Happy Birthday, Brotherhood!

So, I just got back from town. My little brother who isn't so little anymore is growing up. Every year. *laughs* But I just got back from going out with him and the fam-bam. It was nice. As a family we met up at Siam Garden Cafe. I remember going there for my sister's birthday the first year that we were here...and the food was good. It's Thai food, which, I do love Thai food...however, I'm not that hot for spicy food...and it was pretty spicy.

My sister, her husband, and little DollGirl had just gotten back from Kauai. They had gone there for the 5th Year Anniversary...and so I hadn't seen my lil DollGirl and it as good to see family. It sucks since I live on the other side of the island, I don't get to see them as much anymore. But we're all still very close since we are all that we have each other. And I'm glad that Amanda is part of our family. Wow...should I knock on wood?! My brother isn't engaged to her...YET! *laughs*...but I like her...and I wouldn't mind her as my sister.

But Amanda and I had driven over to pick my brother up and we all drove to the restaurant to meet up with my sister and her family...and it was SOOOO cute because lil DollGirl even said "Happy Birthday" to my brother...it was cute! So sad though, because the whole family was sick...but they were troopers though.

There was a moment before going to dessert and at the restaurant where lil DollGirl was getting pretty antsy...so myself hating to sit down for so long, volunteered to go outside to walk around with DollGirl...and my goodness...I was RUNNING with her! I should bring her running with me...coz goodness that girl can run! But we were just run/walking up and down the store fronts when she stopped in from of this one office place where it was obvious that the company was having meeting of some sort...and she stood in from of the glass windows just waving and smiling and saying "hello! Hello!" They stopped the meeting to wave at her...I mouthed "Sorry!" and took DollGirl's hand and continued walking/running when I hear "Thank you!" and when I turn around they were gathered at the door waving...DollGirl ran back and blew kisses at them...it was cute. I love that lil girl SO much!

But it was fun celebrating my brother's birthday! He opened his presents there in the store...the the first present he picks to open is the onesie I got him. I couldn't stop laughing! I would post a picture up of him with it...but I don't think that he would appreciate it that much...but it sure was funny! My sister and her husband gave my brother $*** for his bike that he's saving up for...and it was funny because they got it all in small bills and then continued to stuff them in panty liners! And so he had to open each one to get the money. And even Amanda got him a funny gag wrapping thing. Poor brotherhood! We are always playing pranks on him! But we love him!

We went to Menchies for dessert. I love that place! It's a soft serve ice-cream place that you can choose your own and put as much toppings as you want...I didn't get as much as I usually get because it was already pretty late and I am trying to loose weight...but I did splurge a little...hey it's my brother's birthday! It only happens once a year! *laughs*

 I wish that we had a Menchies on my side of the island...I love this place...but we have places that we similar to Menchies...so that's okay...but I like coming here coz it's such a friendly place...so that's good. I'm so glad that they finally stared a card system here! So I even was able to get my own card to start on. They don't tell you that they  have it...you have to as for it...and basically for every $1 you spend you get 1 "smile" and for every 50 "smiles" you will get $5 in your "mySmilage" account. So that's pretty cool.

So there's my card...pretty cool that they give you a card thingy for your keys as well...but isn't the little Ice-cream icon super cute?! :)

They always give out the cutest spoons too! For Halloween they gave out these pretty cool spoons that change with the temperature. When it's warm it would but just plan white...but when it's cold it changes colors...

 So mine is the beautiful pink and Amanda had the blue one (although it does look green in this picture!)...but it was sooo cool! I kept my spoon. I like these spoons because you can reuse them and so I like to keep on in my bag just in case I might need spoon. (I already keep a "fork" in my bag for obvious reasons...HELLO! I need to keep a "dinglehoper" with me at all times! :)) But aren't the spoons pretty cool?!

Well happy birthday to my brother...! I hope her had a happy day. It was a happy day for me. :)

School...again?!

I did it. I finally did it. I signed up for school again. I am once again a student. Do I like it...so far?! No. *laughs* But I have to honestly say that I do love all this learning stuff. *laughs* Stuff...oh wow...really?!

