Scott, Sulika & Sai'peti

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-03T07:06:00.001-06:00

Memorial Day weekend was a blast! We had cousins from MO come and visit, and we had a BLAST!!!!!

California Summer Vacation

2010-09-17T08:42:00.004-06:00

Sooo hungry he fell asleep!

2010-08-25T09:44:00.003-06:00

Sai was sooo hungry last night, he wanted a peanut butter sandwich. He almost finished it, when alas he fell asleep, with the sandwich in his hands! LOL! He is too cute!

Rebecca's Bridals

2010-07-19T15:23:00.001-06:00

International Days here we come!

2010-07-14T08:32:00.002-06:00

This is the new Banner I just got for international days! I wont lie, I'm kinda excited!!! No more homemade signs! Yeah!!!!!!
We are almost ready! I only have 150 lbs of pork left to cook. We have already cooked 320 lbs of chicken and 150 lbs of pork!

Sai's Triathlon Shirt!!!!

2010-06-24T22:45:00.001-06:00

Water Fight + Dirt =

2010-06-07T14:58:00.001-06:00

Rollin' . . .Rollin' . . . Rollin' up Tamales

2010-06-01T08:50:00.000-06:00

Went this long weekend, and rolled tamales for Rebecca's wedding! Wow, we rolled a little less than 1000! It was nice though! It was Me, Mom, Perry, Brooke, Bec, Jason & Kalani! It was nice, but I dont want to do that many again! Whew!
Plus it didnt help that I missed my boys way too much!
A funny thing happened though . . . We were at the hotel, and we were just hanging out. Brooke and Perry decided to go down to the front of the Hotel. Well Brooke being the sneaky person she is, decided to go and wait for Perry to scare him! She knew he would be right behind her! LOL!!!!
Brooke hid behind one of the pillars in the hall way, and jumped out at who she thought was Perry! Funny thing was . . . it wasnt Perry! She scared the shit out of some short mexican older guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RRRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH while grabbing his arms!!!!!! LOL!!!!! She was sooooooooooo embarassed, and was soooooo apologetic! She just wanted to die! Then she came in and told all of us, and it was HILLARIOUS!!!!!!!!!! Love that Brookie!

Trip to "The Moab" with Dad

2010-05-31T21:35:00.001-06:00

Going Fishing

2010-04-01T06:44:00.001-06:00

Scott caught this one! Sai wanted to go fishing with his new pole, and Scott was just watching, and this is the results! He can be pretty cute when he wants to be!

My Hellian Child!!!

2010-03-16T09:08:00.001-06:00

So I get him home from church and we are eating lunch and watching TV (trying to get a nap in) and he has stinky pants so I go to change him. I’m teasing him saying “wow son…you got a stinky butt!” So I get his diaper off, and he says “that f*ck!ng stinks mom!” I of coarse gasp and ask “what did you say?” “I didn’t say anyfing momma!” so I proceed to change his diaper and get done and sit him up level with me so we can see eye to eye. I told him that the “F” word is not a word that we say, and then next time I hear him say the “F” word, I am going to put hot sauce on his tongue. I told him that went with any other swear word, and even when he takes God’s name in vain. (He really likes that one, and loves to follow it up with Dammit!) He tells me ok, and I let him get down to play.
So later that evening we had gone to my mom’s for Sunday dinner. After dinner we were all sitting around in the living room telling stories, and teasing one another, and we were teasing Rebecca that Kalani told her that she was a B@st@rd when he was little. Well my little hellion was playing down stairs with his cousins, so we thought we were safe, but of coarse he is crawling up the stairs and heard Grandma say B@st@rd. As soon as he reaches the top step he says “who’s a b@st@rd gama?” I then warn him again and tell him that Bastard is a swear word, and he says it again, he will get hot sauce!
So we go home and we are winding down, and Sai is in my room with Scott playing with my cars on the side of my bed. Scott leaves him in there and comes out to the living room. About 5 minutes go by and Scott goes back to the room and finds that Sai had bitten off all the erasers on the colored pencils that I have sitting by the side of my bed. So I tell Sai to come to me, and he comes in the living room and walks right past me, like I didn’t say anything! So of coarse I get him and sit him on my lap, well he instantly starts crying cuz he knows he is in trouble. I ask him if he bit the erasers off, and he tells me no. I warned him and said if he lied to me that he would be in bigger trouble. So I asked him again, and he says no. I ask him if he didn’t do it, who did? He proceeds to tell me that Daddy did it. (By now I am busting a gut when ever he lays his head down crying!) Finally after 10 minutes of coaxing and spanking, he finally tells the truth.
I do not know what I am going to do with this child!

Its me . . . . Chewy!!!

2010-03-11T10:48:00.001-07:00

Kalani and his Chicano trying to come out!!!!

Super Bowl Sunday . . . Gooooooo Saints!!!!!

2010-02-07T22:23:00.003-07:00

Our family got together for Super Bowl, but you can see who had the most Super Bowl Spirit! They were the winners!!! Brookey's T-shirt was the best!!! I loved it! Even more I loved her pants! I swear we should have had her be the half time entertainment instead of . . . who??? I love you Brookey!!!!

Here is My True Son!!!! So while we were cooking dinner, I was of coarse out on the deck using the deep fryer, wearing . . . you guessed it shorts, flip flops and a hoody! Pretty soon here comes my son asking if he can play outside while I am out there. I told him he would have daddy help him get some shoes on, and to get a coat. now keep in mind I told him to ask daddy to help in hopes that Dad would either put a stop to him coming outside or he would atleast put some pants and shoes and socks on him. Nope . . . Sai dissapears for a few minutes, and then reappears with his crocs on, no socks and a heavy winter coat! Shorts, summer sandels, a tank top and a heavy coat!!!! Im raising us a true polynesian!!! Love it!

Thought I had, but I hadn't!!!!

2010-01-20T22:10:00.004-07:00

Family pictures!!!! We did them a few months ago, but I thought I would still share them! I took them all except the ones of Scott, Sai & I! Brookey took those!!!!

Monster Truck Ralley!!!!

2010-01-17T19:53:00.002-07:00

We took the boys to the Monster Truck Ralley!!! The LOVED it!!! Uncle Jason even took the boys to ride one of the Monster Trucks! It was fun just to watch their faces!

Thanksgiving & Christmas

2009-12-29T12:54:00.004-07:00

Things have been crazy, but I thought I better get up atleast a couple of pictures!

Playing at the playground!

2009-10-02T11:01:00.005-06:00

Flag Football

2009-10-02T11:00:00.001-06:00

Running with Daddy!!!!

