Blessed with the Best!

blood, puke and poop... OH MY!

2012-01-31T02:23:00.000-08:00

**WARNING: The information discussed in this Blog post may not be suitable for those that dry heave, gag or vomit easily** The above mentioned items are some of the many obstacles I have had the privilege to clean up in just the last 36 hours. After Toa cut His lip and chin open I had the opportunity to clean up His blood that was on my comforter, pillow case, carpet, bathroom rugs and bathtub. Then Sunday night I heard running and then what sounded like someone dumping a bucket of water down the hallway and walked into puke. Our poor Little T had thrown up in our hallway trying to make a made dash to the girls bathroom. I felt extremely BAD about this one because I had locked the boys bathroom door (because Toa kept playing in the sink) and I forgot to unlock it, so He was running to the girls bathroom when he vomited. Poor kid, that was most likely Mom's fault! So, I got to clean off T, the hallway floor and my clothes. Then Monday morning Toa had a bit of an accident (I think it was due to the meds He was given at the Hospital) and He didn't make it to the bathroom in time, so I got to clean up the worst of all 3... poop!
And here's my "looking on the bright side" point! Yes, even after all this fabulous stuff, I had a feel good moment! I was so proud of myself for not gagging, dry heaving or throwing up during any of this! After being a Mom for 8 years I am finally getting used to others bodily fluids! Oh the joys of being a Mom! Yay Me!
(notice there are no photos on this blog post. I figured we can all use our own imaginations!)

It's Great to be 8! Happy Birthday T

2012-01-19T13:22:00.000-08:00

Here we are back in the same city that our sweet first born arrived in! 8 years ago today we were blessed with a 4 lb. 7 oz. tiny baby boy. Sadly He spent His first month in the NICU at Primary Children’s, but today He is a loving, energetic, sports loving, Momma’s boy… and we are so grateful for Him! I was so emotional on His baby blessing day because He had overcome so many obstacles, and now we are approaching his Baptism (tears)! 8 is sooo GREAT! Happy 8th Birthday to our sweet boy, Talai Sione Leo! We ♥ you kid!
Today you are so much like your namesake, your Dad! You love sports and occasionally I catch you watching sports with your Dad! You love to play basketball and you love to watch your Dad play basketball! You are playing for a Junior Jazz team and you are fabulous at playing defense! You have stolen and swatted the ball from the other team too many times to count! We love this about you, the fact that you are sweet yet aggressive! Your HERO is your Dad! You are such a great big brother! You tend to worry about everyone too much. If Daddy isn't home when He's supposed to be you watch out the window until He arrives home. You love to hang out with your cousin Nick, and the two of you are inseparable! You love origami and you like to play video games! We are so PROUD of the handsome, loving, fun kid you are! HAPPY BIRTHDAY T!!

Happy 7th Birthday Taira

2012-01-18T13:30:00.000-08:00

Today we are back in the same city that our sweet Taira was born in! 364 days after Her brother was born we welcomed our chubby baby girl home! Taira was the epitome of the "perfect" baby! She rarely cried and she made having 2 kids under 2 easy on Her Mom!

Today you are our very outgoing! You say random things all the time in funny voices just to make everyone laugh! You are loved by your classmates and you love school! You love to read and you are our little artist! You attend hula classes and You do a great job at each practice and performance! You are very caring! You remind everyone to be careful, wear their seatbelts and say prayer! You love little children, especially babies and you are a wonderful older sister! You liked Justin Bieber and Barbies during Christmas, and now you don't like any of those things. You just wanted clothes and boots and dinner at the Olive Garden for your birthday! You are very simple when it comes to certain things, and we love the fact that you are YOU! We love you! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAIRA!

2012 Leo Fam Motto

2012-01-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

I am a Child of God and He has sent me here, has given me an earthly home with parents kind and dear.. Lead me, Guide me, Walk beside me, Help me find the way! Teach me all that I must do, to live with Him someday!

I have heard and sang this song more than 100 times in my lifetime, and sadly I never really pondered the lyrics until I heard my own children sing it! T and Taira were 2 and 3 years old in the Nursery. Talai and I were Nursery Leaders and Taleya was a newborn. I was having a bad day, I was tired and overwhelmed. I was tired of being at home with our kids all week long while Talai worked 12-15 hours, 6 days a week. And Talai's only day off on Sunday consisted of our entire family in Nursery. I remember feeling overwhelmed and crying in the Nursery that day, but when my sweet kids sang these lyrics I cried even more and realized that I needed to "suck it up" and lead, guide and walk beside our children! It's been about 5 years and I can still recall that day! I am still so grateful for that sweet calling!

Teaching Nursery is the greatest calling... you are teaching little angels that were recently with our Father in Heaven!

The Leo Family doesn't really do New Year's Resolutions, but we do love family themes, words or quotes to "try" to live by! For 2012 our family theme is the "I am a Child of God" song! To put it simply We want our children to always remember that they are Children of God, they are loved and it is our duty to lead them and guide them!

Talai are also going to "try" to focus on

"Serving more & Having an Attitude of Gratitude" as our motto!
This year we are determined to have FHE every week! Yes, every week! It's kind of difficult to keep Toa's attention, but we know that it's very important to have FHE for our older kids and especially "T" who is turning 8 this year and has chosen to be baptized! We are excited for this year! Happy New Year!! XOXO

SISTERly withdrawals

2011-09-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

Leya and Taira play constantly together and when they aren't arguing I love it! Leya has been watching the clock to count down the hours and minutes that T and Taira will be home. I love the fact that she loves her sister so much and that she can't wait for her to get home! I HOPE that they always remain this close!! SISTERLY LOVE is thee BEST!!

Our little Preschooler

2011-08-07T23:23:00.000-07:00

Our little Leya started Preschool today! Leya is our little firecracker and our most unpredictible child! I'll think She's going to love something and then She hates it, or I'll think that She'll hate something and She'll like it... for example: Taleya never went to nursery or Sunbeams without Her Mom or Dad. Talai was called in to teach Her Sunbeams but then she hated the fact that Talai was also teaching other children so she refused to go. So I decied to enroll Her into Preschool and doubted that she would go. She has the most amazing teachers and she sure loves them because she said "Bye Mommy, love you" gave me a hug and a kiss and walked right in. This is our third child going to Preschool so you'd think it would be easy... nope! It was actually really hard on me, especially because she just walked right in without a fight! For the first time since I've been a Mommy I get to spend time with just one of our Little T's for a few hours and I LOVE IT! Happy First Day of Preschool to our Sweet Taleya! We are so PROUD of you for being such a big girl and a good example to Toa!

2011-08-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

We are loving the kids new school, HOWEVER I do miss several things that their previous school had in Las Vegas. I already miss their morning announcements, school security and lunch procedures in Las Vegas. In Las Vegas the entire school and playground are surrounded by a locked gate. This is so not the case here in Utah. The kids could actually run across the street to home is they wanted to, but they know better... they better know BETTER!
In Las Vegas they have the children go to recess then to lunch and then after they eat lunch their teacher escorts them back to their classroom. T was not aware of Utah's lunch procedures and the poor kid sat after eating his lunch waiting for his teacher, he told me that after almost everyone was no longer in the cafeteria he finally decided to follow one of his friends and that's when he found out the lunch process.

I actually prefer Las Vegas' method for lunch because I'm sure that T will NOT finish his lunch. He'll probably just eat the junk food and run out to play. I actually recall my Mom receiving a call from the school about my brother John when we were in elementary school. They called to tell Her that my brother would grab his tray and walk to the garbage cans, throw away his tray and run out to recess, lol! I can totally see our "T" doing the same thing. Crossing my fingers that I don't receive that call! School lunch is not cheap! LOL...
Nevertheless the kids are loving their new school and that's all that matters! Change is good, it just takes a while to get used to it!
Although T was a bit confused about the whole lunch process Taira's most fave thing about her first day of 1st grade was..... lunch time! LOL!

Capture the cat...

2011-08-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

We have been here in Utah for about a month and so far it has been quite an adventure!
One night while moving boxes and bins in the basement I swear I saw a cat down there but when I turned the corner I didn't see anything. It was around 2AM so I assummed I was seeing things! Days later (yes, days I have no idea how the dang thing lived down there without food and water) I ran down to grab something for my sister and came running back up to tell her I saw a cat. Talai was across the street with the kids so I ran to him to tell him I saw the cat again (I told him about the first encounter and he said I was seeing things!) No way was I going to capture the cat, I hate cats... and I think I'm allergic! Talai and I ran downstairs while my sister watched the kids and we moved boxes and bins and couldn't find the cat. Talai said again that I was imagining things and finally after 15 minutes we found it hiding in the corner of our Holiday bins. The dumb thing ran around the entire basement like it was running laps in a marathon and then disappeared again. Talai and I were poking at the ceiling thinking that somehow it climbed into the fiberglass. I then pointed out a small wall that had drywall and told him to look inside the wall (it's about 12"x12". Talai said the cat wouldn't fit in there, but I was adamant about him looking in there. Sure enough the dumb thing was in there. We quickly called animal control and Talai took the cat out of the wall and let it go from the basement window. I'm not sure if animal control was able to capture the cat after that, but frankly I don't know if I really cared. I quickly moved everything that was in the basement to the stairs and sprayed the entire basement down. I am just so glad the dang thing didn't die in the basement. That would have been a stinky mess!

3 Down & 1 to GO!

2011-08-01T05:58:00.000-07:00

We now have 3 little ones in SCHOOL! T and Taira started their first day of school today and I'll probably say 101 times how much I LOVE having the school across the street! We walked them to school, yes it's only across the street but we still walked them, and they both seemed very excited! Taira went into 1st grade like such a big girl with no looking back! I am so PROUD of this sweet little girl! T on the other hand, almost made my heart crumble to pieces. He was very quiet this morning and just as we were approaching His class he turns to me and says "Can we go back to Las Vegas please?" I was so sad to hear this! We have talked to our kids about change and how it can be hard, but T has seemed to love it here so far! He spends almost all day playing with His new friends, but I think the thought of a new school and class were just too much for Him. I held back the tears and told Him that He was going to have a good day and have fun with His friends, and I gave Him a hug and sent Him on His way. He then lined up with a smile and went into His classroom. (Meanwhile I spent the majority of my day worried and watching/peeking out the window during the kids recesses, lol! I seriously spent just about every recess watching T and Taira play and it was such a huge relief to see them having fun and playing with their little friends!) T and Taira came home from school with huge smiles and they both said they love their teachers, their new school and their new friends! Awwww... those are the best words in the world on the First Day of School!

No Espanol

2011-07-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

On our final stretch to Utah as we were approaching our home SWEET home, I told the kids we were almost to our new home! T asked what roads do we have to turn on. I told him we just take Bangerter and then we're almost there. His response... "Mommy I don't know Spanish, why are you speaking Spanish?" LOL! Apparently our Son thinks that Bangerter is a Spanish word! LOL! Love that kid! He always makes me smile :)

2011-07-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

Talai is already living in what we will all call HOME! I've said it before and I'll say it again... I DISlike MOVING! I don't like packing, changing addresses, arranging moving trucks, the cost of moving and so far I dislike this move because Talai is already in Utah and we are here. I don't like having our family separated, and I can not wait for us to ALL be together!!

After looking at many, many different homes we found a home in DAYBREAK! I am so excited for the opportunity to live there! Here in Las Vegas we have been spoiled by living in a Master Planned Community with nearby amenities, parks, playgrounds, walking paths, etc. and Daybreak has many similarities! Our home in Daybreak is located across the street from the school and gym and we live around the corner from our church, plus we will be living 5 minutes away from the Temple! Here in Vegas the school is 2.2 miles, our church is about a 10 minute drive and the temple is 45 minute drive. I am already feeling so spoiled and extremely blessed! Moving from Vegas has definitely humbled me! I NOW know not to take these things for granted! The drawbacks to living in Daybreak is the closeness of the homes, but this is nothing new to us. Las Vegas homes are built very close together (Oh well if the neighbors can hear me "raise" my voice, lol!) and the yards are very small, but this is a definite plus for us. We love our desert landscaping & turf in Vegas, and I'm in a now way a landscaping/gardening type of person!
Don't get me wrong I know it will be extremely hard to leave our home here in Viva Las Vegas, but at this point I just want our family together! That's all that matters at this point!

Our new HOME SWEET HOME!

2011-07-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

Here we are again.. Back in the SLC! It was very difficult to leave Viva Las Vegas, but this is where the Lord wants us to be.... for now! The weather here is allowing me to really like this place.... for now! When we left our home in Las Vegas the temp. was 107... and in the SLC it was a high of 80 today! YEAH, we can live with that!

One of the many things I am loving about our new life is the Daybreak Community! We have the school and rec. center across the street, our church around the corner, basketball and volleyball courts, a park and a kitty pool up the street, and We also have a lake a little further up the street! There are also neighbor kids galore! Our kids spend the majority of their days playing in the green court in our front yard all day long! They ride their bikes, play tag, basketball, football, softball, etc! In Las Vegas we had our trampoline and a backyard all to ourselves, but we also had to arrange for play dates ahead of time. This is so not the case here! I almost got a little teary eyed when the neighbor kids came over and said "Do you have kids we can play with"?! That totally brought back memories of my childhood here! I just registered the kids and they start school next week... I know, CRAZY! And all we have at the present time is uniform school clothing. So I need to get school clothes, unpack and get the kids ready to start school soon! It's a crazy life, but it's so worth it! Feeling extremely blessed!!

