The Kids Said...

1. Rosie - "Look how beautiful this is. When people come over and see my picture, they're going to be so surprised that they'll get the hiccups!"

2. Loved hearing Rosie tell Joseph bedtime stories last night. She makes them up herself.. "once upon a time, in the land of dragons, snakes, and barbies...." Joseph always responds with "that was a great story!".

3. Me- "Joseph, what do you want to name the baby?"

Joseph - "awesome"

4. Rosie "mommy, did you make chicken nuggets and fries?"

Me "No, I made chicken and mashed potatoes."
Rosie (run into the other room in a panic) "I hate that mommy!"

5. While watching Dave play a game on the iphone
Rosie - "Daddy, Mommy is the best at this game, but you're the best at trying."
6. Conversation I overheard between Rosie and Joseph
Roise- "Joseph, why are you so handsome?"
Joseph - "because I'm awesome!"

7. Joseph - "Daddy is the best!"
Me - "oh that's nice."
Joseph - "and you're awful."
Me - "Daddy's the best and I'm awful? That's not nice."
Joseph - "you're just jealous!"

8. Rosie- "Joseph is still waiting for more teeth. (pointing to the gap between his front two teeth) see, he's missing one there."

Me Ka Aloha

- Elisabeth

Where the heck have I been?

I KNOW, it's been a while! I haven't been feeling well because....

I'm pregnant!!! That's right, you read that correctly. Baby #4 will be here around the same time that Joseph and Michael were born. 

Morning sickness, I mean ALL DAY sickness has been at an all time high, and I'm just now starting to feel a tad bit better, thanks to diclectin. We aren't going to find out what we're having, as always, but my mom thinks it's a girl. 

We'll see...

Me Ka Aloha

- Elisabeth

Gross!

So I haven't been feeling to well today, and although my kids are cute as can be, they've also been as messy as can be.

1. Joseph peed all over a decorative pillow and on the carpet (I hate carpet soooo much!)
2. Michael filled his diaper full of stinkiness for the 2nd time today
3. Rosie took a huge dump and it stunk up the entire top floor (her name may be Rose, but she sure doesn't smell like one at the moment!)
4. Michael threw a toy into a toilet full off pee
5. Joseph took a huge dump and now the entire downstairs smells!

Seriously kids, I'm about to PUKE!! I think it's an early bedtime for all of us! I love them but today I just can't handle all the smells.

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Michael's new favorite word

I don't know what it is with my boys, but when they're babies, they love saying "dada". It's crazy really. We have a video somewhere of Joseph saying "dada dada dada dada dada dada" over and over again! Michael refers to everything as "dada". Well, today Micheal made a smart choice. He's been walking around for the last 10 minutes saying nothing but "mama"! I love hearing him talk!

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Look what I Made!

Here's a quick easy project I made using 1/2 a tea towel and a fat quarter. Unfortunately Rosie didn't get to keep it because it was a gift. Don't worry Rosie, you'll get your own soon :) I'm teaching a class in Relief Society on how to make this. It's going to be great, and I even got one of our suppliers to donate 50 fat quarters for the occasion!

In other news, I was cuddling with Joseph the other day and he fell asleep on me. Shortly after, he did the unthinkable. He peed on me!!!! Dave had a picture, but his cell phone erased it by mistake. Probably a good thing because Joseph positioned the pee so that it looked like I peed my own pants. Good thing he's so darn cute so I can easily forgive him :)

Me Ka Aloha

- Elisabeth

Short post...

watching Michael waddle towards me, in nothing but a diaper, and a basketball proudly in his hands is the cutest thing!

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Book of Mormon in 100 Days

I love reading the Book of Mormon, I really do, however I often find myself caught up in the day to day business and sometimes I get out of the habit. Sometimes for days, and sadly, sometimes for weeks. Our Relief Society started a 100 day challenge back in January and I started it. I was doing great, but then fell behind a little, then a lot. On the days that I remembered, I would read 5-10 chapters to get myself caught up. I found myself racing through it and not really getting much out of it. I gave up part way through Alma. 

A few weeks ago, while visiting teaching a good friend of mine, I felt prompted to encourage her to read the Book of Mormon. She expressed interest in reading it and wanted to do the 100 day challenge. She needs to be challenge and loves the idea of a set schedule. The next time I visited her, I brought her a 100 day challenge booklet so she could get started.

The next day she gave me a call and told me that she wanted to take me out to celebrate my (belated) birthday, how fun! Suddenly I had an idea. I said "I was wondering if you wanted to do the 100 day challenge with me, and when we're done, we can celebrate that." She was so excited about the idea that she suggested we start that very day. 

