RICEcakes

2 Months Old

2011-03-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

My 3 Stooges

2011-02-24T16:22:00.000-08:00

1 Month Old

2011-02-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

My Baby Boy - Jensen Makaio Kamoe Rice

2011-01-29T18:37:00.000-08:00

My baby is already 2 weeks old! Wow how time flies. I haven't been very good about keeping this blog updated....mostly thanks to Facebook. :) Anyway, I thought I'd include a pic of my baby boy for those of you who still check this. (Although I'm not quite sure who that would be....) Anyway, here are the stats:

Jensen Makaio Kamoe Rice
Born Jan. 14th 2011 @ 12:44pm
8 lb. 3 oz. and 20 in. long
currently weighing in at 8 lb. 4 oz. and 21 in. long! Wow.....he grew quite well for 2 weeks. :)

We are all loving him!! It is an adjustment having a new baby in the house, but I couldn't be happier with the little guy. Although I don't think anyone could be as happy as daddy! :o)

Halloween Shopping

2010-10-23T20:43:00.001-07:00

Well, we spent 3 hours shopping for a costume.....just for Hailey!! While we were at the Halloween store we couldn't resist the opportunity to take a pic as Buzz Lightyear!! My kids may act like teenagers sometimes....but they are still little kids at heart! :)

My Little Devil

2010-10-23T15:50:00.001-07:00

Leah had many ideas of what to be for Halloween and she couldn't decide what to be: A bat, a dinosaur, a dragon, a wolf, a werewolf, and finally.......a devil monster! And that's what she decided on.

:)

The Proof is in the Picture!!

2010-10-16T13:56:00.001-07:00

Well, I've been telling people I finally graduated and I don't think everyone quite beleives me since it's taken me a decade so.....here's the proof: My DIPLOMA!! :) Yay! It's not framed yet, but that'll probably take me another decade to get done! :)

Yes, Time Does Fly By

2010-10-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I think it's been over a year since I've made a post on this blog. I've been so busy with life (school, graduation, teaching piano, PTA, kids, family vacations, and just the daily routines of being a mom!) There's so much that's happened in the last year that it would take me pages and pages to describe all the blessings in my life so I'll resort to making a list instead:

I'm 6 months pregnant and it's a BOY!! :)
I graduated from WSU in May and finally have my BA in Humanities after 8 long years!!
My piano "business" has skyrocketed and I currently have 12 students. Wow!!
We bought a new car to accommodate our growing family and I LOVE my Honda Pilot!!
Matt still has a job and has now gotten back all his benefits/401K contributions that he lost for awhile when the economy hit rock bottom.
I am still able to take a few jobs as a substitute teacher and I love working with kids!!
My daddy is healthy and better after a brief scare with thyroid cancer that had us all worried but things are looking good for him now....different, but good.
I am the aunty of 2 beautiful and fun little twin nieces (among 3 nephews and 1 other niece). I love those twinners and wish I lived closer to see them more often!
I have 2 beautiful daughters of my own that bring me happiness each day in the little things they say and do.
My husband is my best friend and I am amazed each and every day at what he does for me and our family!

Riding FUN!

2009-09-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend for Matt's bday we went up and spent 3 days riding the "General" and the "Z". It was a lot of fun. Matt had a blast showing off his skilz....and the power of the "Z". The girls absolutely LOVED being able to drive the "General". Check out the blogs below for some captured videos of our awesome trip.

(And in case you are wondering...the "General" is the black quad and the "Z" is the cool yellow one!)

2009-09-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

2009-09-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

2009-09-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

Things LEAH Likes.....

2009-07-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks of school and into the beginning of Summer I have noticed quite a few things that Leah likes; some mischievous, others just plain cute. Whatever the reason, here's a glimpse into the personality of "Leah-Beah". Enjoy.

Leah's 6th Birthday was in June. She repeatedly asks to go to Chuck E. Cheese to visit her all time favorite ride....the pony!

But, since I am such a "mean mom", I said "NO" to Chuck E. Cheese for this year and made her choose something different. We ended up at McDonalds! (Word to the Wise: Always Think Twice!) I also decided to surprise her with a Madagascar 2 theme party. As you can see in the end she loved it!

Leah also got to take cupcakes to her Kindergarten class for her birthday. Chocolate cupcakes with red frosting! As you can see.....she also loved those!!

Dress up is another of Leah's favorite things to do. I must say......I'm pretty sure I wouldn't recognize Leah on the street in this get-up!

While reading my book one afternoon last week I fell asleep. While I thought my kids were responsible, I woke up to see that Leah had one green leg and one red leg. Hailey had decided it would be funny to color Leah's legs with "non" washable Crayola markers! It took a few baths and a lot of scrubbing, but we did get her legs back to a normal color! (Later I found out that I should have tried baby wipes.....so there's my useful piece of information to you all!)

Last week at our library Clifford came to story time. I knew Leah would enjoy it so I dragged Hailey along, who at this point is too "old" and too "cool" to want to go to story time! I tried and tried to get Hailey to stand in the picture with Leah, but alas.....I did not succeed! Leah was thrilled to see Clifford though! My baby is still a baby! (Kind of.....)

As I mentioned earlier, Leah loves animals! Here is her pet snake she played with outside. Her idea of playing was to throw him in the air and watch him hit the ground and then run and pick him up and start the whole process over again. I guess we need to teach her what is socially acceptable still......

