We're He-re

We have arrived safely here in Utah! We flew in Wednesday afternoon and can I just brag...the kids slept for the whole flights! Yup, both of them. It was marvelous.

Of course, leaving our amazing friends was difficult. But I was sent to live in this digital age for a reason. This computer stuff makes everything much easier on the emotions.

So you may be wondering how we are adjusting to our new life here and what we are up to. If you aren't wondering...then you may want to find a different blog to read, because I am about to tell you.

Connor has yet to throw a tantrum in two days! He keeps himself entertained...and NOT by "watching a show". We have only watched one movie since we have been here. Otherwise he is playing with Will and Seiji (cousins) or annoying Alex (the little dog). He spends lots of time coming in and out of the backyard and playing with the toy cars. He is in heaven. Of course, trying to get him to sleep on his own is not going as perfectly. Todd is downstairs now "sitting on the floor" by Connor's door waiting for him to fall asleep.

Abi isn't phased by any of it. She too loves the dog (I am certain Alex is just waiting for us to leave already).

Todd and I are going to be setting up his office tomorrow. That is, of course, after he enjoys a round of golf with his dad and brother (he enjoyed a round at 6:30 this morning with Grant).

I am relishing all of the help. It was so amazing to me to have Seiji call and ask to "play with Connor." I was told to just drop him off at my parents house. So I did. I had a whole hour without Connor. It was so strange.

I am trying to adjust to the time change. It was bizarre sleeping in until 9 this morning. I won't get too used to it though.

We are living with Todd's parents. They had a few empty rooms in the basement that they have allowed us to take over while Todd is still a "student" and can't afford the time to work at a paying job. My parents have an empty room in their basement that they have willingly given up so Todd can have a quiet place away from us to work on his dissertation.

All in all, we are doing well. Baby Carly is still snug and safe in her little womb and we are all feeling fine. I'll try to start posting regularly again.

Reverence.....& a 2 Year Old

Yesterday, the Sabbath Day. A day of rest, peaceful contemplation, wrestling?

As I have mentioned before, our ward starts at 1pm...Connor & Abi's nap time. The last few Sunday's, conveniently, Connor has fallen asleep on the way to church. We've been able to carry him into the chapel and lay him down on the bench where he has slept through the entire meeting. This left Todd and I to sit and listen to the speakers. Abi usually falls asleep as well (in this totally cute position that I will write about on her blog).

This last Sunday Todd was speaking. I am always anxious to listen to Todd. He has such a good way with words, has a nice speaking voice and takes lots and lots of time preparing and researching his topic, so you know you are going to be spiritually edified.

Sister Choi (this incredible mommy in the ward that always takes Abi) came and sat by me and took Abi...good thing too, Abi was having a really hard time falling asleep and needed some coaxing. So she took Abi out and rocked her to sleep while I stayed to watch Connor...hoping that he would fall asleep. It didn't happen on the way to church, I was certain it would happen eventually.

The sacrament came, Connor still wasn't asleep and he was beginning to get restless...and irreverent. The first speaker had their turn...don't ask me what it was about, I was trying to KINDLY remind Connor to be quiet, fold his arms, think about the temple. I tried letting him color, play with his truck, look at pictures. None of it worked. He was so wiggly and wanted to either climb over the benches or roll around on the floor. Neither of which I thought was appropriate, so with his back arched and moaning, I carried him out.

Remember, I am 7 months pregnant. Carrying a little boy (who weighs over 35 pounds) out of the chapel without him kicking or hitting someone with his flailing arms is quite a feat.

We got outside and I tried to just sit with him on a bench. But come on...our courtyard (which is just outside of the chapel) is a child's jungle dream. I was having contractions and was not in the mood to tackle him and make him sit next to me on the bench. So I did the complete opposite of what I should have done, and let him run around. This meant that I missed my Toddy's talk (lots of people came up to me afterwards complimenting him...WHY DID I HAVE TO MISS IT? AUGH!) and an incredible musical number by this group of men from our ward (I heard a tidbit of it...think of Boys 2 Men singing "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet").