I feel really good about starting the B.O.M again and knowing my friend is reading it too. I'm glad we are there to encourage each other. I pray and hope that I will be able to keep up, learn a lot, and have the spirit more in my home and in my life. I'm currently on 1 Nephi, chapter 10. So far, so good!

I know from experience that reading the scriptures lightens our loads, invites the spirit into our lives, and helps us understand our divine nature. I love the scriptures and know that they are true, that God lives, and loves us, and I know the church is true.

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Wake up Mommy!

Dave sent Michael in to wake me up the other day.

First he gave me a kiss- awwwwww!

But I didn't quite wake up so......

Haa haa thanks Mikey!

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

In the works...

Someone I know is having a baby, but it's a secret. What? No, not me! Any way, not sure if she'll be having a girl or a boy, but because I love her, I'm making 2 baby quilts! I love quilting so really, this is no biggie for me. Here's the girl quilt that I'm working on. This isn't the best picture, actually, it's a horrible picture. The quilt still needs to be pressed, trimmed, and add a boarder perhaps, but you get the idea of fabric and pattern. I promise this will look MUCH better when it's done. I'll be back with an update on this quilt soon.

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Bedtime Songs

Tonight before bed Rosie asked me to sing her a bedtime song. She requested "the song from the Olympics". Obviously I thought she meant that We Believe song that plays constantly on CTV, so I started to sing that. Quickly she interrupted me and said "not that song! The one when the girl was getting her gold medal. You know, the one with the words 'Save the Queen' you know that song?" She wanted me to sing the British national anthem! Haa haa, that girl is such a princess.

Being Cute is Exhausting and...

Here's what happened today at lunch!

In other news, Michael took 4 steps the other day!! He may break a world record for walking the earliest in our family. Rosie was 17 months and Joseph was 16 months. Come on Michael, you can do it!

I'm a Big Kid Now!

It's been WAY overdue, but better late than never. Joseph is finally using the potty! He's been ready for a while now, but I've been putting it off for one reason or another. Today he was watching a show in his pullups and had the hugest poop! All up his back and all over the chair he was sitting in. That's when I decided enough is enough! He's now in big boy underwear and he's gone a few times on the potty! We have him sit on the regular toilet so that I don't have to mess with a little one and so that we don't have to worry about transitioning him later. He sits there and concentrates really hard and "makes" himself go! It'll be perfect when he starts telling me when it's time instead of the other way around.

Awesome job Joseph!

Good Morning!

I think I need to stop singing "you are my sunshine" to Michael. That little sunbeam woke me up at 5:30 am! Hopefully he'll be an early riser in 13 years when he starts seminary. *yawn* I'm tired!

Trois Ans!

Yes it's true, the terrible 2's are a thing of the past! Joseph is now THREE years old! Joseph has learn so much this year. He learned to jump, say his own prayers, shoot a basketball into a net (which he can do over and over again), ride a big wheel, count to 20, stop sucking his thumb, and more and more! We're so proud of our little guy. 


To celebrate the Michael and Joseph's birthday, we had a pirate party. Here's some pictures from the big day! 

Happy Birthday Joseph!

Popping on here quickly to say "Happy Birthday Joseph!!" Mr. lover eyes is now 3 years old! I can't believe it. Love you soooo much! I'll post more after the birthday party.

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Happy Birthday Michael - Michael's Birth Story

Last year on this day, Joseph became a big brother!!! Here's the story of how little Michael came into this world.

When I became pregnant for the third time, it was no surprise. Joseph was such an adorable and easy baby that I was eager to have another. Dave had been away in Ukraine, and when he came back, we decided it was a good time to try to have another baby. A few weeks later, I took a pregnancy test. It came back negative. I was really hopping for baby #3 so the negative results brought on tears. A week after the negative test, I took another, but because I was so upset about the last results, I had Dave look at it for me. Dave, being a typical guy had no idea how to read a pregnancy test. He said "I see a line and I think I see another, but it's really faint." I ran into the bathroom, threw my arms around him and started crying - happy tears (which really confused Dave) and said "that means I'm pregnant". Nine months later, this is what happened.

Since I was so certain of when I conceived, I thought I knew my due date. According to MY calculations, the baby should have arrived on May 27th, but my ultrasounds said differently. The first ultrasound said June  2nd and the second ultrasound said June 4th (Joseph's birthday). I was still so certain that I knew the correct date, so I insisted that the midwives write May 27th on my charts - although I think they decided on May 29th. I think I wanted that so that when "my" due date past, the midwives would start doing things to move things along. If they went by the ultrasound date, I would have to wait until the middle of June before anyone did anything, and I was NOT waiting that long. So, my due date came and went and no baby. It was no surprise since Rosie and Joseph were both over a week late. I felt like I was going to be pregnant forever!