Sometimes Leah likes to bring outside inside. She had asked if she could have a pot of dirt that was sitting by the steps outside. Naturally, I said yes. I innocently thought she was going to play with it outside. Well......I was wrong! She decided to take it into the bathroom and make mud in the sink. As you can see, it doesn't quite look like mud. Probably because the pot was mostly filled with small rocks, some sand, and a few particles of actual dirt. Matt had quite the fun time unclogging the drain after this one!

Memories that Make me Smile.....or Laugh!

2009-06-04T14:12:00.001-07:00

If You've Ever Wondered About Matt........

2009-05-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

Well, the other night Matt thought it would be funny to take some suction-cup spoons (from a game Leah has) and try and stick them to his forehead. I obviously could not miss a chance to capture this on film.....so I ran and got the camera. What was even more funny was that he thought I was just taking pictures (which I did).....but I secretly switched to camcorder mode and recorded him! (hee hee hee)

Ok....for some odd reason there is a video here when I edit the post, but when I go the my actual blog the video doesn't show up. I'll work on trying to figure this out. (Any hints....?)

The Spider!!!

2009-05-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

So here's the reason why I'm posting a pic of this nasty looking spider. Last weekend just before we went camping I went down in the basement to get the laundry and guess what I saw! This little fella! Of course I froze in place and frantically wondered how in the world I was going to kill this guy without having a panic attack myself. Quickly I found my senses and called Leah to come downstairs and "watch" the spider to make sure it didn't move anywhere while I ran upstairs to find something to smash it with. I came back with a Swiffer. Obviously that wouldn't work! So then I had Leah bring me one of Matt's shoes. Again, that wouldn't work either as it would require me to actually get within a foot of this nasty thing. So I did what I do best. Called my man at work and told him if he wanted to go camping he'd better come home now and smash this spider. And, the loving, caring, hubby that he is, he told me "NO....you do it". Then he preceeded to listen to my whining and then told me to go to the garage and get the can of lighter fluid. (Yes, you can all guess where this is going.....). Reluctantly, I did. And then he told me to stand about 3 feet back and spray the sucker with the fluid. I said okay as long as he wouldn't move. Matt ensured me the spider would drop dead from the fumes/liquid. So, I did it. And guess what happened! The giant thing started walking towards me! So then I'm frantically screaming while continually spraying lighter fluid on this *#&$()# until there was a small puddle on top of my mantle! All the while Matt's telling me to stop spraying the lighter fluid! After about 5 minutes the thing just flipped upside-down.....dead! (And, after a week, it's still there on my mantle because I refuse to go near it to put it in the garbage).

I just wanted you all to see the nastiness I put up with! That thing is like half the size of my coaster! YUCK!

The Wedding Day

2009-05-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

The Newlyweds: Travis and Jill Whiteley married on May 2nd in the Timpanogos temple.

Parents of the Bride.

Siblings of the Bride & Groom.

Matt & Mel with the Bride & Groom.

Jamie & Allen with the Bride & Groom.

Jake & Ang with the Bride & Groom.

Trying to be cool.......

Uncle Jake torturing the kids.....

The Balzens.

Jake & Ang.

Us.

Leah & Kaylee.

Cutting the Cake. It started out so sweet and innocent......

....it ended with Jill getting cake smashed in her neck!

The Decorated Car (Dental Floss and Toothbrushes).

Happy Together Forever.

Silly Faces

2009-05-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

So I saw a hole in the playground toys and immediately thought to myself it'd make a great pic if someone stuck their face in it! So I made the kids do it. (One of the perks of being a mom!)

Jacob

Hailey

Paka

Leah

Outside Fun in Rigby

2009-05-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

We finally visited Rigby during the Spring/Summer! The kids had so much fun riding their scooters outside, playing at the park, and being silly. Here's some fun snapshots from their outdoor adventures:

When I said "SMILE", this is what they did.........

Leah was absolutely thrilled to find pine cones!

And Grandpa was thrilled to throw them at the kids!

The kids all had a blast playing on the tank in the Rigby City Park. I used to do that as a kid back in the day!

The playground toys were another big hit! Especially the swings.

Random Pics......

Yes, once again I said "SMILE" and this is what they did!

Karate

2009-05-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

So, every time I go back to Rigby I go watch the boys at their Karate lessons. It's always fun to see! Here's a few pics.

Master Shifu! (Hee Hee Hee)

Viper

Kung Fu Panda!

The Twins

2009-05-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

The Twins : Kalea Leilani Kamoe and Leila Kelani Kamoe (Shown here at almost 3 months old).

I was able to go home to Rigby for a week to see my twin nieces! I volunteered to watch them for the week I was there. I learned one lesson: have babies one at a time!! ;) They were absolutely adorable and I had so much fun being an Auntie for the week. Kalea, the one smiling at me, is my favorite! Yes, I have a favorite! (Of course, when they get older I will deny I ever had a favorite!)

It's kind of hard to get a picture of a 4-year-old holding twins! This was the best we got! Kekoa Noapaka Kamoe and his two baby sisters! He's a great big brother!

Grandpa Kamoe and Kalea.

Things you can do on the beach in Washington

2008-10-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

During the Summer Matt's parents came to visit. While they were here, we traveled down to Ocean Shores to enjoy a little tourism. You wouldn't believe what we did while on the beach! Definitely not like Hawaii!We rented a Surrey for an hour. We soon came to find out that an hour is WAY too long to peddle one of those things on the sand! As you can see....some of us were wiped out!

But of course, little Leah wasn't tired at all! She had the best seat out of all of us! It was like her little princess carriage!