I think it was on September 25 that I signed up in an online school (Penn Foster) to finally get my AS in Early Childhood Education. I like this program because you can go on your own pace...the time limit is one year per semester. Taking the exams are amazing as well because you can see what will be on the exam...and get this: the tests (so far that I have taken) have all been 25 multiple choice question AND they give you a time limit of ONE HOUR PER QUESTION! Kind of crazy when you think of it! So, peoples, please pray for me as I take this journey as a student once again. I won't give up. I won't. I refuse. I will finish. And that is that.

So why am I not studying right now?! Well, because I don't want to. *laughs* Well, because I studied all day yesterday...and since 7 this morning. And shoots, come on now...I need a break! And since I haven't documented my life on my blog in a LONG time, I have decided to write in my blog. :)

Oh! You want to see something pretty cool?! Well, the reason why I got it was NOT cool at all...but I still think it was a pretty awesome kickass "goodbye" present! Look!

Pretty cool, ya?! It's like a tiny MiniWorld...in fact, that's what it's called!! Inside are [for right now] 4 tiny shrimp called Opae' Ula. They are "indigenous to Hawaii." And the mom that gave them to me said that they last FOREVER! They just reproduce in the little MiniWorld...and they have all they need in that tiny home that they have! She said that her co-worker has had one on her desk for longer than 10 years!!! Wow! Well, the reason why I got this little cool MiniWorld is because one of my keiki has gone and left me! Boohoo!!! No, literally. It's so sad. She was my little heart...and I wish her well in life and I know that she will go far. Look what "mom" put on top of my little MiniWorld! So since this little world is suppose to last forever...so will my memory of her. My lil' Angel. I miss her so much already!

Well the whole wedding things is going GREAT! We have been doing SO MUCH And wow...I can go on and one about the beautiful flowers (AND people!) that I get to work with! Here are some of the flowers from my last wedding!

Such beautifulness that I get to work with! And I will NEVER change it for the world! I love when I get to work with the color pink...my favorite color! Guess what color my wedding will be! *laughs*...I don't know...we'll see. But wow...this was pretty fun wedding...and I am ALWAYS excited when I get to work with roses...garden roses to be exact...especially if they are PINK! :)

So, last weekend I thought that my fish aquarium needed a new look...so look what I did! I changed out the rocks for marbles and added a lot more plants and changed out the shells and coral. I also added a dark, dark blue background. I also moved it from my dresser to my "night stand" right next to my bed. I love looking at my fish swimming about and so I like how I can just lay in bed and just see my fish swimming there. There is something about the calm way the fish just dart around and play with each other that is so soothing to me. Basically anything about water soothes me. :) Here is a look at my "new" and improved fishtank (and location!)

 Check out the sign that I have above my fishtank! Isn't it the best! My brother and Amanda got it for me for my birthday...and I absolutely LOVE it...although, there are no mermaids in my tank. And I don't wish there to be because mermaids belong in the ocean *said with a straight face, no smile* ::TeeHeeHee:: Oh dear, I'm looking at my aquarium! Where is my lil Donatello!?! Oh, there he is...you can barely see him...little bugger! (He's chilling in the top, hiding in the floating plants.)

So, I think that I have the best sister in the whole world, the whole universe, the whole everything! I know that we didn't have this strong relationship when we were younger, but now...now, I can't see my life with out my sister. She keeps me grounded. I love her so much and I just hope she knows that I appreciate her. Oh yeah, yesterday makes FIVE YEARS that she is married to the love of her life. And I'm happy and still excited that she found the one who can keep a smile on her face and a song in her heart. (Can we all take a deep breath and go awwwwwwwww!!! *laughs*) Her marrying the love of her life is lucky for me...because now I got myself one amazing, cool, goofy, understanding brother-in-law. He's a pretty awesome dude. But here is a picture of my sissy and I while we went out of tea with our friends. Isn't she a goofball herself...and here I thought we were taking a "cute" pictures. Speaking of which, if you ever come to Oahu...and would like to go to a tea place, I totally recommend Tea at 1024. Loved the place...so cute and wonderful customer services...and just everything was so cute! I even saw a mom and her two daughters there...that was adorable! I would LOVE to take DollGirl there one day! That would be SO much fun! But yes, my sister...oh hey, look what she got me! Two of my favorites:

So, I really love peach tea...one of my top 3 favorites and so she got me green tea peach tea...and wow, it's so yummy! I wish that I can put the smell on here...because the smell is something else! It's so yummilicious smelling...and oh my! I just love it! And whenever Fall comes around, Starbucks comes out with my favorite Pumpkin Spice latte...and so my sister got me some to take home...yay for awesome sisters! 

