life with 3

our baby boy was born just over seven weeks ago on Saturday, March 15th...only 3 days before my due date.  baby is strong and healthy, and is getting chunkier by the day!  since I'm nursing day & night I barely have the strength sometimes to lift his growing chubby body - let alone have time to update my blog...so sorry!

It's taken some time adjusting to life with 3 bubbas, but I love the idea that our family is growing!  here's what I feel the difference is with having 3 kids rather than one or two...

-the other two kids tend to bicker, argue, tease, and FIGHT a lot...perhaps to get the parents attention.

-the other two kids make a lot of noise playing (or fighting) which frequently wakes baby up.  arrrrgh.

-you may have twice the amount of help where the older child can do more difficult chores (Ahonui now takes out the trash.  wooohooo!) while the younger one can handle simpler ones (nahe is supposed to pick up the toys...note: supposed to.).

-the older ones have places to be (Ahonui has school and baseball) and things to do (homework!), which means you can't just sit around with your new bundle all day...you've gotta get them all ready and out the door - on time!

-we haven't yet had any "house rules" in our home, but now with 3 kids...it feels like we really need rules (and consequences. lol)!

-walking around with 3 children makes me feel more "motherly" I guess...it's more responsibility right smack in front of my face.

 

while it's proven to be more difficult with more little ones that depend on us, we still feel very blessed, and very grateful.  one day at a time...

...next up: baby's birth story!

a day for trying something new

this past saturday, brandon was given the green light to have the day OFF - and that caused for celebration.  because scheduled days off are typically earmarked for running errands, trips to town, and not always taking advantage of what paradise has to offer.  since he surprised us with an unexpected saturday off, we decided to have a "family field trip" together - to visit the pacific aviation museum on ford island near pearl harbor.  even though it took us a bit to get out the door, we were still so excited for a day full of fun and adventure! 

we made a quick stop at zippy's for lunch.  simply because empty bellies on a full day of fun are not allowed.

our drama queen in full effect

the go-to meal for da keiki: won ton mein...yuuuummmm.

then we google mapped and navigated our way to the pearl harbor memorial.  because the last time either myself or brandon has been to this historic site was back in elementary school.  so we got a little lost on our way there.  but it was all good...friendly military peeps are always willing to help with directions!  you have to park in the pearl harbor parking and then catch a shuttle over the ford island bridge to get to the museum.  i would have liked for all of us to go on the shuttle ferry to see the USS arizona memorial but apparently those free tickets disappear by morning and we didn't make it there until 2pm.  oh well, a little planning ahead for future family field trips is now in my mental notes.

on the shuttle bus to ford island

the USS arizona memorial - a shot from the shuttle on the bridge.

ahonui was our photographer - can't be mad about that.

flight simulator action!

we tried to get our admission fee's worth by staying until 5pm closing time.  we walked around the museum and checked out the actual planes that were part of the battle on december 7, 1941.  historical coolness!  we bought tickets for brandon & ahonui (creating a jealous, tantrum-throwing little sister) to do a 20 minute flight simulator (which i have a hunch was a huge influence on the decision to visit to the aviator museum in the first place. lol!)  we watched a short pearl harbor movie in the empty theater - we were the last ones there!  then as i rested my fat, sore, prego feet brandon and the kids walked around the hangar to look at all the planes and aircraft that got bus' up during the pearl harbor attack.  then barely made it onto the last shuttle back to oahu.  i was pooped after that, to say the least.

but we couldn't deny that we were all pretty hungry again.  so we made a final stop to the mall and walked around a little before the grindage.

he insisted on a picture with the stuffed giraffe's okole.  ohh, the innocence is so endearing.

and you just can't go wrong when you end the day with ben & jerry's!  it was most definitely a day to remember.  or as ahonui puts it..."this was the best day EVERRR!"

flashback friday: halloweens past

there's been a few Halloweens that I haven't documented yet...and it's high time that I catch up on all the costume cuteness over the last couple years.

