We R Family

After we had our own family Christmas in Cedar we drove up and spent the rest of the Christmas weekend with my family.  My mom and Joe had flown in from Hawaii that morning and it was the first time we were all together since last year for Breana and Mack's wedding.  Let me say through all the chaos with the stomach flu, 6 kids, work, eating, sleeping, movies, and the wii, we had a BLAST!!  Santa brought Nikki and her family the wii with rock band and steering wheels for mario kart and we decided to have a battle of the bands.  We split up in groups of three, with Kurt being the judge, and each group had to perform three different songs with each team member playing a different instrument each time.  There was a point system Kurt was judging by and also on enthusiasm/dancing... you get the picture.  It started simple enough with a few moves like the rubber band, jumping, guitar throws and marching.  Then on the next round everybody kicked it up a notch and by the end the last group was in full costumes with moves like the cockroach and a few other ones that I can't mention on my family blog! ;)  The other team won by two points but if we were to combine forces I know we would go platinum!  

We all had SO much fun!  I sincerely love my family.  I'm SO grateful that we are all in good places with our lives and that we are all doing what we are supposed to be doing.

:)

"Our love is rock steady" {Take 2}

The first time I posted this the pictures didn't show. So here is another post with more pictures. Leave me comment to let me know it worked!

Here's a question for you.

What were you doing 7 years ago?

Think about it.

Here's another one.

What were you doing when you were 18 years old?

For me they were one in the same and I was doing this.

I have to say when you are 18 you aren't really that mature or make the best decisions but I'm going to toot my own horn here for a second and say this was the most mature thing I've ever done and the best choice I've ever made.

Now to take you down our memory lane.

If you have not heard our fairy tale I'll give you the brief version. We met at Walmart the day before Halloween in 2001. Kurt was playing dumb, hitting on me and I thought he just wanted to introduce me to his friend. Turned out it was Kurt that liked me and we exchanged numbers. The next day, Halloween, I went to a party and my only thought was the guy I met at Walmart. I decided if he wasn't going to call me I was going to call him. Something I would never have done.

Girls are not supposed to call boys!

But he called and we were literally inseparable after that.

And now for some pictures that tells some more of our story before we had kids.

We went on a double date with Kurt's brother Jon and his then girlfriend Angela who is now his wife. This was in January or February and the water was frozen on the edges.

Before our first date Kurt took his car to get washed and while he was there he met another interesting girl. He got her number just incase I didn't work out.

True story.

I TRUELY hope this does not offend anyone.

If it makes any difference Alia might be deaf in one ear.

Kurt taught me how to shoot although I look L.A.M.E in this picture.

Our first concert.

We went with my sister, and her in-laws to an olympic event. I left my camera at the metal detectors on accident and didn't get any pictures of the event. When we went back they still had my camera but this was our only picture at the Olympics.

Another fun story is that when I met Kurt he was dating somebody else just so that he could hunt on her property. While they were hunting she saw a deer and was about to shoot it but her gun jammed. So Kurt gave her his brothers gun to shoot and the gun had a huge kick. She wasn't prepared and when she pulled the trigger the scope blasted into her face and made a half moon gash around her eye. He had to wait in the waiting room at the hospital for a couple of hours.

It was like a week later he met me and stopped returning her phone calls.

When my sister Nikki and her husband Mike we're having their reception in Hawaii and I was able to bring Kurtis. At the reception Kurt caught the garter,

and I caught the bouquet.

My sister and her husband, and Kurt's brother and his wife and us, all got married in the same year.

We went hiking Maunawili Falls and Kurt HAD to pick some bananas. Only after he ate them did he believe that they weren't ripe.

When Kurt asked me to marry him he took me up the mountain and said we were looking for deer. He was going too fast and it was getting too dark to see them. I thought he was crazy! He drove us up to his Aunt and Uncles' property and led me to a tent with this display. After realizing what was going on he poured us glasses of sparkling grape juice. He said after I finished my drink he had something he wanted to ask me. I downed that drink in a shot and it burned. But I didn't care!

These next pictures are after we got married, eleven months after we met.

On our first date we went to this park.

Our first apartment together. The rent was only $350!

Our first Christmas together.