There is a random picture of my tea that I took the other day. Since it's been hot, I had my iced and my housemate, Amanda made lemon cookies that day so I had it with my tea (in my favorite elephant cup my brother got me!)...and oh wow, that was pretty onolicious!

So, speaking of my brother, it's his birthday tomorrow! My baby brother is not so baby any longer...awww...:( Although, I'm not as close to him right now, I still think that I'm a pretty lucky girl to have an amazing brother and sister. Right now he is studying for his CPA exam. And he studies hard, I know. He is so hard working. His girlfriend (who I just happen to live with!) is making him dinner upstairs. They are so cute together! :) I didn't know what to get him for his birthday!  Goodness, guys are SO hard to shop for! AHHHH!!! But there was this one time when I was talking to both my brothers (Jeremy, my brother brother and Neal, my bro-in-law) and we were talking about this one show, I don't remember which show it was...but basically it's a survivor show where they just drop you somewhere with only ONE thing. And were were saying that if you chose a knife or something, then you have no clothes. But if you chose a shirt...then that's all you would have and so my brother was all like he would get himself a onesie with EVERYTHING...so, I got him a onesie...*laughs* I stuck it in a plastic cube though so that he won't know what it was when he opened the box...

Obviously, that is his gag present! It's even adult size...oh goodness...I wonder if he would ever wear it...my sister said that maybe he might wear it for Christmas when we are waiting for midnight to open our presents! *laughs* I don't know...we'll see! I also got him some beef sticks. He's a guy...he likes his beef sticks....the spicy ones.

I'll go to the store later to buy wrapper and a card...since I have to go out later anyways to help in my preschool for something. But yeah. But I know that he has been saving up to get a computer and/or bike...so I'm giving him $*** towards his BIKE savings...but if he wants to use it for his computer...then oh okay...but I would rather this bike.

Wow, this is longer than I thought! *laughs* I need to get to studying again! I need to get out of the house! Well, one more chapter and then I'll get out for a bit. The beach sounds good. I'll go study at the beach. That's the thing with starting school again. I have no social life! With two demanding jobs...and now school. Oh well, I am not complaining...because, I got this. I get out by studying at Startbucks, Morning Brew, or even (especially) at the beach. But before I go...here are a few pictures of my favorite person!

 Pray and/or send good vibes her way, everyone. She has been having sleeping problems. :( Lil DollGirl has been stopping breathing when she sleeps. And it's scary. Her parents have taken all precautions that they can...and she is seeing one of those sleep doctors to see what is going one. She is the most inquisitive, curious, smart, loving, funny, beautiful inside and out lil babygirl...and I hope we find out what is going on. Look what she built!

HeeHee...just joking...I built that...for her! But her dad and I like building lots of crazy...uhm...towers...coz she LOVE knocking them down, among other things she loves to do! She is so much fun! I love her...

One last picture, a picture of her with her Uncle Jeremy, since it is his birthday tomorrow!

 "Listen earnestly to anything [your children] want to tell you, no matter what. If you don't listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won't tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff."--Catherine M. Wallace

Seriously rain?!

So, here I am sitting in front of my computer eating macaroni and cheese like a starving maniac...just relaxing and listening to my island music. But oh my goodness! What a day! All I can say is that the whole "April showers bring May flowers" better be damn for reals already! It was raining all day today...wait, no, I take that back...it was literally POURing all day long. Uhm...let me think...yeah, I think it was pretty constant flow...maybe there was a whole total 30 minutes through out the whole day that there wasn't rain...but oh my! I woke up early this morning and thought that I wasn't even able to go to school because I know I heard the rain all night long...and it's wasn't the light sprinkles...oh no, it was the full out open heavens and a steady flow of waterfallness going on.

