Bdaaayyyysss

Just as I thought the end was in sight my husband is trying for his PHD.. its bittersweet, good because he is going above and beyond what I have pushed for and sad because more years as poor students lol We are lucky to have family that support us............

Earlier this month I went to the Bay area for my (moms side)Grandfathers brothers funeral Hiliate Mapa, he was like a grandpa to all my 1st cousins and 2nd since most of our grandfathers died while we were quite young, we grew up with him and his family.  His wife passed away last year and he left the earth on valentines day probably to be with his love... <3 they had one daughter but they always had family living with them:) he is the last of the brothers surviving.  Two of his sisters I have never met live in New Zealand and Tonga and are the last surviving of my great grandmother Tupou Kelo.  I happened to be in San fransisco on my birthday due to flying standby and got bumped off so it was really different and fun to spend it with my many cousins in Cali! Hiliates whole house sang happy birthday to me and Tina, Crystal n Moleni crew lol took me to BJs(omg the Tanforan mall!) for a dessert yummm then Puki kli and Noni made me a breakfast jack cake wow fat lol then when I got home my kids made me a cute cake that I forgot to take a pic of darn...  @ church it was elder Kinikinis homecoming and I enjoyed his talk as he came home from San Jose! great speaker... after church my sister in law took us to eat chinese food :) it was an amazing day...

 I am whole heartedly grateful for my ancestors for paving a way to provide our generation with better opportunity and instilling amazing examples of living a Christlike life, I love the plan of salvation and pray to keep my family eternal

Starting the New Year off :)

I noticed in my last couple posts ok well most of them, I have a picture for almost everything lol please excuse the need for a visual ha, Im in Kindergarten mode! ;) Started the New Year off with fun games at my sister in laws place, my first time playing scrabble can u believe it? lol I LOVE that game, I am secretly competitive (at least I hope Im not obvious lol)so I had no mercy ;) My husband is the oldest of his moms kids, not his dads but we dont see them too much... so we try to pull them together for some FAM time, we all shared some memories and new goals and how we can accomplish them. It was cool spending time with them as we are trying to have better relationships in general and I dont know a better way to start than within :)   we then had a eating after church with my siblings....
BACKTRACKING
Christmas was a lot! my kids are always thought of awww..... Christmas Eve we had a talent show and all the grandkids did a lil sumthin sumthin, I read about one of the prophets doing one with their family so I thought it would be a fun and entertaining tradition to start... we finally got to talk to Sister Ika in Guam since they are a day ahead! she listened to the rules and only spoke for an hour lol still a nerd ha ha but better yet an obedient loving servant :) shes so cute and the only complaint she had was how itchy the mosquitoes make her... actin like we dont got those here!? ha ha shes doing wonderful and I know the Lords work is being shared graciously.  My sister brought us food from her ugly sweater party that her inlaws  had and I hade a bad allergic reaction from the crab wontons LOL so ugly I swear I ate 20 and woke up swollen but I still went to church because it was my 1st cousin Nancy Otukolo's mission farewell and she is going to New York! awesome :) she shared her beautiful testimony and I cried because I admire her faith to become more Christlike... I really liked her statistics she shared about NY, way to be prepared sister!
We had a eating with my Mothers fam, at her sisters house where my grandma Kalo stays.  I talked to her while she ate and I entertained her with my sucky Tongan but shes the only one that I can practice on ha ha shes funny and is in such good health, well shes finally bedridden but shes 88! shes outlived 2 kids and her husband :)
We then ended the night at my sister in laws and they bombarded my kids with presents! I had to put some away for their bdays lol
Cheers (with some ice cold water ha) to the New Year!!!!!!