 

2010: ahonui insisted on being cat in the hat that year...all on his own.  no other costume would be acceptable.  it was too funny.  we then dressed up baby nahe (who was only 2 months old at the time) as a sweet little pea in a pod.  sooo darling. 😊

2011: ahonui was addicted to first person shooter/zombie video games a lot more than I preferred, was able to control, or liked to admit, so that year he really wanted to be a zombie.  ummm - denied! so his backup costume was to be a war soldier...ohhhkaaaaay.  but since I didn't have his soldier costume by our ward trunk-or-treat party, we improvised and my clever mother scrounged around our apartment for a last minute quickie to throw on the boy...we found some red little boy boxing gloves, threw a kitchen towel around his neck, put on his red bball shorts, dabbed some black eyeshadow under his eyes, and voila! a boxer was born.  and nahe was a sheep - because it was the cutest, more original (not a witch, clown, or bumblebee), best-fitting costume I could find at Walmart. what can I say, I'm not a seamstress!!

2012: it was ahonui's first year at laie elementary and the school has a little Halloween parade so we dressed him up as a ninja last year (he was pretty into the Lego ninjago series).  nahe still doesn't have much say in what she ends up as for Halloween so we put her in a fairy princess getup.

we always have a ton of fun taking the kids out for the long walk around town to get as many goodies as possible until the little legs give out and the fussies start rearing it's ugly head for the night.

what do your kids like to dress up as for Halloween?  do u make your own costumes, buy them, or improvise with whatever you can find around the house?  sometimes those are the best ones!!

I'm kinda curious to find out what ahonui's costume request will be this October...and also if nahe will have an opinion on what I put her in when we parade around Laie.  we'll see!

mom guilt is consuming me

I just left my kids at home with their father so I could head off to work.  some days, I'll admit, are better than others.  but today didn't feel so good.  before I left, i had the boy practice his math & reading with some workbooks I got him for the summer break (don't want him going back to school with no recollection of the previous year's teachings), and the girl blocked my path as I tried to go down the stairs.  I left the boy scowling and flailing his arms and legs in frustration (drrraaaaama!), and moved on to the girl wrapping her arms around my thighs convinced that she'll be a valuable 2 year old asset in my financial services office.  then on to granny prying her off my leg and watching me drive away as she continues to hold her arms out for me.  cue mom guilt...NOW.

I honestly don't think any mom (or parent, for that matter) can avoid the feelings of guilt that constantly wash over you.  recently those self-inflicted "bad-mommy" thoughts are becoming overwhelming.  but I really think that these kinds of thoughts are validating...

- the "yes-you're-going-to-Gramma's-house-again-all-day-so-we-can-go-to-work" guilt.

- the "no-you-can't-go-to-Gramma's-house-because-mommy's-home" guilt.

- the "you-love-my-sister-more-than-me" guilt.  UGGGH!!!

- the "no-my-six-year-old-can't-ride-a-bike-yet" guilt.

 

- the "I-didn't-take-my-kids-to-the-laie-days-Summer-Bash-because-I-was-tired" guilt.

- the "McDonalds-drive-thru-for-dinner" guilt.

- the "I-just-yelled-unnecessarily-at-my-kids" guilt.

- the "hurry-up-and-do-this-homework-so-you're-not-a-complete-idiot-at-school" guilt.

- the "change-your-clothes-so-it-looks-like-you're-clean" guilt.

 

 

- the "all-my-son's-teeth-has-silver-caps-on-them" guilt.

- the "they-just-watched-TV-and-played-on-the-iPhone-all-day" guilt.

- the "eat-this-popcorn-so-I-don't-need-to-cook" guilt.

- the "you're-going-to-Gramma's-again-so-Daddy-and-I-can-go-out-to-dinner" guilt.

 

I suppose we don't look like we're feeling too bad about leaving the kids with grandma & gramps...whoops.  guilty again!

I know that nobody is perfect.  but there sure are a lot of moms out there that appear as if they've got their ducks in a row and they're doing a heck of a lot better than I am...taking their kids to the park, for walks, or to community activities.  feeding them three home-cooked, balanced, nutritious meals every day, with a spotless home, and obedient angels as offspring.  so you can imagine how much guilt can consume one such as myself when I clearly am not adequately fitting into the category of a mom with angelic offspring.  worldly influences endorse to us that life is a competition.  and even though I know that's not the case here, I can't help but think that I may be falling behind on the imaginary scoreboard of life.

 

how do you balance your time with all the necessities of life?  how do you explain to your children that life isn't always fair?  how do you overcome these feelings of mom guilt?

rendered useless

it's been a rough few days in the Kahaialii household, not gonna lie. ***warning: if you've got a weak stomach or don't care to engage in somewhat normal (when sick) bodily fluid extraction tales, keep moving pal. don't worry, I'll completely understand.

