packed a book with me & read while the kids played on the playground. Hoko called me when he got off work & we talked about everything that went on during the day & other things as well. He asked me if everything was set with my schooling & I spilled my heart out to him. I was so emotional (keep in mind that I am in the last stretch of my pregnancy). He was quiet for a minute & I could tell he was contemplating what our next move would be. He was probably even praying about what our options were & when he finally spoke, his voice was calm & even. He reassured me that everything would be alright. That we needed to make the necessary sacrifices in order for me to stay in school. He echoed my fears about stopping now & not knowing when I could go back or even if I ever would. I felt such a peaceful burning with in me & knew that it was the spirit of the Lord confirming the truth of all Hoko was saying. I was so utterly grateful for such a loving Heavenly Father & for his leading Hoko & I into each others' lives. I can honestly say that I have no BIGGER supporter than that of my husband's & I'm truly honored & humbly blessed to be his wife.

I tell him everyday that he's my best friend. And I mean it more than ever before. No other person knows my most deepest & most secretive thoughts. And it's not so much that it's a secret more so than it is my insecurities that I would never share with anyone else. Although I know that everyone on this earth has their different issues that they deal with, I'm not at all open about mines. I've been hurt & crossed too many times to be an open book. And it's taught me how hard Satan works to move the work of opposition forward just as much as we work to be happy. I absolutely believe that happiness is a choice & I'll take this option over opposition any day. Even though I do have my days, weeks & even months when it seems that opposition & the adversary are getting the best of me. . . .I hope that I can always remember what I've been taught growing up in the gospel. That I may give my burdens to the Lord & trust in Him to lighten my load.

I love my husband so much & appreciate his simple nature in always being able to be there for me when I need him most. He's the only person that I listen to when I'm being stubborn & I'm learning over the years that it's not about me. It's about US. Funny how we seem to love learning things the hard way sometimes. The Lord always reminds me how human I am & I'm quickly humbled.

The first day of school ended up being tolerable & surprisingly, I'm feeling really refreshed at the start of this semester. :D With my husband by my side, I feel like things fall into place no matter what obstacles are thrown at us.

CountDown. . . .

The countdown is on & I'm so anticipating the day when my baby gets to come home for a weekend!! :D 10 more days *YAY* I've missed him so much!! We're usually really good about trying not to let too much time go by without us seeing each other, but this time around has been utterly impossible to make it happen with me being in school as well as being so prego right now. I've been counting down the days FOREVER & have been tempted so many times to DIP into the savings acct & buy me a ticket out there to see him. So pats on the back for me & a round of applause please since I've been doing so TREMENDOUSLY well at resisting temptations!! Lol. NOT!! All I have to do is pay our monthly bills to bring me back to reality & remind me why we're making all these sacrifices in the first place.

But I'm grateful to my hardworking husband & kids for all that they've been doing in order to keep our family somewhat sane. This pregnancy has 'by far' been the MOST difficult one for me & I know it's because it's the first one that Hoko hasn't been with me thru it all. Makes me wonder how I ever thought I could get through this alone, but I guess it's happening so it actually is possible. But I wouldn't recommend it & I'm never doing it again.

The first day of fall semester started today & it was CRAZY hectic on campus. I was glad to be in & out of there this morning. I dropped one of my classes & replaced it with another that would require me to be on campus less days of the week. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be accepted to the online one so that I may spend even LESS time on campus. I already have two online classes & two on campus. Ideally, I would have all my classes online & hopefully by the end of this week things pan out that way. If not, I'll have to make due with what I got & I won't complain about it. I think I've complained about EVERY possible thing imaginable to my husband since this pregnancy started. Which is so not me & I've been miserable because of it. So I'm trying to take the optimistic approach & flip things around. We'll see how that goes. . . . .it's been working out pretty well for the past week. But I'm not holding myself to anything cause pregnancy hormones are too unpredictably crazy to hold to any kinda promises. And I know enough not to mess with that. Lol.

Here's to the next 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 days left til my baby comes home. :D

Two Weeks Of??

Two weeks is simply how much time I've been able to cherish & enjoy in between summer semester coming to an end & fall semester starting up. I have been doing what I enjoy MOST. Reading & spending time with families & friends. It's amazing how busy life has been with just my growing family & being in school full time. I've actually been able to enjoy spending time with my families & friends at a whole 'nother level. I guess I've grown accustomed to a different level of appreciation for those that I'm surrounded by. Their love & support have been nothing, but a strength to me. And I can't deny that I've needed that a lot lately.

