A DECADE

Today is our 10th anniversary. We pretty much already celebrated it when we took that trip to Maui in May. Most everyone has heard us tell the story about our honeymoon and how we wished we could have taken a more elaborate vacation. We swore that for our 10th anniversary that we would go Hawaii, no matter what we were doing. Well....just 22 days shy of our 10th anniversary, we moved back to the mainland from having lived in Hawaii for 3 years.

When we moved to Hawaii in June 2005, we realized that we would likely be living on the island for our 10th and so we said that we would do an full inter-island cruise to fulfill our honeymoon dream. Back then (when we first moved there), we could have done an all inclusive 7 night cruise to all the islands for a Kama'aina rate of around $390 per person. We had kind of been saving up for the occassion when it would come, but about 6 or 8 months ago when the economy took a sharp down turn, NCL pulled 2 of it's 3 major inter-island cruise ships from Hawaii to somewhere on the mainland east coast and Europe. Leaving only one ship in the islands caused the price to SKY-ROCKET! We couldn't find a rate for less than $900 per person.

We are happy with our trip to Maui and he did surprise me for our 9th anniversary last year and took me to Kaua'i, which was TOTALLY awesome! I have no complaints.

I have the best husband in the world. I don't tell him as often as I think of it in my head how lucky I know I am to have someone that is there for me in every way. There are so many men out there that refuse to be hands on with kids, and would choke at the thought of having to clean a toilet, but not my guy! He dives in head first and not only cleans all our toilets every weekend, but also keeps the dishes done and puts the kids to bed. I love you, Bug! THANK YOU for all you do. It doesn't go unnoticed.

I have no clue where our wedding pictures are buried right now. I did find a couple of pictures of us when we were dating and a wallet size of our engagement pictures and some other random pictures of us from the first year we were married, so I thought I'd put those up.

I suppose this could be considered our "first date". It was about 2 weeks
after he'd returned home from his mission and he wanted to go to the beach.
Not without supervision, of course. So he dragged his little brother, Cory, along
with us. I made the first move and held his hand in the car on the way there
and then that night (I was spending the weekend at his family's place), I kissed
him in his mom's kitchen before we said good-night. I think it was also earlier that
evening that his sister, Monica, and I convinced him to let me cut his hair and
give him a new style. He'd had the fluffy middle part since like 4th grade! LOL (9.29.97)

That Thanksgiving, after he'd already moved to UT to go back to BYU,
we met up in Las Vegas because my family had flown there for the
holidays and for my new nephew, Josh's, blessing. We had a lot fun
that weekend. He'd never been to Vegas before that. (11.29.97)

This is one of our engagement pictures. It's not the
one we ended up sending out, though I wanted to, and
have always regretted it since. My mom said it wasn't
a good idea to send out a b&w photo for an engagement.
What does she know?! LOL

Our honeymoon in the mountains. (6.29.98)

Timberline lodge up at Mt. Hood. (6.29.98)

We were visiting my sisters in Vegas (pretty close to our 1st anniv).
We drove down there with our friends, Aaron and Carrie Jeffries.
This picture was taken at the Rio Hotel buffet. I kept feeling so sick off
and on through the whole dinner, but it was a passing nausea. I found
out about a month later that I was pregnant with Mariah! (5.29.99)

We went out to dinner for his birthday at Skippers, his choice. Mariah
was several months old. (8.8.OO)

Road kill, anyone?

We were watching tv and lounging around after the kids were in bed when my brother, Ross, noticed a family of skunks trying to cross the busy country road in front of my parents house. (2 mornings ago, we woke to a foul smell outside the house and knew that we'd been sprayed by skunks.) That set he and Will on a mission. Ross grabbed the only 2 BB guns in the house and they ran for it. It was a very comical scene watching these 2 grown men running around like 2 little boys out for the hunt. Even my mom got in on it when she helped to load them up with some rocks for "ammo". Only one of the skunks ended up crossing the street into our neighbors yard. As the boys were trying to get it to come out of the bushes, we noticed another family taking over my parents back yard. Any suggestions for skunk control??