Ironic, then, that Angie should call me this afternoon to talk about her calling and asking if I had any suggestions or ideas on how to keep kids reverent during Sacrament Meeting (she's in charge of an enrichment night where they are going to discuss this very topic). I am the last person to get ideas from...I am failing when it comes to this.

However, she then proceeded to give me tons of great ideas and told me her method on how she and Adam have helped Tyson to be a little more quiet during Sacrament Meeting. She also sent me a link that had the GREATEST quotes, thoughts, suggestions and ideas for this frustrating hour of my week. So with that...I will share the link with you:

http://www.mormonchic.com/crafty/quiet_toys.asp

If any of you have tips, or suggestions (or stories that might make me feel better)...PLEASE...share them with me

Super Saturday

WOW!!! We have a whole lot to cram in before we leave this beautiful island.

We have a friend who works as a dolphin trainer (is that the coolest job EVER!!!) at the Sea Life Park and she can get us in for a killer discount. Too bad she wasn't there on Saturday, or she could have introduced us to the little babies she is training. Any-hoo, we went with our friends, the Olsen's.

I'd been before, but to tell you the truth, having kids along is what makes the whole trip more worthwhile. Connor said the most hilarious things! To read all about his detailed trip, visit his blog.

As a teaser (and to tie in this picture) Connor was standing next to the glass of this huge aquarium and a very large Manta-Ray swam bye with the belly on the glass. He got scared and all shaky when it swam by!
It didn't take too long to walk around the park, it is rather small. The highlight had to have been the dolphin show. They have the world's only known wholfin (part whale, part dolphin)! Such a beautiful creature.

That evening I abandoned Todd with the kids (again). Don't feel too bad, Abi slept the entire time. My girlfriends here threw a baby shower for me!

SIDENOTE ABOUT BABY SHOWERSAfter Connor was born, I thought that was it. I am sure somewhere Emily Post has mentioned that it is improper etiquette to have another baby shower after you have already given birth to one child. When I was expecting Abi, friends and family offered to throw a shower and I turned them all down, trying to be etiquettely correct. Then Abi came and I had nothing for a little girl, not to mention the move and the need for things that I didn't have anymore. The invitations came again with baby #3 and I took these sweet girls up on it. Forget Etiquette, if someone wants to throw you a shower, take them up on it! We girls always need one more reason to get together.

Wendi did the decorations and as you can see, it was so beautiful!
This is the courtyard of our Tabernacle where we come to church every Sunday, isn't it the most beautiful setting?

We started out with the delicious food, then moved on to some great, non-embarrassing games and finally the most special part of the evening. By this time it had gotten dark out and some of the guests had left, so it was just a very small intimate group. We gathered together around the center of the table with the candlelight and each of the women gave their "favorite Mel memory". Of course, I was a blubbering idiot.

The people I have met here have become my family. Todd and I have spend most of our marriage living here in Hawaii and it has made living away from our own families a little easier. It's a transient ward, but there is always going to be this amazing connection between us...and the connection has remained with the friends that left a while ago.

Mahalo Nui Loa to all of my girls here in Hawaii for an amazing and special evening.

Sittin' on the Toilet

Just another late night, sitting on the toilet here in the hall waiting for the rattle doll to stop making it's noises.

Can I just tell you about the most wonderful day I have had!?! (Todd's on the other hand started out pretty rough)

Miranda and Sami came and picked the kids and I up around 10am. We went to the Waikiki Aquarium where the kids enjoyed themselves enough. Of course, the fish would probably been very boring to them (and me) if they hadn't seen Finding Nemo three hundred times. Miranda held Connor up to the glass and said, "Look Connor, there's Dory." He kept saying "Dory" but didn't really catch on that she was in the tank, and then you heard a great yell of "Dory!!!!" He finally realized that she was swimming around in there!
Then we ate lunch, took some home to Todd...who was abandoned at home to do homework. Took a little trip to the mall and Wal-Mart and then brought the kids home.

