"Just the two of Us"

I woke up very early this morning since James and I planned to start our Saturday at the Gym. However, that didn't work out since the Gym closed at 8am and there wouldn't be enough time for a nice workout to be put in for James & a good walk for me. BUT, we did pack up and head out to the beach again, planting ourselves right in front of Goat's. The sky was so so so clear, no cloud in the sky. Sun blazing with no chance of a break for shade. Exactly what I wanted, since I was determined to soak up as much sun as possible.
26 WEEKS

James and I rolled out our mats, towels, snacks, music, my cosmo magazine and refreshing cold drinks. After a long week of school and a ridiculously boring paper, laying out on the beach was the best thing ever....UNTIL I made it to the water. I've gotten to the stage where my mid and lower back has been aching or just leaving me very uncomfortable at times. Let me tell you, as soon as I laid back and relaxed in the water...I never wanted to get out. The coolness, the soft current, the feeling of being light as a feather soothed every inch of my body. I can't wait to head back next weekend. 

The Latest....

1) so one day james lost his cellphone, and my contract was almost done, so we ended up at AT&T as new customers with iphones. I didn't know that they were sold out at almost every Apple & AT&T Store. Wowzers! Anyways, I must say this phone has been pretty helpful for the couple weeks we've had them. Yes I love my phone, yes I pay little attention to the speaker in class, yes i love adding new apps, yes I love that its surrounded in a pink case.

 

2) I am SIX MONTHS...finally stared at my tummy in the mirror & realized that WOW, i have gotten bigger. To be honest, I wasn't keeping up with my baby calendar until a good friend of mine mentioned how it felt to be pass the halfway mark. Well, it feels like 5-6 pillows. If you've been hapai, you know what I mean. Pillow for the head, back, tummy prop, in between legs and under feet, etc. I'm slowly getting back to feeling tired more often, or just finding myself wanting to sleep earlier. James is amazed at my tummy growth, and how many times I say, "Im hungry" :)

3) we finally hit the BEACH. The weather has been extremely beautiful, clear skies & HOT!!! It was wonderful for my feet, getting a little massage with the sand and water. It was early morning so the ocean was clear and sparkled from the sun. A couple of people were walking to Goat Island. I told James how my friends and I would randomly head over to Goats, slipping and falling over the reef with our foodland rubber slippers. Its a cool little place. Great for skinny-dipping bahahaha (Me? NEVER! LOL) I need to take James over one time, strap him to a boogie board and tug him over :) 

Angel's Sundae YUM!

I can't wait to teach my kids to swim. James is hesitant when it comes to the ocean, but NOT me. I think my Dad contributed to this "No sked um, Go get um" relationship with the ocean. I can remember some of my earliest memories of swimming lessons: 

(Memory 1)Basically my Dad swimming out to the middle of nowhere and LETTING GO of me. I laugh now, but I can remember getting told to "Stop crying, you're swallowing the water and just kick, move your arms!"

(Memory 2) It was somewhere either at Alamoana or Waikiki, my Dad placed my two older brothers and I on a wall out in the ocean. Yes we were all very little because Hill (my little sister) was only a baby looking at us from the sand...and my Dad swam back to shore & left us. Was it fear that got me to the shore before my brothers??? I just remembered diving in, eyes open the whole time under water because I didn't want to be the last one left behind. I think Eric cried, LOL. 

(Memory 3) Holding onto my Dad's shoulders (maybe choking his neck at times) and body surfing with him through the waves. I've loved the ocean ever since. James is another story, he took a beginning swimming class his freshman year at BYUH, he told me this while we dated and i laughed my head off. (Don't worry love, I'll save you if needs be!) And my Mom, you don't even want to go there. Although my siblings and I all knew how to swim before Pre-School age, my Mom said if we went out too far, she'd just wave & sing 'Aloha Oe' :)

4) We've been thinking of a couple of NAMES...but nothing to be announced or decided upon until I have her in my arms. 

good night everyone, love from james, me & our little one!

O le aso fanau a James nei

(like my title? im in my second semester of samoan)
What a WEEK, what a DAY!