In attack mode

The standoff

UCK!!!!

One more reason to hate the toilet......

Did you know that when you flush the toilet that an aerosol like spray of whatever is in your toilet, at the time, sprays up to 20 feet away from your toilet. My sister-in-law is adamant about flushing with the lid down and keeps plastic covers on hers and her sons toothbrushes to keep the spray off. I was scoffing, just a tad, at the idea and then I decided to look it up online. UUUUCK!

There were endless articles and posts on the subject. I will include the 2 that I found the most informative.
halfbakery.com
straightdope.com

Bubbalicious

Tatum chewing gum and tidbits of cousin Hannah

Tatum, as most kids, has an obsession with gum. For months now, I have found her in the corner with the gum from my purse and anywhere from 4 to 8 gum wrappers surrounding her. She has eaten so much of it, I'm surprised she's not poo-ing Maui Melon Mint scent!! (sorry, I know...TMI) LOL!

She ended up chewing this same piece for almost 2 hours. When she was done with it, Will told her to put it in the rubbish and so she did! Such a funny girl.

"Hey Tatum, show me your gum!"

a bump in the road...

It was a small bump, but Will finally got a call back from Southwest Washington Medical Center on that internship he interviewed for and he didn't get the position. He said the lady was really nice and told him that he was very narrowly edged out by another applicant and she told him that she handed his application and all his information over to the nursing recruiter for the hospital with a high recommendation. She said that if he chooses to take a position elsewhere in the hospital, he will have priority for this same internship that will start again in November.

We both have said that we know that he will get a job in the place where we are supposed to be. He has applied at several hospitals up and down the freeway in OR and WA, including Silverton Hospital, Meridian Park (in Tualatin), Emmanuel Hospital (in Portland), OHSU, Southwest Washington Medical Center, and Salmon Creek (the new hospital in Vancouver).

Once he gets a test date from the state of WA to take the boards, he will feel a lot more secure in being able to find a job right away. We are both tired of waiting and just want to feel settled, ESPECIALLY before this baby comes. Keep those prayers coming!

(FYI: He will take the boards in the state of WA, however there is a small additional fee to pay to take one test and be licensed in both OR and WA.)

Burning Mouth Syndrome

My brother, Jay, happened upon a link about BMS and shared it with me. This is the most accurate description I have come across and there were actually some home remedy suggestions on there. I don't think any of my friends have this condition, but may know someone who does. Or maybe a stranger will happen upon this posting and find the info very useful. THANKS JAY!!!!!
(p.s. If you click on the title of this posting it will take you to the original article. There are some pictures and other links on there, as well.)

What Is Burning Mouth Syndrome?
By Sook-Bin Woo, Harvard Health Publications

Q: My husband was diagnosed with burning mouth syndrome. This seems to be a mystery syndrome. What can you tell us about it?

A: As the name suggests, people with burning mouth syndrome feel a persistent burning sensation in or around the mouth. The patients that I see with this problem tend to be women over age 50, but men get the syndrome too.

The burning sensation can be painful and make people feel absolutely miserable. Some patients describe it as feeling like they had been burnt by hot coffee. People feel the burning on the tops of their tongues (the most common site), their lips, or the part of the hard palate right behind the upper front teeth. But any part of the mouth may be involved. Often people wake up feeling fine or with only slight burning, but as the day goes on, the burning starts or gets worse. In addition to the burning sensation, people sometimes get a metallic taste in their mouth that won’t go away, or the mouth dries out.

The diagnosis of primary burning mouth syndrome — burning that’s not related to another medical condition — can be tricky. The tongue and other oral tissues will often look perfectly healthy. And a burning sensation in the mouth can be a symptom secondary to a number of conditions, ranging from anemia to type 2 diabetes to lichen planus, a rashlike inflammation that causes sore areas in the mouth. Those secondary causes have to be ruled out before a diagnosis of primary burning mouth syndrome is made.