Mich you Vegas!

2011-07-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

Our little family is currently living apart :(

Talai has started His new job in Utah and I am here in Las Vegas with our kids finalizing our move, and waiting for our kids to end school so that they can finish out their school year here in Viva Las Vegas. Toa said to Talai last night "I mich you Daddy!" and my heart just broke... I can't wait for our family to be together!

Although I can't wait for our family to be reunited I am a bit sad while packing all of our crap... stuff! I'm sure going to miss our home. This was our first home to purchase and I feel as if I'm leaving a family member behind. I wish there was a way that we could pick this house up and move it to Utah... It just feels like home!

I'm going to miss counting the stairs (All 13 of them) as I walk up and down them with Toa. Thanks to our stairs Toa can count to 13! I'll also miss Toa naming everyone pictured on the stairs as we walk up and down them!
I'll miss our kitchen island that barely fits 4 chairs, just enough for all of our little ones to surround it! I'll miss the kids sitting near by to help cook and bake! We've played restaurant quite a few times from our little kitchen island!
I'll miss sitting outside while the kids drive their car and bikes in our little culdesac!
I'll totally miss having my parents and my baby sister down the street (1 minute drive, 15 minute walk). I'll miss the unplanned visits, dinners and sporatic get togethers that we could have because they live so close.
I'll really miss the weather! Sure it's 107 today, but other then these crazy hot Summer months, Vegas weather ROCKS!
I'll really miss the people of Las Vegas! We have come across the craziest, funkiest, fun, loving, caring people here in Las Vegas!
I am TOTALLY going to miss our family here! I really don't know how I'm going to cope without having my parents and my baby sister near by (here comes the water works) but I know that I need to put my little family's needs first and Utah is where we are supposed to be! I'll MICH You VEGAS!

Deja Vu

2011-06-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

Talai has now started his job in Utah and we are still in Las Vegas. Almost 7 years ago Talai started his job here in Las Vegas and I stayed in Utah. It's crazy that we are in this situation again. I don't think I ever imagined us moving back to Utah, but it looks Utah is where the Lord wants us to be. I work for a wonderful company that has allowed me to work from home so everything seems like it is coming together! I really hate packing and moving, and moving to another state will be such a headache, but I need to be optimistic and count my blessings! I am so grateful for this opportunity and although I am going to totally miss our loved ones here (Especially my parents and my baby sister) I am a little excited for this new adventure! Utah, here we come!!!

When God closes a door he opens a window...

2011-05-06T00:10:00.000-07:00

My journey as a stay at home Mom ended in March of 2009. I remember crying almost every morning for the first week of training and trying to compose myself when I would say goodbye to our kids every morning. Now I look back and think.. Sheesh was I dramatic, or what? LOL! Going back to work has been a life changing experience and NOW we know that we always need a back up plan! Currently, Talai and I both working is the back up plan. In January I began working evenings and Talai and I worked completely opposite schedules, but we were willing to do anything so that one of us was always with our kids. After working evenings Talai received a job offer in Utah and now the fabulous company that I work for is allowing me to work from home!!! I am soooo BLESSED.... We are sooo BLESSED!! I am extremely fortunate to work for a wonderful company! Looking back I am finally realizing how everything works out!
After living in Las Vegas for about 6 years, we moved back to Utah in 2009 for about 5 months. During that time we were able to spend time with Talai's Dad before he passed away, that time with Him was such a blessing! Then we moved back and I was hired on with a fabulous company in Las Vegas, Nevada that would eventually allow me to work from home in Utah! I think of the quote by Gordon B. Hinckley all the time...
‎”Things work out, it isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out, don't worry. I say that ... If you do your best, it will all work out.."
Talai will start His new job in Utah soon, and we're currently looking for a home there! Everything is exciting, scary and bittersweet! We have prayed and fasted more than ever and we know that Utah is where our family is supposed to be. I cry every time I think of being away from my parents and my baby sister... maybe they'll join us there! I am sure hoping.... nevertheless I know that everything will WORK OUT!!

Walking with Grandma...

2011-05-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

"I like to walk with Grandma, Her steps are short like mine! She never says "Now Hurry up" She always takes Her time. Most people have to hurry, they never stop to see. I'm so glad that God made Grandma, unrushed and young like Me!"
While my Grandma was visiting here in Las Vegas she decided to join Toa and I on a walk to our house from my Mom's house. The drive is about 2 minutes and the walk is about 10-15 minutes. My cute little Grandma is 80 years old, she is still in pretty good shape but her strides and steps are small. I pulled Toa in the wagon while walking with my Grandma and our 15 minute walk took almost 45 minutes. I loved walking with my Grandma, it sure brought back fond memories! Apparently Toa thought we were going too slow though.... Just when we were about to enter our cul de sac the kid unbuckles his seatbelt in the wagon and goes running down the street to our house..... LOL! Almost as if to say... You gals are too slow! It was quite hillarious, I also looked like such an idiot walking the rest of the way with nothing in my wagon! Love you Grandma!

Jump up, get down, stand up, move around, move around, move around!

2011-03-06T14:38:00.000-08:00

If you know these words then you are familiar with the "Imagination Movers!" We attended the Imagination Movers concert and I give it FIVE STARS!

Our family is #1 Wiggle Fans, we attended the Wiggles Concert back when Taleya was just a baby and T and Taira were 2 and 3, and Talai and I even knew (okay, we still do..) some of their songs and dances. When the imagination Movers came on Disney I told Talai that they were wannabe Wiggles (I told you we love the Wiggles!) But after watching a couple of episodes with the kids and seeing how much they love it, I LOVE IT TOO! I love their energy and their story! They are all Dad's from New Orleans who lost many things during Hurricane Katrina and they love sharing songs and educating children.

The concert began with Nina (I believe she's Hawaiian!) dancing the Hula! I LOVED THIS! I love our culture and I love to see others exemplifying beautiful island dances! She did a great job and Taira and Taleya even stood up and joined in! We didn't know too many of the songs but we all enjoyed clapping and dancing to the beat, yep we got up and danced and they encouraged us too!
If Imagination Movers comes back to Vegas we'll definitley be there! It was well worth it!

101 Questions!

2011-03-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

After school Talai and I ask "T" and Taira how school was and what they learned! Taira usually gives a glimpse of just about everything she experienced while at school, and "T" usually graces us with a sentence or two and then we'll ask Taleya what she learned and she'll tell us a few things about what she did. Every morning Taleya now quizzes me. How was work Mom? What did you do? Did you eat lunch or dinner? Did you have fun? She is such a little sweetie! Did you know that an average 4 year old asks over 100 questions a day? But Why? LOL! This sure sounds like our little Leya!

Here's a photo of our little Leya napping in a storage bin at Grandma and Grandpa's house. She's probably exhausted from asking so many questions! My Dad calls her the lawyer! The other day my Dad was replacing a light fixture and as He is standing on a ladder concentrating on the light fixture Taleya comes in and says "Grandpa what are you fixing?" "Did you break the light or did someone else?" "Did the light pop or do you just want a new light" "Is it the lightbulb of the whole light?" "Is it hot grandpa"... and I heard my Dad say "Taleya, my lawyer can you wait until I'm done and then ask me questions?" Taleya's response? "Why Grandpa, are you going to fall?" .... and the questions continued until Grandpa was done, LOL!

Heart Attacks - VALENTINE STYLE!

2011-02-22T12:25:00.000-08:00

I absolutely LOVE Valentines Day!
It's such a great day to express LOVE to everyone around us! Being in Vegas and around many friends that don't have loved ones here has made me realize how truly blessed we are to not only have my parents and my sister here in Vegas, but we are also extremely blessed they just live a few blocks away! I wanted to do something special for my parents and my Sister without breaking the bank, so we decided to "Heart Attack" them!
Heart Attack Valentine Tradition: Anonymously deliverying goodies, hearts and quotes of love!

Heart Attacks - LEO Style:
The Heart Attacks that we created for my parents and my sister were simple, but definitely made with LOVE! We used heart shaped baskets, Valentine Hearts with messages hand written from our kids (My Mom said this was her favorite part) We also made chocolate covered strawberries and cake bites/balls! Ange called our Little T's Her Monkeys so hers also included a Monkey! I have been working evenings while Talai works days and we depend on my Sister Ange and my parents quite a bit to watch the kids. Ange and my Dad even watch the kids on Ange's days off so I can get some rest! We are so blessed to have them close by and we love them! The kids also love going there...sometime it's hard to get them to come back home!

Valentine LOVE for our Little T's
We are so grateful for our little oness! They are true blessings from above... although they can drive us crazy we sure love them! I found these mail boxes in the Target $1 section and throughout the month of January and February we placed little love notes & small gift in them! On Valentine's Day the kids woke up to these little Valentines, gumball machines, and SCENTSY Buddies! These Scentsy Buddies are fabulous, I'd have to say this was all of their favorite gifts.... okay T didn't care much for it, but the others did!

Love Thy neighbor!
We took around Valentine's to some of our neighbors! Hey gotta Love Thy neighbor! Our kids enjoyed running after leaving their Valentine goodies! We took cake balls, cupcakes, cookies and chocolate covered strawberries!

Heart Attack for my honey! I also made about 40+ paper hearts and wrote the many reasons why I love my honey! Talai was all smiles when he woke up on LOVE DAY! Talai surprised me with roses, a spotless house and valentines from the kids! It was the perfect greeting after a long night at work.

I LOVE VALENTINE'S DAY! HAPPY LOVE DAY! XOXOXO

Cake bites/balls

2011-02-13T23:53:00.000-08:00

In preparation of Valentine's Day I spent the day baking with the girls, while Daddy and the boys went to Grandma & Grandpa's to watch football!
Me: "What shall we bake today?"
Leya: "I want to bake some BACON!" Needless to say I need to bake more with my kids, so they understand that we don't "bake" bacon! Leya sure does love her bacon though!!
For Valentine Treats we decided to bake up some CAKEBALLS! I was surprised at how many people didn't know what Cake Balls were, maybe I'm calling them something wrong... What else would you call a cake with frosting rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate? Anyhow, we made them and they were delicious, and sooooooo easy to make! Here's How we made them! 1 cake mix, 1 container of frosting, baking chips to melt - I actually used the fruit dipping chips in the Produce section (I'm all about easy baking!) You bake the cake and let it cool for about 2 minutes, then while it's still warm you crumble the cake and add the entire cake to a bowl with an 1/2 a tub (or more) of frosting and mix, then you place the mixture in the refrigerator for a 15 minutes, then you begin to roll the cake/frosting mixture into balls. I then inserted each cake ball with a toothpick and placed them in the freezer for about an hour. Then I melted the white chocolate and dipped the cake balls, allowed them to dry and VOILA!
Another great thing about cake balls is that you can experiment or use what ever kind of cake mix and frosting that you would like! Our family favorite is lemon cake with cream cheese frosting, the lemon adds a bit of a zing! We placed our cake balls into small candy cups to deliver with valentines! Happy LOVE Week! Valentine's Day is almost here!

PEE Brain...

2011-02-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

At the top of our stairs we have a small cat walk (I guess that's what it's called.. it's basically landing at the top of our stairs that overlooks our living & dining room). I actually hate this part of our house! When we first moved in I wanted to place a mattress underneath it just in case one of our little monkey's decided they wanted to throw them self or their sibling overboard. Anyhow, so... Talai came home from work last night right as the kids were getting out of their baths and showers and Toa runs to the top of the stairway (butt naked and all) and says "Dadda" Talai talks to him underneath the sky walk and (Gee, I sure wish I had a video camera) Toa leans over the banister and guess what He did? He peed right onto Talai's head! I heard the sound of pouring water and then I heard Talai yell.. "What the" and then he ran straight to the bathroom to wash his head off!

LOL!!!!!

It was pure genius! I gotta hand it to Toa, he sure has impeccable aim! Maybe that'll come in handy when we potty train!
I really wish we had a video camera to showcase this story! I am almost certain that we'd win the $10,000 and $100,000 AFV awards...Oh well, at least I've got blogger to help me remember that hillarious moment!

XOXO

Btw, this is not a photo of our actual stairs...Our builder didn't carry a dark colored railing, but I do love the colors!

Sisters + arguments = LOVE

2011-02-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

Our girls love Barbie's and sometimes I'll hear them bickering and it turns out to be the Barbie's arguing, but today I overhead the girls arguing and Taira said to her little Sister "Taleya you let me talk, okay it's my turn to talk"
I just LOL'd and continued to let them work it out amongst themselves. In the end they made up and played together nicely!

