Here we are again. Its only 1am this time. Just a screaming baby, the computer, and me. Wait, I think she might have fallen asleep this time. So yesterday I went to the library with Kimber and my friend Carrie. They have these steps that the parents sit on during story time. Kalo climbed up the first step to get something she wanted! I couldn't believe it! This is a big change for me since Siosi didn't crawl till she was close to ten months.

Last night Kalo woke up at her usual time. 3:30 am. She has been giving me a terrible time. I am tired beyond belief. I have been trying to let her cry it out but that has not proven sucessful as of yet. I let her cry for about an hour. I am running out of patience with her! In the end it was getting close to 5am so I decided to just feed her since that is about the time I eat too. Joe and I get up at 5am to get him out the door for work. Anyway, I had been laying in bed listening to her cry when suddenly the tone of her cry changed and became frantic! I thought her arm or leg must be caught in the bars again. So I ran in to help her only to find her pulled to a stand and leaning over the edge! I didn't think she was old enough to do that yet so I hadn't bothered putting the side of the crib up yet! She had pulled up to a stand and was terrified about how to get down. I was scared too that she could topple right over the edge. She still is only 7 months old!

Father's Day Weekend

This last weekend our beloved brother Cory passed from the ranks of undergraduates to GRADUATES! Congratulations Cory! We celebrated with him and his family at the park Saturday enjoying an abundance of food. Sunday was of course Father's Day. I have often thought how every day sort of seems like Father's Day. What do we do differently? I make the breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I dress and bathe the kids. I keep the house clean (to the best of my ability!) See, Mother's day is especially special because moms don't have to do the everyday mundane tasks of cooking and cleaning. So this year I tried to think of something a little different. We ate outside! I put a blanket down on the grass and that is where we had our feast of specialty sausages, cherries, and Joe's favorite chips. I guess its more of a day of telling and thanking rather than physically doing the things we always do. We can' t go to work for them. I do feel very lucky to have found Joe. He is the hardest worker this side of Tonga and always gives all of his extra time to his family. He has been working the crappiest job ever but goes everyday despite the unpleasant circumstances. He is extremely loving to the kids and I. He tries to help around the house whenever he can and I must say he is rather good looking. I'm sorry if any of you feel your husband is inferior after reading this.

Here's what you do: copy the list, and then bold the things you have done . I'm 90/200.
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby’s diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said “I love you” and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing (do manmade rockwalls count?)
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don’t
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school (in two months I will!!)
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Now its your turn!

Etu's Wedding!

We took a trip to L.A. recently for a wedding in Joe's family. He hasn't seen anyone Tongan for so long he was starting to turn white. We decided it was time! Joe's family raised Etu through his teenage years so Joe considers him a brother. We all flew and it was quite a trip! It was much better than driving but flying with two kids can still be troublesome. It was fun for Joe and I to visit our old stomping ground. We drove past my old apartment and through the old neighborhoods Joe used to live in. A walk down memory lane. It was fun but it really made us appreciate the beauty of Oregon. L.A. is just concrete and billboards while Oregon has trees and greenery all around. Thats my plug for Oregon! Joe loves L.A. still. Anyone who doesn't believe me is more than welcome to come visit. Just don't forget your raincoat!

The wedding was in a park overlooking the city. Then they had the reception in the evening. I think there were about 15 pigs but I could be wrong. They roasted even more pigs the next day for a baby blessing! It was delicious! The wedding was quite the event for me, being a palangi and all. It was so much fun to see everyone dance, including Siosi. She loved the music and followed her cousin Kagee all over trying to imitate her island moves. I think she felt a kinship to her Tongan cousins and enjoyed seeing someone who looked like she does.

We also took the kids to the aquarium in Long Beach. It was a lot of fun as well. We only got video of that. Sorry, no pictures. Siosi loved the fish and seals. They were having Polyneisan week. Just our luck! We saw even more dancing! Siosi goes crazy when she hears the beat of the island drums!

None of these pictures are really in order. Enjoy!

I figured out that the dancers cover themselves in oil not only to prove their virginity (it is supposed to glisten if they are still a virgin)...but also to make that money stick!
Uncle Vai (first cousin to Joe's Dad), his son Kanavale, and his grandson Tyson.
Our family at the wedding.
Bride and groom toast.
Groom's relatives.


Groom's best men.

Mother of the Groom, Manaloa.
The bride and groom had their own cakes! I liked that part! This is the Bride's cake.
Groom's cake.

Groom shakin' it.

Bride, Groom, and pig.

Kalo, and Kagee. Siosi loved Kagee. She was her clone. She is still asking about her and now when she sees a picture of a dark little girl instead of saying its herself, she says its Kagee. Kagee is the grandaughter of Vai.

Doing the money dance.

At the park, or beach?

A scene from the airport.
Kalo with Manaloa.

Siosi and Kagee.
Joe and Vai at the blessing dinner.