THE FUN PART REALLY BEGINS NOW!!! After we came home, I got the two little ones fed and diapers changed. We left Connor, Sami and Abi with Todd and went to Tip 'n Toe nails for pedicures!!! This was to be my official last girls night out with my many wonderful girlfriends here in Hawaii. The pedicures were fabulous. I got my toes painted this great purple color with white and green flowers on the big toes with a pretty jewel in the center of the flower. So girly!!!!!
Afterwards we went to dinner at Spaghetti Factory....no need to guess what I got (if you are a regular to this blog). Dinner lasted two talkative hours! So blissful. When we returned home Connor and Abi were both already asleep. Connor did wake up though because the guys (Mano & Max came and helped to relieve Todd) were watching a manly movie (The Mummy) and the loud noises frightened my sweet little boy.

So the kids, Miranda and I went into another room to watch a more mellow show..."High School Musical 2" Loved it! Show me those jazz hands if you liked it (I love cheesy shows).

Connor is laying on the bed talking to himself...it may be a long night until I fall asleep. I could just keep writing about nothing until he falls asleep, but I wouldn't want to put any of you through that. Sleep well (I hope you actually get some sleep tonight, Heather).

Here I Sit

It is 9:57pm...after the nightly ritual of putting Connor in his Jammies, convincing him to sleep in his own bed and having family prayers, before I could stand up Connor pushed me and said "sit in a chair."

For the last few nights Connor has been unable/unwilling to fall asleep without one of us sitting outside of his door. At first I tried the "put him back in his own bed, everytime he came into our room approach." But that meant that I had to get in and out of my own bed at least two or three dozen times in the night, which then meant with every up and down movement from the bed I had contractions.

So I would stand in his doorway, but my legs would get tired from standing, so I sat on the floor, but he couldn't see me from the bed. However, perched here on this toilet, he can see me just fine.

"A toilet?" You ask. Yes, a toilet. You see, about a month ago the toilet in our main bathroom needed to be replaced so Todd put a new one in. The toilet in the hall is the old one. Living here in Hawaii there is only one day out of each month where you can legally dump things on the side of the curb and the state picks them up. You can find items from toilets, to beds, to tvs...anything. It's just crazy. I'd like to say you can get "good stuff" but let's face it, good stuff here in Hawaii is really lousy, but it gets you through life and it most often times matches the apartment you are living in...dumpy.

I don't know why I sit here. He ends up coming into our bedroom around 1am and he literally kicks me out of my spot and I go to sleep in his bed, because I am just too exhausted to deal with the sadness that ensues when I take him back into his own bedroom. So I have spent the last few nights sleeping in his bed while he sleeps with Todd.

How does Todd feel about all of this? He has no idea any of it is taking place. With all the he is dealing with (moving his work office...which, thankfully, ended yesterday, studying for school, writing papers and doing the laundry) he is too tired to budge or hear anything while he is asleep. It was so funny the first night it happened, he never heard Connor come into our room and asked me why I was asleep in Connor's bed and Connor was in ours.

The other reason I am not nipping this in the bud now is because in a few days, someone is coming to pick up Connor's bed and he will be sleeping in our bed anyway. Why fight this one out. The poor kid has been put through enough already with all of his toys being sold off.

So, needless to say, Todd's poor parents are going to have to hear Connor in all his saddness re-adjust to sleeping in a new room with a different bed when we arrive. They are amazing people who understand what we're going through. They have raised eight decent kids...and none of them still sleep in their parents bed! We won't be doing this forever.

Honestly, I do love having my kids close to me...I would love it even more if they would lay motionless like statues. But when you've got a foot in the face and a knee in your back, you notice them more and you sleep a little less. I'd just like them to be within arms reach, so I can make sure that they are okay.