Sisters are the BEST of Friends! I remind our girls all the time that they will be BFF's no matter what and fights last for a short time, but they will always be sisters! I am so grateful for my sasters! I'm 4 & 9 years older than my sisters so I don't really remember fighting with them, but I do remember telling them want to do, lol! Now that we are all older I realize how important it is to keep that SISTERLY bond! I kind of regret the way that I treated my sisters while we were young, lol! Occassionally I would get very upset at them for not cleaning up or while trying to fix their hair. But that's all in the past and I hope they know how much I love and appreciate them! I am so grateful for their constant love and support! I love you Tina and Ange! XOXO

Happy Birthday 6th Birthday Taira

2011-01-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to our Sweet Taira girl! Today you are 6 years old.... going on 17! You are such a little smarty and your teacher has told us that you are a bit bossy... we call it motherly, lol! You are developing into your own little person and We love how you do your own thing! Most little girls like pink, you on the other hand love blue! You like to play Barbies with your Sister, but you don't like people to know. You love all sports and you are the artist of our family! You are very caring and always make sure to tell everyone that you love them! You are always our "Family Prayer" reminder! WE LOVE YOU SWEET TAIRA and we are so grateful for your beautiful example! HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRETTY GIRL! XOXO

Walking in my sleep

2011-01-16T00:20:00.000-08:00

I loved working my 6-2PM shift, but I felt as if I was missing out on a lot, so I requested to start working evenings and my request was accepted!! I am now working the complete opposite, yep... 6PM - 2AM! It's crazy and it took me a while to get used to it, but I love it! I have missed being home with the kids in the mornings and I love the time I get to spend with them. Even if the majority of it is cleaning up blocks, or play dough, or poop (lol) I wouldn't trade it for anything! I am however a sleep deprived zombie now and you can probably see the bags under my eyes from a mile away, but it is so worth it! Our Little T's are so worth it! I'm extra excited that I'll be here for the kids when they wake up in the morning for their upcoming birthdays! Life is good...

Talai and I are like strangers in the night, and if we're lucky we get about 2 hours to see eachother.

WHOA! Today I am the BIG 3 0!!

2011-01-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

Happy BIRTHDAY TO ME! I turned 30 and I don't feel a day over 21, LOL! Seriously though! I really do not feel like I'm 30! I'm not sure how you're supposed to feel, but I'm feeling like a 21 year old livin' it up in Viva Las Vegas!

Talai surprised me with breakfast in bed, a spotlessly clean house, and he also arranged for sitters (my parents!)! My wonderful parents also got us a room at GVR! I love Green Valley Ranch! Did you know Micheal Jackson stayed here? Their buffet is always delicious and they have crab on the weekends!

Our date night began with dinner and while we were at dinner Talai suggested I play a little while he goes and grabs our bags. I told Him that I wanted to come with Him, but He said I should have fun. So I played Wheel of Fortune and won $40! Wahoo!! Then about 20 minutes later He finally came back. I was a little annoyed that it took Him so long, but I didn't say anything... it's also our anniversary, so I need to be nice :) So we got into our room and He had me go in first and I heard music playing and I saw rose petals on the floor and I.... ran out the door! LOL! Seriously, I did! I heard the music and saw the rose petals and I thought we walked into someone else's room.

Needless to say, once I saw Talai's huge grin it finally hit me that it was all for me! Balloons, rose petals throughout the room, running bath with candles, rose petals, candles throughout the room, 30 red roses, and songs from our first date.... this is why it took Him so long to come back and get me after grabbing the bags! Turns our that my Mom helped Him! I talked to her earlier that day and she totally sounded like she was up to something and that's what it was! After enjoying our room for a little while :)

I noticed that I forgot some stuff so we had to go home (about 15 minutes away) and grab our stuff. I also forgot that Toa needed His medicine for his ear infection, so we dropped that off, then we went back to the hotel to relax and we were going to go down on the Las Vegas strip,,, but we fell asleep, LOL! I know, we are so old! We both woke up really early too, like 7AM! Okay... maybe I am feeling a little old! Regardless I am feeling extremely blessed! The following day our kids sang Happy Birthday to me and Mom mad the best birthday dinner! It was totally the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!

OUR Santa is FIRED!

2010-12-27T05:27:00.000-08:00

Santa and Mrs Claus are absolutely fired in the Leo House! They slept in... Yes, in the Leo house Mr & Mrs Claus stayed up all night wrapping presents and then one of the little T's woke up so we rushed to hide the presents and put them back to sleep and we ended up falling asleep too. We woke up with the 4 little T's and said that Santa must have left the presents under the toy room Christmas tree. It all worked out in the end, but you should have seen T's face for the 15 seconds that it took us to come up with an excuse, poor thing looked so disappointed. We hope your Christmas wasn't as exhausting as ours, lol!! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Our CRAZY Schedules...

2010-12-05T07:55:00.001-08:00

Construction here in Las Vegas is still non-existent. I am still working, and Talai is working 2 jobs. It's CRAZY, but it's working out. Talai and I rarely see eachother, but we're willing to do whatever we can to ensure that one of us is always with our kids!
I am still working for the Property Management company and I work 6-2:30, and I love my shift! I was also recently promoted! Although I have a lot of responsibility I enjoy the team of people that I work with. Obviously I would much rather be at home with my kids, but at least I am surrounded by wonderful people. I like that I leave while the kids are asleep because I still get emotional and some of them get emotional when I leave. Because I get off at 2:30 I get to pick up "T" from school everyday! I also get to help Him with his homework and eat dinner with the kids. I feel as if I'm not missing out on most of their day, but I hate to miss some of their school functions due to work.
Talai is now working 2 jobs. He starts work either at 2pm somedays or after 4pm. On the days that he works at 2 my dad or my saster Ange watch the kids for an hour or 2. Talai is still SUPER DAD! He gets all of the kids up in the morning and takes T and Taira to school, then if he's lucky he gets to go the gym (which is most of the time), then he picks up Taira from the bus stop (she loves the bus!), helps her with her homework, and then gets ready for work.
As I look back at the time when everything seemed perfect, Talai working construction and I a stay at home Mom... it sure seemed perfect, but of course the grass is always greener. I really do miss being home with our kids, but I am also grateful that Talai can be home with them while I work. He really does a great job, and the love our children have for him is amazing!
We're not sure what 2011 has in store for us, but 2010 was definitely an eye opener. We are still so glad to be home! We are so blessed to have my parents literally 2 blocks away, and we are grateful for the jobs that we have! I am actually contemplating going back to school and working a graveyard shift (still not sure when I'll sleep, lol!), and Talai can't work 2 jobs forever, and He says every once in a while that we may need to go back to Utah, where the construction work is.

For now We'll just continue to pray and fast! We'll do whatever the Lord wants us to do, and We'll be/go where ever the Lord wants us to be.

It's time to play KETCHUP with the LEO's

2010-12-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

I am finally posting a ton of blog posts from May to recent. The last post that I entered was during my first week of work. Obviously being a working Mom has caused me to fall behind in blogging. Whenever there is downtime at work I start a new post and don't finish, then I add another one and don't finish it, and it has just started this constant addition of unfinished posts.
Needless to say I have finally finished about 30+ posts! If you follow our blog get ready to receive a million and one (or about 30) new posts dating back to May. Happy Reading everyone!

Attitude of Gratitude!

2010-11-19T06:43:00.001-08:00

The Prophet President Monson spoke about having an "Attitude of Gratitude" during conference and this was definitely something I needed to hear! Anytime I've stressed about worldly things my wonderful Mom has also reminded me to "Count my Blessings!" I am so grateful for so many things, and anytime something goes wrong I try to think of what I am grateful for, rather than reflecting on the negative.

- Our employment situation: Of course we (or maybe it's just me!) wish that Talai had a construction job again and our lives could be somewhat back to normal, but we are also grateful for the jobs that we have now and the fact that one of us is always with our kids!

- Our 4 little blessings: Sure I wish they would listen to me the first time I tell them to do something, or I wish that they wouldn't argue with eachother, but I wouldn't change these little blessings for anything in the world! I am so grateful for them!

Well, and Our drier just broke (It was a top of the line when we built our house and the warranty just expired) and we are so not going to pay the $75 for a repairmen to come and look at it. So right now I am so grateful that my parents have one in their garage that we'll be using! It so doesn't match our washer, but who cares, Lol....

My Mom has often told me things could be so much worse, and this is so true. We have a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, food on our table, 4 beautiful blessings, a loving close knit family, the best of friends, and the Gospel! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Broken Glass...

2010-11-17T07:07:00.000-08:00

Our Little T is something else!

After playing skip the rock on the backyard turf and hitting our glass sliding door, He was shocked to see a shattered window. He didn't realize what He had done until I told Him to look at what he had done. He then began to cry hysterically and He ran to His room. I was afraid the large window was going to come crashing down and so I grabbed the rest of the kids and had them come inside. I then ran up to T's room to confront him and found him praying... "Heavenly Father, help my Mommy to not be mad at me and help us to find a community helper to fix the window."
Obviously I stopped in my tracks and realized he was already upset and confronting him wouldn't have helped. So I just explained to him the importance of leaving rocks on the ground and the safety of him and his brother and sister could have been compromised by his acts.

The reason he prayed for a "Community Helper" is because he has been reading a book called community helpers, at school. It's so wonderful to know that when He is faced with difficult situations that He knows He can always turn to our Father in Heaven! Afterwards He said that He's going to earn the money to fix the window. He said he'd take out the garbage and clean his room and do his homework without being asked. I got it all on tape, so I'll make sure to play it back to Him when he's disobeying! He has such a cute little spirit!
Although you drive me crazy at times "T" we sure do love you and the lessons you teach us! Next time, let's teach Mommy an inexpensive lesson. The sliding glass window will be $180, we'll definitely be putting you to work Son!

Peace, Love and Halloween!

2010-11-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

We love Halloween and I love "trying" to incorporate the kids costumes together or trying to dress as a family! This year we decided to go as a 70's Family, except for "T"! He decided to be a Ninja and I don't necessarily tell our kids what they want to be but I do try to puersuade them :) Toa's costume was totally hand made and his hair was all natural, literally! Talai and I had our costumes left over from a family reunion a couple of years ago and the girls costumes were buy one get one free! Gotta love BOGO FREE!

Here in Viva Las Vegas the "norm" for Trick or Treating for us is "Trunk of Treating"! I absolutely love the safety of Trunk or Treating! I'm slowly learning how fun holidays are as our children are growing older! I love the fact that they can all walk/run and get candy on their own (No more double strollers and wagons!) While we were Trunk or Treating Taleya didn't want to Trick or Treat because she said that she couldn't take candy from strangers, but finally she saw one of our Ward missionaries handing out candy and so she want to get candy from Him and She was fine after that! T and Taira barely got much candy because they were playing with their friends, nevertheless I'm just glad they all had fun!

With my new work schedule I also had the opportunity to help T and Taira's classes! I was very tired because I got off at 6AM that morning, but I didn't care! Helping out at school is priceless! Here's a photo of Taira making a spider out of pipe cleaners and a tootsie pop! What a great idea!!

A couple of weeks before Halloween I wanted to have a "GNI" with our girls while the boys went to Grandma and Grandpa's! I was so excited to spend time with my girls.... and then Taleya decied to go to Grandma's house too, lol! So GNI was with just Taira and I! It was fun though! I gave her a little facial, mani and pedi! I love my girls! Yes, even you Taleya... even though you ditched us.

We hope you all had a safe Halloween!

Freeze... and brush your teeth, LOL!

2010-10-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

"T" had a dentist appointment yesterday and Talai picked Him up from school and took Him. Talai had Him brush His teeth in the car and He told "T" to spit out the window. Right after spitting a truck with flashing lights pulled behind them and "T" started to cry... The poor kid thought that the truck with flashing lights was a police officer and He was going to get in trouble for spitting out the window, Poor kid! The truck ended up being a Southern Highlands maintenance truck!

Instructions or Directions

2010-10-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

I told "T" the other night that he needed to follow instructions... His reply... No, Mommy. I need to follow directions?! Lol... I just love this SMART kid!

We've been Boooooo'd!

2010-10-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

Last Night we received a pleasant anonymous surprise at our door step! It was a bucket full of BOOtiful and yummy treats! The kids were actually helping me clean-up when we heard a knock on the door. I didn't see anyone and it was dark, so I didn't want to open the door. The kids looked out the window though and saw a little bucket at the door. We opened the door to find a cute little bucket with sugar cookies and other delicious little treats! It was even addressed to us! Not sure, who it was from, but I do have my assumptions (Somerset gals!) If it was you, THANKS SO MUCH! I told the kids someone knew they were being good kids and wanted to bring them some treats! Can't wait to pass the Boo along to our deserving friends!

Ketchup

2010-10-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

It's time to play CATCH UP! Obviously being a working Mom has taken it's toll on our blogging life. Fortunately I have started 15+ posts, but until recently they were incomplete. Enjoy reading about our 4 Little Blessings!

Daddy's wallet

2010-09-30T06:18:00.001-07:00

Talai's Birthday is approaching in about a week and a half! I asked the kids what they're going to get for Daddy and their responses were...

Taleya's response "I'll make a pichure (picture) for Daddy!"

T's response "I'll buy Daddy a game from the game store" He knows his Daddy too well, I believe Madden 2011 is exactly what Daddy wants!

Taira's response "I'll buy Daddy pants, shirts, socks and a watch"

My response, "Oh really, and how are you going to buy all that?" Her priceless response... "With the money in Daddy's wallet!" Lol....

Class of 2022!