Then the day came, well actually, the day before came. I was laying on my in-laws couch complaining about how HUGE I was and how I felt like the baby was never coming out. We decided that we were going to head out to Costco for some ice cream, it was a pregnancy craving. Before heading out the door I took Rosie to the bathroom. When I picked her up to put her on the toilet, I felt a warm feeling. I knew exactly what that was! There was no mistaking it. My water broke! From what I had been told, the baby's head would be sitting low and would act like a cork so that the amniotic fluid wouldn't leak out super fast, but things were way different for me. Sorry for the details, but I couldn't walk or move without a substantial amount of fluid coming out. Now, I'm the kind of person who would rather keep my going into labor a secret. I don't like feeling like a ticking time bomb where everyone is sitting next to the phone just waiting for a phone call every step of the way. Having my water break at my in-laws was the last thing I wanted. I wanted to go home without telling anyone what was going on, but that was kind of impossible. I pulled Dave aside and told him what happened. We grabbed a towel, told his family that we needed to go home to have a baby because my water broke, and away we went.

It was about dinner time when my water broke, and I wasn't feeling any contractions so we were still awhile away from meeting the baby. My midwife Anne came over to see how I was doing. Since nothing was going on, except for soaking every towel in the house and some very light contractions, she left but told me to call as soon as things picked up. At around 1 am things started to pick up. I could feel some strong contractions (although not crazy painful) and I felt  they were about 5-10 minutes apart. In retrospect, it was too early to call the midwives, but I could feel some slight pressure like I might be ready to push a little, but mostly I was afraid that this labor would be way faster than the last.

The midwives arrived and checked my progress. I was only about 5 cm dilated and the baby's head still hadn't dropped. This, I just couldn't understand. How could the baby's head be so high up still? My water had broken, I was having contractions, I was dilated half way. If the baby's head was so high, when was I going to have this baby? The midwife gave me some homeopathic medicine to make sure my body kept the contractions going and told me that I needed to go for a walk around the block. "Really?" I thought. "Walk around the block, with water gushing out every 5 seconds, contractions, in the MIDDLE of the NIGHT?" It wasn't going to happen! They said it would help the baby's head drop, but I refused. I had faith the baby would come out on it's own. I really didn't want the midwives to go back home. I had a feeling something was going to happen soon, but they left any way and told me to call when things REALLY picked up.

I went to bed (sort of). Joseph woke up in the middle of the night crying so I let him sleep in our bed, after all, this would be his very last chance to cuddle me as the baby of the family. I have a love/hate for these moments. I love having cuddle time and I love spending those last moments with my baby before the next one arrives. It's so emotional for me. I hate it because it's kind of sad. I feel so much anxiety for the youngest who will soon be the second youngest. I worried that Joseph would feel left out, replaced, jealous, etc. I cuddled him until my contractions started to become unbearable. Then woke Dave up and asked him to move Joseph back to his own bed. Then I called the midwives. Things were definitely happening now.  I was in a lot of pain and all I wanted to do was lay on my side and try to ignore the pain.

It felt like an eternity before the midwives finally showed up. I was expecting to see THREE midwives, the 2 that were assigned to me, and the midwife that delivered my first 2 babies (who was technically on vacation but wanted to be there any way). Only the two that were assigned came, much to my disappointment. They checked me, then realized this was "for real" and then sent a text message to my other midwife. I wish they had called her earlier! Any way, I was only about 6-7 cm dilated so my midwife figured she had time to teach the other midwife some stuff about home births, even though I told them I needed to push. Just then I looked up and saw Rosie's bedroom door open up. I was in the middle of a contraction but was still able to say "Rosie's up. She needs breakfast.... MOM!" I'm not sure if she saw anything because there's a good chance Dave was blocking her view, but in a second, my mom was there bringing her down for her usual bowl of Special K. So there I was, in labor, telling everyone that I NEEDED to push, but they didn't believe me. One of the midwives assured me "you're not quite there yet". I felt so much pressure and wanted to push so badly, so I did... and then I would stop because nobody was really paying attention. The midwives were going over their check list instead of checking me. Dave was ready to help catch the baby and was sitting next to me telling me I was doing great. Suddenly the baby's head started to crown. The midwives threw on their gloves in a panic and got ready. See, I was RIGHT!