After that way fun, awesome ride, the girls wanted to ride a horse on the beach. We almost let them, but there wasn't enough time. (And they would have had to be on their own horse with no grown-up and they weren't up for that idea). They did get to go pet the horses though. And yes, Hailey still wants a horse for Christmas, her birthday, etc.

Hailey enjoyed flying her kite......

Leah had fun playing in the sand!

And of course, they LOVED running up to the water! (It was kind of cold so they didn't go swimming.)

And of course, we adults just chilled and had fun watching the girls play! It was a fun day at Ocean Shores, WA.

Track 2008 @ Sunnycrest Elementary School

2008-07-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Hailey ran track this year for her school. It was her first year, and she seemed to have a good time. She did say she wanted to quit once when her friend quit, but being the good parent that I am I told her, "NO. You finish what you start!" In the end, she liked it. Here are some pics to recap her first, and hopefully not last, track season! GO HAILEY!

And so track ended, but the fun didn't. Hailey had her first track awards party and she won the Sunnycrest Track '08 Coaches Award for the Kindergarten/First Grade Girls. The coaches chose her for this award because she worked hard, never complained, did what she was asked, "ran hard", and showed good sportsmanship. WOW! We're so proud of her! Good Job Hailey! (Needless to say, she did get a little more excited about track after winning the trophy.....)

Click on any image to see it larger!

FYI

2008-06-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, Matt, the girls, and I went to California with Matt's family. We were able to spend 8 days touring Disneyland, Disney's California Adventure, Universal Studios, The San Diego Zoo, Sea World, The Beach, and even Old Town San Diego (which we stumbled across). It was a week of fun.....and stress. We walked 'til our feet had blisters. We ate fast food to the point I can't look at another french fry without gagging. And we had so much fun. In fact, we have over 719 pics to prove how much fun we had! (And that doesn't include all the pics we need to get from the rest of the family who had cameras!) So.....I decided I'm only going to give you a small glimpse of our trip. If you want to see all the pics......you have to come to Washington to visit! :) For now, enjoy!

DISNEYLAND

2008-06-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

Disneyland really was the happiest place on Earth. (If you leave out the fact that our feet hurt so much from walking, some of us even got blisters; there were a few tantrums by both kids and adults; we didn't get to meet any princesses....or Indiana Jones; and we were way sleep-deprived; oh yeah, and Matt and I kept getting on each others nerves for no apparent reason! Other than all that, it really was the happiest place to be!)

Kids and adults were excited to meet the Disney characters:

Mickey's Toontown was great for taking pics:

But of course, the castle was "the spot" to get a good pic. These are the best we have. We can pay $13 + shipping to buy the pic that the Disneyland photographer took of our family in front of the castle. We just may do that. Because that pic looks awesome! But for now, you'll have to look at these!

DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

2008-06-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we had quite a lot of fun in this park. We all loved the California Screamin' roller coaster. (No pic...sorry). And we all hated The Tower of Terror. (Again...no pic). We enjoyed the Aladdin Musical Spectacular. (Almost like Broadway). And we all got soaked, literally, on the Grizzly River Run. I'm not joking...we were soaked. (Sorry. No pic.)

I guess we weren't up for taking pics this day. I don't know why. We had the cameras. But we did manage to snap a few photos of the best ride of all! The Jumpin' Jellyfish ride. (Okay, maybe if you ask Leah this would be her favorite ride.....)

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

2008-06-10T20:15:00.001-07:00

Universal Studios was okay. The rides were a disappointment.....not as long as the ones at Disneyland. But they were okay. We made the mistake of taking a few of the younger kids on the Mummy ride. Way too scary for kids under the age of 8! I was even scared. (But I'm kind of a whimp). Matt and I got soaked on the Jurassic Park ride though, that was fun. (We are sitting in the back on your left....the boat's right. You can't see us 'cuz we're covered by water!)

We did manage to spot a few celebs while we were there. The important ones! And at the end of the day, that's all that matters, right!?

THE SAN DIEGO ZOO

2008-06-10T20:05:00.001-07:00

Well, after spending 3 days walking around Disneyland, California Adventure, and Universal Studios, we were all way too tired to walk much around the zoo. We rode the tram. That gave us the basic tour. So we really didn't walk up close to see any of the animals. I'm glad Matt and I think alike, "If you've seen one warthog in your life, you've seen 'em all!". (We're not Zoo people). So, that should explain the lack of pics from this portion of our trip!

We did manage to make sure we took pics of our girls playing on the fake gorillas! Gotta make sure you take pics of fake animals at a zoo! :)

Don't worry. We did manage to get one photo of our kids with a real animal! A hippo. Look how gigantic that animal is! Crazy! I only wish it would have had it's mouth open! What an awesome picture that would have made.

SEA WORLD

2008-06-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

Our first stop at Sea World? A ride. Not just any ride, but Abby's Sea Star Spin. I only have 1 question : "Why are there so many spinning rides?"

After that experience we decided we'd better see some animals. So here's a glimpse at some of the fascinating animals we saw, touched, and smelled at Sea World.

The dolphins were a hit! Shamu was a hit!

The turtles not so much!

The kids enjoyed touching the Sea Stars and the Bat Rays (I don't know why my pic is sideways....sorry).

The Polar Bear was also fun to see! You all better appreciate this pic. I fought about 15 Asians to get to the front of the line! While in the Polar Bear center, we decided to take advantage of the imitation polar bear caves they had. The kids did an awesome job of posing for a pic!