2010-09-10T07:15:00.000-07:00

"Keep spreading the news, we're leaving today! We want to be a part of it. First Grade, First Graaaaade!" These are just a few words from one of the songs that "T" loved to sing during His Kindergarten Graduation Program! It was so cute, and of course I cried! The Kindergartner's began with a singing program, followed by a slide show, and then each of the children's names were announced, and they handed them a certificate for completing Kindergarten! I absolutely love that the schools recognize this accomplishment! I am amazed at how much our little "T" has grown this year!He has done a wonderful job with his letters, numbers,writing and reading!
I was a little worried about him moving to a new school in the middle of the school year, but He has so many little friends! One of the many things that his Teacher said about "T" was his kindness and friendship towards everyone!
At the end of the graduation, they said
"Congratulations to Class of 2022!"
and that's when the waterworks began...

I still recall bringing home this little kindergarten graduate from the NICU and staying up all night just to watch him sleep. I also recall him falling down the stairs (4 non-steep carpeted stairs) while learning to crawl, and I cried along with him. I remember crying with him through all of his infants shots, and today I cried tears of joy as our little man graduated from Kindergarten! Way to go "T"! We are so proud, and we know this is just one of the many milestones and accomplishments you will hurdle over!

Talai stayed up the majority of the night before to make candy lei's for T's entire class, what a great Dad!

"T" and His teacher, Miss Fiscus. We're sooo excited that Taira will get to have Miss fiscus next year!

After "T" gave His candy lei's to one of his girl classmates, she said to him... "Thanks Talai, do you want to have a playdate this week!?", His response was a blunt "Uh, I don't know" Lol... Ange and I just awwed and laughed!

CONGRATULATIONS Talai Sione Leo on this wonderful accomplishment!

TGIF! First week of school...

2010-09-10T06:48:00.000-07:00

T and Taira have completed their first week of school and can I just say "THANK GOODNESS IT'S THE WEEKEND!" I guess I just need to get used to their routine, but we are all looking forward to sleeping in! Talai is now working evenings, so our daily routine consists of me leaving for work around 5:30AM. Around 7:30-8:00 I call Talai and the kids and then he gets to do the whole morning routine (lucky him!) He gets the kids up, feeds them, gets them ready and loads them all in the car. Once at school he puts Toa and Leya in the double stroller, walks T to his playground and then Taira to hers, he then picks up Taira from her bus stop around noon (she loves her bus!), and then he feeds the kids lunch (if he's lucky he gets a nap with Toa and Leya too!). I get off early enough to pick-up T from school and he is always hungry and thirsty, so I make sure he has some kind of snack, then I start dinner while Talai gets ready for work. If we're lucky we're able to eat with Talai, but the majority of the time he has to leave by the time we're ready to eat. After dinner I help T and Taira with their daily reading and daily homework (usually with Leya and Toa's assistance too!), get their uniforms out for the next day, bathe them, and then it's off to bed for another FUN day. Again, TGIF!! Have a fabulous 3 day weekend all, we sure will!

Procrastination is my middle name...

2010-09-10T06:26:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember anytime I've had a project, report or a paper due I would always procrastinate. And although I did everything last minute and always received a good grade, it would drive my Mom (and sometimes I) crazy! She would always say "You have known about this for how long? Why are you waiting the last minute to get this done?" I also recall going to my Grandma's house to complete projects late the night before because Grandma's house has everything!
Well I'm finally a Mom myself and needless to say I still haven't learned my lesson....
T and Taira both have a project due today (which they have been reminding me about this entire week!) and we were up until 10pm completing them. T's was pretty simple, all he had to do was cut out fabrics, etc. to cover a image shaped object to look like him and Taira's was an "all about me poster". After eating dinner, and completing the kids daily reading and homework we finally began to start their projects (which they were so excited about!) and I realized we needed a printer and markers (our printer has been useless for a while, and our markers were MIA) so down the street to my parents house we went! THANKGOODNESS for all of their supplies and HELP! My Mom watched the kids (Talai was at a Scout meeting) while my saster Ange helped T with his project and I worked on Taira's project with her!

Although it was a bit stressful, it was actually a lot of FUN! Their projects turned out so cute and well done! So... last night I learned not to procrastinate, but if I have to (which I almost always will!) I will always have the help of our wonderful family! I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love having my parents so close to us! What a wonderful blessing!

Mistaken...

2010-09-09T23:22:00.000-07:00

Our daily routine includes homework for T and Taira! The other day T was studying his spelling words (and drawing all over his study sheet) before I gave him a practice test he asked me for a "large eraser" , I asked him why he needed a "large eraser", he said that he needed to "correct his mistakes".... lol! I'm amazed that our little "T" is using words like "large, correct and mistakes"! Lol....
Wouldn't life be great if we could use a large eraser to correct our mistakes?!
We love you Little "T"! I am completely amazed at the little man He is becoming!

BANNED!

2010-09-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

This curly haired, beautiful brown eyed (little monster) child has been BANNED from the gym daycare. After 1 too many headlocks on other children, he is not allowed. Guess his Dad will have to find another form of exercise! Lol.....
I know it's not funny, but I really think Toa just tries to LOVE! He tries to give kids hugs and when they push him away.... he grabs them and makes them hug him. This is definitely something that we are trying to work on, but it's very difficult! I mean, look at Him... He has got us wrapped around his little fingers!

First Grader choosing the RIGHT!

2010-09-02T09:06:00.001-07:00

Going to first grade is such a HUGE transition! Our little First Grader was attending school half day, and now he is at school all day. He is now eating lunch at school and spends the majority of his day at school! After his first day of school I asked "T" what he ate for lunch and his response was "Cherry pie and chocolate milk" I asked if he ate anything else and his response was "No, I just ate the cherry pie and drank all of my milk" I asked him if he thought he made a good choice or a bad choice by not eating all of his lunch? T's response was "I ATE THE FRUIT IN MY CHERRY PIE AND I DRANK MY MILK, I THINK I MADE A RIGHT CHOICE!"

I sure hope our little first grader continues to make justified right coices!

Twas the Night before ... The First Day of School

2010-08-31T09:31:00.001-07:00

'Twas the night before school started
When all through the town
The parents were cheering.
It was a riotous sound.
By eight the kids were washed
And tucked into bed
When memories of homework
Filled them with dread
New pencils, new folders,
New notebooks, too,
New teachers, new friends-
Their anxiety grew.
The parents just giggled
When they learned of this fright
And shouted,
"Upstairs! GO TO BED! IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT!"
I thought this was hilarious!

T and Taira had their first day of school today and they loved it! They are attending a brand new school, their teacher's are amazing and they have uniforms (which we love!)

After taking the kids to school I met several other Mom's at the park for a Back 2 School Brunch! It was so nice to take Toa and Leya to the park (something I can't do, until I get off work normally) and to visit with the other Mom's!

Taira's favorite part of school was her nice teacher and all of her friends in her class and T's favorite part was lunch time and all the recesses (typical "T")! I loved getting them up and getting them ready, making breakfast, and taking them to school and picking them up, but I was also so exhausted by the end of the day! Now I remember why I was always so tired as a stay at home Mom.

Tomorrow it's back to work for me and Talai will get to do the morning routine before he goes to work, I know he'll be able to get it all done though! He's theee BEST! Great job T and Taira on completing your first day of school with a smile!

BACK2SCHOOL!

2010-08-31T07:36:00.000-07:00

I have been anticipating this day for a while. Not necessarily to see the kids go off to school, but to have the day off and it enjoy it with my little ones, and act as if I'm a stay at home Mom for a day! T and Taira will be wearing uniforms this year and I have been shopping since June for their uniforms! For T it's simple, cargo or khaki/blue pants and a polo. For Taira, our little fashion Princess it's totally different! She's our little fashionista and is very picky about her clothes. I found a great store that had fabulous low prices on girls polo shirts, jumpers and skirts! Taira now has a total of 3 pairs of pants, 5 polo shirts, 4 dressy white tops, 2 pairs of Bermuda shorts, 4 jumper/dresses and 9 (yes 9) skirts! Okay, so maybe I went a little crazy, but she's a girl, and I had even more fun making her bows and flowers! Taira is very excited to attend kindergarten and T asks daily if he gets to go to school. He has only been off for about 3 weeks and he can't wait to go back to school! I on the other hand am sad that our kids are growing. Obviously I have no control over it, but I can not believe we will have 2 of our 4 kids in school.
Talai gave them Father's blessings tonight! What a blessing it is for them to receive a preisthood blessing before the first day of school! I honestly can not wait for tomorrow to see how our kids first day is!

WE LOVE SUMMER!

2010-08-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

Since my parents have moved to Southern Highlands we've had seriously about 5+ pool parties! The pool parties consist of my Dad's entire family, tons of food, lots of noise, music and good wholesome (okay, sometime crazy) FUN! I can't help but think of how truely blessed our kids are to be surrounded by loved ones! I too grew up surrounded by my cousins and we are extremely close now. Unfortunately we didn't have the luxury of swimming every weekend, but we sure had some grand times at the elementary school playground! I sooooo love my entire family, and I am so grateful that we ALL enjoy spending time together! My parents are the greatest hosts and grandparents for allowing all of us to swim at their pool! My Mom always has an endless supply of food and my Dad is just hillarious to watch with the kids. The other day he had the kids on a tube and he tied a rope to it and he pulled them around the pool! They are the BEST!

T, Taira, Taleya and Toa ALL know how to swim! It's so neat to see them swim on their own. Toa still needs assistance sometimes because he doesn't know when to slow down, but the older 3 are diving and retrieving items from the bottom of the pool. They were even trying to show me how to breath under water! Obviously we NEVER leave them unattended and the whole pool thing totally frightened me at first, but I think the fact that they know how to swim has improved their confidence around water! They all know they are to only go by the pool when accompanied by an adult (actually, we are still trying to instill this in Toa). We are so proud of our little water bugs!

Independence

2010-07-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day Weekend! I'm soooo glad to have 3 days off from work! We'll be BBQing and spending the entire weekend in my parents pool! Hope you all have a fabulous and safe 4th of July weekend!

Our new Little NEPHEW!

2010-06-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

I'm an Auntie to another gorgeous little heartbreaker! Hameti Tai Tuakoi was born June 28th! These photos were taken in the hospital, yes in the hospital. My nephew is already a baby model! Just love Him, and I can't wait to hold him. I have been soooo baby hungry (Toa is growing too fast), and I'm sure "Meti" will crave that! Congratulations to my Saster Tina and her gorgeous growing family! Love ya tons!!

Happy Father's Day Mr. MOM!

2010-06-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

Talai is the epitome of Mr. MOM, and he is the BEST DAD EVER! Really, He is! One of the many reasons that I fell in love with him was because of his LOVE FOR CHILDREN! He would babysit his nieces and nephews rather than going out and he has always been able to relate to children! He has such a high tolerance of patience and understanding when he cares for our kids, and I have learned so much from him! Our children are extremely blessed to have such a loving, nurturing, good looking :) Daddy! Talai also loves his Preisthood and he is such a wonderful example to our kids! Happy Father's Day Talai, we love you and appreciate all that you do! YOU ROCK!!

It's our Anniversary!!

2010-05-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

Talai delivered flowers to me today! Aren't they beautiful! I SOOOO LOVE HIM! I can't believe it's been 9 years! Honestly, it has been very emotional for me to return back to work. Having Him and the kids surprise me with flowers and lunch made my week, or maybe even my month! I totally give him props for lugging all of the kids with him to the store and then loading and reloading the kids while he picked up lunch, and then unloading them again to come inside my work! He really is SUPER DAD and the best Husband and friend I could ask for! Happy Anniversary Talai! I sooooo love you!!

Love being a MOM!

2010-05-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again I absolutely love being a Mom! Since becoming a working Mom I have learned to TREASURE every moment with my little ones! They (along with Talai) are the reason I wake up and go to work at 6am every morning and I love to come to home to them everyday! I absolutely LOVE the weekends where we can all lay in bed together and sleep in, and then lounge around and watch movies. I miss spending every waking moment with them, but a Mom's gotta do, what a Mom's gotta do! Being a Mom ROCKS!

A very special HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to my Mom, my Grandmama's, my MIL, my Sisters/Friends! You have enabled me to become the woman that I am today and I am so grateful for your example!

The Happiest Place on EARTH!

2010-04-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

FYI.. On the actual day that we left for Disneyland I thought I was going to title this "The UnHappiest Place on Earth" I'm so glad I was able to change it!!
After volunteering for the Disney give a day get a day we received our tickets in a week! My parents and my sister and her boyfriend, and my brother and sister in-law all volunteered too, so we all decided to go to Disneyland together! We decided to book 2 rooms and head to California the weekend of Spring Break! April Fools day we were all packed and ready to go and I decided to call the hotel to confirm our rooms (I should have done this sooner!) Needless to say I booked the rooms for the wrong dates. I know, I am so the winner. And hello, it was Spring Break weekend so the hotel was now completely booked. After arguing with everyone because of my mistake we decided to continue on with our trip and call hotels on the way. We ended up finding a hotel with a kids suite, so we booked that hotel! The kids also began to argue even before we were out of Southern Highlands and I recall my mom saying loudly "We're going to the happiest place on earth, be nice! " LOL! Needless to say the kids listened and watched their movie somewhat quietly!

Although we have lived in Vegas for nearly 6 years, we have never drove to California. It was such a short drive, and I would do it again in a heart beat! We were really lucky too, there was no traffic!