Time for a Catch Up

The last week has proven fruitful in the furniture ridding department. Thanks to Craigslist, everything has sold much more quickly than I had anticipated.

I sit here on the floor in our bedroom writing this post. No desk to set this stuff on, because it has sold. Piles of clothes scattered around the room. One for Todd, One for me, and One pile of dirty clothes. No drawers to put them in!

In the corner are stacks and stacks of books just calling to be put in boxes and shipped via media mail to the mainland. The bed is my backrest and we get to keep it until the day we leave (thankfully).

So, we are in shambles and Connor is sensing it. He asks to sleep in our bed, or asks us to sleep in his bed with him. His toys are being sold off day by day. I try to take him outside for a little bit each day (I know, that sounds like he's a little pet doggy, but living this lifestyle he can only get out for fresh air when I can keep him on a "tight leash" of sorts).

However, when the weekend came, we made the very most of it! Our friends, the Moulton's arranged a "Meteor Shower" party at Mokuleia (Northern tip of the island) on Saturday. We loaded up the van that evening and headed out to see the stars.

Everyone, but us, arrived on Hawaiian time. While we waited for the crew to arrive, Connor found the only pile of dirt and went to town. There is this "Maui Browning Babe" lotion that they sell at the ABC stores...I know why it turns people brown, the stuff must just be full of the dirt!

Still waiting, we got the munchies. We filled up our bellies with the chips we brought for the potluck and by the time the bonfire had started, we were already too stuffed to enjoy the hotdogs and Smore's.
Todd did make us a few polish sausages. YUM!!! The bonfire was great, too bad all the little crabbies thought so too. Many of them climbed into the pit for the party, but never made it out alive.
I learned that I could never have lasted on survivor. While sitting on our blanket, looking at the sky full of stars (AMAZING), my feet were hanging off of the edge. I felt the sand beneath my feet start to shift and then a crab crawled up and over my leg! AAUUGGHH!! The great outdoors are so beautiful, but not when creatures crawl on you!

Sunday evening after Church we all changed clothes and met some friends at the Valley of the Temples to take some family pics. Our friend Katie was the photographer...here are a few of our favorite shots from the evening. The cute little girl going in to kiss Connor is Sami...Katie took their family pics too.

Comparison Shopping

I just returned from a solo trip to the grocery store. It kills me to have spent $40 and walk out with only 2 bags of groceries! I feel like I am getting jipped. The prices here are definitely something I am not going to miss.

So, let's do some comparison shopping. I'll list the prices of some of the things I just bought...and you let me know what you would spend on the same items where you live!

Small Carton of Ice Cream $3.79
Can of Pie Filling $7.69
Vanilla Wafers $2.39
Cream Cheese $1.79
Small Can of Pineapple $1.39
Shredded Mozarella Cheese $3.49
Gallon of Milk $5.99
Kix Cereal $8.79

I'm excited to see what a difference there is!

Cat's Out of the Bag

It's been a humdinger of a week, you can tell by the earlier post that I wrote.

Because of the cyclone of changes that came about last week we narrowed down our options.

*Todd is going to complete his ArchD by May 2008. It's going to take a lot of time and patience and a nice quiet place away from children and a nagging/needy wife.

*We need to move to a place where we can live for free (not easy to find in Hawaii).

*It's been tradition to move at the time of an impending birth...what should make baby #3 any different?

*Watch out Utah, here we come...right back where we stared from!

Yup! We poor starving students are moving in with the folks and finishing up Todd's last year of school from the mainland. His teachers are allowing him to complete his coursework from there. He will need to continue to come back to Honolulu every month or so, but even the flights are cheaper than staying here.

Pink Bench

I have this super cute friend, Lindsay, who has started a headband company with her mom. They have been selling them in Utah and they are doing so well!

These photos were taken from a baby shower I went to recently. The "models" are wearing one of the headband styles...different fabrics, just to give you and idea (sorry Ashley, you've got just too gorgeous a face to pass up, and Lindsay, how are my friends supposed to know who to give credit to if they don't know what you look like?).