And my favorite animal......

I hope I can always say that this is the closest I will ever be to a shark!

THE BEACH

2008-06-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

We didn't have much time to go to the beach. Our trip was booked, and nobody seemed to plan time to go to the beach. So we got about 45 minutes on our last day in Cali. And, of course, it was cold. We found some local beach and tried not to look like tourists. I don't think we succeeded. Afterall, we were the only ones playing in the water in this seaweed-infested beach! (Not like Hawaii).

Hailey and Matt had fun in the waves! Hailey loves the water!

Leah was more content to play with the seaweed in the sand.

Matt and I actually snapped a good pic while we were there, so the trip wasn't a complete loss! (Nah, just kidding).

OLD TOWN SAN DIEGO

2008-06-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

The first thing we saw in Old Town San Diego were giant cacti. They were huge! And yes, they are pokey!

Hailey and a giant Cactus.

Mel and the giant Cacti.

The first building we came across while walking through Old Town San Diego was a little school known as the Mason Street School. They had old desks and we made the kids sit and pose.

There was also a "dunce" cap in the front that I really wanted Matt to put on and stand in the corner, but it had a sign on it that said "Do Not Handle". And there was also an old lady watching us that worked there. (And we all know how really old ladies can be.....)

For lunch we decided to try a little local restaurant called El Fandango. It was way good! Here's a pic of Matt and his parents waiting for their food.

We tried to go see the Mormon Battalion Memorial, but it was closed until next year! Can you believe that? Anyway, I decided I should snap a pic to prove we actually tried!

2008-03-31T22:17:00.000-07:00

Track season

2008-03-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hailey started track this year. She had her first day of practice this last Monday. She was excited, but said that it was "a lot of running and kind of boring". But she did say that she thinks she'll like it more as she gets further into the season. It was so fun to watch her run. She did really well. (I thought, but then again, I'm her mom).

While Hailey's working hard, so is Leah. She's working hard at having fun. This is what Leah does while Hailey's running....

Easter

2008-03-27T10:54:00.001-07:00

This year the girls had an easter egg hunt at our church on Saturday. It was a beautiful day, for Washington, and they had a lot of fun. Then Sunday it rained all day! So we just went to church, enjoyed our "feast", and hung out as a family.

I did buy the girls an Easter dress this year. It's not your typical Easter dress. I got it last minute at the D.I. They look more like normal church dresses, but the girls loved them and that's all that matters, right?! (Of course, if you look closely, Leah is also wearing some of her "feast" on her dress).

The Circus

2008-03-27T10:50:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we went to the Jordan's World Circus in Puyallup, Washington. It was fun! The kids talked us into letting them ride the elephant. But, as our luck would have it, they got put on two different elephants at the same time. So Leah's on the elephant in the front of the photo. She's second in line with the bright pink jacket. Hailey is on the elephant in the back of the photo. She's the second to last child in the brown coat. (Sorry we don't have a better picture...) But they kids loved the ride!!

The Bouncy Place

2008-03-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

We have discovered a new place to go here that is so much fun: The Bouncy Place. It's a huge indoor warehouse filled with inflatable games, slides, and obstacle courses. And the best part......even the adults can play on them! And it gets even better....it only costs $5 per child, and adults are free! Way fun! We found this awesome place when Leah had a field trip there last week. Here are some pics of her playing.

Ever wondered how much fun you can actually have in Rigby, Idaho?

2008-03-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

Jacob was baptized on Saturday, March 1st. The girls and I flew to Rigby, Idaho to be there for him. Here's is a halfway decent family picture of the Ed Kamoe family (minus Matt and Misty who were unable to attend). Interesting how the adults actually smiled and the kids all look goofy......!

We celebrated Hailey's 7th birthday with a Hannah Montana theme! She was so excited. We had Hannah Montana birthday cake. Grandma bought her a Hannah Montana outfit. And Grandpa even got out his microphone so the kids could sign along to the Hannah Montana CD Hailey also got for her birthday.

One thing the kids loved was going to Karate with Jacob and Grandpa. (I think Grandpa loved it just as much..........he bought Hailey her very own gi for her birthday!)

Finally.....In Style!

2008-02-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

Well, Matt finally decided it was time to get some new riding gear! For the last 17 years he's been wearing the same outfit. After looking at the before and after, you can't help but laugh! WOW....the 90s were so fashionable! :) (click on the pics to see a larger image).

Mormon Religion: President Gordon B. Hinckley

2008-01-29T22:23:00.001-08:00

"Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow"

2008-01-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

There are several ways to play in the snow! Here are some....

"We'll be Home for Christmas..."

2008-01-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Christmas morning in Highland, Utah with Matt's parents. Believe it or not, we had to wake our girls up for Christmas morning! Guess mom and dad were more excited for Santa then they were! Santa brought the girls an mp3 player! He even put all their favorite songs and pics on it! What a great idea "Santa"! :)
Leah's rockin' out already while Hailey's still trying to figure out how it works!

"And We'll have FUN, FUN, FUN....."

2008-01-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

While on our road trip the girls had lots of fun trying out new things. They went for a swim in an outdoor hot tub. (100 degrees inside, 10 below outside).
They fed horses. This horse was either "Orion" or "Panama". I don't remember which. Hailey was a little more intimidated by them then she thought. Guess they are a lot different than Disney's Princess Ponies!

And they went bowling. Can you believe little miss Leah won out of all the younger kids!

Kung POW "chickens"....