We ended up staying at the Jolly Roger which is a block away from Disneyland! It definitely would not have been the first place on our list, but we just needed a place to stay and it did have a kids suite! We arrived at our hotel around 9pm, which was a perfect time to get the kids all to bed! They loved their mini suite with a bunk bed! Talai and I felt like kids all over again, we could not sleep! Talai has never been there so we talked about the fun things I loved as a kid when I went to Disneyland and we both stayed up the majority of the night organizing snacks, the kids clothes and just talking about the excitement of the next day! GOOD TIMES! I soooo love him :)

The next morning I kep thinking something else is going to go wrong, and I told Talai that the free tickets thing had to have a catch. Free Disney tickets just seemed too good to be true. We walked a block to the Happiest Place on Earth and when we got there we handed the host our vouchers with ID and the kid's gift certificates and she gave us buttons that said "I volunteered" and she said "Thank you for volunteering" and we were on our way! WAHOO! WOW! I was amazed! The tickets were actually free!

We arrived about the time that the gates opened and the kids were able to ride about 4 consecutive rides without standing in line! It was great!! Obviously since we went Spring Break weekend during the "Give a Day Get a Day" promo the park began to get extremely busy, but the kids areas were not too busy! We loved Toon Town! I still remember going to Disneyland when Toontown first opened, and it was so neat to be there with my kids many years later! For those with families I highly recommend Toon Town! Our kids loved going into each of the characters homes and the roller coaster was a lot of fun! We also went on It's a Small World, which is timeless and the Polynesian section at the end is thee BEST! In all we rode approximately 10 rides and several of them 2 or 3 times. I believe the longest we waited in line was about 20 minutes, and I've heard that's short for Disneyland time! We went to Disneyland with my Mom, my sister, her boyfriend, and my brother and his wife, and it was so nice to have others to ride the rides with them! We sure missed my other sister Tina and Her family, and my Dad. My sister lives in Utah and is very prego (love ya Tina), and my Dad had to work :( It was fun, but incomplete without them.

The kids most favorite parts of Disneyland were the Buzzlight Year ride, Minnie Mouse's House, the Tea cups and the Parade!

We left the park around 6:30 and we planned to have the kids nap and then bring them back for the fireworks. Unfortunately we didn't make it back for the fireworks. We all fell asleep and Talai and I woke up from the fireworks going off. The kids slept like little sleeping beauties the entire night from 7:30pm - 7am the next day!

A Special THANKS to my fabulous Family who helped us with the kids and HAPPY, HAPPY Birthday to my Mom! We are so grateful for your love and support!

We're not sure when we'll be able to go to Disneyland again, but I would actually prefer to go when they're all older ranging in age from 5-10 because then we'll all be able to ride the rides together! There were quite a few rides that Toa had to stay on the sidelines with Mommy for.

Disneyland was a fun and exciting experience for our little family! The most memorable part was probably our kids expressions! I just loved how their faces lit up when they'd see a ride, or a character, the parades, etc! Definitely priceless moments in time!

Disneyland Necessities: For those traveling with kids I would highly recommend the following necessities: *A stroller/double stroller: We have a double stroller and all of the kids except for "T" took turns napping in the stroller throughout the day! I love our stroller!

*Drinks/snacks: We had 2 large bottles of water and a bunch of capri suns and snacks in a large type duffel bag that we hung off of the stroller! Pringles, pretzels, cheese&crackers, fruit snacks.

*Jackets: It actually was a little cool when we arrived at Disneyland so we had jackets!

*Comfortable walking shoes: I love flip flops and so I always wear them, but I knew they wouldn't be comfortable for the kids so we made sure they wore socks and closed toed shoes. I don't recall them saying that their feet ever hurt!

Disneyland is definitely where your DREAMS COME TRUE!

We loved it!

Things I want to remember about our kids while at Disneyland!

T, Taira and Taleya kept saying Thank you after every ride! They also didn't ask for anything. There were food and toy stands/stores all over, and they didn't ask once for anything. They all were so grateful to be there, and their little faces lit up every time they saw a Disney character or a ride. Taleya kept saying the entire time "I want to go to Disneyland" and we kept telling her that we were already there. I don't know if she expected something different, or what. She loved it, but she had to keep saying "I want to go to Disneyland". Toa's expressions were priceless, and he was so good! Overall I kind of expected some kind of melt down and I don't recall any of the kids having one. They were very good kids, and that is probably why I wouldn't mind taking them again. Let's hope Disney has another promotion!

Beach Babes...

2010-04-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

The following day after Disneyland we went to Huntington Beach. I orginally imagined the beach to be covered with a bunch of obnoxious half dressed college students (it was Spring Break), but we were pleasantly surprised when there were only families on the beach! We didn't bring swimsuits because we just wanted our kids to have the opportunity to play in the sand and enjoy the fun beach environment, plus we knew the water would be freezing. I also assumed that our kids would rather play in the sand and I thought they would be afraid of the large ocean waves. I was so wrong!

When we first arrived our kids built sand castles and played in the sand, that got old and so they began running in the sandy water.....

then rolling up their pants and running away from the waves....
to finally jumping into the waves in their clothes. Thank goodness we had additional hands there! There is no way we could have prevented the kids from drifting away. Thankfully we ended our day at the beach safely. Soaked, cold and covered in sand, but SAFELY! My Mom lost her cell phone in the ocean and Talai lost his ring, but everyone was safe, lol... We are DEFINITELY returning to the beach! I can not believe that we have lived so close to the beaches of California and this was our first time there as a family! Can't wait to go again!

Toothless Taira

2010-03-06T01:50:00.000-08:00

Taira lost her first official tooth (her top ones don't count because they had to be pulled, because she was born without enamel on them.) When I told her that the toothfairy was going to bring her a surprise Her response was that she wanted a barbie, but Grandma told her that was too big to fit under her pillow, so she would probably get money.... Her response was then "Oh yeah, I want a $100 from the toothfairy!" LOL! Sorry kid, even if we weren't going through rough economic times you would not get $100 for your tooth. The toothfairy did leave her $5 though! Hey, that's only $95 short.....

Week 1 as a working Momma...

2010-03-05T23:58:00.000-08:00

I officially ended my first week as a working Mom, and I am so glad I got through it! It actually wasn't that bad..... I saw Talai and the kids about every other day during lunch and on the days that I didn't have lunch with them I had lunch with my Mom and my saster Ange! Working near my Mom and my sister is so much fun, but also makes us miss my saster Tina. Talai is the BEST at keeping me updated on what's going on with the kids! He sends me emails and picture message so I feel as if I don't miss a thing! Talai is definitely SUPER DAD! Every night I have come home to a spotless house with laundry done and 4 clean children! I told Him he makes me look bad, lol! Going back to work has definitely strengthened our relationship because our roles have reversed. He does as much as he can when I'm home because he knows I'm tired, while I try to let him have a break from us ever so often because I remember how much I wanted a break when I stayed home with the kids! It's crazy, but me working has also strengthened my relationship with our kids! I absolutely love it when they all run to me and greet me at the door! Coming home to 4 little ones with hugs and kisses is definitely the SWEETEST part of my day! I also cherish every little second, minute, and/or hour with them! I am currently holding Toa while I type away..... So far working isn't that bad, but then again I have only been working for 1 week. Only time will tell....

DISNEY Give a Day, Get a DAY!

2010-03-05T23:45:00.000-08:00

Sadly we live only about 4 hours from Anaheim, CA and we have never taken our kids to Disneyland. That will all definitely change this year, thanks to Disney give a day... Get a day! Disney has a fabulous promo going on right now where you can volunteer for an organization that they honor and when you complete your time you are given a FREE Disneyland or Disneyworld voucher!!! I was very skeptical at first, but my little saster and her boyfriend completed their tasks about a week ago and they already received their ticket!! There are several blackout date, but they aren't dates that we are planning on going anyway. Tomorrow the rest of our family is volunteering to create crafts for children in the hospital and I am soooo excited! Disney is such a fabulous company to allow customers to volunteer to earn entrance into their park!! This experience of volunteering and receiving a Disney ticket will teach our kids a wonderful lesson on giving back to the community at a young age!

Only 1 in diapers!

2010-03-05T23:33:00.000-08:00

Wahoooo!! Our little Leya is potty trained! After several accidents (that Talai got to clean-up, because I was at work) our little Leya is officially potty trained! She looks so tiny on our big toilet, and we are so proud of her! MUCH kudos to Talai! He pretty much potty trained her all on his own! Taira has been such a big help too! She constantly asks Leya if she needs to use the potty! My fabulous saster Tina gave us the cutest little potty chair (see pic below!) and Leya loved to potty in it, but now she loves to use the normal toilet (thank goodness, for clean-up purposes!) Yah for our little Leya! That's 3 down and 1 to go!!

$5 Dollar, $5 Dollar Footlong...

2010-03-02T23:12:00.000-08:00

Going back to work has been extremely hard for me. I cried my first day when saying goodbye to my little T's, but I am very fortunate to be able to work so close to home! I can come home during my hour long lunch! Yesterday Talai and the kids picked me up for lunch, and we went to Subway! After eating our $5 footlong sub sandwiches I went around and gave Talai and all the kids kisses goodbye and Taira's response was "Love you Mommy, thanks for taking us to $5!" LOL!

Temple Blessings..

2010-02-28T09:25:00.000-08:00

While in Utah my saster Tina and I were able to drive down the street just a couple of miles to the Jordan River Temple, and participate in a session together! We originally had planned to go earlier in the week, but my nephew is extremely attached to His Mom and we were kind of afraid he would cry for his Mom the entire time. Turns out we didn't have to worry at all! Talai watched our kids and my sister's kids, and when we got home the babies and Leya were all alseep! Attending the temple with my saster was such a beautiful experience, and I highly recommend Sister & Mother Temple days to everyone! Our family ( consisting of my parents and my siblings!) was actually sealed for Time & all Eternity in that same Temple nearly 13+ years ago. We reminisced about our family photos afterwards and what we did before being sealed! There's a sense of peace we received as moms, sisters, daughters, and friends! Thanks Tina for a beautiful day at the Temple! I look forward to the day that myself, my Mom and BOTH of my sisters can all attend together!

Working Momma...

2010-02-21T11:26:00.000-08:00

As posted previously I was debating if I should go back to work or back to school. After fasting and praying for about 2 months Talai and I have come to the conclusion for me to go back to work. Thankfully Talai has unemployment, but we simply can not make it on that. I was offered a job for a property management company. I honestly would rather be home with my children, but I am grateful that although unemployment is nearly 13% in Nevada I am fortunate that I received a job offer! The company I will be working for is a wonderful company with great benefits, wonderful people and the location is very close by! As I think of going back to work it brings tears to my eyes. I feel as if I will be missing out on many little things, but I know that our kids will be in great hands! Talai as I have said many times is a FABULOUS Husband and Father! When he was working in construction the kids rarely got to see him because of His work schedule. Although I am very sad, I am also a little excited! I look forward to interacting with adults on a daily basis, and I work about 5 minutes away so I'll be able to come home during my lunch!

Lil' Leya

2010-02-21T10:36:00.000-08:00

Our little Leya is the smallest child we've had. She's now 3 and still wearing 18 months - 24 months size clothes. This is very small considering she is 75% Polynesian! You would never guess by her attitude that she is so tiny. Unfortunately because T and Taira were born so close they almost always single Leya out and it's usually her against them. She definitely is fearless of them! I think it's the things she says to them that make them single her out. Here's a few examples of some of the things she says almost on a daily basis to everyone..... "Oh yeah, you want me to poke your eyes?", "Oh yeah I'm going to go and mess up your room!", "You poopy head" ..... We have tried everything with this little angelic monster of ours. From time out to even a little soap on her tongue and NOTHING. She still continues to call everyone from her parents to her siblings mean things. Her new word is "stupid". Stupid is a bad word in our home. I actually have no idea where she even learned that word, and how she knows that it's a mean word is beside me. Any ideas on how I can get our little Leya to stop using mean words and phrases would be greatly appreciated!

Lots of LOVE for Locks of LOVE!

2010-02-18T17:30:00.000-08:00

Taira and I both cut our hair and donated it to Locks of LOVE! Growing up with long hair my entire life, I finally trimmed it a lot when I was prego with Toa, and then when I turned 29 in January because I decided I wanted a change! I can happily say that I don't think I will ever have long hair again. I have had an aching neck and back for as long as I can remember. Turns out the pain was probably from my HEAVY long curly hair. I am now back and neck pain-free! If you have beautiful long locks and want to donate them to a wondeful cause then visit http://www.locksoflove.org/
Locks of Love uses your donated locks to make wigs for people (mainly children) with different diseases. We are happy that we are helping out others in need and we are saving sooooo much money on hair products/necessities! Washing and fixing my hair is such a breeze and Taira absolutely loves her short BOB! We asked her while cutting her hair if she wanted her hair cut in a bob, and her response was "No, I don't want hair like Bob!" LOL, sorry uncle Bob!

Cupid is FIRED!

