St. Patty's Night!

The other night I had a super fun night well actually day with Talei.  It started when Talei invited me over to lay out by the pool after I got off work.  It was much needed especially after having such crappy weather the past...I don't know lots of days, so I was so excited to join her.  It was the perfect activity after a kind of stressful day at work.  After we soaked up all the sun, we went in and decided we wanted to make a treat we just didn't know what.  Since it was a couple days until St. Patty's day, we decided to make some green mint chip cookies.  We needed to go to the store to pick up some ingredients, so out we went to pick up what we needed.  Its always an adventure shopping here in Hawaii because they don't always have a large variety of things.  I'm used to being able to go to one grocery store in Utah and finding everything I need.  Here, you're lucky if you're able to find it on the island.  That was the case in finding creme de menthe baking chips.  We had to go to a separate grocery store to find them...only to not find them.  So we used the Andes candy mints instead.  I didn't mind the extra drive because on the way to grocery store #2 an old 90's R&B song came on and a whole bunch of memories came flooding in.  That was the start of our fun night.  We got home and were in the 90's R&B mood so we turned on youtube and started looking up songs while we made our oh so delicious mint cookies!  It was so fun rediscovering these songs that I listened to when I was in elementary and jr. high.  What good memories!  We found some INOJ, Next, Blaque, Blackstreet, KC & Jo Jo, H-town, TLC, Tyrese, SWV, Keith Sweat, En Vogue, Toni Braxton, R. Kelly, Avant, and I dunno how many others we found, but we spent a good amount of time reminiscing.  Oh it was so great! Anyway we were jamming to these songs and enjoying the 90's dance moves on the music videos.  Haha some of them were oh so funny!  I posted some of my favorites below.  I wish I could post all of them but I can't even remember some of the ones we came across.  It turned into such a fun night and when Uncle Legran got home from work it got even better.  He started bustin out his moves...hilarious! We stayed up to about two in the morning listening to songs and eating our mint cookies.  Always a good time with Talei and Uncle Legran!  What a fun night!

Some of my favorite dance moves in this one haha, yes these songs aren't the most wholesome songs I'm sorry.  I can't believe I listened to these when I was younger and I had no idea what it was about...my innocent mind.

I like how the fire fighter girls in black are trying to be sexy...haha they have some good moves too!  Oh the 90's, and what is with their outfits?  How is a black fireman hat sexy?  And black spandex shorts under denim shorts that are unbuttoned and folded over?  haha they're not the only ones with great wardrobe.  TLC has some great looks as well!

Homemade Zupas!

So the other night I felt like curling up in a blanket with a good movie while snacking on some quality junk food and eating my favorite soup with a side of some good bread!  Mmmm sounds like a great night, so I did it...kind of (no junk food).  It was a night of torrential down pours and I was with my dearest Talei.  We decided to have a soup and movie night (like three movies)!  We thought Zupas would be perfect for a night like this and we both missed Zupas so much.  However, there is no Zupas here in Hawaii so we decided to make our own.  Here is what we made;  we made homemade tomato basil soup because that is my favorite (and I'm talking from scratch...fresh tomatoes and everything) topped with fresh parmigiano reggiano and freshly ground pepper, with a parmesan baguette (so delicious), and a rosemary chicken and sun-dried tomato pesto panini.  To finish the meal we had to make it official just like Zupas and finish with a chocolate covered strawberry!  MMM I think it turned out quite oh so delicious!

Bye Bye Seattle

The night before I departed Seattle Jordan, Amanda and the kids were so kind as to take me out to dinner one last time.  We also went and hung out at the mall and got some yummy Starbucks.  Gosh I miss them!  I took some pics with the kids, but now that I think about it I should've gotten one with the whole family.  Dang it!

The kids I miss so much!

Isn't she adorable?

I love her face!

Thanks again Panees for being so good to me while I was there, I loved every moment with you guys!

Sleepless in Seattle

Ok I have been so lazy lately, hence the lack of blogging.  However, I thought I would continue with the catch up of the past five...six months.  Todays catch up...family visits in Seattle!  My family drove fifteen hours from little Lindon, Utah to Lake Forest Park, Washington to spend Thanksgiving with me and the rest of our family we have in Washington.  It was fun having them visit.  Growing up we used to always go to Washington for Christmas so it was kind of like stepping back in time since we hadn't been there for so long.  One of the things that we have the greatest memories of was going to the science museum downtown and going to Pike's Place Market, so we did just that when the family came!  :)  We tried to recreate all the memories of the past including taking pictures in the same places we did when we were younger.  Here are some of the images of us having a grand ol' time being kids again.  I only wish brother and sister were there as well!

Here are some pics right outside of the science museum.

Mounting the whale tail...it's a lot harder than it looks

But we finally did it!

Sisters!

Our fishy faces with the fishy statues

Haha sister's massive bangs!

This is a classic pic, we have a pic just like this when we were all about ten years younger.  We're only missing, Dustin, Cheltsey, Cameron, and Casey

I'm a raptor doin what I can...yo yo see me I'm livin below the soil, I'll be back but I'm coming as oil!  Ha name that movie!  This isn't really a raptor but we look like raptors...kinda

My cute parents

More raptor pics, or maybe more like a T-Rex

Holding the world

I've got the whole world in my hand...

Ugh this gross little creature gives me goosebumps, its so big

Taking pictures as ants in the insect section

We put these together...so proud

Photo op on the caterpillar while we wait to go into the butterfly exhibit

We loved this section of the museum.  We played with the crazy mirrors and with the almost impossible puzzles and an all time favorite from the old days...the shadow wall!  I tried to get pics of that but it just didn't turn out with the darkness and the flash, but here are some of the mirror pics.