2008-01-06T10:46:00.000-08:00

Yes. Here they are. The infamous pics of my daddy and big "little" bro Koa trying to look tough. Personally, I think my daddy looks like he's dancing and Koa's just standing there doing nothing. That's not karate......! :) "Little" Jacob and Hailey had a great time in Karate......

"I Love to See the Temple....I'm Going there Someday"

2008-01-06T10:36:00.000-08:00

On New Year's Eve we were able to attend the Rexburg Idaho Temple Open House. It was cold, but worth it. Matt, Mel, Hailey & Leah

Mom, Dad, & "little" Jacob

Booty Dance

2007-11-16T10:49:00.000-08:00

I have two booty girls. One loves booty dance music. The other has a big booty! (Can you guess which is which?)

Leah's favorite songs right now are "Clumsy" by Fergie, "Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake, and "The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefanie/Akon. Whenever these, and songs similar to these, come on the radio or ipod she tells us to "turn it up....I can't hear it!"

Hailey doesn't necessarily like these songs as much as she can do the Beyonce "butt dance" with her booty!

So...which one do I need to worry about? The one who loves all the booty music, or the one who has the booty?

Fall Festival

2007-11-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Hailey, Leah, and their friend Laura at Fall Festival. Hailey's school provided a fun night for the kids to come and dress up, paint a pumpkin, get candy, walk down a spooky hallway (which our kids did NOT go down), eat dinner, and watch a mad scientist show. It was fun for them, chaotic for mom and dad. This was only the beginning of our Halloween activities. . .

Carving the Pumpkin

2007-11-01T11:36:00.003-07:00

This was a very interesting event. We let the girls draw their face on the pumpkin. It was a little hard for mom and dad to not have the eyes the same size, but we had to let them do it. When we cut the pumpkin open and pulled out the seeds neither girl would stick their hands inside. Finally mom and dad forced them to do it and they complained about how it felt and wanted to clean their hands. Such girls! Hailey was even gagging! So, mom and dad ended up carving and cleaning the pumpkin. How can I get my girls to like sticky, gooey, slimy, stuff.........?

The Costumes

2007-11-01T11:30:00.001-07:00

This year the whole family dressed up. Hailey was a beautiful ballerina. (She's wearing a sweater and pants underneath her leotard because it was cold outside and she didn't want to wear a coat. That's why she looks like she gained a few pounds. She really didn't.) Leah was a black cat. What else can I say about her? She's so cute! Matt and Mel dressed up like Dracula. Who's a better Dracula? Personally, I think I am because I could slick my hair back. Matt didn't have enough hair on his head to slick back, so he had to spike his!

And who said a girl couldn't pull off Dracula? (I believe that was my brother who said that.......ha ha ha Koa!)

The hunt for cavities....I mean candy!

2007-11-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

Well, the real part of Halloween finally came: Trick-or-Treating! Actually, it was Trunk-or-Treating first. We met at our church at 6:00pm and walked around the parking lot as the kids got their goodies. Leah made it halfway through the parking lot before she wanted her stroller. We should have dressed her up as a princess instead of a black cat because she's so spoiled. (Yes, I pushed her, she never had to get out of the stroller).

The best part came once we reached home. The kids got to see all the yummy candy they got! Do these little girls really need that much candy?! WOW! I sure miss being able to Trick-or-Treat. Luckily I can live through my kids. That's part of the perks of being a mom!

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Halloween was fun. We made cupcakes, ate a Jack-O-Lantern pizza, painted pumpkins, carved pumpkins, went to the Trunk-or-Treat, then Trick-or-Treating, and finally home to "divvy up the goods". We hope your Halloween night was just as fun as ours!

Our First Fieldtrip

2007-10-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Last week Leah's preschool had their first field trip.....to the PUMPKIN PATCH! Leah was so excited. She had been talking about it nonstop the entire week before. In case it's been a few month since you've seen us and you just can't remember what Leah looks like....she's the Asian one. Nah.....just kidding. She's the cute one wearing snow boots standing next to the Asian.

Eww! Mud!

2007-10-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Most of the preschool kids loved the mud. They were constantly stomping in it. Of course, I had my camera in hand, ready to catch some cute pics of Leah in the mud. Well, I did get a cute pic. Just not the kind I was expecting. Leah was the only child who did NOT like the "icky-ness". You can actually see the reluctance in her face. She even had her giant snow boots on! She was just too afraid she'd get dirty! WHAT A GIRL!

The Corn Maze

2007-10-29T11:11:00.001-07:00

The preschool was too big for everyone to do everything together, so we had to split into two groups. Leah was in the second group. The cool kids group! Anyway, her group went through the corn maze first. She wasn't too thrilled about going into the corn maze. Can you tell?

Well, leave it up to my group to get lost. We didn't want to stay in there forever with whiny kids, so we forged our own way out of the corn maze! The kids thought we had found the right way out! So innocent!

FYI: Once I gave Leah the umbrella to hold she was a happy little girl!