2010-02-15T04:35:00.000-08:00

Okay so maybe Cupid isn't fired, but I told Talai he was sooo fired when I found out what his Valentine plans were. On 2/13 - 2/14 there was a Rugby Tournament here in Vegas and guess who got tickets? My Dad got tickets, 2 of them. Not for my Dad and my Mom...... the 2 tickets were for my Dad and Talai. So originally I was bitter. Hello, it is Valentine's Day and Hello, aren't you supposed to spend Valentine's Day with your significant other? Not your significants other's Dad? LOL! Obviously I wasn't too happy about the whole situation but Talai made up for it and we went out Friday to Mimi's Cafe (I never wanted to try this place because Mimi means something not too good in Tongan!), but it was actually very delicious and the service was FABULOUS! Talai also surprised me with roses and chocolate covered strawberries on Valentine's Day! Talai also told me that he loved spending time with my Dad, and that he really misses his Dad! After hearing that I definitely gave in and just let them go and do their thing! It's a good thing I came around before the GAMES, because THE GAMES were all day long. They ended up staying at the GAMES from nearly 10am until 9pm Saturday and Sunday. It all turned out GREAT though! I had the chance to spend both days with my sisters, my cute nephews and my Mom! On Saturday we took my sister to "Miracle in Progress" to see what her baby was! Obviously I am not too fond of these places after they told us T was a girl. But I had to know what my sister was having! This pregnancy was very different than her previous pregnancies so I totally thought she was having a girl. I was sooooo wrong! She is definitely having a BOY, all boy! He has no shame either, lol! Regardless I am sooooo excited for my sister and her family! She has definitely been blessed with patience because the Lord keeps giving her boys!

Here's a pic of my cute nephew! He'll be another Heartbreaker!

I LOVE....

2010-02-11T01:16:00.000-08:00

My siblings! I have the BEST siblings! Blood related or not, I have truly been blessed with the most loving, supportive, thoughtful, caring siblings! From my brother John, my sasters Tina and Ange and my non-blood related siblings; Lei, Julie, Michael, and Vea I am extremely blessed! They all are wonderful examples to me and I don't know what I would do without all of their love and support! The FREE babysitting is also a plus (LOL!) I love all of my siblings and I am very honored to be their sister!

I LOVE....

2010-02-07T00:16:00.000-08:00

My MOM! I have always had a close relationship with my Mom, and I hope that I will have that same relationship with my girls! Growing up I felt I could tell my Mom anything or talk to her about everything! She has always been my rock! My shoulder to cry on! My inspiration! I soooo LOVE YOU MOM! Thanks for your example and your LOVE!

Leya is NOW 3!

2010-02-05T02:12:00.000-08:00

Our little Leya is now 3! Because Leya is our little shortie she'll always seem younger then she is to me. I still hold her when I can, and I love it! She is such a sweet little cuddle bug. As a baby Leya was our little sleeping beauty! She would fall asleep everywhere and anywhere. Those little naps everywhere sure created a crazy little free spirit! Leya definitely has an attitude, but she is also so care-free! She dances as if no one is looking, she sings (and says things) as if no one is listening, and she really could care less about what everyone else does or says! Leya loves to do her own thing! She has the cutest little giggle and smile, and she loves to play with baby dolls! She also loves purses! She walks around the house with as many purses and bags with play high-heels as if she owns the world!

I LOVE...

2010-02-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

I LOVE TALAI! I have folders, journals, pictures, etc. from highschool that were written with "I Love Talai" all over them! I honestly fell inlove with Talai when I first met him! He has this loving, caring, shy spirit about him that I just had to know more about! Going back to Utah brought back so many fond memories, and I fell in love with him all over again! He is the most CARING person you will ever know and he is extremely hard working in whatever he is doing. I sooooo LOVE you Talai!

I LOVE....

2010-02-01T05:16:00.000-08:00

As Valentine's Day approaches I wanted to take the time to express my LOVE for the many things I LOVE about our little T, Taira, Taleya and Toa!!!
I love their carefree spirits! Their innocence! Their hugs and kisses! Their I LOVE You's! When they say "Mommy" or "Mom"! When they attempt to clean their rooms! Their differences! Their kindness and LOVE! Their caring hearts! Their love for each other! Their dance moves! Their love for their Dad! I sooooo LOVE these little T's with all of me! I am so grateful that they chose me to be their Mom! I just soooooo LOVE THEM!

So much FUN! Toa is ONE!

2010-01-30T01:45:00.000-08:00

Our little Toa turned 1 today. I say it a million times a day and I'll say it again. Time goes by way too fast. Toa is now 24 lbs. and I'll have to double check his height. He is running and walking! He says Ma, Dada, and Bah (I think this is Grandpa)! He loves the camera! He makes the cutest little face where he squints his eyes when posing for the camera! He absolutely loves his siblings and constantly follows them around the house! He knows how to go up and down the stairs, He doesn't like to be fed food, He would much rather feed himself. He LOVES bananas! He is such a little cuddle bug, who head butts when trying to give kisses! He is such a little sweetie and we feel extremely fortunate to have His sweet spirit as part of our Family! Happy FIRST Birthday Toa! We love you!

Bitter SWEET...

2010-01-24T01:54:00.000-08:00

Originally when we moved to Utah I was heartbroken. I didn't want to leave my new home, the warm Vegas weather, our loved ones here in Vegas, and our fabulous ward family. But after many nights of tears and stress I finally learned to love Utah and coming back HOME was definitely bitter sweet. I am so greateful for the opportunity that we had to relinquish our relationships with loved ones! My sister Tina and I were able to spend so much time together, and our kids are like peas in a pod. They act like brothers and sisters, and they just click! And living with my Grandma brought back so many childhood memories, and our kids are so blessed to have had that time with my sweet Grandmama! We also have a close bond with Talai's Family that we may have never had, if we hadn't moved back to Utah. We are now back in Vegas and although we are definitely HOME SWEET HOME, we miss our loved ones back in Utah. In a perfect world we'd have our home, ward family and all of our loved ones here in Viva Las VEGAS! Okay, Utah Fam come and see us soon!!!

Coming to a blog near you...

2010-01-24T01:01:00.000-08:00

Home SWEET Home, Home for the Holidays!, Another First Day of School, Birthdays GALORE, and more! I have started several different posts about our life and I haven't completed them. I am pretty bad about beginning things and not finishing them, nevertheless here is a bit of the 411 about the Leo family for now.

-We are back HOME in Viva Las Vegas! We moved back just in time to have Christmas at home. There is definitely no place like home, but we miss our loved ones in Utah dearly!

-T started his first day of school and he loves it! I have so many pictures to post of him! He is growing up way too fast.

-So far we have celebrated mine, My Dad's, T's and Taira's birthdays, and then we have Toa's next week (I can't believe he will be 1!), and Taira's 1 week after Toa's. Thank goodness our kids were born around tax season (lol)

There's our lives in a nutshell. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! One day I'll update our blog completely!

T's FIRST Day of Kindergarten (again)

2010-01-20T01:00:00.000-08:00

No, T doesn't have to repeat kindergarten. He's starting kindergarten here in Viva Las Vegas! It was a lot easier to take him to school this second time. I am happy to report that I didn't cry AS MUCH as I cried when he started school in Utah! He is in morning kindergarten and although he is not really a morning person, he is doing great! We take him to school and then he comes home with other kindergartners on the bus! We are fortunate to have the bus stop right by our house, so we get to walk home from the bus stop! Lately the weather has been fabulous! So we pack the kids up in the wagon or double stroller and pick up T all together! Taira and Leya are too cute! They jump for joy when they see the bus turn down our street and as soon as the doors open they scream "T"!! T has his own welcoming committee! T jumps off the bus and gives both of his sisters hugs and walks home hand in hand with them! Awww.... we love these moments! I took a pic of them walking home with my phone, but for some reason I can't upload it. More pics to come....
T is also doing GREAT with all of his school work! He now knows how to read short stories! We are so proud! He also has daily homework and I think it is definitely helping us and him! I truly believe that it's also the parents responsibility to instill a constant learning environment within the home! It's crazy to think that this year we'll have 2 little ones in school.....

Our oldest is 6!

2010-01-19T01:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to our Little T! T actually started His first day of kindergarten on his birthday, because His class came back on track today! He is like a little man now! He is very independent and practically gets himself ready for school! We set out T's clothes the night before, so when He wakes up He automatically just dresses himself, brushes his teeth, washes His face, and gets his backpack all on his own! T has always been my big helper! He cleans his room, (although I opened his closet the other day and toys fell on me. He cleans like His Aunts Tina and Ange did, lol!) and He loves to vacuum!

I can still recall the Doctor saying "It's a boy" after my c-section and although we had nothing but girls items for our new little boy, I was extremely happy that our oldest child was a boy! I knew that he would someday be a great older brother and leader, and that's exactly what T is! His younger sibling are very blessed to have him as an example! Happy 6th Birthday T! WE love you!

Happy 5th Birthday to our PRINCESS Taira

2010-01-18T02:04:00.000-08:00

I can not believe our little Taira will be attending Kindergarten. It seems like just yesterday we brought home our little chunky 8 lb. 3 oz. baby girl from the hospital! Since Taira was a baby she has always had a soft, shy, yet fun personality! She is just the most caring, sweetest girl you will ever know. She has a concern and love for others that I have never seen in young children, and she is extremely motherly! Taira is our little Diva! She dresses herself, and she does a pretty good job of it! She also tries to do her hair, and can sometimes fix it pretty well! Taira LOVES Barbies! She has always been a little fashionista! I remember her changing her clothes over and over again from the age 2, and sometime she'll change her outfit 3-4 times a day. Taira loves Her brother and sisters, and is always ensuring that they are okay! She is also our little trivia child, constantly asking questions about everyone and everything! Happy Birthday Taira! We love you pretty girl!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight

2009-12-25T00:53:00.000-08:00

Santa just finished placing the presents under our tree, and I wanted to take a moment to express how grateful I am for this SEASON! Talai is still out of work and as of right now we are unsure what our plans are. Since returning home we have been overwhelmed with LOVE and SUPPORT from our family, our ward family and our friends! Originally we were unsure of how our children's Christmas was going to be. In the end it all worked out! We have been extremely blessed! Merry Christmas to all and to all a GOODNIGHT!

Home SWEET Home!

2009-12-21T00:58:00.000-08:00

There are about 4 more days until Christmas and I was given the BEST Christmas gift ever! our HOME! We are back in our home here in VIVA LAS VEGAS, and it feels so good to be home! Our tenants (my aunt and uncle) cleaned our house spotless! Seriously, it looks like it did the first time we moved in! I am so grateful to them for taking care of our home! I am also so grateful to my parents who made it possible for us to move back! They are the BEST! Talai's family drove down with us and for now everything seems PERFECT because they are all here! We have become so close to them and it's definitely going to be hard when they leave. For now, we are moving in and setting up Christmas decor! It's crazy, but exciting at the same time! THANK YOU to everyone in Utah for welcoming us back and for being there for us! I am already missing my saster Tina and her kids. I tried so hard not to cry when we left, but we both bawled. Tina come and see us soon! We love you guys tons and miss you sooooooo much!

We just finished reading the Candycane story to our kids, and they loved it! If you haven't read the candycane parable I highly recommend it! Even Leya keeps repeating it! May everyone have a joyous Christmas surrounded by loved ones! Remember CHRIST is the REASON for the SEASON!

Christmas events in Utah

2009-12-19T02:31:00.000-08:00

Before moving back to Las Vegas we had the opportunity to spend time with our loved ones here and participate in Christmas activities with both my Family and Talai's Family. My Mom's Family has a tradition where all of my Grandma's children, grandchildren and great grandchildren gather together to eat, play games, act out the nativity, and then Santa visits with gifts for all the good boys and girls! This is one of my fondest Christmas memories as a child, and I love the fact that our children were able to participate! Taira was lucky enough to be Mary, and she made us so proud! T was 1 of the 3 wise men (although he thought he was a king, lol), Leya was an angel, and Nick was a donkey! After acting out the Nativity, Santa came with huge stockings (I found these at Dollar Tree, aren't they cute!) filled with gifts! The kids had fun,and it was so nice seeing all of my Mom's Family!

The week before we came back to Vegas, we also tried to spend as much time as we could with Talai's family! We went snow tubing, attended our nieces and nephews games, and attended a ward dance with all of them! Snow tubing was soooooo much fun! I felt like a kid all over again, and climbing up those hills with kids is such a workout. We didn't take Toa, because I thought it was too cold for him, so my fabulous Mother in law watched him. T, Taira and Taleya had tons of fun though! I was concerned that we might have some type of accident or injury, but I am happy to report that no one got hurt! This might sound ghetto, but did you know that plastic grocery bags are great to keep your feet dry when playing in the snow? I laughed when I saw my nephew wrapping his feet, and then I ended up wrapping all of our kids feet with bags over their many layers of socks to experiment. It ended up working GREAT! Our kids 1st layers of socks were completely dry! Yeah, I put 3 layers of socks on our kids. Bundling them up in layers, was not too fun, but it was well worth it! The night before we left Utah our kids got to celebrate Christmas early and open all of their gifts from Talai's Family! The loved their presents and they received so much stuff we had to rearrange stuff in our moving truck just to fit all of their gifts!

Festival of TREES

2009-12-14T20:31:00.000-08:00

My sister and I took our kids with my cute little Grandma to the Festival of Trees and we all absolutely loved it! It's definitely been a while, I believe the last time we went to the Festival of Trees I was prego with "T"! It was so nice to have a day out with my sis and my Grandma! I am going to miss them all sooooooo much when we move back. For those unaware of the Festival of Trees here's some tidbits about this fabulous event!