In a few seconds I felt a huge sense of relief as the baby's head was out. The cord was wrapped around the neck so they quickly turned the baby around to "unravel" the cord, then I was given the ok to keep on pushing. In a moment the baby was born!! It was 7:38 am when Dave handed me the baby and said, with a smile "It's a boy hun." I held the little bundle in my arms and cried a fountain of happy tears. Even though it was my third, it was such an amazing miracle all over again. He was so perfect and cute and I fell in love with him in an instant. He laid on me and started to cry that adorable newborn cry. At that moment I felt like the luckiest person on earth! Now I had 3 gorgeous, healthy children, and now Rosie and Joseph had a baby brother. I thought of how cool it was that my boys had birthdays a day apart and how fun it will be for them to share birthday parties.

Rhea (the midwife that delivered Rosie and Joseph) walked into the room a few moments after he arrived. She got right to work checking him and checking me to make sure everything was healthy. He looked great except his heart was racing. We figure it had something to do with the cord being around his neck, which also explains why he hadn't "dropped" earlier on during labor. The cord was keeping him up. They needed him to calm down and get his heart rate to a normal pace otherwise we would have to go into the hospital. I was slightly scared, but I knew my loving touch would help him settle. I got him in place and nursed him, which he was pretty good at. I also wrapped him in a heated blanket and held him close. It worked! His heart rate stabilized and he fell asleep in my arms. Dave brought Rosie and Joseph to come and see him. They were intrigued, but not in love with him yet. I think it always takes kids a few days to realize what's going on. Rosie was more interested that Joseph, that's for sure. Rosie was excited to be able to hold him and wanted to be a "helper girl". When we weighed him, I was pretty certain that he would weigh less than Joseph did. I could just tell because the labor was slightly easier. He weighed 8 pounds and 1 ounce.

I kept on looking at him and trying to figure out who he looked more like when I noticed blonde hair and fair skin. I thought "wow he looks way different!" Dave didn't notice at all that he looked different, not at first anyway. Then he opened his cute little eyes, and they were blue!! Who would have thought that we'd have a blonde hair blue eyed baby!

It took us a couple days of looking through name books and weighing out the pros and cons of a name, but after much discussion, we picked Michael. Dave really had his heart set on it, so Michael it was.

Michael has been a joy in our family. He is full of energy and works hard to steal away all of my attention. He loved nursing only on my left side and I had to trick him by switching sides quickly, to get him to nurse on the right. He went through a time where he experienced colic which was very difficult for me (and him I'm sure) but after a blessing, and after I cut of dairy, he changed. He didn't cry as much when I set him down and was happier and more calm. Rosie and Joseph have become best buddies with Michael, even when he knocks over their block castles, or sticks one of their toys in his mouth, they always want to kiss and hug him. I often see them hiding in the "club house" (cupboard under the TV) and laughing. Michael is a brave little guy and will jump and dive onto people and furniture. He also weighs a lot less than the other 2 kids did at his age. I'm sure it has a lot to do with how active he his and how many calories he burning off per second.  This past year has been so much fun as I watch Michael grown, change, and learn. I look forward to many more years with my little sunshine.

Happy Birthday Michael!!!

We love you soooo much!

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Guess what Michael's got?

Finally, days before turning 10 months, Michael got his first tooth! It's just a little white sliver poking out through his gums, but it's there, TRUST me! I sure can feel that little tooth. My little baby is starting to look all grown up. I'm sure going to miss his little toothless smile. *Sigh* they really do grow up so fast.

Me Ka Aloha

- Elisabeth

Super Quick Post - my kids are so darn CUTE!

I'm gonna make this quick...

Last night I overheard Joseph singing "somewhere over the rainbow" when he should have been in bed. He doesn't know all the words so he kept on repeating "somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue.... once in a lullaby!"

Tonight when we came home from Costco, Rosie was standing by the door, taking her sweet time coming inside. I opened the door and said "come on in Rosie!" She then said "oh I was just wishing on a star and I'm not finished yet."

Michael has learned to pull himself to standing and today he took a step while holding onto the couch!! I wonder if he'll walk sooner than the other two. He also learned to clap his hands, which is so adorable!

Me Ka Aloha

- Elisabeth

What a Punk!

Tonight Rosie comes downstairs, two hours past her bedtime with a book in hand.

Rosie: "Daddy please read this book to me."
Dave: "No honey, it's bedtime."

As per her usual strategy, after getting a "no" from one parent, she moves onto the next.

Rosie: "Mommy, what does this word say?"
Me: "Which word?"
Rosie: "All of them."