The Joy of a Hay Ride

2007-10-29T11:08:00.001-07:00

Leah finally got her turn on the hay ride. She loved to watch the tractor pull us through the mud. Go figure! She didn't like walking in the mud but she sure liked watching other stuff in the mud! What a weird kid. She's still not completely happy with the hayride. You can see it in her face; but mom was having fun! :)

That's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

2007-10-29T11:06:00.001-07:00

The last thing to do was pick out a pumpkin. Each child was able to walk through the fields and pick any pumpkin they could carry. That was the rule. They had to be able to carry it. Well, Leah was so excited. As you can see. She walked for 10 minutes in search of the perfect pumpkin. Then she found it......................................................but it was too big for her to lift. She tried, and tried, and of course, CRIED.
And, being the typical mom, I had the camera in my hand taking pictures instead of trying to help her. Well, eventually I realized I should stop with the camera and help my crying child. So I figured it wouldn't really matter if Leah took this pumpkin. I helped her put it into a plastic bag and then we went to pay the person before we left. (Each child cost $5 to come on this field trip). They never said anything about the pumpkin. So......I guess it was okay!

Leah thought the field trip would be fun. Then she saw the mud and the corn maze and that changed her opinion. The hay ride brought a half-smile to her face for a few minutes. And the search for the GREAT PUMPKIN ended in disaster. Oh well, at least I got some good pics out of it.

Oh yah, and to let you know. That so-called GREAT PUMPKIN ended up having a small hole hidden behind a dirt clump. (I found it when I cleaned it off at home). Now the entire backside of her pumpkin is moldy! It's out on our front steps. Leah was devastated when she found out. All that work........for nothing! Literally!

All Things Leah

2007-09-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

Our lives now can be found enjoying the Fall season: school (and all that goes with it), less sunshine, cold mornings, needing a jacket outside (or for me, a coat!), baking, checking out the awesome spider webs all over outside our house, sports, and my favorite...long hot showers! As the seasons changes, so do our activities. We find ourselves becoming more lazy, and doing things inside because we're all wimpy.....yes, even Matt! This blog is dedicated to Leah and the creative little mind she was blessed with!

(Leah going to her first day of preschool!)

Daddy Dress-up

2007-09-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

Leah loves to dress up. (I think it's that age...) Anyway, she wanted daddy to play dress-up with her. So, for all you future dads: If you get all girls, you're not off the hook! You just get to dress up as Strawberry Shortcake instead of a Ninja. And for all the current dads: You can laugh because you know you've done something very similar with your girls!

School Bus

2007-09-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

It has been said that kids just need basic items to entertain themselves and stimulate their brains. Do you think kids themselves know this? For weeks Leah had asked, repeatedly, for a box. Not just any box. A big box. When asked why she needed one, she replied, "So I can make a school bus and sit inside with my animals". So, when we came across a big box we saved it for Leah. Here was the result:
The school bus was actually cut by "daddy". Don't you just love the mirrors poking off the sides! You can tell he has a creative mind. I think a normal person would have drawn the mirrors on the side of the box or left them off altogether! Hailey was the main artist of the project, but Leah did draw the 2 headlights! She was so proud of them. She also contributed to a few of the scribble marks. (You can't see everything from this picture...sorry). Leah was also the Supervisor, Cheerleader, and Model! It just goes to show, all kids really need is a box....and a grown-up to cut holes, and markers to decorate......but basically just a box!

2007-09-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

Well, Matt was on a mission to prove his dad wrong. (Aren't we all like that at some point in our lives?!) Anyway, Matt's dad said it was impossible to get 2 quads into the back of this truck. (It's a shortbed truck). Well, after the hundredth time four-wheeling this summer we have seen quite a few guys who have 2 quads in their truck. So we thought to ourselves, "Why not try". Of course, Matt needed the help from his super-strong wife to lift the quads into the truck. And then had to use her expert advice on where to put the tie-downs. But.....he got it! (Yes, I should give him some credit.) Let's just say I was the "brains" of the operation and he was the "brawn". This was our Labor Day. We really did "labor". How about you guys?

2007-09-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

One thing Leah loves to do is dress up in her pink Sleeping Beauty costume. (It was a little cold that day so I made her wear the shirt and pants underneath. So, no, she doesn't not always dress up like that!) We had to walk around the block so she could show all the neighbors her how pretty she was. We only saw one person outside! And they smiled when the saw Leah. Who wouldn't? Right after we got home from our walk, she put her helmet on and went for a ride with daddy on his motorcycle. (The helmet is the one Matt brought back from Taiwan. Yes, it's "made in Taiwan".) So Leah's other favorite thing to do is anything with Daddy. Especially ride motorcycles or quads.

The helmet really does fit her. It just slipped down over her face when I took the picture. I could have used the other picture I took, but Matt had his eyes closed in that one. Go figure! He must have learned from the best.....ME!

2007-08-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

"Mom, can we please have a pet?"

Well, we finally gave in last week and got the girls a pet. They've always loved big dogs, so that's what they wanted. They absolutely love him! His name.....BIG BUDDY. I asked them why they named him that and they said because he was so big! That is true since he is definately bigger than Leah! Leah loves him the most. She sleeps with him every night and plays with him all day long! The things you do for kids....

OK. "The jig is up". Yes, your eyesight is not failing you. That is a real STUFFED dog. The best part about it....the girls haven't asked us for a real LIVE dog! Honestly, this is the best pet we ever got! :)

At the temple for Jason's Wedding

2007-08-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

THE TEMPLE....

The reason we went to Portland, OR over this last weekend was for my cousin Jason's wedding. He was sealed to his fiance Carissa and her daughter (sorry, I forgot her name) on Saturday Aug. 18th. It was a beautiful sealing in a gorgeous temple.

INSIDE THE TEMPLE....

These were taken inside the temple. Yes, I said "inside". The Portland temple has a beautiful atrium filled with plants/flowers. It did smell a little musty, but once you were in there a few minutes you got used to the smell.