2009-10-02T10:29:00.002-06:00

Sai loves to run with daddy, and is constanly telling daddy to go faster!!! Scott and Sai ran in one of our local 5k's, and beat every other person with a stroller, so they were pretty pleased!!!! "Faster daddy . . . GO faster!!!!"

Scotts Marathon

2009-10-02T09:58:00.006-06:00

This is a little late, but this is the last marathon that he ran in September in the Little Grand Canyon Marathon!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAI!!!!!

2009-09-02T11:32:00.003-06:00

Trip to Califonia

2009-08-02T20:49:00.003-06:00

Some Pictures From Lately

2009-07-12T08:48:00.003-06:00

Different things make different people HAPPY!!!!

2009-06-23T07:12:00.003-06:00

This was a wedding that I was in this weekend!!! There were a lot of different things, but hey, whatever makes them happy right? It actually ended up being way fun! And the cake was DELICIOUS!!!!!

Yes that is a strapless dress! The first and only time that you will see me in one of those! Phat girlz should not even be in those!

A full weekend!!!!

2009-06-17T12:40:00.002-06:00

It was a full weekend this past weekend! I went Scrappin' (Scrap Bookin)and Scott had to work. Sai got to go with Aunt Sunny and Uncle Scott! He had a ball! He loves them!
Here are some picks of him!

Sai the Water Boy

2009-06-08T20:13:00.000-06:00

Here is Sai when he was watering the garden with Aunt Mia!!! He loves to water! Mommy of coarse doesn't let him, but Aunt Mia does! When they were done we turned off the water, and Sai began to suck the water out of the hose, it was hillarious! He would suck on it for a second and then look at you and say, "Ba-ba!" He is just too damn cute!

Memorial Day 2009

2009-05-24T19:53:00.002-06:00

We all went as a family to the gravesite today! It was nice! Everything turned out really nice! Mom, Malia, Rebecca, Brooke, Aunt Mia & Aunt Leica made really nice leis for the graves, and it turned out really nice! Here are some cute pictures of the boys!

Easter at the Laulus

2009-04-16T22:56:00.003-06:00

We got together for Easter! It was fun. The funnest was the Egg Hunt though. The kids really like it, and was even more excited to find money in some of the eggs! We didnt get any pictures, but Kalani and I flew some kites too! The plastice one didnt survive more than 20 seconds. But the nylon kite was awesome! We loved it!

Perry's Ball

2009-04-16T22:51:00.002-06:00

Perry is playin Semi-Pro Football in SLC. He is playin for the Wasatch Revolution! He is #33 in these pictures, he was supposed to be #36, but oh well! It was fun to watch his game, and we are looking forward to going to more.

First visit to the Zoo

2009-04-16T22:42:00.005-06:00

So we took Sai to the Zoo this past weekend, and it was fun! Sai loved it . . . including the metal statue of the gorilla . . . that he couldnt keep his hand off it nips! It was hillarious! Im just glad the gorilla wasnt real, I dont know if the gorilla would really appreciate Sai gettin a feel, nor the humor of it! But it was fun!

Playin at the park

2009-04-16T22:38:00.002-06:00

Here was our day at the park!!!! Sai loves to throw sand! What is it with boys and dirt? This kid sees any sort of dirt and he is all up in it!

Baby Sai and Uncle Sai

2009-04-16T22:14:00.002-06:00

Here is Sai dancing to the Sons of Manessah, my cousin Sai's singing group! Sai and I love thier music, and I was loving that he was getting down with his bad self!!!! He is such a cutie!!!!

New Bike & Getting Sick

2009-03-25T21:33:00.002-06:00

Just thought I would show off the newest pics.

Sai got a new bike, and loves it!!!! He hasnt figured out the pedals yet, or what they are even for. But loves when you push him.

Both Sai and Scott caught a really bad cold. I think it was because Scott took Sai swimming to the wave pool! But somehow I didnt catch it, but Scott and Sai have been miserable. Thank goodness they are staring to get better now.

Tickeling Uncle Perry

2009-03-03T21:37:00.005-07:00

So this weekend, we were at moms again, and Perry started to play rough with Kalani and Sai'peti. Well as you can see Brooke jumped in at the last minute and was tickle the most ticklish spot on Perry, his calves!!!! It was hilarious because Perry couldn't do anything because Kalani was sitting on him, and he knew that Sai was right there, and didn't want to hurt him. The boys thought getting unlce Perry like that was the best!!! It was pretty funny to see Perry suffering after seeing him tease and tickle the boys until they almost cry! Priceless!!!!
Also there was this little clip of Sai on his first mechanical horse. Sai loves the mechanical cars, so we thought that he would love the horse, but we were very wrong. He really didnt like it at all. Infact we got him off the ride way before t was over! Oh well, we will have to try it again in a while.

Finally, I took Sai to the park, and when we got there, there was no one else around, so we had the park to our selves. It was a good thing cuz Sai decided that he liked to throw the sand! I think he just likes to do anything that I tell him not too! But he is still cute!!!

Forgot to share this one!

2009-02-19T00:08:00.002-07:00

This is a text that Malia sent to me, and forgot to show it on the Merrell Blog, but had it on the Laulu Blog (www.laulufambam.blogspot.com)
This is Mateo giving Malia a kiss! I love this, and how nice it is that she has this little video to remember her little Mateo Bug!

It has been crazy!

2009-02-18T23:40:00.002-07:00

So we have been crazy busy. Mostly just working on Mom's house, but hopefully it will be coming to an end here soon. I am hoping maybe only a couple more weeks.
It all started with Bec needing to make some extra money, and asking mom if there was anything she could do for her for some extra cash. Well mom said that she would pay her to take down the entry way wall paper. Well that turned into needing the entry way painted, and if we were going to paint the entry way, we would need to paint the living room, which lead to the dining room. Them mom got the bright idea to paint an accent wall, and with that she wanted to get new furniture. Well of coarse couldn't get new furniture that clashed with the old carpet, and why would we get new carpet without getting the kitchen flooring done. Well then we had to tear off the molding, and after we replaced that, what the heck, why don't we throw up some casing for the doors upstairs, and why not some crown molding for the entire upstairs, just to give it that finished touch! LOL! Not to mention the wall that I had to take out downstairs so we could fit the upstairs furniture downstairs, to make room for the new furniture! (Actually that was probably the funnest thing out of all the work we had been doing, Perry and I love the demolition part!) But if anyone who knew what mom & dad's house looked like, it does not look anything like it did 3 weeks ago. We are almost finished putting up the crown molding (which has turned out to be a pain in the butt because of the angles that throw us off!) and hopefully next week we will be able to frame in the door and the corner that i need to replace that we took out downstairs to Perry's room. But I will get some new pics on here to show off all of our hard work! But it actually has come along really nice, and looks amazing! And mom says that she loves it, and that is what counts!