Kurt worked for a company called White Wave where he made Silk soy milk.

Remember these?

These were the days when you could get hurt and you didn't have to think of the consequences.

Kurt had forgotten to get me something our first Valentines Day together so he made up for it on St. Patrick's Day.

When we were still dating Kurt decided we would spend our day at this open lot. He would be BMXing on dirt jumps and I would watch him. As he was jumping this kid no older than eight, comes running out from a nearby house. He started throwing huge, hard, dirt clods at me and yelling, "This is my dirt you get away from here." I yelled at him to stop and he wouldn't. I had to start running away from him because he was literally hitting me. I started yelling for Kurt like a damsel in distress, to come and help me. He went over to the kid and warned him that if he didn't stop he was going to be sorry.

The boy didn't stop and he was sorry.

Kurt grabbed him and started shovel piles of dirt, rocks, weeds, anything loose he could get his hands on, into this kids' pants and undies. He was screaming! When Kurt let him up it looked like he had layers of pants on and he was a big dust bubble. He started screaming and waddling home with dust trailing behind him saying he was going to tell his mom. That was when we decided it was time to leave.

My hero!

My first and so far the only time I've ever been ice fishing.

When you don't have kids you're able to get in the car and drive somewhere without a forethought.

The Grand Staircase.

On our way,

to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

For the first two years of our marriage, the weekend before Thanksgiving we'd drive to Colorado for a mini vacation. The last time we went we were able to go to the Temple.

Just found out we were pregnant.

My Birthday

We want to go to as many different temples as possible.

St. George Temple with Kurts Grandma Kay

Hawaii Temple

SLC Temple

I realized I didn't take as many pictures before we had kids. Now I look back and wish I did. I seriously can't believe it's been seven years since getting married and almost eight since meeting Kurt. When we met I was going to school at Southern Utah University and Kurt had just gotten off his mission. Before I started the school year the family that I was living with were great family friends that had lived in Hawaii previously. The dad of the house, Joel, gave all of his kids blessings before the first day of school. I was lucky to be considered one of his children and he gave me a blessing. In that blessing he said I would meet life long friends at school. I distinctly remember that because I thought it would be fun to meet a girl that I would be friends with forever. I didn't realize then, because I hadn't met him, that that meant Kurt.

Happy 7th Anniversary Kurt!

September 28th 20o2

Home Run!!

This morning I woke up by Kurtis' alarm clock going off. Another day where I have to step up to the plate. Kurt leaves for work around 7:30 am and gets home around 7:30 pm. When he gets home we run around like chickens with their heads cut off, with things to do before we go to bed.

I have been loving it!

I think it's because I have to... be all that I can be? No but really like I said I have to step up. Yesterday Drew had soccer practice so I needed to get up with Kurt, we also needed to take our car into the shop so we he drove our car while I followed in Cherie's, which we have been borrowing all summer, picked him up after dropping off our car and then took him to work. Then we went to Drew's soccer practice, dropped a book of at a friends, went and did a little shopping at Walmart, made dinner, and then went and picked Kurt back up from work. Now I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but when you have three kids, one still in an infant car seat that you have to lug around, it's not the easiest thing to do. That was the first time I've been to the store with three kids by myself. I felt very good about myself after that! Then we came home, ate dinner had our nightly rituals and still the kids didn't get in bed till 9:30 just because we were crunched for time.

But it feels good to be busy!

While Kurt and I had our small measure of quiet time he was telling me about his day. Like I said Kurt is learning to make buckets. He will technically be training for a year because there is so much he has to learn. Look under your plastic cups or some plastic container. Go ahead and look. You'll see a bunch of pictures, maybe clocks, numbers, symbols, Kurt is learning what all that stuff means. Then look in the middle of the underside of the cup. Is there like a little indentation? He knows what makes that and way. I actually don't remember so I can't tell you but it's interesting all the things he is learning. He has to take nine different buckets at one time and measure the width, length, circumference, amount of dye in the bucket. Then he has take take it and fill it up with water, drop it and see if it leaks, breaks, shatters, then takes a machine that puts pressure on it to see if it withstands a certain amount of pressure. Then he pokes holes in it to see if it'll crack or just pour water out of the wound. If it cracks, how far does it crack down. He was telling me SO much more that I can't remember but it's amazing how much one person has to put in just to make one bucket. With all that said, so far he likes his job and I'm really enjoying mine more!