Let me try to explain to you where I live. I live here in Kailua...but right near Lanikai...and there is only one exit to leave my place...one. I know, kind of scary when you think about it...especially if that one exit is a bridge over an ocean canal thingy...so if it floods...the bridge floods and no more way to get out from where I am. So, yes, I do take tsunami warnings and flood warnings seriously...I have to go somewhere higher up so that I won't be stranded. So, when I woke up to the water flowing from the sky, I thought that I wasn't going to be able to go to school. But alas, I was wrong and driving to school was a tricky obstacle course...because it wasn't flooded per say...but there were HUGE DEEP "PUDDLES" that my little tiny trekker had to go through...and there were crazy people who still got up and was running...so of course I couldn't just fly through the puddle, no I had to go snail mode through those buggers so I wouldn't have to be labeled the "jerk driver" for splashing everyone! *laughs* The hard part was everyone was doing it so it was pretty slow going...but I got to school.

...and I swear my lil keikis were spoon fed sugar before coming into school! They were bouncing off the walls, dancing all over the place, screaming and yelling who knows what...it was a mad house! And all this, but we couldn't even go outside to try to release some of their pent up energy! Shoots! I was going insane myself from the trapped feeling of staying inside all day! All in all, this day was a pretty...crazy? fun? draining? Well...all of the above.

Another Anuhea song, "Higher Than the Clouds" ....Island music can always relax me!

"When you love everything you have, then you have everything you need."

DollGirl

Oh so goodness, lets see how long this post will be! I know that I haven't kept up with all my blogging...and shoots, I NEED too! I was reading my past blogs, and I was laughing, crying--well, not really...but felt like it, happy tears, of course!!! *laughs* But shoots, come on now, girl! I need to keep up with my blogging, so I will try. I can say that I will try to write at least 3 times a week...but nah...I'll just try to write as much as I can...

Wow, nearly a year since I last wrote...and yes, I think I will scratch that whole challenge that I was going to do...I think it would be nice to finish that...but not now. "Ain't got time for that!" *laughs*...but I will try to write more. I still love to write...to whoever wants to read whatever I write, but time can be funny and the next thing I know is...wow...A YEAR...well no...ALMOST a year since the last I wrote and let me tell you SOOO much has happened...

Let me try to remember the highlight parts...I know I'm going to fail already, but that is what I get for not keeping up in the first place...*laughs*

I would say that the biggest and by far the best highlight for me would be the birth of my baby niece! Oh goodness....! I adore being an "aunty" and I love that little girl SOOO much. Ily Joy was born on August 14, 2012 at around 5pm...and I have to say she is the youngest baby that I have ever held...I got to hold her when she was 3 hours old...and she was SOOO tiny! I can't even imagine life without her...how did I manage to live without her for so long!

oh okay, I PROMISE I am wearing shorts in these pictures! I promise!! *laughs* But this is me holding my lil DollGirl when she came home for the first time...I love being an Aunty...and I am just so bummed that I don't live near her! It's SO hard living "far" from family...but this little girl can
usually get me to drive to the "other side" of the island just to be with her for the weekends! I wish that I didn't get out of work so late so that I can see her during the weekdays...but yay! That is what facetime is for...and yes, I do facetime with DollGirl plenty times...so that helps. My sister told that she believes that I was the first person that DollGirl [yes, that is my name for her...that at IlyBoo] recognized after her mom and dad. So that makes me smile. Yes, this little one has my heart...so yes, I will share more pictures of her...because I can!

These pictures make me laugh!! She makes me laugh! But yeah, I love taking pictures her...this me DollGirl and I when she was...uhm...3-4 months old. Can you tell that by the end she was all pau! 

"All pau, Aunty! No more pictures!"

 So, I try to go to my sister's place at least once or twice a week...and it's always SOOO hard to go back home...because look at that face, could you leave that face?! So this is her holding my bag and I pretend she is telling me that she doesn't want me to leave! *laughs*

 She is SOO much fun to play with! We play hide-and-seek...where I would hide and I will call her name until she finds me...and yes, she gets SUPER excited when she "finds" me...and this is her when she "found" me...look at that smile!!! Ahhh!!! So cute!

 One of the millions of outfits that I got her! This one I got her for a 6 months old photoshoot...but then she ended up wearing it afterwards to go to church. So I don't really go to church anymore...but ever since DollGirl was born, my sister can find ways to get me to go to church because I really want to see her! *laughs* So my sister will send me pictures of her all Saturday morning until I decide that I want to go see her...at church. Oh shoots! *laughs*

So big girl...her is the recent picture of her...and she is a little bit older than 8 months...She is SOO independent already! Look at her! I love her so much! AHHH!!!