(This is my mom's sister, my Aunty Shauna and her husband Michael. They live in Orem, UT).

WAITING FOR THE BRIDE AND GROOM....

I know, you are all wondering why I have this picture. This is the real deal, we didn't stage this. I was going to take a picture of my Aunty Julie, Jason's mom, and she was going to take a picture of me. When I looked through my camera, I saw her with hers up. So I seized the moment and snapped the shot. I know what some of you are thinking, and NO, this is NOT "Haywood Syndrome".

We dressed our girls in their nicest dresses so we could get some good pictures at the temple. Well, we forgot one thing....they would have to smile at the SAME time! This was the best we got! I still think it's adorable.

This picture was even harder to get all 3 of us to smile at the same time! This, again, was the best we got! At least I can say my eyes are open! :)

Princess Napualokelani (do I need to say more?)

This is us, at the temple. We had to take several pictures
in order to get a half-way descent one.
Yes, it was because my eyes were always closed!

TAKING PICTURES ....

The mother and father of the groom.....my Aunty Julie and Uncle Rob Chong

The groom's family... Aunty Julie, Rainy, Terrance (He is serving a mission in Hillsboro, OR and was able to attend his brother's sealing.)

The groom's oldest sister Chelsea and her family...the Coburns

Sisters...my Aunty Julie and Aunty Shauna

INTRODUCING THE BRIDE AND GROOM.....

The Jason Chong Family.

Jason, struttin' down the sidewalk. "Who's the man?" (He didn't really say that, but it looks like that's what he's thinking.....)

Parents of Jason, the groom.

This is now the entire Rob and Julie Chong family! Congratulations Jason and Carissa! (Sorry Rainy, I didn't realize my camera was zoomed up that far. I didn't mean to cut off half your face!)

best part of a reception.....the cake!

2007-08-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

First of all, I know, I should have taken more pictures at the reception. But for anyone who was there, which was almost NONE of you reading this, it was really laid back and casual. So I spent most of my time talking with my Aunties/Uncles and Cousins. It was nice to see everybody. But hey, I did snap a shot of the best part of the reception.....the cake! (J/K)

the best part of a hotel......the pool!

2007-08-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inns right across from the temple in Portland. It was a great hotel, and we all appreciate the fact that Matt booked a nice room! (Thanks honey...) There was only one thing the kids wanted to do......SWIM! They spent every second possible in the pool.

Playing with the Strawberry Shortcake tube was a favorite among the girls. Matt would put both of them in it at the same time then push them all around the pool. They loved it.

If Leah got the tube all to herself she never let it go! In fact, she was quite the dare-devil. She'd swim, with the tube, all the way across the pool by herself. It made me quite nervous, but then again, water makes me nervous. She loved it.

Back in Kansas Hailey took about 2 years of swimming lessons. She kind of forgot how to swim since we've moved, but she tried, and she did good. Swimming is her favorite thing to do.

Matt was the one in the pool with the girls, since I have an unexplainable phobia of water. He had fun, but they did wear him out. Isn't that how it goes when you're the parent?

However, he did find several ways to entertain himself!

take time to smell the roses

2007-08-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

Before we left Portland, we wanted to go somewhere "cultural". So we found this place, the International Rose Test Garden. I'll admit, our primary motivation for going here was because it was free! But it turned out to be kind of fun! Here there are planted every kind of rose you can imagine. There are nearly 5 acres! All roses! I never knew there were that many different kinds!

The girls ran almost the whole time. I think we were the "rowdiest" family there. "Where in the World is....Leah Maile?"

We had fun smelling the roses and trying to take a decent picture. This one of Leah is cute. She isn't smiling because inside the rose were bugs, so she was looking at the bugs. But still, cute picture anyway, right?!

We tried for 5 minutes to get the girls to look at us instead of the fountain. It didn't work. They always looked at the water. Maybe we should have tried longer, eh?

Matt and I tried to take this opportunity to take a good picture of us. It didn't work too well since our photographer was Napua. We did do the typical "hold your arm out and take a picture" picture. And we were staring in the sun quite a bit, so that is guaranteed to make you look goofy! Oh well, we tried.

Our trip ended about 20 minutes after we arrived. The girls decided to run through the mud. Hailey didn't get as dirty as Leah. We had to do the "white trash" thing and wash our kids off in the drinking fountain! I tried to be discrete, but how can you be when you have a child's muddy foot in the drinking fountain and she's crying because she's all dirty?! And do you know the worst part of the whole ordeal? We didn't get any pictures! What were we thinking?! Oh well, at least it was free, so we don't feel like we wasted any money! :)

Ohana means Family

2007-07-26T16:41:00.001-07:00

Hailey and Leah wearing their "Hawaii dresses" as they call them. They love to play dress up with them and wear them to church. I'm so proud I passed along the love of their culture.

The Rice Titas

I like this picture of Leah and I. Leah always looks cute, but I actually got a good picture....and for all you who know what it's like to try and take my picture, then you'll appreciate this one!

Two Titas

2007-07-26T16:36:00.001-07:00

Napualokelani

Maileleilani

A Pictures Says a Thousand Words...

2007-07-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

WHAT MORE CAN I SAY?

Our New Wheels

2007-07-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

Saturday we decided to take a drive down to Portland to buy a 2002 Honda CRV. Well, that turned into an adventure since the car dealer lied to us and told us the car was not a "smoker" car, when in all reality you could smell the stink as soon as you opened the doors! So, we drove all the way to Portland to eat at McDonalds. (No, we did not buy the car).