I wuv woooooooo

2009-02-04T22:17:00.004-07:00

Just thought I would share this cute little video with everyone! Sai has learned one of my oldies but goodies by the Stylistics, La La (I love you)! It is soo funny cuz Scott and I will start singing the La La La La la La la means, and Sai will chime in with the "I wuv woooooooooo"!!!! We love it!!!!

FYI

2009-01-20T15:02:00.002-07:00

We got back the autopsy results today from the state coroner, and they were unable to find why our little Mateo died. It had just been called an undertermined death. Just thought I would let everyone know.

Wow, its already been a month. . .

2009-01-19T21:51:00.003-07:00

Today was kind of a hard day, but a good day! Today is the 1 month mark of my nephew dying.
It started out with Kalani coming by to spend the day with us, and a Dr appointment for Sai to check up on this new set of tubes. From there we picked up Perry and took him home to SLC. There we went to lunch, where my son was a complete holy terror, and then to Lowes to search for some solar powered tiki torches (which we were so glad to find!!!) and them off to Petsmart, to get some new fish for Sai and Scott. Sai's was two little fish named One Eyes Willie, and Mo (short for Mohawk, curiosity of Kalani). And Scott's were feeder gold fish for his pond!
When we got home, we went as a family to the grave site of my dad and Mateo, and Malia bought some balloons and tied them to one of Mateo's bikes, and Scott and I put the tiki torches on the graves, and Malia wanted us to sing a little song together. It is hard to watch Malia and Jim, and I would do anything to take away their pain, but there is really nothing we can do, but be as supportive as we can.

Sai playin

2009-01-14T22:47:00.004-07:00

Just thought I would share this cute little video of Sai. He has been so much fun lately! He is a little parrot, and loves to walk around, FINALLY! Also, I started Weight Watchers last week, and tonight was my second weigh in, and I lost 5.4 lbs! I was pretty excited! Cant wait to loose more!

A lot has gone on...

2009-01-05T21:25:00.005-07:00

Well as everyone knows, my nephew died right before Christmas. A little explanation... My sister found him in the morning when she went to wake him up, and he had already passed away. She began CPR and called 911, but was not successful at reviving him. They did a full investigation, and an autopsy. Nothing was found as out of the normal. During the autopsy everything was ruled out, no choking, no brain aneurysm, no heart attack, nothing. So they sent off tissue samples, and blood cultures to see if there was something that was over seen, like a rare disease, or even if any of his blood counts were off. Like the Obituary says we had the funeral on the 23rd. We had Christmas, which turned out to be okay. It was way different to say the least, but it was nice.
That following Monday on the 29th, Sai had surgery. He had his adenoids out and ear tubes put in. And for some strange reason as Sai got better, so did his walking!!! Its been really fun watching him learn more and more and more! He has also developed quite the little attitude. He loves to talk (or so he thinks he is talking) and loves to test every little limit with mom and dad! I swear I don't understand what is so interesting about the stupid toilet, and why playing with toilet water is darn cool!
Scott started school tonight, and will be taking 11 credits with hopes of graduating in the Spring. We are soo excited, for him to graduate, so that will definitely be a celebration!
But all in all, we are doing pretty good and Sai is getting better and better!

Mateo Jack Lafoga Theorine

2008-12-21T12:03:00.002-07:00

SPRING GLEN – Mateo Jack Lafoga Theorine returned home to his Heavenly Father and his Papa, December 19, 2008 after passing away peacefully in his sleep at the young age of 22 months.
Mateo was born February 1, 2007 in Price, Utah, to James Victor Theorine II and Malia Mei Laulu and his big brother James (Kimo) Victor Theorine III. Mateo was a pillar of light to all that knew him. His beautiful smile and his golden locks of hair was just a tiny glimpse of our fun loving little boy. Mateo loved his family and his many friends, and loved to share kisses and hugs and the occasional love tap with all of them. Though very young, Mateo loved sports, any kind of balls, four-wheelers, daddy’s motorcycle, the trampoline, dancing and most of all his binky.
Mateo was a very happy and energetic little boy who loved others unconditionally. He was always a comforter for those that needed comforting, and would be the first to stand up in a fist fight, but would always love you better when he was done beating you up.
Mateo loved to go bye-bye. He loved to get his coat and shoes on, and be the first one ready for any adventure. He was often found being curious and self-entertained. Mateo embraced his cultures, and loved the music of his cultures and would express his love by dancing. Mateo was not a little man of many words, but always knew how to express to anyone what he wanted, whether it was him pointing and grunting, or leading you right to what he wanted.
Mateo was preceded in death by his papa Lafoga Laulu Jr. Mateo is survived by his mom and dad, Malia Mei Laulu and James Victor Theorine II, his brother James (Kimo) Victor Theorine III, his grandparents, Patricia Laulu, James Victor Theorine, Annalillia Guiterrez , his aunts and uncles, Sulika (Scott) Merrell, Juan (Ann) Theorine, Rebecca (Jason Ochoa) Laulu, Perry Laulu, his cousins, Kalani Vai Laulu, Sai’peti Epomaikaimaikeakuaokalaniikeiaohanaalii Merrell, Graciann Marie Theorine and many of his extended family and friends that love him very dearly.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, December 23, 2008 at 11 a.m. at the Price 4th – 5th Ward Building, 380 East 400 North – Price, UT. A viewing will be Monday, December 22, 2008 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Fausett Mortuary, 680 East 100 South in Price and Tuesday from 10 to 10:45 a.m. at the church prior to the services. Interment will be in the Cliffview Cemetary.

Helper Light Parade

2008-12-07T21:54:00.005-07:00

So this weekend, we as a family, we were in the 19th Annual Helper Light Parade!!! It was really fun.

We decided to do a Cancer Awareness float and called it "This Christmas, Celebrte Life" and did it in memory of my dad.

We decorated my truck with lights, and put up a tree in the back that we decorated with the different colors of ribbons that represent the different kinds of cancer. Orange is the color that represented Leukemia, so of coarse we kinda made that color a little bit bigger and brighter!

We all also wore shirts that said "Cancer Sucks" with the girls in orange and the the boys in white. Sunny made us some bright orange scarfs and got us some reindeer antlers that lite up and sang!
It was really cold, but really fun! The little boys loved it too!

Thanksgiving, Laulu Style!!!

2008-11-27T21:26:00.006-07:00

Thanksgiving this year was a hard one, yet at the same time, we were able to focus on some of the positive, so that was good!