Primary burning mouth syndrome is most likely a neuropathic disorder, meaning that the discomfort is the result of malfunctioning nerves: the nerves are “overactive” in some way. We don’t really know what causes them to misfire in that way.

I often see depression and anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder along with burning mouth syndrome. I’ve also seen many patients who have become more aware of their mouth than normal — they sense even the subtlest change in how it feels. So in treating this syndrome, it’s essential to address any psychological or psychiatric problems that may be present.

Because the cause isn’t fully understood, treatments target symptoms. I usually start patients on clonazepam (Klonopin), an anti-anxiety medication that helps with the hypervigilance and anxiety over the condition; this drug also directly reduces the burning sensation. If it isn’t effective, I sometimes try low doses of a tricyclic antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil) or nortriptyline (Pamelor).

A home remedy that sometimes works is a mouth rinse of water and a few drops of Tabasco sauce. Fighting fire with fire? Not exactly. Capsaicin, the chemical in Tabasco sauce and chili peppers that makes them hot, depletes substance P, a pain-signaling chemical in nerve cells. I also talk to patients about exercising more and taking steps to reduce stress, which can include something like taking yoga classes or just spending more time with friends.

Many people with burning mouth syndrome have been to other doctors who dismissed their condition because they couldn’t see anything physically wrong. I think part of the reason patients get better when they come to us is that we have a specific protocol to diagnose and treat the condition, first ruling out any other factors that may bring on secondary burning symptoms. We also take time to explain to patients what we know about the condition and try to allay their fears that they may have something more ominous, such as mouth cancer.

Tatum

I don't think she quite gets that we are here for good. She has had a blast playing with her 2 little cousins Braden and Hannah. We call Tatum and Braden "The Bobbsey Twins" because they are so close in age and really do look a lot alike. Braden turns 2 on July 2 and Tatum will be 2 on August 24. (Hannah made 1 in March).

She has been doing some pretty silly things since we've been here. It's been a challenge to keep everyone from feeding her things with milk. One of the favorite treats here at Grandma's house is spray whip cream on graham crackers. It's so sad to watch her poor face looking at all the other kids eating theirs with thick fluffy white stuff on top of theirs and hers is just plain jane. So I went to the store and got her some dairy free white frosting and she was in HOG HEAVEN!!

Earlier today, we had put her down for her nap and about 20 or 30 minutes later we peeked in on her and she was wide awake thumbing through Mariah's High School Musical chapter book.

to be 6 again

A man was sitting on the edge of the bed, observing his wife, looking at herself in the mirror. Since her birthday was not far off he asked what she'd like to have for her birthday. 'I'd like to be six again', she replied, still looking in the mirror.

On the morning of her birthday, he arose early, made her a nice big bowl of Lucky Charms, and then took her to Six Flags theme park. What a day! He put her on every ride in the park; the Death Slide, the Wall of Fear, the Screaming Monster Roller Coaster, everything there was.

Five hours later they staggered out of the theme park. Her head was reeling and her stomach felt upside down. He then took her to a McDonald's where he ordered her a Happy Meal with extra fries and a chocolate shake.

Then it was off to a movie, popcorn, a soda pop, and her favorite candy, M&M's. What a fabulous adventure! Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed exhausted. He leaned over his wife with a big smile and lovingly asked, 'Well Dear, what was it like being six again??'

Her eyes slowly opened and her expression suddenly changed. 'I meant my dress size, you moron!'

The moral of the story: Even when a man is listening, he's gonna get it wrong.

The man of the house

Technically he's not the "man" of the house we are currently in, but figuratively speaking...you get the drift.

Will is a great dad! He loves our girls unconditionally. I could never imagine myself with anyone else. He does so much for us. I know that he does a lot more than the average dad and husband and I don't express my appreciation for him as much as I should. I love you, Will! Happy Father's Day!

In primary today, each of the kids was given a pair of socks to color on for dad for Father's Day. I thought that was a very clever idea and double-y awesome since he needed new socks! He received one pair each from Mariah, Brinlee and Asia.