 

 

Thursday Brandon went to the docs for an ear infection. Friday he woke up with what looked like pink eye.  picked up his prescription meds...okay, we'll be fine. early Saturday morning nahe awoke several times...to puke all over herself - and the bed. not to worry, these types of things are to be expected when you have children.  

 

before she got up for the day (she slept in later than usual due to her all-nighter vomiting sessions, go figure), I had to head into Kaneohe to go to the dentist for some relief on an insanely painful toothache...but not before giving the hubs some reminders to throw the bedding in the washing machine then dropping off the kids at the in-laws so he could go to work. whew!  i got some temporary pain relief for my toothache and it hasn't bothered me since.  sweeeeet.

nahe seemed better later in the day (dancing and entertaining as usual) so i fed her some luau stew dinner from granny....totally. wrong. move. that night the little girl graced us with lovely projectile waste directly from her mouth onto our off-white couch.  alright missie - now you're pushin' it.

the next day was Sunday. and Brandon and I were asked to speak in sacrament meeting. it didn't go so well...not up to my kamehameha speech class standards anyway.  I know it's not ideal, but I think it's possible that I had other things on my mind. I still had a Sunday school class to teach after my talk as well as worry about my sick child.  gaaah!

then Monday rolls around...and I wake up with this nauseating headache.  I hear ahonui puking into the toilet, and I know immediately that I must do the same. I cringe at the thought because I haven't barfed in...I honestly can't remember the last time I barfed!  that kinda thing is not for me.  but I did. several times yesterday. and it was not the bizzzz. but at least it was done classy and clean directly into the John. ;-) take notes my nahe-girl.

sooo ahonui and I spent the greater part of yesterday in bed together. precious mommy-son time...sleeping and barfing. downing Gatorade and pepto bismol to fill our empty bellies.

I'm hoping that this streak of nasty bugs, infections, toothaches, and sacrament talks stressing out my family will depart soon and faraway.  because I got a buttload of dirty laundry and dishes sittin here and it ain't cleaning itself.

upgraded

we bought this used mini-van about 3 years ago with a really sweet deal from byuh.  when we purchased it, we knew full well that it came with a few kinks (broken AC, old rotors and tires, etc.) but we were prepared to deal with all of that.  we were really diligent about getting the oil changed every 3 or so months, but you simply can't avoid normal wear & tear and rust when you live across from the beach.  the AC is broken, the radio doesn't work properly (because the antenna rusted and broke off), there's a hole in one of the tires, one of the tire rims flew off and went missing, nahe's peed on her seat more times than i'd like to admit, the paint is faded, the dashboard is peeling, and it squeals loudly with delight when you start it up.  not cute.

then saturday came around...and proved to be the breaking point for our poor, old van.  I was heading out to do some grocery shopping and saw my sister-in-law, ange, trying to walk home with SIX of my boo-boos (that means "nieces and nephews", in case you didn't already know...lol) in the drizzling rain.  i passed by them, but as soon as i noticed who it was, i stopped the van, put it in reverse, and went back to pick them up to take them home...and here's where things got sticky...
after all 7 of them crammed into my van, i put the van in park to help get stuff in the back.  the van didn't listen.  i tried putting it into drive - still not listening.  ARGH!  i began to panic because once i took my foot off the brake, it only went backwards!  so i turned it off hoping that would help.  negatory!!  the van will no longer turn back on.  so while i steered, my tiny 5'1" sister-in-law - all by her lonesome, pushed the van out of the way so it wouldn't be in the middle of the road.

long story short, my bro came to pick up ange and the now SEVEN kids (they took nahe home with them) and i waited over an hour for someone to come rescue me & the broken van.  my father-in-law and Brandon's two brothers drove down from kahuku to save me!  they towed the van back to my house just about a half mile away.  luckily, my mom has a few extra cars that we could temporarily use while our lemon of a van was out of commission.

so the next day Brandon and I made the executive decision that it was finally time to upgrade our ride and be done with dealing with taking our cars in and out of shops.  so we bought the van of our dreams....

 

 

 

...and we are in love.