Scott decided that he was going to run the 5K Huntington City Turkey Trot. This is Sai, wishing his daddy good luck!

Something to kinda help the boys (and us grown ups too!) was to send Dad letters and pictures via ballons.

So we all drew a picture and and little notes and sent them off to dad, attatched to some ballons, and watched until dad came down from heaven and got the notes!

Actually the boys really liked the whole idea, and really liked that dad got thier pictures and letters.

Kimo and Kalani decided that they were gonna draw some of papa's favorite things, like BYU Football and Motorcycles!

Here are the boys as they watching the ballons fly away, they all lined up on the 4 wheeler, and we couldnt help but want some pictures!

And here was the elephant ride, later on after we had pie! Sai and Kalani thought it was pretty cool! I thought it ws pretty cool that Scott still had the energy to be the elephant! Let alone with Kalani on there too!

Dad's Last Goodbye!

2008-11-14T12:25:00.006-07:00

The viewing and the funeral turned out to be a wonderful experience! We will miss dad a ton but it was good to see soooo many people come and show thier love and respect! It was a wonderful tribute to dad to have so many people there! Lots of family came from all over the US, and lots a friends! We loved seeing everyone!
Again I wanted to thank the family for all of the love and support you all showed by coming to the funeral, for keeping us in your prayers! We truly appreciate everything that everyone has done for us! What a beautiful tribute the funeral was to my father! I could never thank everyone enough. It was so good seeing everyone, I only wish that we could have had enough time to sit down and visit with everyone.

Here are some of the pictures that were taken at the gravesite I thought people might like to see!

Lafoga Laulu Jr.

2008-11-04T00:03:00.001-07:00

Price, UT - Lafoga Laulu Jr. died November 2, 2008 after a short battle with Leukemia.
Lafoga was born October 4, 1951 in Mapusaga, American Samoa to Pelu Pelu Laulu and Lesina Fuimaono.
He married the one true love of his life, Patricia Elaine Perry, on June 8, 1974, in the LDS Los Angeles Temple.
Lafoga was a true example of a person who had Christ-like attributes.
He was survived my his wife Patricia Elaine Perry, Children: Sulika (Scott) Merrell, Malia (Jim) Theorine, Rebecca (Jason Ochoa) Laulu, & Perry Laulu. His parents Pelu Pelu Laulu & Lesina Fuimaono, Sulika (Iosefa) Toia, Mei (Ramese) Maiava, Mateo (Ata) Laulu. His grandsons Kalani Vai Laulu, James Victor Theorine III, Mateo Jack Lafoga, & Sai'peti Epomaikaimaikeakuaokalaniikeiaohanaalii Merrell.
A viewing will be help Friday November 7, 2008 6-8 at the Fausett Mortuary 680 E 100 S Price, UT 84501. An additional veiwing will be held Saturday November 8, 2008 9-10:45 followed by the funeral service at 11 at the Price Stake Center, 150 S 500 East Price, UT 84501.

Its Time

2008-11-02T05:02:00.003-07:00

Today at 4:06 am, my father passed away. It was very peaceful, and in his sleep, just the way he wanted it. I will put more information as it comes up. We are soo relieved that he is NOT suffering anymore, but will miss him with all our hearts! Love you Dad!

Goin for a Walk

2008-10-31T05:38:00.002-06:00

So while I was in Salt Lake at the Huntsman Center Wednesday night, I got a video text from Scott stating "Dont know if you want to see this". I opened it to see my son taking some of his first steps! I was so happy and so bummed that I missed out on it! But he is my cuty pie!

Tappin for Fluid

2008-10-31T05:11:00.004-06:00

Here are a couple of pictures of Dad getting his stomach tapped for fluid. They were able to get 6 liters of fluid off of him, which is really good because it made him more comfortable. It was really neat to watch the whole procedure!
Dad is still not doing real well. He is still receiving dialysis. But not feeling the best.

Tryin Dialysis

2008-10-26T12:29:00.002-06:00

We started dialysis today! Dad’s liver just isn’t doin well at all and will not work, therefore making hard for the kidneys to work at all, and all of the toxins are building up in his blood making him feel like he has the worst flu ever, and also making him disoriented! For those of you that don’t know what dialysis is, it is where they pump your blood through a machine and filter out all of the bad toxins, and just put back in the good stuff. The bad thing with that is that dialysis makes you very tired, and just worn out.
The doctors are still trying to out smart his body, but so far they are having no luck, and it seems that dad just keeps getting sicker and sicker. Hopefully we will know more of what is going on tomorrow or the next day. His body just will not respond to the chemo therapy and they are not sure just what it will respond to. Dad is still fighting though, so that is a good sign!

Updates on Dad

2008-10-17T15:25:00.002-06:00

Just to let everyone know, I started a new blog for the Laulu Family! So I will try to keep that for more of the family stuff, and this one for the Laulu/Merrell household!

But here is a little update on Dad!!!

Here is a picture of Dad, Sai and Mom. Sai was way jealous cuz Dad was eating a popsicle. I know the picture is bad, but its what I have!
Just recently, Dad's Doctors wanted to move Dad to the ICU at the U of U Hospital. Reason being was Dad's blood pressure has been extremely low the last week, and Tuesday night, it dropped to 86/44, which is way too low. So far they have been able to bring up his blood pressure a little bit, to where it is not so much of a risk, but it is still reading really low! But hopefully they can balance that along with the Chemo, the infection, and keeping his lungs working well! Poor guy!

Tag I'm it!

2008-10-10T13:01:00.004-06:00

SO... I HAVE BEEN SO HAPPY THAT I HAVE NOT YET BEEN TAGGED. UGGG. THANKS NOELLE. I HOPE THAT NO ONE ELSE GETS THE IDEA. ANYWAY, HERE ARE MY ANSWERS.

10 YEARS AGO:
1. I was preparing to serve a mission to Seattle Washington, wondering what in the hell i was thinking!
2. I was working at Big "A" Auto Parts! & loved it!
3. I had a lot shorter fuse, and would have fought/argued with anyone!
4. I had longer hair! It was still a lot shorter than my really long hair though!
5. I decided that I didnt like Utah and was never going to move back! Yeah that worked really well!

5 THINGS ON TODAY'S LIST:
1. Pack
2. Leave for SLC
3. Go get clear protection on my NEW PHONE
4. Go see Dad & Mom
5. Check into the HILTON! (Oh I am so excited!)

5 SNACKS I ENJOY
1. Scott's Homemade Oatmeal Cookies
2. Mom's Lava Brownies
3. PF Changs Great Wall of China
4. Cold Stone Founder's Favorites
5. No Ice Cream On Andy, that is for sure!