But who knows? It's only the first week and for some reason we have been and will remain to be super busy for a little while. Kurt started work, the deer hunt started, get the car fixed, we had friends come and visit, friends leaving, friends moving back, Drew playing soccer and starting Head Start soon, sister's coming back, appointments, wedding, birthday, friends having a baby, needing to order things, fulfilling our callings, getting the dog fixed - that may not be HUGE but the line for the discounted clinic starts lining up at 5:00 am! - and in the mix of all this we have to remember to eat healthy, take naps, keep the house clean, get exercise, have fun, and wipe our butts!

I couldn't have asked for more!

Baptism

Sunday August 17th Keenan Tanaka is going to be baptized at the Keolu Hills Chapel in Kailua at 4:15 pm.  How amazing is that and how cute is he?  Our prayers are being answered with him now able to attend church every other week.  I want to thank everyone who has prayed for Keenan.  It means a lot to our family and him.  I finally got a picture of him in his church outfit!

Un{Loved}

I personally believe that everybody feels this way numerous amounts of time throughout their lives.  And I guess that you can say I'm having one of those moments.  The sad thing is that I've been feeling this for a while now and I've just decided, being very emotional right now, that I'm finally going to blog about it.  Why would I bring something so personal out to the open?  Because I'm better at writing things than saying things and because like many other people with their blogs, I feel this is more like an open book journal than just a blog.  I love comments, I almost thrive on comments, and I feel so sad when a friend who's left comments in the past hasn't left one for a month, but I know that this blog is for myself to remember.  There was a lesson in Relief Society a while ago about keeping a journal.  The question came up do you jot down the bad things that have happened in your life as well as the good?  There were a couple of people who had different opinions.  One woman said, only the good.  Another said have one for good and another journal for the bad.  Another woman said have it all in one journal the good and especially the bad.  She went on to explain that you need the bad to help you learn from it.  You can also look back years from then and see how much you've grown since that last entry.  Also in hopes that your children, and your children's children will be able to see how much you've grown and maybe learn from your mistakes.  Well I know I have made a many mistakes in my life.  When I was younger with my three sisters you can say I was the rotten child.  I used to terrorize my younger sister, Cherie, so much she though I hated her.  I look back at how I acted and I am so sad that I treated her and my other sisters so badly.  There were times in my life that they needed me most and I wasn't there.  Maybe I've blocked some of those bad times from my memory but I honestly do not remember how they survived.  I fully believe I've changed my life around.  I'm totally not the person I used to be then but why is it that I still feel interpreted that way?  That I'm unappreciative?  It's like once you have a label you're stuck with it.  Label: Unappreciative.  It's hard for people to let the negative go and I understand that.  I obviously have things I need to let go.  For instance my birthday.  A group of my friends throughout the year have pitched in together and have gotten each other fun gifts.  For a while it was a coach bag, some people got massages, manicures and I helped pitch in every time.  For my birthday what did I get?  nothing.  I know I know who am I to expectant anything right?  I'm sorry I'm pouring this out to everyone and anyone who is still reading but you don't know how much that hurt how much it still hurts.  I always felt I got the short end of the stick.  Label: Walk all over me and I'll take it.  I don't know what it is about the nice person but you get walked all over.  It's like the controlling people find the stupid nice-guy and really makes sure they finish last.  I hate that!  My poor sister Cherie is going through it right now at school and I just want to go over to all her "friends" and tell them what I think.  And when she starts filtering out her bad friends from the good she's Labeled: antisocial.  You just can't win.  I don't know.  Maybe I'm just over reacting or my low self esteem is finally showing through but I already feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my chest.  I guess I'm setting myself up for misinterpretation so just don't read too much into this.  See... why do I do that?  No!  It does mean something to me or else I wouldn't have written it.  Just know I'm not angry but hurt.  I've been emotional lately and I'm not sure I'm actually handling it.  There's so much more I want to pour out but I think I've gotten my feelings across.  I've come to realize that I love good friends, ones who know they're exempt from this, and I love my family.  It's so true with the saying, your friends will come and go but your family will always be there.  I just want to tack on ...and your Heavenly Father.  I have to remind myself that even though I may be feeling unloved by the world, I'm still loved by Heavenly Father.

