livin' the HI life: here's to you, grandpa

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

here's to you, grandpa

the trooper of all troopers. my grandfather ("papa chang" to most) was born on may 10, 1911. this translates the fact that he is 97 years old now. unfortunately, the current circumstances of grandpa's health are appearing dim as time is finally taking it's toll on this great man's body. it is a bittersweet time for our family as we know that he will be in a better place after he leaves us, yet difficult knowing that we won't be able to be physically near him.

i took off of work today to spend a little more time with him. for as long as i've known him, his memory was always in excellent shape - telling me about his high school classmates from 1932, his post office career, and even about how his monthly income was a whopping $80! inflation's a killer, aye grampa?

the past few nights many family members, ward members, neighbors, and old friends have been coming by to visit and demonstrate their love for our dear grandfather. i am surely grateful for the opportunities that i have had in the past to care for him and my grandma. the older generation can be tough to understand and deal with at times...but the wisdom and appreciation that they return to you makes the rest so worthwhile.

we love you, gramps.

3 comments:

BETS & VETS said...: There is no sweeter man then your Gramps, well maybe your Dad will give him competition for that title. Your Gramps was so cute, I still remember every day walking home from school, he would ask me how Kamehameha school was-thinking I attended school there. My heart goes out to you and your family, in times like these it is comforting to know that whatever happens you will see him again. Love you guys!; February 12, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Kahanu said...: Your Grandpa is the sweetest man! Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family!! What a blessing the knowledge of the gospel is!; February 17, 2009 at 10:12 AM
mary said...: i love this pic of his hands harm. doesn't the hands just say so much? my prayers and thoughts are with our family. your grandpa was a sweet sweet man and a living legend in laie. we love you guys!; February 25, 2009 at 10:01 PM

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some stuff...

for those of you who may not know much about our family...this one's for you:

1. where are you from?

brandon grew up in kahuku, while i grew up just a few minutes away in laie.

2. so you must have known each other growing up, right?

not quite. although we grew up in adjoining towns, we had no idea that the other even existed! brandon graduated from kahuku high school in 1995, while i graduated from kamehameha in 1999. the only thing we had in common during those days was that my older brother, tane, was brandon's classmate. how funny is that?

3. when did you get married?

we were married & sealed for time and all eternity in the laie, hawaii temple on november 3, 2005.

4. where do you work?

brandon works at the polynesian cultural center and has worked there since june 2005. he is a musician for the canoe show, ali'i luau, and night show.

i work at brigham young university-hawaii as a financial aid supervisor and have been in that department since january 2005. i help students find money to fund their college education.

5. how many children do you have?

three, and they are definitely a handful! our children are the lights of our lives and we are trying to take things one day at a time. but we hope to give them a playmate or two in the future...ya never know!

6. who cares for them while you are at work?

my mother in law watches nahe & linohao in kahuku. and ahonui attends laie elementary school.

7. what do you do in your free time?

if i could wish for more of something, it would have to be that - free time! brandon enjoys getting in his gym-time and practicing his guitar. i love to cook and read...and weirdly enough, cleaning our place actually relaxes me.

8. favorites?

tv shows:

brandon is a non-stop learner. he likes watching the discovery, history, and national geographic channels...but if the UFC is on - forget the rest - he'll be watching the fight.

i am such a girl when it comes to tv. my all-time favorites are "friends" and "seinfeld", although thanks to netflix, i have recently found an addiction to the "gilmore girls". i also LOVE the food network. too bad i can't cook like those peeps...

movies:

ocean's eleven, mean girls, pursuit of happyness, the notebook, count of monte cristo...the usual chick flick classics...brandon's favorite movie is black hawk down. but i think anything with action and/or comedy is cool with him. hehehe.

music:

brandon loves hawaiian, r&b, soul, and jazz music. i'm into almost anything that soothes me, like sade, stevie wonder, miles davis, 'ol school slow jamz & 90's rap. don't hate.

9. plans of moving?

nope. i have never been happier here in laie, hawaii and i'm sure brandon feels the same. if we could stay here for the rest of our lives, i'd be a lucky duck. who wouldn't want to raise their children in the same place they grew up?

i may add or update this information on us from time to time depending on the demand. but if you have any other pressing questions that you would like to know - hollaback!