5 THINGS I WOULD DO IF I WERE A MILLIONAIRE
1. I would pay off all my debt and QUIT MY DAMN JOB!
2. I would buy my mom and dad a house and a car!
3. I would buy a Harley, a Harley Edition F150, and a Tricked out Chrysler 300 with a bentley grill.
4. I would buy bonds for my kids.
5. I would start investing so I wouldn't need a job for the rest of my life!

5 JOBS I'VE HAD
1. Deputy Clerk/Auditor
2. Janitor
3. Coal Mine Warehouse Clerk
4. Deli Person
5. Auto Parts Sales Person

RULES:
Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

I TAG:
Sunny
Kati
Laurel
Lindseay
Kathy

Big Weekend @ the Huntsmans!!!

2008-10-05T19:44:00.004-06:00

So it was a big weekend at the hospital this weekend!LOTS of family came out to show some support! Dad wasnt able to visit with a lot of them! Best of all, Gramma and Papa Laulu came with Aunty Sulika and Uncle Joe. It was really good to see them! We were also able to visit with family from Salt Lake, St. George, American Fork, California, and even Hawaii! Aunty Tuaoi came and even brought some Pulini (a samoan dessert) and snuck some in to dad, and he LOVED IT! Saturday, all of us kids (Me, Scott, Sai'peti, Malia, Jim, Kimo, Mateo, Rebecca, Jason, Kalani, Perry & Brooke!) came to celebrate dad's 57th birthday. Dad celebrated by getting Chemo, while all the kids and mom ate! Yeah we are a bunch of fat kids! Sunday, Perry and I stuck around, to keep mom company, and visit with more family! Some of the family has a singing group, and they came by to sing for dad, and did a wonderful job! But you know us, we are always beng crazy! After everyone left, we convinced Perry to do the Thizzle Dance for us, and we cracked up BIG TIME!

For those of your that dont know . . .

2008-10-03T14:58:00.003-06:00

Some people have been wondering what is ultimately wrong with my dad, and here is the down low . . .
Dad was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia last year in August. Ususally this type of Leukemia is managable, but not cure-able. It is managed by Chemo therapy.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a cancer of the white blood cells and bone marrow. The bone marrow is the spongy inner part of bones where blood cells are produced. White blood cells arise from the marrow and circulate in the blood. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is characterized by uncontrolled growth of blood cells.

Back in June Dad was undergoing Chemo Therapy, and was not scheduled for another 3 months. For some unknown reason his CLL grew out of control, which was causing him some liver problems. He did not feel well and went into the hospital because he had signs of jaundice, and was not feeling well. He was admitted to the hospital, and then contracted pneumonia. After a week in the hospital in Price, he was tranfered to the Huntsmans Cancer Center in Salt Lake City. There they were treating him for the pneumonia and also trying to gain control again of his CLL. He continued to get really sick as they began, but now we think they are on the right track.
Dad is still really sick, but he is a fighter. He is recieving Chemo Therapy, which makes his immune system obsolete, but so far so good! He has really dont well! His jaundice levels are still really high (which make his skin and eyes a yellowish color!), but all of his other levels are begining to do better! Like the doctor said, "We're not out of the woods, but right now we can see the edge!"

We Start Chemo Today!!!

2008-09-30T12:14:00.002-06:00

So we are starting Chemo Therapy today. They Doctors came in and said that his white blood cell levels are coming up and his liver and kidneys look like they are doing better, so they are going to give him a certian kind of Chemo, that will attack the bad cells only! So we are pretty hopeful!
He also got out his feeding tube! He was way happy for that! Mom just has to remind him to eat all his food, so they dont put him back on! He is also having some of the fluid drained off of his belly again, so that will also help him feel a little better!
I guess last night he was feeling so good, while my mom left for dinner, he called the nurse and asked for ice cream. Well ice cream isnt on his diet, but they did bring him a popsicle, and he said it tasted good!

Over the weekend!

2008-09-29T11:24:00.001-06:00

Dad did pretty good this weekend! We went out Friday and got home late last night, and were able to spend some time with him! So that was nice! They got some of the results back about the biopsy, and it showed that his liver is full of the leukemia, so they are starting chemo therapy tomorrow! They aren’t sure how it will take, but are hopeful! He seems to be feeling better and is sitting up a little more, so that is positive! He is just always tired! It’s hard to see him like that! Mom is doing as best as she can. She still won’t leave and I don’t blame her one bit! Dad got mad at me when I told him that I was coming back later that week. I told him it was too bad cuz I want to spend time with him, and besides that, he would do the same if it was his father! He smiled and said ok. He is too cute!

Shopper Sai

2008-09-24T18:14:00.002-06:00

This is Sai thinking he knows how to walk! He is so funny! Sai will walk with his shopping cart, but as soon as his cart gets caught on something, he will turn around and start whining! It is funny! But he still won't stand on his own.

As for dad the liver biopsy is on again! He will be getting it tomorrow, and hopefully we will know the results by the weekend!

Just keep on truckin'

2008-09-23T11:24:00.003-06:00

Dad is starting to have fever spikes again, and not feeling the best! They have decided against the the liver biopsy just cuz he is so weak and not sure if he can handle the anesthetic. They are going to be putting a feeding tube in him today, and also extracting fluid in his stomach by needle to help him to be a little more comfortabel. They are concerned that the cancer has gotten into his liver and lungs, so they are going to do a CT scan today to see if they can see anything else. Mom is still up there with him and won't leave his side, I really don't blame her! Perry, Bec & I are going to see him tomorrow, and will find out more!

Hopeful News

2008-09-21T13:51:00.004-06:00

Don't let the picture fool ya! This is Dad today!
Dad is doing a little better today. The Dr's came in and said that his the levels in his kidneys and liver are doing a little better today. They have scheduled a biopsy for Monday, and that will be able to tell them a lot more. Saturday was a really good day! Perry and Scott came and sat with Dad while I took mom and we went scrap bookin'! It was a nice out for mom, and dad ended up staying up all day and watching Football with the boys! He really enjoyed the BYU vs Wyoming game! He is starting to get back his appetite and finally thinking that food smells good and taste good. He is even asking for certian foods. Mom was really excited about that. He still has to drink the Ensure drinks, which he hates, and I can't blame him, but now to encourage him, they are making them into a milk shake for him. He said they still taste bad, but it helps. He is doin pretty good today. A little more tired than yesterday, but doing well!

Thought we were on the mend . . .