 

this beauty gives us the peace of mind, reliability, space, style and comfort that we've always wanted!  oh happy day!!!



my kind of mother's day

I realize that this is a tad late for a Mother's Day post, but I didn't want to forget how special this day was for me...

woke up to pink tulips and breakfast in bed...french toast, spam, and scrambled eggs!  I didn't even know that Brandon knew how to make french toast!  what a sandbagger.  I assume that he's been reserving those amazing culinary skills for a really special day...like our 7th mother's day together.  fascinating.

 

 

then ahonui gave me a card that he made...

 

I honestly think that these little homemade creations are the most meaningful, special, and heartfelt gifts that you could get.  it was actually the first time I got something from him where he understood what he was doing, what it was for, was mostly legible, and didn't have stick figures performing disturbing acts of violence.  thank you, son!  I will treasure it always.

 

 

then we went to church, and nahe made a beautiful little lollipop flower pot in nursery.  but apparently, she made it for herself - on mother's day.  because she clutched the pot close to her chest and refused to give it up when i asked her if she made it for me.  rejected!!  she's two years old...I guess I can let this one slide.

 

after church i was gifted yet AGAIN with a little nappy nap.  and my day was complete with happiness.

 

i think the following illustration (courtesy of a random FB post) accurately describes what a mom really wants on a day off.  and i gotta say that this past mother's day not only made me feel truly loved, but also like i'm not doing such a bad job as a mother to my little family.  could not ask for more.

 

easter 2013

this year we tried to teach the kids of the true meaning of Easter. and while ahonui seemed to hold on to what was taught a little more than nahe, they were both still very eager to get out into the backyard to hunt for eggs.  hmmm...another reminder that a six-year old's attention span is so very short.

lucky for them, they had two egg-hunting opportunities! on Saturday we went to kahuku to play games, have an Easter lesson, indulge in corn chowder, and spend time with my in-laws. oh right, and how could I forget that they always get spoiled with a hefty basket full of goodies from grandmas & grandpas on both sides. I think we're set with a candy stash for the next few months.

then on Sunday, we traveled down the road to marcus & nue's house for another Easter party.  the potluck dinner was so delicious, abundant, and varied that i'm pretty sure i gained back all the weight that i worked so hard to get off these past few weeks.  arrrrggggh.  i loooooathe myself.

but then in order to hide the eggs throughout the front and back yards, the mommies took all 16 children, between the ages of one and thirteen, out for a long walk...over and through the humongous cricket field, stopping for a tug-o-war competition, then out past the graveyard and back to the house.  not the easiest task when you've just scarfed down what felt like an entire cow.  let's just hope that some of those extra calories consumed were efficiently burned into an oblivion.

by the time we got back to the house and the easter bunny had finished it's business, the kids couldn't wait to be let loose into the bowels of the egg-filled yard.

this time with cousins, aunties, uncles, and grandparents are certainly priceless.  and although the weekend went by in a blur, our easter family fun time sure filled our social, physical, and spiritual cups and readied us for the week!

sneaky buggah

there was a time when i was able to shove practically anything down my children's gullet.  leftovers, store-bought baby food, failed experiments in the kitchen...if it was somewhat edible - they ate it.  unfortunately, those days are now long gone.  since nahe is oblivious to what's in her food, she's more tolerant of the delicious mysteries in front of her at mealtimes.  ahonui - not so much.  even if i threaten and force him to finish or even just sample my home-cooked goodness, he sends back threats of regurgitation.  so not cool.

 

if i were serving boiled brussel sprouts, tripe stew, or even liver and onion type dishes at mealtime, then yes - i would be more accepting of his disdain for the sustenance that i've provided.  but no...i feel like i'm dishing out some kid-friendly, ono kine grindz!  i'm talking, hot dogs w/ mac & cheese (and maybe some hidden broccoli in there), chili and rice (and perhaps there were tomatoes and corn involved), and more meals along those lines.  so i constantly find myself thinking, "what's the deal with this refusal to consume my hard-earned concoctions from the kitchen?" 

 

so in an attempt to create more nutritious and balanced meals for my family - that they'll actually eat, i invested in a book called the sneaky chef for a little help.  while it turned out to be beneficial in giving me a lot of little tips and tricks to incorporate fruits and veggies into daily life, i never really got any momentum going on using any of the recipes from that book.  (story of my life - buy something to improve your life - and end up not really applying it...does this sound familiar to you??)