Although I only have a few classes this semester, they are all 400 Senior level curriculum and its been nonstop reading, analyzing, discussing, hw, quizzes & tests. (Yes school just started) Not to mention I've already stressed over & finished a presentation for my Communications & Media class for the semester (Over & out of the way). There were so many things that took up every space on my mind, planner & time of day that by the time Friday came, I was so drained. Mentally & physically. The physical draining was worst...I had to call a time out on school and work to lay in bed & just rest for a day & a half, feet elevated. Don't worry, no scares at all. My body had to remind me that, "HELLO YOU'RE PREGNANT TAKE IT EASY!". That day & a half sucked, but I was rested & back to normal just in time for a very special day = James Birthday!!

He loves comics (other than video games, duh!), especially Superman. I tried to surprise him with a 'Superman' themed party, just for me & him, but has like Superman died out or something? Because frickin' Spiderman party stuff has taken over. Lol, I was not a happy customer at the places I searched high & low in. Anyways, he had a free pass to do whatever he wanted the entire day, beginning at midnight, and I had to allow it all :)

To end the day, I dropped him off at work & then I GOT to work...making dinner, baking his cake, mixing the icing, cleaning the house, hanging the lights, trying to set up a cute little romantic dinner on our living room floor. The Superman logo is so complicated! lol. And then I began to run out of red icing...

I needed to buy more time when James called to be picked up, so I made up a story that his family messaged me online to call them in NZ :) Im telling you this Superman logo was getting to me. So while he went to get a calling card, I was studying google images and finishing up my homemade birthday card for him...free handing then erasing 100x's, cutting, layering the different colored papers, gluing, oh arts & crafts! Add a bow for cuteness <3

His reaction as he came through the door was priceless, totally surprised. I was nervous when it came time to light his cake, but his excited expression made me feel beyond wonderful. He loved it, especially his card. THESE are the moments that matter the most in life.

I was so pooped out, James wanted to catch it on camera too. Pleasing your husband makes slaving over the oven & stove worth it, hahaha.....and by the way, this cake is BOMB! YUMMMY!!!

Toasts to his 27th year! Love you James :)
xo, baby & me

Auckland Surprise

James and I recently received a cute surprise in the mail this week.

His family in Auckland sent us a box of goodies from SCORCHED ALMONDS (my fav!!) to a variety of baby clothes & many other essentials for our little girl. Even though majority of everything was presents for the baby, James and I were still excited as we went through and looked at everything needed for baby's care. (James' nails were long & I caught him trying to open the baby nail clipper package to try it out....ugh YAH RIGHT!!)

Trying to balance it all for the photo

We thought this part was the cutest & best thing included in the box: our christmas card, especially what our nieces & nephew wrote...

we blurred everything else out, bc it's none of your business :)

Thank you so much to the Aspinall's in Samoa, Auckland & the Joyce's in Hamilton. It was such a nice surprise, too bad James can't have any scorched almonds because of his new year's diet for the wedding, but I sure am enjoying it all :) The baby clothes are so teeny-tiny and cute!

We are so grateful for being raised in families that share a love for each other and for the gospel. We can't wait to see everyone in April <3

love your enemies

 It is the night before Winter Semester classes and we've decided it would be a perfect time to begin our goals for 2011. One of them being more active with scripture reading. We have been pretty good since we've been married, but there is ALWAYS room for improvement in our lives. Tonight we came across this passage that really stood out to James and has left a great impression on myself as well:

"And behold it is written also, that though shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy; But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good. " (3 Nephi 12: 43-45)

I can remember hearing this counsel/passage to 'love your enemies' since I was little, but never really paying attention to verse 45 that followed "for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil AND on the good". A great reminder that we are all children of God, even the people that can push us to our limits!!!  Such counsel went along perfectly with my personal goals I hope to carry out this year, some of which include being more patient, positive and charitable :) 

I love reading scriptures with James because he chooses passages that I know I was meant to hear and ponder about. He also does well in explaining and sharing examples. I love listening to him. He is such a wonderful husband, we ended the night perfectly with a priesthood blessing (my Dad would always give us kids a Father's blessing before the start of each school and new year). I love my husband <3

I typed "love your enemies" into Google Images, here's what popped up:

First day of classes tomorrow start at 7:30a.m.!!!!!

YEAR OF OUR BABY!!! 2011

Happy New '2011' Year to Everyone!!
As always, little Laie greets the new year with some bangs & BLASTS!!
Little rain here and there, but James & I were able to celebrate with my parents, light a ton of our costco supply of fireworks & toast to the midnight countdown.

We made 22 Weeks today, now its on to a family wedding in April, baby girl in May, summertime road trip to the Navajo Reservation, finishing school & trip to Samoa at the end of the year :)