2008-09-19T13:12:00.002-06:00

But we're still having a hard time! The meds for dad's pneumonia is making it hard on his kidney's and liver. They still haven't found what kind of infection that he has, and keep adjusting the doses of anit-biotic. They said that his bone marrow is not producing the stuff to fight anything! So we are still in the woods! We can see a little flicker of light, but not even close to the edge to see clearly yet! But he is trying to stay strong and positive, but its hard sometimes! But we will keep on truckin!

In my world . . .

2008-09-18T06:03:00.004-06:00

A ton has been going on besides dad being in the hospital. This weekend we catered a marathon, and took Sunny and Scotts engagements!(I hope they turned out like they wanted them too!) Here is a sample . . .

Sai'peti is starting to stand on his own. He is too cute! Funny too! He will only stand on his own for about 5 seconds, and then try to sit down. He is not scared of anything, well except for standing on his own. This kid will push toys together to crawl up, and will climb any set of stairs he can find! I am afraid we have a rock climber on our hands! He loves to climb, even if it is mom and dad, he does really well on that too! All in all, he has been really fun! We are kinda excited to have him walk, but I am afraid that he is going to skip walking and jump right to sprinting! Time will tell!

Update on Dad

2008-09-15T14:36:00.001-06:00

Okay here we go again.
So they got dad into the Huntsman’s Center. (For those of you that don’t know what the Huntsman Center is, here is the link http://www.huntsmancancer.org/ )It is more than wonderful! He has 5 Doctors that are assigned to him, and they come in every morning to have a little meeting and to correlate with one another, and to let mom and dad know what is going on. Its also nice because mom and dad can ask questions and they don’t have to say “I don’t know I will have to ask the Doctor”, cuz they are all right there!
This is what they have found out so far. He still has pneumonia, and is battling that as well as he can. They discovered that he has a fungal yeast infection. They know that there is something wrong with the liver, but not really sure what is going on. They don’t want to do a liver biopsy, cuz they are afraid that dad will have a hard time with bleeding.
Infectious Disease Dr brought in a team to study dad, and they decided that dad wasn’t strong enough yet. They also said that they have never seen anything like this, and they are going to have to hit the books on this one. They seem pretty confident, and did an ultra sound on some of his vital organs. They also looked at his pick, to make sure that there was no clots. They took him in for a CT scan to look at his liver and kidneys, to see if they could see anything on that. But he seemed like he was in good spirits. He was a little on edge, but they had quit giving him his happy pills, but they were starting him back up on those last night. He was really concerned about mom and didn’t want mom to stay there that much just cuz he knows that it is hard on her. I explained that hopefully this weekend she will come scrap booking with me for at least a day. We took mom out to dinner last night, to PF Changs! I love that place. Mom seemed to really have a nice time! We went with Brooke and Perry, and we were able to laugh a bit, so it was nice! You just kinda feel bad that dad can’t go, but I think it was a nice break for him too!

New Picture of Sai

2008-09-11T11:00:00.002-06:00

We took this picture of Sai at the Mall. He was soo cute! He was turning the steering wheel just like a big boy! It was so cute!

Update on dad!

2008-09-11T10:49:00.002-06:00

Dad was just transferred yesterday to UVRMC and they are waiting to get him a bed in SLC at the Huntsman's Center, but there are no beds available, but they think they can get him in there in the next 3 days.
They did the bone marrow biopsy and said that his bone marrow is chalked full of cancer cells. Dr. Bott gave dad a 50/50 chance, and said he had never seen the kind of cancer that he has grow so fast. Dr. Bott is very concerned, and that concerns us.
Mom is doing as well as she can. She really had a hard time when Dr. Bott came in to talk to them. As for the rest of us kids, we are pretty good. Just trying to be strong for mom and dad, but you know how that goes. Rebecca stayed they night with mom last night at the Hospital Guest House, and we are just going to rotate who will stay with mom.
The plan is to first get rid of the pneumonia, and find if there is another source of infection in his body that they are not seeing. Once he gets over that, they want to do Chemo, and see if they can't get the cancer cells to go down. So basically it is a hurry up and wait game.
I will keep everyone posted! Thanks for your love and concern! We really appreciate it all!

Lots has gone on!

2008-09-06T23:48:00.006-06:00

Okay, here is a quick run down. . .
First of all, I just want to say that I love Boyz II Men! For my birthday, I went to the Boyz II Men concert with Sunny, Perry and Brooke, and LOVED it! & yes I will admit that I knew every stinking word, to every single song, and I danced my tail off! Thank you Sunny for one of the best presents ever! Cuz I thought we'd go to the end of the road. . . oh wait, just havin flash backs!

Second, not the best of news but I thought I better mention it, I dont know how many know, but my dad last year was diagnosed with Leukemia. He just recently had another round of chemo therapy, and for some reason, his liver, kidneys, and lungs just dont want to cooperate! He was put in the hospital on Monday, and is still there. Friday, we had a little bit of a scare, but so far, he is doing a little better, and hopefully things are on the up! I will keep everone informed, and I appreciate everyone's love and concern! You guys are the best! Hopefully, he will be able to get better soon, so Sai can love on his papa!

Birthday Party for Sai'peti

2008-08-24T22:13:00.003-06:00

Saturday we had a Birthday Party for Sai! It was really fun, and I am pretty sure that everyone had a blast! We swam and ate really good food! Then it was time to let Sai eat his first birthday cake! That was so fun! My mom made it, and it turned out super cute! She made it into a Banana, because Sai is our little monkey that LOVES bananas, and instead of frosting, she did colored Cool Whip, with slices of bananas in it! While he finished off the cake, the other kids beat up some pinatas! After laughing until our bellies hurt, we were entertained by one of Sai's aunties and Antie Bec, me and Perry and my dad did the HAKA! Everyone loved it!

Sai'peti's Birthday Party

2008-08-19T21:03:00.002-06:00

For everyone that didnt know, Sai's Birthday Party/Luau is this weekend, here is the invite!

You’re invited to
Sai’peti’s 1st Birthday Luau
August 23rd 4:00 p.m.
55 East 200 North Price
Come Ready to Swim!!!
Swimming & Games
4:00-6:00
Dinner & Entertainment
6:00
Come Hungry!!!

Weekend Madness

2008-08-18T21:01:00.007-06:00

We had another full weekend! Friday I took Sai to his first Football Game! The game wasnt anything special, just the local high school Blue & White game. He was yelling and clapping! He loved it! I sometimes wondered if he loved the cheerleaders more than the football players, but all in all he really enjoyed himself, and Papa was pretty proud that his grandson loved the game so much! Saturday I had the opportunity to take Rebecca, Jason & Kalani's family pictures! It was very dramatic, and I think Kalani was tired, therefore had a hard time controlling his emotions! But they did turn out pretty cute! That night we went to the Helper Arts Festival where we found out that Sai really likes Heavy Metal Music. You cant really tell on the video, but in the beginning he is singing along with the music, and then towards the end he starts dancing again! He was too cute!