Oh okay, so this isn't as long as I thought that it could be...but I'm actually sleepy now...so I guess for the next few days, I'll just be writing a lot of "catch-up" posts...but whatever...at least I'm writing again! *laughs* But for right now, I'm going to sleep...

And the song I'm going to leave you with...is the song that I am currently loving by Anuhea ft. Justing Young..."Forever Summer" so have fun listening to this island song!

"Let your smile change the world, but don't let the world change your smile."

The Basics of Me. [part 9]

 Growing up, the early years [Part 2]:

*What was your earliest memory?

 

My earliest memory?! Oh wow...hm...I know that my early memories have a lot to do with my brother. He was my constant shadow. We were super close when we were younger...kind of makes me sad that we're not as close...I get the feeling that being close to your sister is not the "cool" thing anymore...but nevermind about that. I think my earliest memory had to be when one of my tooth was loose...and my dad had this thing where he would put a string around it and then tie the strong on my finger. I was sitting on the couch with my brother and he was asking me if it hurt. I remember saying that it didn't hurt. He told me that he wanted to hold the string for me...so I let him. 

 

He fell off the couch.

 

My tooth came out. 

 

*laughs* 

 

 

The Basics of Me. [part 8]

 Growing up, the early years [Part 1]:

*Where did you grow up? Describe it.

I grew up in California--Northern California...to be a little more exact, I grew up in the Bay Area. I did move around a few times...but I mainly stayed in the Bay Area. I did not grow up where I was born though because I had moved from there when I was about one year old. But I loved where I grew up. Although I do not live there now, I will always look back at that place with a happy heart, and it is my childhood home. I hope to take my children there one day. That would be awesome. The house, my childhood home...the one that I consider my childhood home, although I moved from house to house, but always ended in this home is my favorite home. It may not be as big or grand as some of the houses that I lived in, but I knew this house from the inside out and every corner, wall, place in that house has a memory. I tear up when I think of it...if I ever have the chance, I would love to buy that house...just to keep that memory a little longer.

We lived right by the freeway. On the other side of the freeway was Walmart and Food4Less and other stores...Payless, Baskin' Robins, the Diamond Store...in our backyard there were a lot of fruit trees...I loved to climb them...my daddy built me a tree house where I loved spending time with my "baby", my best friend...my Baili. Sometimes my other best friend, Precious would join us. My babies. My dog and cat. I miss them so much. I loved reading up in the treehouse. We had a garden...and I had a love of tomatoes and cucumbers because of it.  I would play catch with my daddy...sometimes we would shoot hoops...and I remember sleeping to the sounds of cars driving on the freeway and waking up to the sound of basketballs dibbling on the ground and occasionally hitting my window from when my daddy and brother would play in the morning. I miss it.

I grew up playing outside...with the neighbors. We had a pretty sick neighborhood. We all didn't go to the same school, but we got a long together. We lived in a court and we would play together and have fun outside...none of this staying inside doing nothing but playing videogames. 

The town where I grew up was small, but big in its own way...not as safe as other places, but I felt safe there.  

The Basics of Me. [part 7]

Your birth and family [Part 7]:

*How did you help around the house?

Growing up my siblings and I always had our chores that we had to do. We would rotate from week to week...the chores included washing the dishes, cleaning up after dinner, vacuuming, sweeping the floor, taking out the trash, cleaning the bathrooms-including the shower/bathtub! Although I did all the chores when my time came up, I remember really hating to take out the trash! I would willing do all the chores...my favorite was vacuuming...but I would constantly beg my siblings if they can switch with me to take out the trash! *laughs*

I'm still like that. I hate touching, smelling, doing anything with trash. I don't know why...maybe this is where my germ phobia kicks in. I'm not as bad as I use to be...I mean, I can now take out the trash without having to take an hour shower afterwards to clean up...but I can feel myself holding my breath and holding myself away from the trash as much as possible. *laughs* 

In other ways that I would help around the house was I like to consider myself as the one who keeps everyone on their toes. Along with my dad, we liked to play harmless, but funny pranks on our family members. I liked to make my family laugh...I was always playing music or singing and dancing to whatever I was doing. I like to think that I helped keep the fun in the family, not that my family wasn't fun! Oh, they were, and I think that I had a bomb childhood because I love my family and I think that we were a lot of fun...but I think that helped to brighten up my families days when I would do random things to make them smile. 

This is Me Challenge