Keenan Tanaka

This is my 100th post and it's only right that this tribute is to Mr. Keenan Tanaka.  Let me introduce you.  Keenan has been a friend of my sister, Cherie, for a few years now.  About four months ago they decided to become an "official" couple.  Since they have made it official, when Cherie was still here in Hawaii, Keenan would buy her a fresh bouquet of flowers everyday.  Even before that Keenan liked to hang out with Cherie, my family and I.  There was one incident when Cherie, and I took the kids to Ala Moana mall and Keenan came along too.  We were heading down to Old Navy and decided to put the kids in the stroller on the elevator.  Keenan offered to help hold the double stroller up and when we got off he was still pushing the it.  As we were weaving in and out of people and clothes racks a group of boys Keenan's age walked right in front of us, almost in a smug way.  Keenan dropped his head in an irritated shame. (hard to explain) 

"Oh, I'm sorry Keenan.  I can push now."  I felt so bad that I humiliated him in front of guys his age.

"Oh what?" he said popping his head up.

"Yeah." Cherie chimed in, "Noelle you push.  Keenan you don't have to push if you're embarrassed?"

"What are you talking about?  Why would I be embarrassed?"

"There was a whole bunch of guys that walked in front of us and you hung your head like you were shamed."

"What?  No!  I was mad that those guys cut me off.  I have the kids with the stroller.  They should've moved!"

Cherie and I could not stop laughing!  This is the kind of guy Keenan is.  He told my mom and I the other day that we want's to have a job where he helps people.  So right now he's going to go to school to me an EMT.  He wakes up at the butt crack before dawn to drive his mom to the bus stop because he feels bad if she has to walk.  He helps his grandma and his parents with weeding the lawn and doing yard work on the weekdays and even the weekends.  His family always has Sunday dinner's at his grandma's house and he never misses it.  He'll bend over backwards to help anyone out.  He even made those wonderful pictures of Kurt and I on steroids to the right and is teaching me how to use photoshop, as you can see from my work above.  Keenan is an all around great kid.  Just recently Keenan has decided to take the missionary lessons and started to come to church regularly.  He was always a great supporter to Cherie and any of his other LDS friends whenever they sang in church or a fireside or gave a talk, if they invited him he was there.  The first Sunday he came to church he had a nice white shirt and tie with black slacks, his vans shoes, and a volcom belt.  He was so cute!  I had wanted to get a picture of him in his Sunday best but I'm not sure how easy that is going to be anymore.  You see, two missionary discussions ago they asked him if he wanted to be baptized.  Keenan said yes!  When he told his mom she was sadly against the idea.  He, being an obedient son, wasn't able to make it to church on Sunday.  Me having children of my own, if one of them came up to me and told me they were making a life changing decision, I would be just as concerned as his mom.  Especially if I wasn't familiar with the decision.  She's just doing this because she loves him.  Poor Keenan really wants to be baptized for all the right reason's but he's scared and saddened by the consequences.  I wish you could all feel how strong his spirit is.  I know satan is working extra hard on him.  I don't normally do something like this, I've actually never asked anybody for this before, but I'm asking whoever reads this to keep Keenan in your prayers.  Pray that his parents hearts will be softened.  And/or pray for the missionaries and the people they teach.  I've never had a missionary experience before but it is one of the most wonderful feelings in the world.  I was talking to Kurt the other day about when he was fresh in the mission field.  His conversion goal was 1,000 people.  His missionary president told him to choose a more realistic goal, but my point is I know exactly how Kurt felt as a young missionary.  You want to baptize the world.  You don't see everybody you pass by as some person.  You see them as a spirit you want to bring back to Heavenly Father.  Right now Keenan's baptismal date is Aug. 16th.  Cherie even got a ticket to fly down for it.  You know maybe nows not the right time, maybe it's still too early for him but I'm not giving up.  He's honestly like a brother to me and I love him to death.  I would do anything for him but right now I just want to start him on the right path to our Heavenly Father.