Sunday we got all of the boys together and took pictures! Wow, that was the craziest photo shoot I ever want to be in! But we definately got a handful of cute pictures! It was just hard to get them to smile all at once, and to get the 2 youngest to sit still! Kalani and Kimo did really well, although we did soon found out that Kimo is quite the clown! He had a different expression for each picture, while Kalani was able to hold a good smile for most of the shoot.
So lots of pictures and lots of fun this weekend!

San Francisco 08

2008-08-14T15:05:00.002-06:00

Over the past weekend, I went to San Francisco! It was wonderful! A little crowded but awesome! A quick run down of what I did . . . We flew in Wednesday night, rented our Hybrid car (took us a while to figure out how to turn it on, put it into drive and turn it off, it was a trip!), and found our Hotel! Next morning we ventured out and found our way to Fisherman's Warf on Peir 39. That was great! There was so much to see and do. We were able to take a Ferry and get a tour of the Bay, including stories of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel island, and all the different things in the bay. Later that day we saw one of my most favorite people in the world, Preston! He was working late that night, but suggested a wonderful place to eat. It was at AsiaSF. It was a cute little restraunt that drag queens servied the food, and entertained while you ate! Sad to say, but I think that was one of the funnest parts of the trip! The Drag Queens hung out with us, and we took pictures! They were lots of fun!
The next day we went across the Golden Gate, and up into Sonoma County to wine country, and then even further into the Redwood forest. It was awesome to see all of the sights, and take everything in. Later that night, we went to the Castro area and went out to dinner with Preston and Brian! Food in San Fran is amazing!
The next day we went to Berkley, where University of Cal is, and wondered around Telegraph St. This is where a ton of hippies set up thier little stands and sell everything they make! We also ran into a palm reader, and of coarse we had to see what she had to say! Needless to say, she said that I would never be rich! Damn!!! But it was fun! Later we drove down Hwy 1, that follows the coast. It was beautiful! We even found a Light House! That night on the way home we decided to try and find the Oakland Temple. I wouldnt suggest you do that after dark, cuz we definately got lost. And that wouldnt matter so much if it wasnt dead center in the GHETTO!!! But we found our way out, and it was all good in the hood!
The next day we went back to Fishermans Warf and got a few extra things that we knew we couldnt live without, and then off to brunch with Preston & Brian. The cute little cafe was in the Mission, which is a Hispanic part of San Fran. Craziest thing happened while we were there. There was a street vendor that was selling Mexican wresting masks. I thought they were fun and was going to buy one. While Preston and I were standing there, a kid came up and stole a mask right out from under the vendors nose. Preston and I just looked at each other in wonder, and then out of no where came another kid, and he stole a mask also. The vendor caught that kid, and folowed him onto the nearest bus that he had jumped on. When he got on and confronted the kid, the bus doors closed and of he went on the bus. Sad this was there was no one there to run his place. Luckly there were some of his friends close by and they took over. It was crazy though.
Brunch was wonderful as we expected, and off to see Mamma Mia! It was so much fun spending time with Preston and Brian! I didnt realize how much I really missed him, but I do!
But it all was a blast! I love every minute! Even getting lost was fun! I couldnt believe how crowded it was, but it made me really appreciate my little home soo much more. My home is a mansion compared to some of the homes there! The weather was wonderful! I like to call it hoodie weather. I could wear shorts and a hoodie and was just fine! I loved seeing the fog! I loved everything!

New Hobby!!!

2008-07-25T22:01:00.002-06:00

Here is the new hobby that Scott and I are going to begin restoring! It has been a long battle trying to decide a car that we both agreed on, something that didnt cost too much, and something that didnt need a ton of overhaulin'! This is a '72 Buick Skylark. Its got a 350 V8. So far all that is really wrong is it needs some carburator work, the brakes need to be redone, and the body needs a lot TLC! We are very excited, and cant wait to get to work on it! Maybe it will be done by the time that Sai goes to Prom!

Scarry Sai

2008-07-23T06:57:00.002-06:00

Sai loves to play peek-boo with Scott, but its more of a scarring match! It started off with Sai kissing Scotts knee, and then he crouched down and jumped up yelling! It was so cute! The video doesnt do it justice, but it gives you the idea.

Last night we had cousin Kalani over, and Sai LOVES Kalani! He had soooo much fun with him! Bec and Jason also came later to pick up Kalani, and Sai knew he had an audience! Then Uncle Perry showed up, and he was just loving life! He played really hard, got a hair cut, just like Scott and Kalani, and then got to shower with dad! He LOVES water! It was a really full night! Sai passed out as soon as we gave him his bottle! I couldnt help but sit and cuddle him for a while!

2008-07-15T12:49:00.003-06:00

Sai loves to hear his own voice, and honestly so do we! Here he is kinda singing, and kinda screamin! He is too funny! It was a morning that was beautiful outside, so we had breakfast out on the deck, and Sai loved every minute of it! He is starting to discover more and more sounds. We are still working on that "mama" sound, but I am hoping it will come soon. He mastered "dada" a long time ago! He is growing up so fast! He is crawling like crazy, and has mastered pulling himself up to anything that stands still. I am sure he will start walking soon, but I am hesitant just cuz I know he will skip walking and just start running! He is a cute little boy!

2008-06-27T13:52:00.003-06:00

I am batman . . . . Do you want to run with Batman?

Wow keeping up with the blog is kinda hard! Things are going good in the triple S house! There is something that is always going on here.

Lets see, Scott was just recently promoted to be a plant operator at work. They are still short on people at work, but Sulika sure likes the overtime checks! He also has been training for a Triathlon that will be held this weekend in Huntington, UT. We will keep you updated on how well he does!

Saipe'ti is growing like a weed! He is starting to show his true personality! He over all is a pretty happy boy! He crawls all over the place and is constantly pulling himself up to different things, even if they are things that he knows he is not supposed to touch. He has cut his 3rd tooth just recently! He love to grunt and make cute little noises! Sometimes there not so little!

As for Sulika, she is still working, and playing as often as possible. She won't be playing as much as she wants to for a while though. Thursday morning she broke her ankle, and is laid up for a little while. Dont ask, it really wasnt anything graceful! Not fun! But she will get better, not to worry! But I thought I would atleast show you the picture. Gives a whole new meaning to Cankles!

All in all we are doing good!