School starts for both the kids & I next week & I'm actually looking forward to it. As exhausted as I've been feeling lately. . . . .it's a little bizarre to be looking forward to something that I'm certain is only going to increase my level of weariness so I'm not quite 100% on how long these feelings of 'optimism' will last. Lol. But I'll milk it for as long as I can. :D

Today I spent the day at the Holladay Rec Center Pool with the kids. It was GREAT!! They have an olympic size lap pool that I was able to get a great workout in. I did a couple of laps & was surprised that my little Lote was right by my side the WHOLE time. :D I've missed working out so much. I'm not even gonna lie. I workout a couple of times a week, but it's nothing like I'm used to & it's been so challenging for me. I am so envious of all the MANY MANY runners I see on a daily basis taking advantage of the cool summer mornings with a nice run. My feet can't wait to hit the pavement.

I've found a new LDS author who writes fictions that I've fallen in love with. So far, I've only been reading Anita Stansfields books, but came across Traci Abramson's Saint Squad series & couldn't get through them quickly enough to quench my curiosity & excitement. :D I went through that series of five books total & eagerly got started on her other series that consisted of only three books, but oddly enough, I found them a lot more enjoyable even though she had come out with that series before the Saint Squad one. I can't wait for her to come out with some more great reads. I went through a total of EIGHT books during the two week break & felt completely rejuvenated. :D

The kids & I spent a lot of time outdoors with me trying to endure the unbearable summer heat while the kids splashed around in the lake or a pool or in our backyard & we had a blast. :D I love them so much for their help that they've been able to provide me throughout this pregnancy. They've always been my strength, along with my husband.

Bday Breakfast For A Special Somebody. . . . .

Last Tuesday was my beautiful niece's birthday. She turned 13 yrs old. She has been such an amazing person to have as a part of our lives since the day she entered it. She is very soft spoken unless you happen to be someone by the name of Gemini. Lol. Which is her little brother who she can't stand even though we all think the world of him. Hahahaha. . . . .I guess it's a sibling thing. Nevertheless, we love her for always being so humble in her ways. She never asks for anything. And I mean it. . . . .I can't remember a single time in her life that she's ever asked me for anything. She took forever to finally START to come out of her shell. She's very timid, keeps to herself, & doesn't like to trouble anyone. She's AMAZING!! Her simple ways have always been what's kept us all very overprotective over her.

As she's getting older, it's been kinda hard to know what means a lot to her when it comes to special days such as her birthday. But my mom & I thought she would love to just be taken out to breakfast with just us & no one else. She's really sentimental so that's exactly what we did for her. We took her to breakfast at Market Street Grill & chatted with her about anything & everything. After breakfast, she was all smiles & thanked us & it was as simple as that. I hope & pray that she will continue to be the smart & loving person that she has always been. We love you so much Mercedez Vainuku!! :D

A Night To Remember

Last month I found myself perusing the LDS.org site checking for events that would be held in honor of the 24th of July celebrations. I came across a concert being held on the 22nd by the Tabernacle Choir & thought it would be a great opportunity to take advantage of that my two older girls & I could enjoy. And with the tickets being FREE, that just added an extra incentive to the already pleasure of being in the presence of such a world renowned choir. I thought to myself that I should request an extra one in case my dad wanted to attend since anyone that really knows him, knows that he's their BIGGEST fan!! :D

So the way things work is that you are able to request tickets & then it's a waiting game to see if you've actually been picked to receive them in the mail. And you don't know until you actually get them. So a couple of weeks went by & I totally forgot about them until yup. . . .you guessed it. They arrived in my mailbox safe & sound. I was so excited!! I called my dad to see if he wanted to join us & he excitedly accepted the invitation. Then he went on to ask how in the world I got the tix?? I explained to him that I just requested them online last month & that I absolutely got LUCKY!! :D

A couple of days before the concert, I was already dreading thinking about walking downtown in the dreadful heat. My feet & legs were swollen & I was just miserable. I asked my dad if he would be okay to just take my girls himself & maybe go with my mom if she was available. My dad said it was no problem. But my mom had too much homework to get done so she arranged for my niece, Tasha, to join them instead. When the girls got back that night, they were just filled with pure happiness & excitement. My daughter, Lote, said that the tickets I had gotten were really good seats & my dad echoed the very same thing. I felt such deep gratitude in my heart & knew that the Lord was mindful of me & my growing family & I uttered a silent prayer in my heart giving thanks for all that they were able to enjoy. The girls' experience made them feel special. There was a sparkle in their eyes when they returned that lingered on for the rest of the night. This was something they weren't accustomed to, but they enjoyed it very much. And the quality time & memories created with their grandpa was unforgettable & priceless. My dad also told me that the impression I had received to not go was definitely a good one cause he didn't think I would've made just the walk alone. Downtown was packed & they had to park quite far from the Conference Center. Again, I was silently grateful for the promptings of the spirit on my behalf & for being able to have heeded it's guidance.