 

then i stop at jamba juice during a trip to town, and along with my usual caribbean passion smoothie, i get a little impulsive and throw in a slice of their toasted zucchini carrot bread.  if those little slices of heaven weren't so unbelievably pricey i probably would've gotten a few more to indulge in.  and so, in that single slice, i felt inspired to begin my quest to find this recipe...



i present to you...my little partially-eaten whole wheat zucchini carrot bread loaf (in brandon's masculine hand, not mine).  i now have no trouble getting the kids to gobble up their veggies and fiber!  now if only they were requesting a zucchini carrot loaf for 3 meals a day, 7 days a week.  hmmm....

grateful for extra beds

most nights i end up falling asleep on the couch.  usually it's because i'm watching tv, often times it's when i'm browsing through facebook, or reading a book, and sometimes it's even when i'm folding clothes.  yes, it's possible to multi-task in that way, didn't you know?  the kids tend to fall asleep next to me or in my arms, and that's when i ask brandon to move them to the bed.

it's not that i don't love cuddling with my babies, i do.  but believe it or not, i also enjoy a good night's rest.  this is often difficult to come by when you have little feet kicking you in the ribs, or arms slapping you in the face in the middle of the night.  so when i found a decent bunk bed on craigslist for a reasonable price, i jumped on it.  unfortunately, it took several more weeks for me to also find two reasonably priced twin beds on craigslist after that.  when finally found them, and got them set up on our new bunks...halleluyerrrr!!  i felt so liberated!  i thought to myself, i won't be waking up scrunched into a ball on the corner of the bed anymore!  woo-friggin-hoooo!

sadly, those thoughts of nocturnal limb-stretching on our king size didn't last long.  i can count on one hand, with extra fingers to spare, how many times these monkeys have slept on their own big kid bunks.  however, i'm still grateful for these extra beds.  because even though i can't stretch out on our official "family bed"...i know that i have a backup plan available.  and the other night i was pretty much forced to use that backup.  it was around 4 in the morning and the two monkeys had basically assumed control of the entire king size.  i was so groggy and tired, i felt no urge to scooch them around and carve out some space for me.  thankfully, the bunk beds are five feet away so i plopped myself down and promptly fell back asleep on nahe's tiny bottom bunk.

i'm thankful that i had a second option for sleeping comfortably.  and although i'm grateful that my babies may love me enough to give 'round the clock cuddles for their mama, a part of me would also be a little bit thankful to not have a foot in my face at night.  just a little bit.

don't let these smiles fool you - they only pretend to enjoy their own beds.

while home with my monkey

back at work today, and i noticed several things...

1. it feels nice to be somewhat useful again since being drugged up throughout the past week.
2. i should have brought hawaiian salt with me so i could rinse out my mouth in the bathroom.
3. taking percocet when you're supposed to be focused, task-oriented - oh yeah, and awake - doesn't marry too well.
4. i miss this chick:

 

even though my in-laws would be only too happy to take nahe while i was out for the count after my wisdoms were extracted, i kept her home with me.  with the limited time that i have with her on a daily basis, i decided that my extra time at home would be best spent with my opihi next to me.  here's a few updates on my little monkey...

• she is two and a half years old now.  very bright and sooo very naughty...as two and a half year olds go.
• she is able to drink from a cup, but only wants to drink from her specific sippy cups.  and she drinks a LOT, which leads to peeing like a racehorse.
• she is very affectionate...loves to cuddle and kiss and tell me that she misses me - even if i've been with her all day long.
• she is her brother's copycat.  when ahonui gives our family prayer, she mimics him word for word - which drives him nuts.
• she is very unlike ahonui.  whether it's dancing, counting, or tattle-telling, she must be the cutest, the loudest, and the center of attention.
• she eats from everybody's plate of food.  she'll eat her own food, then once that's done, she'll be a little nomad and move on to everyone else who has any kind of sustenance in their possession.

now that i'm back at work, i'm eager for that moment when i get to kahuku, open the door to my in-laws, and hear "mommy!" and the pitter-patter of her little feet as she runs into my arms.  absence is making this heart grow fonder.  the thing is, i didn't think i could get any fonder of this girl.



grateful for grandmas

every day nahe goes to her grandma's house in kahuku.  if ahonui is really lucky, he gets to go to grandma's house as well after school and sometimes on saturdays.  when ahonui was younger and i'd get off work to pick him up, many times he wouldn't want to leave the house.  i used to feel hurt and unwanted when this happened, as if i was on hidden camera to get the "bad parent" award.  when explaining my feelings to my own mother, she told me "just be grateful that he's not miserable there, that he's taken care of, and that he's loved unconditionally every moment that he's there."  what an eye opener.