You can go to the Farmer's Market in Salt Lake City at the Gateway every Saturday to check out their inventory.

The name of their company is Pink Bench. Their website is still under construction, but check back often to see these great accessories!

The headbands are made of really cute fabrics, the ties are small ribbons, so you don't get that bunchy look under your hair. The secret for keeping them on your head...VELCRO! They have attached velcro to the underside to help the headbands stay in place. There are different widths and some are stiffer than others. You really should just go there to check them out.

Mi Vida Loca

Life is certainly crazy right now. You'll most likely hear all about it, but not until the time is right. A few of the tidbits I can offer are these:

*Last Monday Todd went up to the school to speak with the Dean about a few concerns he had and to get together with an advisor to discuss his dissertation topic. In the one hour he was there, he learned that the Assistant Dean had changed, there was a new dean of the Architecture School and probably the biggest blow of all...As of May 2008 the NAAB (National Architecture Accreditation Board) is rescinding all ArchD's from the University of Hawaii.

What does this mean for us? Simply put, if Todd does not complete his ArchD (dissertation) by May 2008, we will walk away from our educational experience here at UH with NOTHING. They will not offer a Bachelors, a Masters or anything.

Many of you who have gone through programs like this realize that you usually have to defend your thesis/dissertation a semester or so after you walk. We don't have that option any more.

*The Financial Aid office has decided that we have "exhausted our funds". This means no more student loans. Do they not live in Hawaii...do they not know how expensive it is to live here? Todd's loans for the next year will easily cover his tuition and 5 months rent. We're supposed to be living here for 9 more months...you do the math! The worst part is, how is having under $60,000 in student loans "exhausting" your funds? Uh, this is a Doctorate program...no different than a Doctor or Dentist! AUGH!

So to help us get through the chaos and frustration of our lives, Miranda called and offered to watch the kids so Todd and I could go to the temple to sort things out and clear our minds. It was so nice to have an 1 1/2 of Todd all to myself on the drive up. We visited lots and talked adult talk and ate at McDonald's.

Of course the temple trip has helped to calm all of my nerves and I feel very good about what things will be happening in our lives and know that everything is going to work out just fine. I have been on cloud nine since our visit to the temple and am so grateful that Todd and I were able to go.

Then we took a very special trip to a project that Todd had been working on before we left Hawaii last year! He's been working for a local architect, and last year he was in charge of the Faculty Duplex Housing project at BYUH. My wonderful husband designed and drew up the plans for these houses (I know, to you mainlanders this is not anything great, but they wanted the architecture to remain "Hawaiian Style, A.K.A. ugly). He got to see one of his designs built! I am so proud of him. (thanks to my little sister Suzy, whom after reading this blog, emailed me pictures of the site that she took when the project was just beginning construction in October of '05) Here is the before picture:

And this is what the site looks like today (there are three of these duplexes on the lot)

On our way home from the temple we narrowly avoided being in a car accident while some drunk and high lady drove into the guard rail, then backed into it, then drove right into a mountainside. I got out of the car and ran up to her (she had her window down and was pushing in the air bag) and asked if she wanted me to call 911...her reply "oh no, whatever you do, don't call 911. Can you just help me push my car to the side of the rode?" She was very strange. Obviously not with it.

We spent Saturday on the North Shore at Shark's Cove. We dined under a Palm Tree eating none other than a fabulous Ted's Bakery Bacon Cheeseburger and Chocolate Haupia Pie! YUM!!! The water in the tide pools was like bath water and Connor even ventured to swim out on his own. He did pretty good the first few times, but by the 20th, he went too far and couldn't reach so he took in too much water.

On the drive home we stopped at Aoki's for a fabulous Shave Ice! I have to say, Aoki's is #2 to Waiola. I think the kids and I will walk there this afternoon to quench our palette.