My dad...the actual "man" of the house we are in....is the greatest! I didn't appreciate him growing up the way I do now. I see how much his presence had an influence on me no matter how much I resisted. I only hope that I can be half the parent that he is. Thanks for all you do dad!

He loved to go to Leonard Jr.'s in Waikele to get malasadas every time they visited. We thought this was a very fitting souvenier for him. On the back, it say's "Leonard's, of course"

S'mores

We decided to try out my mom's new fire pit tonight again. We had used it once last Monday night for FHE, but it was so dang cold outside that we were all bundled up and shivering. I couldn't even enjoy it.

It was pretty nice out today and we had the missionaries over for dinner (my parents are still in Vegas for Tyson's graduation) and the dessert was s'mores.

Roasting marshmallows at Grandma Jones' House

OOPS! Dropped my marshmallow!

That's ok. It still tastes good.......

A New Day

This morning I got up and decided to peruse the yard sale scene. I drove around for a while and there wasn't much until I went into this ancient neighborhood near my parents home. The neighborhood is called the "Senior Estates" and has been in Woodburn for idk, 50 years...maybe longer. It's a planned community for senior citizens age 55 and older with NO children.

Anyway, as I was looking, all the little old couples that were out were being so cute. I'm not sure why, but it was so refreshing to see all these little white haired people out enjoying the rare sunshine and they way they spoke to each other was so endearing. I couldn't help but walk around with a full-tooth smile on my face.

So weird to me that it took going to this OLD OLD neighborhood and walking amongst the "almost dead" (LOL j/k) to put me in a mood that I haven't been in for a while. I didn't even really buy anything (except one Tupperware brand box for $1). I couldn't wait to come home and blog! Things are looking UP!

so cold!

We arrived here last Wed the 4th. I have been in some kind of crazy weird funk for several weeks and haven't felt like blogging much. I have loved that feature that blogspot added several months ago where you can "pre-post" and I set up my 100's to automatically post for me each day. So while it has seemed that I've been on here every day, it's a faker.

It's been unbelievable cold here since we arrived. I was really hoping that we would have mild June, July, and August weather to slowly adjust to the fall cold, but not so. We are FREEZING! Yesterday morning, Mariah called me into the room they are sleeping at my mom's house and said "MOM, look! There is water on the inside of the window?!" I don't know if she thought that somehow the rain got inside, but I had to explain what condensation is to her.

Last Thursday, the morning after we arrived, Brinlee got up and said "Do we have school today?" After I said no, she asked, "Is is summertime now?" I told her "sort of". Then after breakfast she called me into the living room and pointed out the big picture window and said "MOM, look at the grass! It's growing bigger!" I guess it's been a while since she saw so much green grass in one single yard??

Awards Ceremony

The night before last we cleaned everything out of our apartment and stayed the night with the Kai's. They had gotten the Allens and Wheelers to come over for dinner as a surprise. We had a quick dinner, but then had to finish up some last minute cleaning. We are so glad that we could barge in on our "hapa twins" and feel comfortable in their home to spend our last night there. They have been so good to us!
Yesterday was the girls final awards ceremony at Keoneula Elementary. After the ceremony was done, we stopped at the Kai's to change clothes and then straight to the airport to fly back to the mainland. It is so surreal that just yesterday we were enjoying the warm and balmy island air and now we are FREEZING our little tushies off!!

final beach photo shoot

I am planning to frame a collage for each of the girls with pictures of them from the beach. Here are a couple of shots of each.

Aloha 'Oe

It's tradition in Hawai'i for a group to sing Aloha 'Oe and give lei to a person or family when they are leaving. It sends with the person(s) leaving, the Aloha that they enjoyed in the prescence of friends and loved ones. It is an emotional time. We will dearly miss the friends and 'ohana here in the Ewa Beach 2nd Ward.

I was trying to be sneaky with our digital camera and was able to catch the ward singing Aloha 'Oe to us. Sorry it's a little shaky and sometimes hard to hear.

All the lei from friends

Sheri Dano, Kristy, Kapua Kai