Camping in April

2008-06-05T21:51:00.002-06:00

So I know that this like happened 2 months ago, but here are our favorite pictures from the camping trip that we took to Huntington Lake with Sunny and Scott. Sai loved being outside! Of coarse we didn't rough it in tents like the hard core S&S, but we were in a trailer. It was F F F F Freezing COLD and for a brief moment I thought that we might be joining Toto in the Land of Oz because the wind was blowing so hard! But it was so much fun. Sunny's Scott even caught a crawdad, and it is still alive in our pond in the front yard!

Just a swingin'

2008-05-27T22:29:00.002-06:00

Playin at the park today! Saipeti loves to swing! He is soo funny! He didn't quite fit in the swing by himself, so we had to put a blanket behind him. He also loved swinging with Scott!

2008-05-22T18:00:00.002-06:00

Well Sulika is finally going to sell her motorcyle, to pay for formula and diapers! And the carseat does't quite it on the back of the motorcycle! If you know of anyone that needs a bike (ecspecially with the gas prices lately) let them know that they can buy mine! I advertised it on ksl.com under "1995 Yamaha Virago 1100". I also had Scott write the ad for me, and thought it was great, and wanted to share it on here, so here it is!!!
Yamaha Virago 1100cc. Just had a baby and can’t see myself attaching a car seat to my bike. Bike runs great, starts right up and is ready to add to its 23,617 miles. Set the cruise control, flip down your highway pegs and enjoy new tires with less than fifty miles on each. Your passengers will love the large seat and backrest, while having plenty of room to store their gear with the luggage rack and front and side leather saddle bags. Enjoy the stares you will receive as others admire your tan and green paint, and almost the entire array of chrome accessories. Seat is ready to ride, but you will want to reupholster or replace the seat eventually.

2008-05-14T08:47:00.002-06:00

Saipeti was crawling around and found a friend in the mirror! He is too cute! He loves to look at himself in the mirror! He is our smiley little guy!

Sick w/ the Flu

2008-05-09T20:52:00.003-06:00

Sai caught the flu!!! Sulika had to go and get him from Daycare where they share EVERYTHING, even their little bugs! Scott had just gotten off of graveyard shift that morning, and was trying to sleep. Sulika tried to keep Sai quiet while daddy slept, but the only thing that would keep Sai from crying was sitting on the porch swing. Sai would start to fall asleep and Sulika would get up to put him in his crib and Sai would start to cry again. Luckily, the porch swing also turns into a swinging bed, and Sulika set it up, and Sai took a 2 hour nap (which is a rare thing) on the porch on the the swing! Scott got up a couple hours later, and Sulika went back to work. Not too long after Sulika went back to work, Sai had one of the biggest blow outs in his diaper we had ever seen! Scott put Sai in the tub, which he LOVES, and let him play for a while! Sai turned into a prune before he got out of the tub! He absolutely LOVES the water! Even if he is sick!He is our little handsome man!

Momma's Boy

2008-05-09T20:48:00.003-06:00

Sai got his first tat!!!

We got a free Iron Man tattoo, and thought we would try it on for size! Sai didn't seem to even notice it, but mom and dad sure got a kick out of it!

2008-04-28T21:37:00.002-06:00

Saipeti and Sulika went to Lake Powell this weekend. It was so nice to feel the warm weather, and see the different sites! We didn't go boating, just went down to see the sites and have a nice lunch! Sai enjoyed every minute of it. I am afraid that he is going to be our little outdoor man! Sai loves being outdoors, and is so happy when we are outside of the house! Sai was also able to have his first taste of a handful of dirt while his mom worked on her first initial sun burn of the season. He thought it was great, while I on the other hand was trying to get the mud mess out of his mouth! It was fun, and we can't wait to go back! Maybe next time I will put on sunblock when I put it on Sai.

From what we understood, the lake was at one of the lowest points. We forgot to take the camera, but friends sent me one of the pictures they took of the "lack of the lake"!

2008-04-22T13:14:00.004-06:00

So Scott being the manly man that he is decided this year to run in the Salt Lake 1/2 Marathon. Over the past few years, Scott has picked up running as a hobby, and has thoroughly enjoyed it! This year was his first year running a 1/2 marathon (a little over 13 miles). He did really good for his first one. He almost killed himself, but did really well. He took 1470th place out of 3819 people. His time was 2 hours 3 min & 48 seconds. He ended up being pretty sore, but was glad that he did it. I asked him if he was going to run it next year, and he said he would think twice. I told him that i can just run him over in the drive way, and I was pretty sure he would feel the same. But knowing Scott he will probably want to do the full marathon next year!

2008-04-21T20:47:00.006-06:00

About the middle of June 07 I received a phone call from our LDS Family Services Rep. I will never forget the moment that I received that phone call. When I first answered the phone, he asked if I had a minute to talk. I knew immediately that this wasn’t a phone call to fix something on our profile or to make sure that some kind of number was correct in our application. I knew this was a special phone call. I am pretty sure that I began to cry before he told me the reason he was calling. He said that he was letting us know that we had been chosen to adopt a baby. A baby boy. He told me that he was due in September, and he was half Polynesian. We also were informed that we would have the opportunity to meet the birth parents in 2 weeks.
We were able to meet the birth parents for the first time. We were so nervous, and so were they, but it turned out to be a wonderful experience. Scott and I truly had an indescribable love for this couple from the very moment we met them. We visited with them for about an hour and a half and was able to find out more information, and had the opportunity to get to know the couple.
During our visit with the birth parent we found out the due date was the end of September. . . He is half Caucasian, and half Hawaiian . . . and birth parents were absolutely beautiful people on the inside and out! Scott and I came to love these two people unconditionally.
August 28th, our new baby boy was born. He was 4 weeks early but was still a healthy baby! He was 5 lbs 11 oz, and 18 inches long. I was able to be in the delivery room with them. It was one of my most cherished moments in my life! I even got to cut the cord! It was kind of gross but really cool!
Scott and I have talked about names forever. We have decided that we definitely wanted to do something Polynesian. We decided that we wanted to honor his genealogy. His first name we wanted to be Samoan, because that is my heritage, and his second name we wanted to give him a traditional Hawaiian middle name while at the same time honoring both of his birth parents. The meaning of a traditional Hawaiian middle name usually tells a story of that individual. Fortunately I have an Uncle who is Hawaiian and speaks Hawaiian. Scott and I called Uncle Bobby and asked him to translate what we wanted his middle name to mean. We ended up naming him Sai’peti Epomaikaimaikeakuaokalaniikeiaohanalii Merrell. Sai's middle name translates as "A blessing from God and heaven, given to our family, of Royal Blood."

Here we go . . . . .

2008-04-21T08:45:00.000-06:00

We are new to this but what the hell, I will give it a try for sure!