This was one of our favorite parts of the science museum, we stayed here for awhile taking weird pics of ourselves...long necks

Midgets!

Long torsos

Hovering...haha we were at this one for awhile just dying laughing at each other

The Space Needle from outside of the Science Museum

We got some really oh so delicious doughnuts at Pikes.  After we went down under (Pikes Market that is) and discovered this cool alley way...actually our cousin took us there to show us the famous "Gum Wall".  Yes, it is just what it sounds like...a wall with gum on it.  How gross is that?  Thousands, maybe millions of people's chewed old gum stuck to a wall.  Well it looked pretty cool, just couldn't fathom getting too close and accidentally touching it!  Ugh, anyways here it is

Ok not those (but it would be a cool place to take pics with all the cool graffiti) 

This is the Gum Wall

Disgusted

Crazy right?

The ugliest fish I've seen

My favorite part of the market...the perfect fresh fruits and vegetables

Well that ends the journey of our adventures in downtown Seattle and also the end of a "long, lots of pictures" post.  Needless to say I had so much fun with my family...I always do!

It Was Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

Ok I know its way past Christmas, but I had to blog about what Christmas looked like for me this year.  I didn't get a white Christmas due to the fact that I am on a tropical island.  However, thanks to my grandma, it definitely felt like christmas.  I did really miss the Utah Christmas that I am used to.  I missed dressing up in winter wear, I missed putting my feet up laying by the fireplace and watching "White Christmas" and "Scrouge" (Christmas classics), I missed drinking hot chocolate when its snowing outside, I missed going to The Nutcracker at Capitol Theater, I missed seeing the lights at Temple Square, I missed  going to the MoTab Christmas concert, and I missed the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, I missed putting up MY Christmas decorations, and I missed my family and friends!  It was sad not having that this Christmas but I was open to starting new Christmas traditions and getting used to Christmas in a new place.

I think it was the first time I put ornaments on a Christmas tree while I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt and sweating.  That was kind of odd, but it happened this year.  I spent about a week (yes a week) helping my grandma put up her Christmas decor.  My G-Ma goes ALL out for Christmas and when I say all out I mean 19 Christmas trees (8 big and 11 mini trees), two christmas villages, wreaths, and lights, and garlands, and other little decorations.  I have pictures of all the trees for you to see.  I just loved it!  Every corner you turn (literally every corner) there was a tree and some other kind of Christmas-y-ness.  It definitely felt like Christmas.  It took so long to put up because every ornament is wrapped in tissue paper or bubble wrap and in a box.  They are all collectible things from Hallmark so they each have their individual box.  Anyways take a look at the trees...

This tree is in my room, its the Precious Moments tree.  My aunt has a HUGE precious moment collection along with all these ornaments.

These are three of the mini trees as you walk up the stairs.  It took forever to put up these ornaments because they are so tiny and they each have their own box as well.

This is the moving tree in the front room, all the ornaments on this tree move and/or make sounds.  Its a loud tree!

These are some of the ornaments on the tree, they both spin

The Christmas decor on the piano

This is the Santa tree (one of the mini trees).  This and the next tree are on each side of the TV

The snowman tree (another mini tree) with the family of snow people surrounding the tree.  My Gma loves snow people

Noah's Arc tree on the coffee table

This is one of the precious moment displays on the wet bar 

A close up of the little nativity in the corner

The Disney tree as you come in the front door, its a rotating tree, that's why its kind of blurry

Then you turn the corner and go down a few stairs and see the Barbie tree.  I love the topper its Barbie on a carousel horse going in circles. 

This is the big tree in the downstairs family room.  This year it was the blue snow people tree and next year it will be the red snow people tree. 

As you can see there is tinsel on the tree, Gma puts each individual tinsel on the whole tree then takes it off and saves it every year.  Talk about lots of work.

This one also rotates (hence the blurriness) but this is the "Hallmark" tree in the dining room

The little snow people display in the dining room as well

The other precious moment village on the buffet bar

I like this one

This is one of two trees that hang on the wall.  This one is in the kitchen, all the ornaments are from Paraguay

The tree in my Grandma's room, its the Hawaiian tree (just like the one I have in my room at home, Gma got me started on it) I only have half the tree pictured because when I took this picture the top half of the lights weren't working so Gma didn't want me to take a pic of the whole tree.

The sports and transportation tree in my cousin's room 

And finally, the Christmas display on top of the wet bar

So thats the house.  Christmas was different this year of course, but I had a good time.  We made a big dinner for Christmas Eve and had some family and friends over at Gma's house.  Gma and I did all the cooking.  We made a turkey and a roast, we had yum yum corn, and a green salad, I made Aunty Parees homemade rolls, we made homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, and for dessert pecan tassies, and I had to make cream puff pie.  My mom only makes it once a year on Christmas so I had to have it!  

Not the best pic because I forgot to take the pic before we cut into it

On Christmas day opened gifts after church.  After we opened gifts I went with Gma to visit my Grandpa at the cemetery and put flowers on his grave.  When we came home I got ready to go to the west side of the island to spend some time with the other side of the family.  We ate more yummy food, Aunty Dawn made her sushi bar (its sooo delish) so we had cone sushi and other bbq yummy food.  We then had a little Christmas message by Grandpa and all the kids participated and sang Christmas songs.  They then ended it with a little dance performance they were working on that night.  It was a fun night with family!  All I can say is that I'm so thankful that I have family here that I was able to spend Christmas with!