"Perhaps the greatest phenomenon of all is that everything is donated. The trees are decorated and purchased by individuals, families, organizations, businesses, and church groups. In addition, others generously donate items to fill the shops. Businesses provide the paper and printing of posters and tickets. Corporations offer their covered trucks and drivers to help deliver the trees, and so much more! Thousands of people join efforts by contributing countless hours and means to give “A Gift of Love" to children in need. In 2008, the Festival raised $1,495,840.74 for children at Primary Children's Medical Center."

Our oldest T was actually transported to Primary Children's NICU when he was born because of several complications. Although it was extremely difficult to have our new little boy in a hospital far from my hospital it was a blessing to have him in such a wonderful facility! The staff was fabulous and the atmosphere was amazing, considering our circumstances at the time. It was also very humbling to see other babies and families coping with far more then we were. Obviously our Little T is fine now, and I commend Primary Children's for the WONDERFUL job that they do everyday!

You can visit http://www.festivaloftreesutah.org/ for more info about the Festival of Trees!

My sister took some really cute pics of the trees there, so I'll get some pics from her and post them!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

2009-12-08T08:06:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what it is about this COLD white stuff, but for some reason I am loving it today! Talai and I got up at 6am (okay, he was up a lot earlier then that because he works at 7) and we shoveled the driveway, the sidewalk and then cleared the snow off our cars and we noticed a bunch of kids walking to school. I was born and raised in Utah and do not recall EVER walking to or from school in this weather... so Talai and I did what any decent neighbor would do.... I got into the SUV and he got into the truck and we just started asking our neighbor children if they wanted a ride. Not sure if they've all seen us around, or if they just wanted a ride, but not a single kid said no. In all I think we dropped off around 9 kids. It sure made me reflect on my childhood, I am so grateful that my parents always ensured that my siblings and I had a ride home from school anytime there was cold snowy weather like this. THANKS Mom & Dad for always being the most caring, loving, BEST parents & examples for us!
Tis the Season for Peace of Earth and Goodwill towards men!

LDD is now TALAVOU

2009-12-01T13:35:00.001-08:00

My children's boutique is now TALAVOU, pronounced (tahl.la.vo)! It means beautiful, gorgeous, stunning in the Tongan Language! Check out our blog http://talavou.blogspot.com/ , and for those of you in the SLC area feel free to come and visit us this Saturday at a Holiday Boutique in South Jordan, details on our blog! We will have a free drawing for a tutu gown set! Hope to see you there! Tis the SEASON to be JOLLY!

ABC's of Gratitude... from a kids prospective...

2009-11-29T08:37:00.000-08:00

We spent FHE having the kids list things that they are thankful for by using each letter of the alphabet. Here's what they came up with (the majority of these answers are from T & Taira)
Aliens, Barbies, cups, donuts, eggs, FAMILY (Good one!), ghosts (hhhmmmm... okay), hair, icecream, John (Uncle John), kites, Love (awww.... another good one!), meatballs, Noses to smell (their exact words!), oranges, peoples (lol, you know who you are!), queens, robots, strollers, Talai Taira Taleya Toa (GREAT ONE!), umbrellas, when Mommy is VERY nice (LOL), whales, They couldn't think of anything that started with the letter X, Yoyo's (T's favorite word to spell!), Zippers (so they can zip up their jackets, lol)!

We were amazed at how well they knew their alphabet and letters! Taleya even contributed to this list, the majority of her answers are the FOOD items!

On a more serious note I want to express how very GRATEFUL I am! Moving to Utah was extremely hard for me in the beginning because I missed our home, our family and our ward family in Vegas, but we have learned to love it (the cold weather, not so much!) My motto is now...THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE AREN'T THINGS! I am sooooo grateful to be a Mommy, Wife, Sister, Daughter, Granddaughter, Neighbor, Visiting Teacher, Room Mom, and Friend!
I have been blessed with healthy loving children, the most supportive husband, an amazing family, and fabulous friends! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

PRIVATE

2009-11-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

It's time to change our BLOG to PRIVATE! Please send me your email via this post or email me at lota_talai@hotmail.com! Happy HOLIDAYS!

LOL with the LEO kids...

2009-11-20T06:18:00.000-08:00

LOL with T
I told T to stop running around the other day. He looked at me and then proceded to run back and forth from one side of the room to the other, I then told him "hello, please stop running around" His response was... "hello, I'm not running around Mommy, I'm running straight" LOL!

LOL with Taira
Taira is our little sweet girl most of the time, but if you do something to push her buttons she won't hold anything back. Before T and Taira go into school they play with the other kids on the playground, and on this particular day they were playing tag. While playing tag one of T's classmates ran into Taira and almost knocked her down. Our little Princess's response was..... "don't push me, you punk" LOL! FYI: we so do NOT teach our children to say things like that, apparently she learned the word punk from my older nieces and nephews. I quickly told Taira that she needed to apologize to the little boy. Sure, I don't totally agree with her being mean, but I am sure glad that she can protect herself!

LOL with Leya
Everynight we read a book to each of our kids before they go to bed, and I guess Taleya can't wait for Christmas because the book that she chose the other night was, Twas the night before Christmas. I proceded to read the poem/story to our kids until I got to this part... He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk. After the work "JERK" our kids began to laugh and say "JERK" and then they all began singing "your a jerk, your a jerk" while trying to do the Jerk dance. LOL

Toa can't say the funny lil' things that the older T's can YET, but he sure melts our HEARTS! Here's a pic of him just chilling with his Daddy!

We are extremely blessed to have our 4 lil T's!

No PETS please...

2009-11-16T15:23:00.000-08:00

I have quite a few blogs that are in the editing stage, ie: Talai's birthday & surprise party, Halloween, Fall, etc., but I decided to quickly blog about my not too fun experience today. While staying at my Grandma's home we have had the opportunity to enjoy her 3 (yes, 3) dogs. One is quite older and obeys pretty wells, and the other 2 to say the least are far from that, they do not obey at all. Today I answered the front door to some salesperson (I normally don't answer the door, but he was Polynesian and so I just figured it was one of my 101 cousins or something, lol), and my Grandma's 3 dogs just darted out the door. The (pretty big) Polynesian kid just hovered to the side of my Grandma's house as if they were going to attack him, LOL. and the 3 dogs ran down the street. I ran after them calling them by name, and the kid tried to help me, but they wouldn't listen to either of us. I then realized (half way down the street) that all of my kids were at the house unsupervised. So I ran back home trying to keep an eye on the dogs, so I could remember where they were. Nevertheless, Toa was the only one that realized that I was even gone. I quickly put all of their coats and shoes on and loaded them in the car and we zoomed down the street calling the dogs names out the window. About 10 minutes later (yes, 10 minutes in the friggin cold) one of the dogs came by the car, and I was able to snatch him and put him in the car. Then another came and I did the same thing. Finally I saw that last dog and as I chased after her, I tripped and fell flat on someones front yard (I'm sure I made someone's day). Then when I finally got that dog I went to put her in and the other 2 ran out the door. About another 20 minutes (in the dang cold) I finally had all 3 dogs.
When we originally moved into my Grandma's house I told her that we'll take one of her dogs when we go back home, ummm... after today, that is so NOT going to happen, lol! We just got news that we'll be back home by next month, WAHOO! However, after my experience today I think my Grandma's dogs need to remain with one another and stay HERE! LOL!

Halloween...

2009-11-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

Halloween here in SLC was pretty nice weather, however for us fellow Vegans it was freezing. On October 30th we attended a Trunk or Treat and because it was soooo cold they moved it inside, which was totally fine with me! I didn't get any pics, but the kids had a blast, and they got sooooo much candy (I'm finishing this post before Thanksgiving and we still have 2 buckets full of candy). I'm all for Trunk or Treats or activities at the church! I am really not too fond of my kids receiving candy from complete strangers, so Trunk or Treats rock in my book! The following day was Halloween and when we were going to get the kids ready to just take them in my in laws circle to trick or treat their response was "but, we already went trick or treating yesterday" (LOL)! So since our kids were totally fine with their inside trunk or treat experience we decided to go bowling with my entire family! My parents and my little saster were here from Vegas, so we had a night out with all of my sibling and my parents, and it was sooooooo much FUN! My little saster Ange bowled with the kids (she's the best babysitter!), while the rest of us bowled with my parents, and since we're from Vegas we had to bet on all our games (lol)! John & Tina ended up winning the majority of the money (I think it was $60)! Halloween was tons of fun!

I had so much fun creating the kids costumes! Taleya was a Pumpkin fairy, Taira was a lil' witch, T was Starscream (a Decepticon from Transformers), and Toa was a skeleton! Check our my nephew Nick. His creation was made all from boxes.. my sister is quite a crafty queen!
Hope everyone had a safe & happy Halloween!

Oh no, Talai Leo is the BIG 3-0!

2009-10-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

(I'm so fired, I just realized that I never published this. My badd!)

Today Talai is officially the BIG 3-0! Happy BIRTHDAY Talai! We threw a SURPRISE party for Him on 10/10/09 and during the whole process of planning and lying (lol) I feel as if I fell inlove with Talai all over again. Not once did he question me, or act as if he didn't trust me while I told him lie after lie. He was extremely understanding, and although the party was a LOT of work, his expression when he walked through the door and everyone yelled SURPRISE was just PRICELESS! Below are some pics of his SUPRISE party. THANKS to those that took pics. (Photography is something that I totally forgot about when arranging everything). And THANKS to everyone that came to the party! Talai, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I sooooo LOVE YOU!!

The decor was fabulous, thanks to my fabulous decorating crew! KHS colors all the way! LOL!

Planning a SURPRISE party...

2009-10-11T06:34:00.000-07:00

10/10/09 we had a SURPRISE 30th b-day partay for Talai, and it was a huge success! Talai does sooooo much for everyone else, and I wanted to make sure that he always remembered turning the big 3-0! I definitely learned many things while planning this event for Talai. I learned that planning a SURPRISE party is NOT an easy task at all, keeping secrets from Talai and lying to him is extremely difficult, and I was also reminded how completely unselfish and understanding Talai is! In the end I couldn't believe that we had actually pulled it off! I say WE because I received soooo much help from loved ones, and THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone that attended! Moving back to SLC and seeing our friends that are like FAMILY, and our FAMILY that we haven't seen for a while makes me want to live here permanently! We love you all!

How did I plan the party without Talai knowing?I told Talai that I was planning my cousins homecoming dance. My first cousin left Utah for his LDS mission to Guam, and then he returned to Las Vegas because that's where most of our family now resides. Although we had a homecoming for him in Vegas, I told Talai that we were also having a Utah homecoming dance for my cousin on 10/10/09, and since I plan the majority of our family events, Talai just thought I was planning my cousins dance!

Talai and I had also planned to go out for his birthday on this day, and when I told him that we were probably going to have to cancel our plans because of my cousins supposed dance he was totally fine with it. This is when I became a little suspicious, and I wondered if he knew about his party because he was so understanding, but his understanding was just another example of how truly wonderful my Husband is!

The TRUTH about PlanningPlanning and putting together Talai's party was no easy task. Especially because I had to hide everything from him. I worked on calling, texting, emailing and mailing out invitations while Talai was at work or at the gym. I had to constantly keep my cell phone by me in case someone called or texted about the party. I had to hide all the decor, food, and misc. items from him, and the money spent on these items. I told him so many crazy white lies during the whole process too. But I totally realized how much Talai truly does TRUST ME. Not once during the whole process did he question me on my white lies. Although my lies didn't add up, and he gave me THE look when I lied, he never questioned wether or not I was telling the truth.

10/10/09
On the actual day of the party I knew it was going to be extremely difficult to do everything without Talai knowing, but I got tons of help from my inlaws. My inlaws were actually building a large container to send to Samoa and they had Talai help. This ended up taking almost the entire day, but I was so grateful that it kept him busy! And my sis inlaw Julie kept the kids all day so that I could get the balloons, decor, cake, and food, she's the BEST! After decorating for about 3 hours. I rushed home to get ready, and get Talai's and the kids clothes ready.

Check our latest blog for the party details & photos!

Ketchup....

2009-09-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

So I was telling Talai that I need to catch up with our blog, and Taleya says..."mmmmmmm... I want some Ketchup! LOL! So get ready to read, and read, and read! Due to our kids school, sports and activities I have been unable to write for about a month. But since Talai's home and it's friggin cold outside I decided to "ketchup" today! FYI: I lost my camera in Seattle, and I seriously feel so lost without it. I am hoping to add "real" pics to these posts eventually...

My lil' SUPER HEROES

2009-09-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of T and Taira in April 2009! They wore these super hero costumes to their lil' friend Jackson's B-day party! We still miss our home & our friends/family in Viva Las Vegas.

