weekend with the boys

with our busy schedules, it's rare that the three of us get to spend much time together as a family. this weekend was a wonderful exception. since brandon and i were off work on saturday, sunday, AND monday, we were able to reconnect as well as cross things off my long-term to do list!

first on my agenda: get a haircut! my hair was so hash, the appointment was definitely long overdue. i went to bellaviva salon in the mall and the girl who did my hair was awesome. i love it when you find a place that you know will consistently meet your expectations every time you go in.

number two on the agenda: family pictures!



we've never had any professional pictures taken of our little guy (fired, i know!), so i finally made an appointment to get it done. i would have actually preferred outdoor pictures in a more natural environment, but with the rainy season and floods here in the islands, i didn't want to take the chance. it's difficult enough to get a two year old to smile at a stranger let alone trying to do it with waterdrops coming down on your faces.

the photoshoot went pretty much how i imagined it would...

photographer: "what does a mouse eat?"

brandon & myself: big, cheesy smiles held permanently in place.

ahonui: stoic expression, head down and turned to the right.

it wasn't until we put him in a toy car and tossed him a soccer ball prop that he loosened up. i'm quite pleased with the way they all came out - whether he was half-smiling or not.

third item on our agenda: christmas shopping.

we tried to get most of the gifts for people on our lists early so we wouldn't be doing any stressful last-minute thoughtless presents by this time. so while we were at the mall on saturday we only had a few more things to pick up. sweeeet!

sunday: a lovely christmas program in sacrament meeting...and just rollin' with the homies after church. we all know how life in laie is on a sunday.

monday: we spent most of the day in kaneohe for brandon's grandmother's funeral. we woke up at 6am to get to kaneohe by 8am for the viewing. it was a touching service and although under grim circumstances, we were able to spend time with brandon's entire family. being that brandon is one of 13, it's always nice to have everyone together.

after the burial and lunch, brandon's family was so accomodating as they took ahonui home to kahuku with them and kept him for a few hours. we were able to catch "seven pounds" with will smith, which i've been dying to see (no pun intended). loved the movie, but i LOVED the time i was able to spend with my boys even more.

although i am (somewhat of) an adult, and i don't have quite the giddiness that i used to as a child during this time of year, i am still overjoyed that i have another few days with my family. no work, no stress (hopefully), no problems. i wish you all the same!

year two on blogger

hard to believe that today makes a whole year that i've been a blogger. the time really did fly by. i'm glad that i've found a way to keep in touch with my friends & family across the globe.

although not much has changed with our family over the last year, i can say for certain that it has definitely been a year of growing, learning, and appreciating life. ahonui is the bright light in our days and we are so grateful for the blessing that he has been to our family.

we hope everyone has a very merry christmas and enjoys this holiday season to the fullest.

babies galore!

it's been an abundant phase in the nikora family lately. i am proud to announce the birth of two new bundles of joy...


gabrielle paikea kamakanahau'oli nikora, born november 4th.
daughter of tane & angela

and jayson teroera leimana nikora, born december 12th.

son of jared & betty

congratulations to both families!! we're so happy to have more cuties to snuggle and love.

to my fellow mamas

ahonui will be two years old next month. since he was born, i have lost about 30 lbs. sound like a lot? not if you knew how much i actually gained throughout the pregnancy. in my opinion - it's just a drop in the bucket. i won't humiliate myself any further by posting any "pre" and "post" baby pictures. but those of you who know me best will probably admit (behind closed doors, thank you very much) that i don't look the same as i used to. boo-hoo for harm.

so...i would like to know how you other mothers out there do it? don't feel restricted to just dishing out the weight loss secrets - any busy mom knows that shedding these unwanted pounds is just one of the many battles that we must fight after having a baby. time scheduling, raising your child(ren), church callings, finance budgeting, keeping strong relationships (friends, other family, and marriage!), household chores, meal planning, and the list goes on. my goodness, do i sound like an adult or what?! responsibility can be so deceptive.


on my quest for maternal perfection, i was watching TLC's "17 kids and counting" and noticed how the mother of soon to be EIGHTEEN CHILDREN speaks to her kids - even the little ones during discipline. she explained that "each child is a gift" and was such a christ-like example of love, patience, humility, and kindness...some attributes that i would really like to aspire to as a person and especially as a mother.

so perhaps one day...with all of your help, we can get there together!