Merry Christmas!

This is another holiday party where I failed to take any pictures! But I would much rather live in the moment than trying to find moments to take a picture of. :) Today we had our family Christmas party at my brother's house, and his wife (my sister-IL) cooked an amazing meal and I loved it! I had a lot of fun...and the food was amazing...and the company was even better! :)

This picture was taking a few minutes before we left to go home. My brother-IL and my sister had to take KaiBoy home since he was getting sleepy, and so they left my DollGirl here so that we could finish the Gingerbread house that we were making and decorating sugar cookies....and then we had a little bit of SUPER yummy, homemade apple pie and cranberry cider!

I love my family. I know that no matter what happens in the years to come, we will always have each other. My prayer is that I will find someone that I can spend the rest of my life with that my sister and brother can be happy that he is their "in-law." I love my brother-IL and sister-IL...and I want my sister and brother to be able to say that about the person that I will marry into the family. But for right now, my family, is my family and I love them.

Honolulu City Lights 2016.

Today was a ridiculously exhausting day, but it was SO worth it! I really was contemplating whether or not I wanted to go to the city with my family to go see the city lights. I really didn't want to, but then because I like spending time with family, I really wanted to go. I love spending time with my DollGirl and KaiBoy and I love going on adventures with them...but today was a real rough day at the preschool! It was crazy! The kids were crazy! If ever I forgot that we had a break coming up, I just needed to look at my kids and their behavior would remind me. *laughs*

I decided to go. It didn't take much convincing really, just I needed the energy to go...but anytime I think of my little ones, I somehow muster enough energy to LOOK like I have energy. *laughs*

Even though it was still light out, I'm glad that we went early. There wasn't that many people there yet, and we had really good parking! That was what I was worried about...the whole parking dealio! It can get pretty crazy...and sometimes you can spend a lot time trying to look for a place to park. But not this time, we drove up and got real good parking!

"Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say, on a bright Hawai'ian Christmas day!" I couldn't leave without taking a picture of this! (Keep in mind, a lot of these pictures were taking one handed since KaiBoy decided that he wanted to stay with me. I like to think it's because I don't ever believe rushing kids if they don't need to be rushed. So we took our time walking around. I would only carry him if there was a huge group, or you could tell he was tired...but for the most, he loved walking everywhere. But yes, I would be holding his hand...so one handed pictures here! :))

It was funny because it looked like KaiBoys head was going to fall off while we walked under the trees with the lights because he couldn't stop looking at the lights! :)

And there is the official sign of the Honolulu City Lights!:)

Every year they would have a Christmas Wreath contest...and there were some really awesome wreaths! SUPER creative! I really liked that Dream Catcher wreath!

This one was my favorite wreath this year! I love how everything was made from the beach!

These wreaths always make me laugh! I swear that we can make one, or two, or three! at the the preschool, because the kids always leave their slippers at the school and then forget which one is theirs!

Christmas trees all decorated with lights just makes me smile! I love it! I makes me so happy to see this!

This little guy could not stop looking at the tree! The lights would change colors and KaiBoy LOVED it! I love watching his face when he is super interested in something! :)

And here is Santa and Mrs. Clause just chilling...:)

See, even Santa likes to go barefoot! :)

I love my family. I super love my family. And I am so glad that I can call them mine. :)

Right when we got to the cars, DollGirl said that she needed to go to the bathroom...and so while Papa took her to the bathroom, my sisters and I stayed with KaiBoy in the car...he's so cute. I love him. :)

They are my world. I love them. My DollGirl and my KaiBoy. I'm glad that I went. Any time spent with them is so worth it. :)

Getting festive!

This makes me so happy! So my TA bought me a mini Christmas tree so that I can have a tree in my little studio! I had mentioned to her that I missed having a Christmas tree in my house, but my place is way too small to have a tree...and so she went out and got me a small..mini...Christmas tree, and I was able to hang up some of my Christmas ornaments that I had saved over the years! :) I love it...it's only 2 feet high and it is perfect! I am looking at it as I am sitting here, typing this post! :) Yay, to the Holidays! :)

Classroom Bullletin Board.