What a punk!

No more Thumbs!

I'm sure you've noticed from my last post that the kids have been pretty sick this year. We've had excessive vomiting (Rosie) every 15-20 minutes and she SCREAMED before and after every time, we've had ear infections (Joseph and Rosie), major skin rash (Rosie), fever (Michael, Rosie, Joseph), vomiting (Michael), coughing (Rosie and Michael), hallucinations with high fever (everyone but Dave), teething (Michael), and diarrhea (Joseph). We've been to the doctors at least 8 times this winter, and into the ER twice.

That's what happens when you send you kid to germ central aka school, and when your other kid sucks his thumb (after touching everything). Although we can't keep Rosie away from school, we CAN do something about the thumb sucking. I bought Joseph some Toy Story bandages and put them on his thumbs. He hasn't tried to suck his thumb in 24 hours! We decided that he'll get a reward if he goes thumb free for an entire week. Wonder which of the 2 options he'll choose?

Meka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Not so beautiful this week

Spring is in the air!

Normally I hate winter. Seriously, I'm not into skiing, skating, hockey, being cold... I just hate it. However, this winter has been AWESOME! I don't think it was colder that -15 C and that lasted maybe a day. It hardly even snowed this year, and today the temperature is 22 C!! It would be amazing if every winter could be like this. I hope I'm not jinxing this wonderful weather.

Any way, March break was last week and it was very relaxing. It's so nice to have Rosie home from school and have Dave take time off seminary. There were days where we'd all sleep in until 9 and stay in our pajamas until lunch time. March break, unlike other holidays, was actually a break!

Here's a little update on the kids.

Rosie

She's been so curious about everything. She's been super chatty and is constantly asking questions. One of her recent questions was "Mommy, how does the Daddy put the baby seed into a mommy's tummy? How does it get in there?" I told her we'd talk about it when she was older. The she said "why when I'm older?" Like I said, she asks a lot of questions. She LOVES wearing dresses and insists that she only looks beautiful when she's in a dress. We recently bought her the flower girl dress she'll be wearing to April's wedding and she feels like a princess in it. She twirls around and dances in it with the biggest smile on her face. It's adorable, really! Another funny thing she recently said was "Daddy, you're a crazy daddy and I am a beautiful woman." She also loves saying "no way Dad-A, no way Mom-A, no way, Jose-A, no way Mike-A." Rosie really wants a baby sister and talks about her all the time. She tells me that her baby sister will have hazel eyes and light brown/blonde hair. She even drew a picture of her baby sister the other day. We'll have to wait and see if she's right.

Joseph

Joseph is learning to pronounce words really clearly and is expressing himself more and more. He has such a cute sounding voice! His favorite movie is Toy Story and he's constantly walking around with an arm full (or backpack full, or rain boot full) of Toy Story figurines and saying "to infinity and beyond... Buzz Light Year to the rescue.... there's a snake in my boot.... we're eternally grateful." Joseph absolutely adores Michael and loves to hold his hand. I think sometimes Michael gets annoyed with Joseph's constant hand holding, but I think it's adorable. Joseph loves being read to. Right now his favorite books are Green Eggs and Ham, Are you my Mother, and The Best Nest. He loves helping out in the kitchen ( I hope that lasts forever haa haa). He's always so excited to help load and unload the dishwasher and to put the soap in the dishwasher and push the start button. He also enjoys helping me make pesto. Joseph loves getting snuggles especially before bedtime. He transforms from a real boys boy, into a teddy bear when I lay down beside him before bed and sing him a song. Again, I hope that lasts forever.

Michael

So many things are going on in Michael's life. He's at the age where he's learning to do new things all the time. He can army crawl, sit on his own, and he even managed to crawl up a few stairs the other day. Last week I discovered a little blister on the toe he uses to push off with when he army crawls. He learned to pull himself to standing while holding on to some furniture, which he was very happy and excited about. He can also say "I did it" when we hold his hands and pull him to standing. He's learning about faces, and when asked, can point to a nose, mouth, and eyes. He was sick for 2 weeks recently which was really hard on the family. He spent those 2 weeks in my arms and wanted to breastfeed A LOT! Last week I took him to the doctor for his immunizations and he was soooooo good! He didn't fuss at all when the doctor was checking his eyes, ears, and listening to his heart. And, he didn't flinch, jump, whimper, or cry when he got his immunization! He's one tough cookie that's for sure. At the moment, he's teething (poor little guy) and going through a bit of separation anxiety, but can you blame him? Dave and I are pretty awesome, I bet most people cry when we leave the room haa haa. He still has blue eyes, I think they're here to stay :)

Well, that's a little update! I think I'm going to head out and enjoy the sunshine.