 

there are not enough words of gratitude for my mother-in-law and all that she does for us.  she is always happy and willing to take our babies at the drop of a hat.  she never expects or asks to be compensated for her time and efforts.  if we are running late or go out on a date, she never asks when we are coming back or hassles us about the time.  she is one of the sweetest and most thoughtful women i know and she gives our kids TONS of love.  'nuff said.  i think i scored big time when it comes to my in-laws.

 

 

and then there's my own mother. yesterday she called for ahonui from downstairs and told him that she would make him a slushy (a kool-aid type slurpee) if he would come down and give her kisses.  i love that stuff.  then around 9:15pm lastnight i went to pick up brandon from work.  nahe didn't even notice me leaving the house because she was too busy entertaining (dancing and singing, of course) granny and grandpa walford.  when i returned, my mom had nahe in the bathtub, so i wouldn't have to worry about still giving her a bath.  (yes, i'm fired for not bathing her earlier.)  if i'm too tired (or lazy) to make dinner, my mom usually has a delicious backup dinner for us downstairs.

 

her awesomeness never ceases to amaze me.  after brandon, i must admit that she is my best friend.  i'm so grateful that i have been blessed with a wonderful mother who has taught me correct principles.  i'm thankful that she guides me and is not afraid to scold me when i get off track.  i'm happy that although she is crazy busy most of the time, she makes time to give me lots of love, give our family some dinner, and to give my children a slushy and a bath.

never too busy

a typical day in the kahaialii household...

 

school, work (byuh/pcc), gym (don't get it twisted - that's all brandon), homework, housework and laundry, more work (island transporter/pcc), cooking, baths, then finally my favorite time of the day - my babies.



 

i have a notebook that i keep in my purse, and each day i make a list...errands to run, bills to pay, groceries to buy, phone calls to make, things to clean, etc.  by the end of the day, it would be a miracle in itself if i had crossed everything off my list.  although i try to get a lot of things done every day, i really want to get into the habit of focusing more on what my babies are asking of us.  if it's not for a drink of water, it's usually a book-reading request, an iron-man playfest, doll feeding, or a navy seal covert op under the bed.  it's been a very bad habit of mine to casually brush off their pleadings and deem them a waste of time...how horrible of a parent was i planning to be?!  no longer will i be that fuam...no more.

 



i am recommitting myself to pay attention to their invitations...no matter how small or insignificant they may seem at the time.  because to them - every request is important.  how do you find time for your little one's constant requests?  how do you make your child feel special on a daily basis?

a laid back sixth

bran and I celebrated our 6th anniversary on Thursday, November 3rd. unfortunately, both of us had to work that day...which means that we get to see each other for just a little over an hour total before I'm unconscious for the night. yes, sad face I know.

but we had a plan. or rather we had a "plan A". we decided that I would try to keep the kids awake until he was pau hana so we could have a mini-celebration of what we now call a "family birthday" since that really is what an anniversary is...the birth date of our family - right?

so as the night went on, Brandon was still at night show, and nahe was getting fussy. despite my attempts to keep her from falling asleep, I know full well that you can't stop a tired baby from knocking out without some serious repercussions. so off to bed the little princess went, which means we had to move on to plan B.

brandon called me when he got offstage to check if the kids were still awake.  after letting him know that nahe fell asleep, we were both hesitant to do anything outside of the house.  honestly, i think that we were all tired and didn't want to leave one of our babies behind.  luckily - mom to the rescue!  she came to see baby and offered to listen to the baby monitor while brandon, ahonui and myself celebrated with plan B.

plan B (which was pretty much plan A minus the baby girl) included a quick trip to angel's ice cream with all of us sharing a banana split type creation.  between bites, ahonui took the above pic of his parents who are still very much in love.  and although nahe wasn't with us that night, i'm quite sure we consumed enough yumminess to make up for the lack of our toddler.


and so after many failed attempts at "plan As" through these past 6 years, i'm still looking forward to spending forever with my eternal companion.  here's to many more "family birthdays"!