coming & going

The past two weeks were crazy busy & filled with family here, family there, driving, groceries, mosquito bites, beach days, rainy days, airport pickups & drop offs.....its been an Aspinall Family Event! The main reason James' family flew in from New Zealand and Australia was for Richard & Rose's Wedding. I'm so glad James and I were able to spend more time hanging out with everyone, since we weren't able to last year since we were the ones running around for OUR wedding.

We came home to our nieces & nephews climbing all over the place, but then 'Uncle James' scolded them & our apartment returned to normal :)

James' family rented a huge vacation home on a beautiful ranch between Hau'ula & Punalu'u. Seriously it was straight from a magazine, nicely decorated, huge beds & rooms. There were a ton of annoying mosquitoes some nights though. You had to get pass a couple of gates on the way in & out, I hated when  James & I stayed late because it was pitch black outside, so we'd end up just sleeping over.

i loved passing by the livestock, especially when they'd come right up to the window. However, my MACHO husband would become VERY paranoid so my special moments never lasted long.

We realized how much TECHNOLOGY is favored OVER playing outside, haha. These kids were addicted to the laptops, video games & iphone apps...

Siblings and couples were assigned days to do breakfast or dinner. James made some yummy pancakes, which his sisters couldn't believe were from scratch. Everyone out did themselves, we literally were feasting night and day. I learned how to make some creamy thick & delicious scrambled eggs using carnation canned milk. I also realized how much we Americans barely make anything from scratch, we always cheat with some part of our quick recipes.

THEN the weekend that everyone was SUPPOSE to return home hit, & it kept hitting LOL. James' parents misread their itineraries and missed their flight (flights to Samoa happen only once a week). Richard & Asher's plane was delayed for another day...it seemed that no one wanted to go home haha. Poor James kept having to drive back & forth from the airport (yes after a while I just stayed home LOL).

But...soon enough our OVER-crowded & hot tiny TVA apartment began to empty out. And you'd think it would be a relief, especially being 3 weeks to your due date with swollen feet and a sleepy body, but it was sad not hearing everyone laughing all the time, the fridge opening & closing, children being scolded, the fans blasting, the t.v. volume booming, our Mini-2 Week-Aspinall Reunion was over. Tomorrow morning at 5a.m. James will be dropping his parents off at the airport & it will be an official aloha 'oe until Christmas time in Samoa (celebrating with two new additions!)