Me Ka Aloha (with love)

- Elisabeth

Cracker

Everyone comments on how fair Michael is. It's true, he looks nothing like me. He's, as Dave would put it, "a white bread cracker." That made what happened the other day way funnier.

Michael and Joseph were sitting in the kitchen and Dave asked "who wants a cracker?" Then we heard in an adorable 8 month old voice "cracker". It was as clear as a bell. Michael said cracker!

In other news, Joseph and Dave went to the store the other day to pick up some Montreal style bagels (if you've never tried them you are missing out!). They took a little longer than expected, but when they came home, Dave sent Joseph in first. I didn't see him, but I heard his little feet running excitedly towards the kitchen where I was. As he came around the corner, I saw him holding a bouquet of flowers almost the size of him. He had a huge grin on his face as he handed them to me. They were beautiful Hawaiian gingers and birds of paradise! I threw my arms around Joseph and thanked him for the flowers, then made my way over to Dave and planted some appreciative kisses on his lips! (the kids are going to read this one day and gag LOL). I love how Dave is teaching him early how to treat his wife!

It certainly brightened up my day since I had been caring for three sick children all week (and they're still not better yet). I sure hope they get better soon.

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

When I Grow Up...

A had a little conversation with Rosie today.

Rosie - "I'm going to be a mommy when I grow up and you'll be a grandma."

Me - "How many kids are you going to have?"

Rosie - "Maybe five. I'm going to buy a car with enough seats for five kids."

Me - "What are you going to name them?"

Rosie - "A girl named Seelissa and another girl named Kenina, and Anakita for the last girl."

Me- "and what about the boys?"

Rosie - "Snonot and Cahnye."

She certainly like original names. She named one of her Barbies "Aka". We'll see what she REALLY names her babies when the time comes :)

In other news, Dave promised to let me name the next baby. I'm not currently pregnant, but I'm excited to have full license to name baby #4 what ever I want :) This will be fun!

Me Ka Aloha

- Elisabeth

Modest is Hottest!

I've been meaning to write about this a long time ago but just keep on forgetting. A while back when Rosie was 2 or 3 years old, she had a dress that was sleeveless. I bought her a cute sweater to go over it so that she could be modest, yes, even at the age of 2. At first, Rosie wanted to take the sweater off. In fact, it was a bit of a struggle to get her to wear it. After explaining to her that it is important to dress modestly to show respect for our bodies, respect for those around us, and most importantly to show respect for God, she's never fought me when it comes to modesty. As a matter of fact, she's obsessed with modesty now. Here's a few examples...

Sometimes she'll wander into the bathroom while Dave or I are in the shower. We'll poke our head out from the curtain to see who the intruder is. The second Rosie gets a glimpse of a bare shoulder she exclaims "Hey, you're not modest!"

Whenever baby Michael is in just a diaper, weather it be because he's about to eat a messy meal, or if he's about to be changed into something new, Rosie will always point out how immodest he is.

One day we were at the YMCA and a girl was wearing a tube top sun dress. Rosie ran over to me and said "Mommy she doesn't have sleeves on her dress!"

She has also taken her Barbies and put Ken's suit jacket over their outfits to make them more modest.

When we were shopping for her aunts wedding gown, Rosie got very upset and let everyone know that she did NOT like the strapless dress. When April put on a dress with sleeves, Rosie started to jump up and down and say "I love it! It's so modest!"

My favorite example of how much Rosie loves modestly is when she was coloring a picture of the Princess and the Frog. If you've seen that movie, or just seen posters or toys, you'd know that the princess is in a strapless dress. Rosie decided to fix it. She took her crayons and drew sleeves on the dress! What a cleaver girl!!

I've explained to her that sometimes people don't dress modestly because they don't know about Heavenly Father and they don't know that it is important to be modest. Some people don't go to church and learn about modesty and maybe their parents haven't talked about modesty to them. The other reason is, some people don't care. However, Heavenly Father cares and is sad when we don't respect our bodies and treat our bodies like temples. We've also discussed with her that there are other things to worry about besides just modesty. We need to be kind to others, use good manners, and share, among other things.

I'm so very glad that I taught her the principle of modesty at such a young age and ever more thankful that she understands. I often see parents dressing their kids in all kinds of immodest clothing because they think it doesn't matter when they are young and that it's cute. I'v never had that philosophy. When are they suddenly old enough to have to dress modestly? When they hit puberty? When they're 18? When they're about to be sealed in the temple? How do you suddenly shift their focus to modesty? I believe that we should dress modestly ALWAYS.