I love this time of year! I love how festive it is...and I love decorating my house to reflect how much I love all the holidays! But since I can't do much decorating in my studio, I like to go all out in my classroom. Here is the bulletin that I created for my classroom. It isn't finished yet, but it is a start! I am going to have the children help me in it as well. I love how I have that Christmas tree in the corner! That is where I have been putting the gifts that the kids have been giving Mrs. A and I already! :) I love the lights! Jade brought her Christmas decorations to school and allowed us to use it...and I had borrowed her lights and it LOVE it! I leave it on during nap time and the kids love it! And it looks so festive and calm. :) I like it...:)

Saturday Spontaneousness.

Today I had "Photoshoot for family" on my agenda for today. So I left super early o'clock to head on over to my beach to start taking pictures of my brother and his wife for their Christmas card this year. I love coming to beach at this time since there are nearly no people here yet and it's just so beautiful and peaceful!

I think that I have gotten quite spoiled with our warm winters here in Hawai'i. And I honestly have to say that I can't to be able to send out Christmas cards of me and my honey one day. :) But I took the pictures for my brother and his wife, and my other sister was suppose to come on by so that I can take their pictures as well, however the little ones where not cooperating and so they decided that they were going to do their pictures at a different date. I have to agree though, sunrise or sunset's here in Hawai'i make for some awesome pictures! :)

I had totally forgotten that Lanikai was having it's craft fair today! So right after I took their pictures we decided to go and stop by the craft fair to look around...and it was amazing! I love craft fairs and this one was no different! I love seeing all the artwork and craft that people were talented to make! My brother and his wife purchased this cute artwork for their home. My sister and DollGirl were able to make it out and walk around with us, so that was cool! :)

There were so many crystals there and I wanted to get some for my friend Ashley since she is into crystals. It was so overwhelming, the crystals since there were so many there! I don't know anything about crystals and so I didn't know the ones to get her...but I knew that I wanted to get her something. I remember that she had told me that she likes to hold the crystals and feel if they were "calling" to her...and so I did the same thing. I was holding the crystals and thinking of her and if I should get the for her or not. (I kind of do the same thing with coral. I can tell if they are meant to come hone with me, or I have to leave them on the beach. It's hard to explain. But I used the same method with these crystals for Ash). These were the ones that I got for her.

My DollGirl actually picked this one out for her. She kept saying that "Aunty Ash wants this one. She really wants this one." And so I had to get it for her.

I sent this picture to Ash to show her the crystals that I got for her...and I put my chapstick next to them to show her the size of the crystals. I hope she likes them!

After being at the craft fair for some time, we decided to go to town and walk around ala Moana center. My sister and her babygirl decided to go home and take a nap and my brother and his wife and I went to town. We did some random shopping and and ended up eating at Spaghetti Factory. I love this place! It's my favorite! :) I love their Holiday Wish List! I like everything on it! :)

 

After shopping around even more we get a text from my sister asking if we wanted to go out and have dinner at Mexico Cantina....It's one of their favorite Mexican places to eat.  Since I had a late lunch, I wanted to eat something small...so I got their Nacho Libre...and let me tell you, it was anything BUT small! It was HUGE! I barely made a dent in it..and I couldn't take it home! Oh well, I love hanging with my family and I love them so much. It was a good day. A good, yet tiring day. But I loved it! :)

Blue Christmas.

So, I am quite excited because we finally were able to put up our Christmas tree! I wanted to go with the blue theme this year...and so we did. My brother and my housemate helped me with it...and we had fun putting it up! Now, I just need to wrap my presents and put them under the tree! The lights are SO beautiful!

I'll add the presents soon!

So pretty! It makes me smile!

My Christmas nails this year was done fast. I didn't realize that I would be busy...but what do you expect! Weddings and teaching and studying takes up a lot of my time...and so here are my Christmas nails! Super fast, yet fun! Well, I hope that this Christmas will be filled with lots of fun! Even though Amanda will be going home for Christmas, she will be back for New Years, so that is good...:) Well, I need to go to sleep now...but yes, I am excited for Christmas! :) Oh yeah, here are my nails!