It's definitely flu season in our our house. Sunday the girls were sick, then T got sick, and yesterday I was soooooo sick. I couldn't keep anything down, I had a fever, and I felt extremely weak. And God was definitely watching over the kids and I. I felt so bad for my poor kids, but they were so patient with me! I am so grateful for their patience and love, and T and Taira were my little SUPER HEROES! Taira sat next to me in the bathroom each time I vomited, and told me "it's okay mommy", or she'd ask "are you okay Mommy?, do you want a drink Mommy?, do you want a blanket?" And T kept cleaning up the after the other kids (until he went to school), and he got the toaster out and made everyone eggo's! I'm amazed at how very independent our little 4 and 5 year olds! Thanks T and Taira for making Mommy all better!

FLAG Football

2009-09-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of T watching Foai play (our oldest nephew!) He loves his older cousins and definitely looks up to them!

Today T had his very first flag football game, and to explain it simply... it was HILARIOUS! I think my mother in-law and I just laughed the whole time. I totally wish that I would have video taped it, but I didn't. T absolutely loves "real" football, and he actually understands the game pretty well, but he didn't understand why we don't tackle in flag football, and he didn't understand the whole "flag" concept. He also wasn't sure which direction to run, lol! Needless to say he got a few penalties for tackling, and he ran the football the wrong way. LOL! Obviously we aren't very competitive when it comes to his sports. We know he's still young, and we're just glad that he has FUN! Our football schedule now consists of T's games on Tuesday, Practice on Wednesday, then our nephews games on Thursday, & Friday, and T's game on Saturdays. Our only free days right now are Monday and Sunday, if we're lucky!

HELP, I live in my car...

2009-09-13T09:55:00.001-07:00

Since our oldest has started school and sports, and we attend the games and functions for our nieces and nephews and cousins, I seriously feel overwhelmed, and I rarely have time for anything else. My hats off to all of the Mom's out there that are able to juggle all of these things with a sane look on your face! Maybe I just need a little time to adjust, but I have been feeling completely overwhelmed lately, and I seriously feel as if we spend more time in our dang SUV then we do anywhere else. My daily routine consists of waking up all 4 kids, feeding them, dressing them, ensuring homework is done, loading 4 kids into the car, then loading 2 kids in the stroller, walking "T" to school, walking back to the car, loading 3 kids in the car, unloading 3 kids at home, feeding the kids lunch, while preparing dinner (maybe a load of laundry), and then reload 3 kids in the car, if I get to the school early we can park and just pick up T. Otherwise I have to repeat the whole stroller scenario. Finally when we get home I unload the kids again, we eat dinner, and then we reload the kids in the car again and head to either T's football practice or game, Taira's dance class, or our nieces or nephews football or volleyball games. Finally, when we get home we're lucky if we can get all the kids bathed, do homework, and get to bed at a decent time. I now keep just about everything in our car; a double stroller, chairs, extra formula, diapers, wipes, extra outfits and shoes for the kids, jackets, snacks, and capri suns because we are on the go all the time.
I think back to just a few months ago before T was in school, and we would all play, read, and have fun until Daddy came home. Oh how, I miss those days! I guess this is just the way our lives will continue to be as our kids get older and they become more active in school and activities, and hopefully one day I'll be able to do it all while looking sane!
Unfortunately because of our crazy, busy schedule I have shutdown my LDD site. But I still have my ebay store for now!

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!

2009-09-13T09:47:00.001-07:00

The LEO Family LOVES FOOTBALL, and we absolutely LOVE to watch our loved ones PLAY! Now that football season has started we have 3 consecutive days of football viewing fun! Our football fun begins on Thursday while we watch our nephew play the sophomore game for KHS (our alma mater), then Friday we watch him play the Varsity game, and Saturday mornings until late after noon consists of watching our younger nephews play in little league football. We have now enrolled our oldest "T" to play flag football, and we can't wait to watch his games, and support him! We definitely LOVE us some FOOTBALL! GO COUGARS!!!

LABOR all Day (and week)

2009-09-08T12:35:00.001-07:00

Sheesh, whatever happened to vacationing or relaxing on Labor Day?!

This was so not the case for our Labor Day weekend. Our weekend began on Thursday where we went to the sophomore KHS vs Granger game. KHS won by 30+ points, wahoo GO COUGARS! Then Friday we watched our sophomore nephew play the Varsity game, and another win (score 53 to 15!) Wahooo, Victory! Saturday morning we went to little league at 9AM to watch one of our younger nephews play, and he scored 2 touchdowns!! Then we watched several other games until my third nephew played the last game. Saturday night we oringinally planned to go to one of my cousin's wedding receptions, but my beautiful lil' saster came by with my nephews for a visit, and we ended up staying home to be with them! My nephews are currently living in Colorado, and I miss them so much. They are both growing way too fast, and I'm so amazed at how smart they both are. I guess they take after their favorite auntie (Lota), LOL! Nick slept over, and after He and T finally went to bed at 2:30am I was able to iron all of our clothes for 9am church the next day. Sunday morning we attended my best friend's daughters baby blessing! There were actually 6 baby blessings in their ward that day! "Congratulations Sarah, Jordan, and Baby Ili!" We then went to another baby blessing, and then we decided to take the kids to Temple Square. We took Trax, and then just wandered around the Temple Grounds. This is actually the first time we have ever taken our kids into the visitors centers. Talai and I haven't been in the visitors centers since they've been remodeled, and I was so amazed at how "kid friendly" everything was! The kids had so much fun, and learned a lot! We also spoke to several sister missionaries from California, South America, Samoa, and Tonga! Finally Monday was completely a LABOR DAY! We worked in my Grandma's front and back yard (she has a 1/3 acre lot!), until about Noon, then Talai and our Bishop fixed my Grandma's side gate while my Grandma and I baked bread, zucchini bread, and made friend chicken! Sheeeesh.... what a week.... Nieces, nephews, football, yard work, cooking and baking, oh my!

7 mos.

2009-08-26T19:45:00.001-07:00

Our Little Toa is 7 months today. He is HUGE! Seriously, he weighs 22 lbs. Out of all of our children I have never had a child that loves food as much as this lil' chunk does. He would eat all day if he could. He is now crawling all over, pulling him self up, and standing, He says: Da Da, and gives the sweetest little Ummaahh's (kisses)! Here's a short video of him crawling! He is such a happy baby, and such a JOY, but I think he is growing way too fast....

See ya later...

2009-08-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of T's backpack, I lost my camera is Seattle with T's first day pics (so sad), so I'll just have to take some new pics of him when I finally get a new camera. I seriously feel lost without my camera...

Our first born went to kindergarten today, and we are so PROUD of him! Talai got off early so that we could all see our Lil' T on his first day of school, and everything went smoothly with Talai home! We were able to get all 4 kids bathed, fed, and dressed with time to spare. My in-laws live right around the corner from the school, so we decided to park the car there, and then walk "T" to school. When we arrived at my in-laws I was getting the stroller out, while Talai unloaded the baby, and before I could say anything "T" jumped out of the car grabbed his backpack and yells "see ya later", I quickly hollered to him, and told him we were walking with him to school. He unhappily came back to walk with us, and he walked ahead of us the entire time. Sheesh, you'd think that he was an embarrassed teenager or something, lol! When we arrived at the school "T" went to stand in line with his class, and then he ran back to us to give us all hugs... awww it was so sweet, and I didn't even have to ask for a hug! His teacher then allowed the parents to go to their classroom, and see the kids off. This is when I began to cry. Turning my back and leaving that classroom was extremely hard for me. It's crazy that just 5 1/2 years ago I felt the same way when I had to leave him in the NICU. Thank goodness I only had to be away from him for 3.5 hours. After leaving the classroom they had a gathering in the gym with the parents and the principal. The Principal even told me that his wife waited outside in the car in front of the school when their first born went to Kindergarten. I seriously contemplated doing the same thing, but I am happy to say that we all left until "T" got out of school. I actually was extremely busy packing while "T" was at school (I was packing all of our stuff for Seattle and Vegas), and before I knew it I had to go back and pick him up. As soon as "T" came out of the school he ran and gave me a big hug! I am so excited for "T" to be in school! This is just the beginning of many journeys he will take! We are so happy for our Little T, and we love him so much!

Happy 1/2 year old!

2009-07-29T02:24:00.000-07:00

Our Little Toa is officially 1/2 a year old, or 6 months! I really can not believe how fast time flies. Watching him grow is like dejavu all over again from when "T" was a baby! I truly believe that he already exemplifies many of the qualities of the wonderful men he is named after. He is already head strong, and he definitely has determination when it comes to just about everything! He can't totally crawl yet, but he sure knows how to get to where he wants to! He'll crawl on his belly and then roll to whatever it is he has his eye on. And if he wants the food that your eating he'll just grab your hand and guide that food into his mouth, LOL! He is now starting to know peoples faces and voices! This is a good thing and kind of a sad thing. If Toa knows you he smiles and wiggles around as if to say "hold me please!", but if he doesn't know you, or if he's not too sure about you then he'll cry. FYI for anyone that tries to hold him, lol! Toa absolutely loves his siblings, but he definitely has a special place in his heart for Taira! He giggles with her, and he loves to just stare at her, it is too cute! Aww...I can not believe our youngest is already 6 months old. Last night "T" told my Mom that he wants his Mommy to have 2 more babies because he needs another baby sister and brother. LOL! My response was "We'll just have to see"...........
I have a bunch or recent pics of Toa, but I can not find my camera, hopefully I find it soon. Until then here are a few pics that I borrowed/stole from my very dear and best friends Sarah and Charolynn! THANKS, Love you gals!

Toa loves to jump, crawl, laugh, cuddle, roll, and gibber jabber!

Toa and Baby Ili! Isn't she so precious?! And these two already have an arranged marriage, lol!

"I missed you Begas"

2009-07-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

The kids and I are in Viva Las Vegas this week!! We drove here with my Mom to keep her company while my baby saster is in Hawaii (yep, my baby sister is in Hawaii, and we're all jealous and bitter) (LOL) And we'll be grabbing a few things, because it seems we'll be in SLC a bit longer than we anticipated.
The drive to Vegas from SLC basically consists of going through small towns, but as soon as you hit Vegas you are welcomed with a bright city skyline! Last night when we hit the skyline of Vegas lights Taira and T began to clap and Taira said "Awww.... I missed you Begas!" (LOL) They both continued to say how happy they were that we moved back, I then had to explain for like the fourth time to them that we were only visiting, and Utah is home for now. We're excited to be here, but we're already missing Talai. He had to stay and work. Although I was born and raised in Utah, "Begas" sure feels like home (Begas is Taira's pronunciation of Vegas!)

The coolest parents ever!!

2009-07-26T00:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful parents, Maunaloa & Cynthia Tai!

29 years ago today my wonderful parents ran off to some small Nevada town and eloped, and the rest is history! (LOL, My Mom is sooo going to kill me for writing that!) For as long as I can remember I have always thought my parents were, and ARE so COOL! They are so fun loving, and great to be around! Talai and I even say to eachother all the time

"I hope we're like that when we're an old married couple" LOL!

All jokes aside... my parents are such a great example to us! Talai and I have always been extremely fortunate to be close to my parents, and have them as an example of unconditional love and support, and I am so grateful for them!

Happy Anniversary to the coolest parents ever! I am the just luckiest daughter to have these fantabulous people as my parents!

A kindergartner and a preschooler..

2009-07-15T23:26:00.000-07:00

I walked with T and Taira to their school yesterday to check who their teachers are! As we walked holding hands I dramatically said to them (while fake crying)
"I can't believe my Little T and my Little Taira are going to go to preschool and kindergarten, I'm going to miss both of you everyday"!
My sweet little T's response was
"It's okay Mommy, you can pick me up everyday and I'll give you a big hug!"
Awwww... my sweet little son!
However, Taira's response was completely different, she laughed hysterically and then she said "you're a cry baby Mommy"
..... LOL! Later she felt guilty, and said sorry to me!

Here's a pic of our lil' monkey's at the age of 1 and 2 . Children grow way to fast. Enjoy every little moment with them. Soon they'll be calling you cry baby or poopy, lol!!

Families that PRAY together, stay together!

2009-07-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

My TAI Family (My Dad's family) is a very large, but close-knit family! Our large family consists of 8 children, 34 grandchildren, and 23+ great-grandchildren. Although we live in California, Las Vegas, and Utah we are able to maintain a strong relationship via phone and email! We recently began a prayer chain or prayer circle, where we all pray at the same time once a week for one another, and I am so grateful for this blessing! Just since we began this prayer chain our entire Family has received numerous blessings! We are so fortunate to have one another to depend on during difficult times! Talai's Dad's favorite saying was "families that pray together, stay together!" I believe this is so true! Our family has become even more close since we began this prayer circle, and I highly recommend it for everyone! I just LOVE MY FAMILY, the TAI Family ROCKS!!

"Say What?!"

2009-07-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a glimpse of the random things that our kids say throughout the day...

"T" says, "Mom are you a good Mom or a bad Mom?"

I say "What do you think?" "T" says

"Ummm.. I think your the BEST Mom and a good Mom for kids!"

LOL!! Good answer son!

Taira says, "Mommy my head hurts, can you kiss it?"

(I kiss her forehead)

"Good job Mommy, it's all better now!"

It's amazing what Mommy's kisses can do!

Taleya says, "Mommy hold you" (she means, hold me)

I say, "Leya I can't hold you right now, I'm feeding the baby, come and sit next to me"

Leya then responds with

"No, you mean Mommy, you poopy Mommy."

LOL!! What a nice child huh?!