Hopefully Rosie will always understand the importance of modesty and, as she gets older, she'll understand even more why. She'll learn that it helps others around us have clean thoughts. She'll learn that they way we dress can dictate how we behave. If we're in pjs we'll want to lounge around or sleep. If we're in a soccer outfit we might feel like running around. If we're in formal attire, we're more apt to sit proper and act proper. If we're in a sexy outfit we'll more likely draw the wrong kind of attention, plus we're more likely to act sexy and flirtatious, which leads to immorality and other sin. I want her to understand her infinite worth in God's eyes and in our eyes. I want her to understand that Heavenly Father loves her so much and that she doesn't need to conform to the world's standard or dress. She needs to seek first the approval of God as he knows what will make us the happiest. I pray that her friends will be good influences on her and that she in turn, will be good influences on them. I want her to always know she is a daughter of God and that modest truly is hottest!

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Is He Yours?

The other day I was shopping at Bath and Body Works getting my fix of antibacterial soaps when a lady came over to ooh and ah over Michael. "Oh he's so cute! Look at those blue eyes!" Then she took a glance at me, noticed my Asian-ness and asked "is he YOURS?" I knew this day would come, when someone would mistaken me as the Filipino nanny.

I love how different all my kids look. I wonder what the next one will look like?

Me Ka Aloha

- Elisabeth

Amazing Day!

Yesterday was great! Lately Michael hasn't been the best napper, and Joseph is going through the usual terrible twos, and Rosie's been sick, so you can see how not-fun it's been around here. Then a miracle happened. They ALL took a NAP at THE SAME TIME!!!!! It gave me some much needed peace and quiet, something I haven't had in a while. Thank you kids!

On another note, last night Dave and I cleaned up the toy room. Most days there's a million toys scattered all over the floor and when night time comes, I'm too exhausted to do anything about it, so it stays. Any way, this morning it was clean! Joseph came down to the playroom, and in a very concerned voice said "there's no more toys!". Haa haa I had to show him that he still had toys, they were just in their toy buckets.

Well, Michael just woke up from him cat nap.... I'm off!

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Look Who's Talking

My cutie baby boy, Michael, is starting to talk! He's only 7 months, but last week he said "dada" and today he said "mama". I know he knows what he's saying because when he was tired and wanted to nurse, he looked right at me and said "mama!" I just LOVE hearing my babies talk :)

Me Ka Aloha

- Elisabeth

P.S. He also started army crawling a few weeks ago!!

Merry Christmas and Happy 2012!

Another year has come and gone and what a year it's been. Before I get into the exciting things that happened in 2011, I want to apologize for being such a lousy blogger. I guess I've felt that I needed to be in the mood to write a big, long, funny, creative post every time. I avoided blogging a lot of days because I didn't think I'd have the energy to write up a "news paper article" type post. Today, as I was taking down the Christmas decorations, I realized that I should blog more even if it's short and sweet. After all, I started this blog as a journal type thing and I want to remember things that happen in my life. I need to write it weather I'm in the mood for a long creative post, or short and sweet post. It just needs to be documented, period. So I'm sure you've guessed what one of my new years resolutions is. That's right, to post more often on my blog.

Now, onto my reflections of 2011.

1. Taking our family to Utah. It was Rosie and Joseph's first time on an airplane and they loved it. They were so excited to be on a plane and everyone kept on commenting how cute they were. Joseph, because he was under the age of 2, was able to sit on my lap the entire flight. Although being huge a pregnant, it was nice to snuggle with my little guy all the way to Utah. I'd never been to Utah before, or seen mountains for that matter, so I was really excited too. I posted about that trip way back in January, so to find out more, read that post.

2. Dave's business (the quilt shop) has done amazing this year. We were finally able to take a pay cheque each month out of the business (at first all profits were re-invested into the business). What a blessing the quilt shop has become in our lives! I was even able to get my own sewing machine out of Dave's first pay cheque! I'm grateful for all the hard work Dave puts into his business and all he does to support our family.

3. Painting the kitchen and throwing out my back! My kitchen looks amazing, but I threw my back out in the process. I wrote a blog post about that when it happened in February. I never understood it when people would complain about their backs, but now I have huge amounts of sympathy for them. I couldn't do anything when it happened. I was so depressed because I couldn't even take care of the basic needs of my family. Changing a diapers was next to impossible even, and there was absolutely no way I could even attempt to pick up my kids. Another goal of mine is to strengthen my back so that things like that never happen again.