Then Sunday we went and looked at this car and it was perfect. Everything we wanted: 2002, low miles, nice condition, sunroof (very important to the girls), tinted windows, nice wheels. So, we bought it. Yes! On a Sunday! You gotta do what you gotta do....

We LOVE it. To us, it feels like a BMW or Mercedes because of what we are coming from. So, we just wanted to share it with all of you. I know you won't like it nearly as much as we do....but oh well. You don't have to drive it. I do. And that's all that matters!

Roughin' It

2007-07-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we decided to take a family camp-out. We drove an hour to a place in Olympia Washington. We spent 2 days and 2 nights there. We found ourselves sleeping on the asphalt of a handicap parking stall the first night because the campsite was so full! We got "special" permission from the camp host. Did we really look/act that handicap? (No offense to anyone).

The girls had a blast. What kid wouldn't with that much dirt! You can tell just by looking at Leah's face! Is that chocolate? NO. She tried to eat dirt. In fact, she found that it tasted so "yummy" that she decided to add it to a bag of chex mix: cereal, pretzels, twigs, rocks, and a little dirt just for taste!

They had fun and Hailey was always good for a goofy pose in front of the camera! She always has to be the center of attention.

To Be a Kid Again...

2007-07-09T16:29:00.001-07:00

Hailey is so cute. She found these flowers and asked me if she could pick them to play music with because they look like bells! If only the things that kids think of were really true! How fun would that be if flowers could play music....

For the most part, Leah wore her bike helmet all over the camp, not just when she was on the quad. She was so adorable as she discovered the "outdoors". She liked everything except one thing...........................

her blue camping chair! She didn't like the color blue. She wanted red! There were 3 times she cried: over the blue chair, when she lost her 2 plastic cows, and when she wanted to go on the "Roller Coaster" again!

Roller Coasters and Death Marches

2007-07-09T16:12:00.001-07:00

In case you were wondering, this is the "Roller Coaster". A giant dirt hill that Matt would take the kids up and down. It loops around, but you can't see it in this picture. The girls LOVED it. Mom....not quite so much. At one point I was yelling at Matt saying "No, No, No". He thought I was saying, "Go, Go, Go" and he went very fast up the hill and down again. Up and down. We need to work on our communication a bit.

Leah would come down the hill and throw her hands in the air and laugh. She always had the biggest smile on her face. (The picture is a little fuzzy, but you can tell she's having fun). Hailey didn't show it as much, but she kept saying how much fun it was. Me? I lost my stomach quite a few times.

As you can tell, we spent quite a bit of time on the quads. It was really my first time out on an actual "trail". If you could call a trail something that has tree roots sticking out, rocks/boulders, the occasional bridge to cross, oh yeah...and a freakin' ravine! Matt kept saying "It's easy, don't worry, you'll be fine....seriously!" Now I know the truth. "Seriously" means he's lying. A few times I refused to go further and he had to come back and drive my quad through the "death march" we seemed to be on. I did hold my own pretty well though, I must say.

Matt and Mel riding the General. I had to write that sentence 'cuz it sounded kind of kinky! And I know a few of you out there who will appreciate it! You know who you are, don't be embarrassed!

Dress Up

2007-07-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

Playing "Dress Up" is a family favorite here at our house. Leah likes to dress as a cowboy! Hmmm.....ever seen a cowboy with moon boots? And what about the headband? She looks like she came out of an 80's music video instead! Moon boots, headband, and sweat pants! hee...hee...hee...

Yes! I know. Most of you will be "running for the hills" when you see my dress up outfit! What about those pants! Go "Sugar Daddy". You can't see in the picture, but I'm actually wearing the girls' gloves...they only came halfway up my hand! The things you do as a mom....

Leah's 4th Birthday

2007-06-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was little Leah's 4th Birthday! Yes! Can you believe that 4 years ago I was in the hospital in UTAH! (We've lived in 4 different states since she's been born....Utah, Idaho, Kansas, and Washington!)

She opened her presents first, of course. She loved all the gifts....so thanks to all of you who sent something. Hailey made the crown that you see Leah wearing. She made it because that's what they do at school for the birthday kids. (Such a thoughtful sister...)

After presents we went to our kids' favorite place: Chuck E. Cheese! They had a blast. And I'll admit, even Matt and I had fun on some of the games. We ate pizza and played games for about 2 1/2 hours. Then we had to get home so Leah could have her birthday cake before it got too late. They ate a few bites of the cake, but then wanted to go play with all the new presents. So much for mom's hard work at actually baking something!

All in all, Leah's birthday was fun. Mom and dad had a hard time seeing how much she's grown up. She's not a baby anymore! (boo....hoo)

My Little Princesses

2007-06-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

I found Leah's dress at the D.I. a few months ago. (Yes...I shop at used places...) Anyway, when Hailey saw it she wanted one so bad. I had to tell her they didn't have one for her. Well, as luck would have it, I was at the D.I. about a month after I bought Leah's and guess what! Yep. They had the exact same dress only it was Hailey's size! So now my girls have matching princess dresses as they call them.

Father's Day

2007-06-28T09:04:00.001-07:00

Father's Day 2007.

The girls made Matt a tie so he could wear it to church. Matt's first response was to look at me and say, "Do I have to?". He was a great dad though and wore it anyway. And he got plenty of comments from the other ward members. In fact, some asked him where he bought it! Maybe the girls and I should go into fashion designing.....