Heading out to the concert w/their grandpa :D

All ready to go!! They were so EXCITED!! :D

Well, it wasn't all boring & nothingness for me & the younger kids. We planned a dinner out @ Chili's with the younger ones & grandma. My mom didn't want them to just be home while the older ones got to enjoy a night out on the town. :D It's these kinds of things that make me ever so grateful for such caring parents. They would sacrifice ALL for their grandkids. I know that I take advantage of them more so than should be acceptable, but I'm learning as I get older to cherish the moments I'm able to spend with them. And especially the moments my kids are able to spend with them. They absolutely LOVE my parents & at times feel lost without them.

Dinner w/grandma @ Chili's

Surprise kisses for mommy. . . .Told him to say CHEESE & instead he gave me kisses!! Priceless. . . :D

Savou's totally being modest. :D

Savou punched baby Hoko in the nose just as I was taking this pix!! Hoi. . .

My handsome 24/7 helper!! :D

Savou totally complaining cause the food is taking too long to get to us. Lol. We really didn't wait long at all, but to him, it was FOREVER!!

He's a happy camper now!! :D

This night was definitely a night to remember. Even though I wasn't in attendance with my girls at the concert, the look that remained on their faces when they got back was unforgettable. And the time I got to spend with my mom was definitely appreciated. Even with Savou climbing all over the place, making all the noises in the world that you'd hope he wouldn't for just this one night & then to top it off with his adamant plea to leave the restaurant when you're barely digging into your meal?? Lol. It was still a GREAT night with thee BEST company I could ever hope for. :D

'A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned'

I never quite grasped the importance of this concept growing up. Truthfully speaking, it was probably because when I look back on my life. . . . .I was pretty spoiled. My parents did everything they could to not only take care of our needs, but to also provide for our wants. One of the main things that I loved to spend money on during my teenage years was definitely clothes. I learned quickly how to bargain shop & what places to hit up that had GREAT prices. My dad used to always give us lunch money, but I skipped out on lunch & would save it all up during the week so I can hit up TJ Maxx & Ross on the weekends to get me some new clothes. $15-20 goes a long way if you know where to look & what to look for. It's really not about the quantity of fabric that you own, but moreso how you are able to switch things up & mix & match different pieces. In the end, it comes down to you not being afraid of being you. Trusting yourself wholeheartedly to be comfortable in your skin that it shows in your fashion taste. :D Not that I'm in any way a fashionista or anything. But I do love me some clothes!! Lol.

Anyways, Hoko is thee total opposite of me. He has always been tight with money. That is. . . .until we had our son. Then our second son came along. But really, it started with our first son. Who just so happens to be named after him. Lol. He loves to spend money on me & the kids. But mainly, the kids, since my collection of both clothes & shoes is pretty ridiculous. And even I can conform to that. He's balanced me out so much & changed my outlook in so many ways when it comes to money. The gospel & the experiences we've gone through has made all the difference as well. Especially the fact that we just keep having kids. Hahaha. . . . .

But we've both come to the conclusion that we want to be able to well equip our kids with the tools & knowledge of the advantages of saving money. How much independence they will gain in doing so. This single principle alone affects our lives in so many different aspects of it. It's not just about the financial side of things. It has everything to do with the very principle of delayed gratification. I've heard many of the leaders talk about this single principle. How everything these days is available to us with the click of a mouse or touch of a button. . . . .they warn that we may be missing so many opportunities because of the fact that we are always so unknowingly in a hurry. I want my kids to know that things mean more to them if they've actually put some thought in to what it is they want & what it took them to get it. I've been carefully choosing different opportunities to take advantage of in which I give them the free agency to get what it is that they want, but only if they are ready to spend their money to buy it. It's AMAZING to me how much they really think about whether it's worth it to them or not. I didn't think it would be so immediate. They hate to see the numbers on their digital piggy bank decrease instead of increase. They are constantly thinking twice about whether to buy this or whether to buy that. I love it so much!! They now understand when Hoko & I tell them that we are more than happy to provide for their needs, but if they WANT something. . . . .that's gonna have to come out of their own pockets.

So a couple of months ago, a lady in my ward dropped off an Avon catalog for me to browse through. One of the things that caught my attention was this cute digital piggy bank. It was of course battery operated, but it actually displayed the amount of money you had in it with every deposit made. I was seriously flabbergasted cause I'd never even considered such a thing. But I was immediately SOLD & planned to get my hands on a couple of these for the kids. Well, as time passed on I forgot about it until we went on our road trip to Cali & the girls did their number at the reunion & got quite a bit of money from it. I didn't want them to lose any of it, but they didn't have anywhere to put it. And I didn't want to hold it for them cause I wanted them to start taking responsibility for their own money. So as soon as we got back I searched Amazon.com for digital piggy banks & this was the most affordable one we found.

The girls absolutely adore their piggy banks & I'll need to take pictures of them so I can post Aaliyah's creativity that she came up with in order to distinguish/separate one from the other. And while it's not much to look at, it serves it's purpose quite well. But with Aaliyah's art put into work, it'll start to bloom in no time & not be such a sight for sore eyes. Lol. :D