4. Finishing my third quilt. I made Dave an amazing quilt (which made have also contributed to my back problems. It was a difficult pattern, but it was worth all the hours and hours of work. I'm pretty impressed with myself!

5. Michael was born on June 3rd!!! This is the most exciting thing that has happened in 2011. He came basically on time according to my ultrasound (one said June 2, the other said June 4). My water broke at the in-laws house and about 14 hours later he was born. He weighed 8 pounds and 1 ounce. I was so surprised to see his blonde hair and even more surprised to see his blue eyes. I never thought I'd have a blued eyed baby, but I'm glad I do. It's fun to have children that look so different from each other. Michael is a very social baby and therefore never wants to be left alone, even at bedtime. I spent the first couple weeks of Michael's life holding him, ALL the time. He suffered from a bit of colic, but became a different baby once I cut of dairy and once Dave gave him a blessing. He's almost 7 months now and I'm so happy to have him in our family :)

6. I ran my second 5 km race. I raced at Bayfront park and it wasn't easy. I gained a lot of weight while being pregnant, more than I've ever gained, so I had more to carry around when I ran. It was a nice run and I'd like to do it again sometime. Running more is another goal of mine.

7. Rosie started school. It was very emotional sending my little girl off to school, but she's doing great. Her teacher is amazing and she's learning so much. It's like she woke up one morning and started coloring instead of scribbling, and she could suddenly write her name. She won the courage award and preformed in the holiday concert. I'm so proud of how far she's come since September.

8. Joseph went potty. Although he's nowhere near potty trained, he's gone on the potty a few times already! He's such a smart boy and I know he'll be trained in no time. Joseph also learned all his letters, uppercase and lowercase this year. Like I said, he's a smart boy!

9. Two of Dave's cousins were married this year.

10. Jane, Autumn, and Iris came for a visit. I really love that family and wished they lived closer, or could visit more often.... or maybe we should visit them in Hawaii (I like the sound of that!) Autumn and Iris are such beautiful and sweet girls and Rosie loves hanging out with them. I'm so glad the weather was nice the days they were here.

11. Halloween was a lot of fun. Rosie dressed as a princess, Joseph was Tigger, and Michael was a lobster and I was a chef and carried him around in a pot!

12. Thanksgiving was wonderful as always. It great to spend time with family, reflecting on our many blessings. I wrote a blog post about that too. I really love Thanksgiving and can't wait until we have a house large enough to host it. I have a lot of ideas up my sleeve, thanks to pinterest.com

13. Christmas was wonderful as always! I'll quickly list what the kids got for Christmas, since I neglected to write a Christmas post.

Rosie

- Ariel Barbie

- Gabriella Barbie (highschool musical)

- Purple slippers

- Light bright

- Tinkerbell sticker book

- Tinkerbell book with figurines

- New Christmas dress

- 150 piece puzzle

- New pajamas

- Color wand Fairy

- Princess Leia costume

- Princess dress

Joseph

- Thomas the Tank Engine puzzle

- Toy Story puzzle

- Winnie the Pooh puzzle

- Backpack from the Gap

- Cars sticker book

- Toy Story book with figurines

- Cars Color Wonder

- Superman T-shirt and new jeans

- Dinosaur toys

- Pirate ship

- New Pajamas

- Jedi Knight Costume

- Dragon hat

Michael

- Sophie the giraffe toy

- Fridge Zoo by Leapfrog

- Teething Toys

- New pajamas

- Canada outfit

- Yoda costume

- Baby toy car

I'm sure there's more stuff that each kid got, but I can't remember right now.

Mike, Katie, and baby David have been visiting all December and that has been a lot of fun. It's will be sad to see them go next week.

14. Katie is pregnant! She's expecting her new baby boy in February!

15. Shannon had her baby a few days before Christmas. Her baby girl was named Gwendolyn.

16. My friend Tara also had a baby in December and she also had a girl, named Gabriella.

17. Dave attended quilt market this year in Texas. He had a great time meeting all the industry bigwigs and spending time with his BFF Al. I sure missed him when he was gone, but I'm glad he was home in time for Halloween.

18. Dave started teaching seminary this year. It's a calling that he's very excited about, but stressed at how much time it takes. It's hard when we have a family with 3 small kids. I know he loves his calling but will probably only teach for 1 year.

19. April got engaged! Her wedding will be in May :)

There are many more exciting things that I just can't think of right now. It's been a great year and I hope 2012 will be just as wonderful, or better.

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth