The Dagupion 'Ohana

Better

2012-02-13T19:25:00.002-06:00

Kai Boy is better today. Drinking and eating food again. And giving lots of "Nuggles". Thanks Peter for catching this shot of me and my Big Boy!

How could I forget?

2012-02-13T01:09:00.001-06:00

Some of the biggest news of the weekend...

Cruz asked to go Poopy in the potty and then DID! :)

Interesting Weekend

2012-02-13T00:46:00.000-06:00

This weekend was full of ups and downs. We were all excited to head to the West Side to meet Jadelyn, Pat and Lisa's new daughter. Ryenne, Kai, and Cruz were so excited to meet their cousin. Kai has already declared that he will always protect her. Pretty adorable.

Friday night Kai got pretty sick. Up all night throwing up and liquid poops. I think he might have gotten sick from a box of raisins but I'm not sure. I was exhausted. Poor Kai Boy!

Saturday he did much better. I did a newborn shoot for Jadelyn and had an afternoon photo shoot. Then at night Kai woke up sick again and I was up all night with him again. It is so hard to see him sick. He is the tiniest little boy. I tried to keep him hydrated with coconut water, coconut milk, water, and anything else I could get into him. It all mostly came out. :( He looks like a little skeleton right now. Like one of those ads for a third world country with the starving children. I had to have him in a diaper today - which he hated - because he couldn't control his bowels. It was hard to see him like that - because the diaper is loose on him and tight on Cruz. Fingers crossed that he'll do better tonight. I'm at a loss for what else I can do - shoot me an email if you have any ideas dagupionohana@gmail.com

Speaking of health... I have been in a rut lately. A sugar and carb induced rut. A horrible cycle of yucky. I admitted to myself that I'm an addict. I have an addiction to carbs and sugar and I have to have it and then feel like crap after I do. I did so well all year until I got back to Austin and then I was stressed and ate all the wrong things. It's been a hard cycle to break.

So a few days ago I read about a Paleo method of eating (think paleolithic) eating as our ancestors did long before we started eating grains of any kind. It inrigued me. High in meats, veggies, fats, seeds, some nuts, and some fruit. And some yogurt is ok too. I decided to give it a go. Started last night with an amazing spag sauce over shredded zucchini "noodles". All day today I stayed away from carbs - which is hard at my in-laws house - and I have to say I feel AMAZING. So full of energy and not carbed out. Looking forward to more tomorrow. Especially now that we've found a really awesome farm with amazing veggies and papayas. So I guess I'll write about it a bit and check in with how it's going. I'm sure I'll have moments when I just have to give in to that dang pancake or artisan bread - as a treat - but for now I'm just telling myself that I'm allergic. And according to the spare tire around my belly, I AM allergic.

I was going to stick around at my in-laws to watch the Grammy's. Especially after the passing of Whitney Houston yesterday - another famous person gone too soon. I really wanted to see that tribute and my Bruno Mars (didn't know I had a giant crush, didja?). But the kids were restless and nobody was home so I took them back to Makawao and we danced and ate dinner together. It was nice. Peter is going to try to find me a recording of the Grammy's so we can watch together tomorrow. If Kai is feeling better we're taking the kids out to dinner tomorrow night to celebrate Valentines Day as a family.

Overall it was a crazy, interesting weekend. I hope this week everyone is back to their healthful selves.

Cruzer Boy

2012-02-06T19:43:00.003-06:00

Cruz needed a post all to himself. He is growing SO FAST. Faster than I can even believe. I am in denial that he's turning 2 next month!

He loves playing peekaboo. He loves hiding in blankets. He is so giggly. He loves to flirt. He is such a handsome little dude.

And unlike Kai, he is totally a Daddy's Boy.

Peter and Cruz have an incredibly close connection. I think because Cruz is the first of our babies that Peter really gave his 100% attention to. And it's a beautiful thing for me to watch these two together.

A little nose smush before Peter headed to work.

Chin kissing

Smell my feet, Daddy!!

Hugs before Daddy left for work

Today we're going to decorate Valentines Boxes while Peter is at work. Should be a fun, messy project!

Lovely

2012-01-31T19:57:00.001-06:00

Oh what a lovely weekend we had. Peter did work, but we took advantage of the daytime.

I have to say that I really look forward to Friday nights. It's a new routine and I love it. Fridays after school, we all head to Napili. The kids faces light up as they realize they are about to be spoiled by their grandparents. And Peter and my faces light up as we realize that we get a morning to sleep in!

On Saturday we headed to Napili Bay. There were big waves and as usual my three were fearless.

Ryenne and Kai racing in the water

Little Girl wouldn't stay still!

Cruz is such a water baby!

This was right before he charged the wave, huli'd, and I had to rescue him.

Cousins

Cruz the nekkid water baby!

Landon

On Sunday we went to Baby Beach in Lahaina with dear friends. The water was flat as a lake and a mama and baby whale played right off the reef. The Mama whale was showing the baby how to breach. It was AMAZING. Wish I had my camera for it. Everyone on the beach was clapping. Ryenne loved it!

It was such a perfect weekend. Everyone had a nice layer of salt and golden to their skin. Looking forward to more weekends like this!

Me and a little Monkey

2012-01-29T00:55:00.000-06:00

GRRRRRR

2012-01-27T22:55:00.001-06:00

What a day.

My mom and Peter and I discussed our pup, Dexter today. Dexter is going to be 10 this year. We fear that he won't make the flight to Hawaii well. This KILLS me. I miss that dog so much. And what's worse, when I left Austin I thought he was flying with Emmy and I told him, "See ya in a couple weeks, Dex!" not knowing that I won't see him again for a long time. We decided that it's better for him to stay in Reno with my mom where he can be pet 75% of the day on my Grammie's lap, romp around with dog friends, and have a fully enclosed backyard to play in. It's better for him, but it still hurts because I selfishly want my dog. But I know this is the right decision for his happiness and well being and I know that he's being loved on more than the attention that I can give him right now. So "a hui hou" my sweet Dexter Boy. Until we meet again!! I love you so much. You have been the best dog I have EVER had.

In other GRRRRRR news.... when I first moved to Austin I sold a gift certificate to this guy for his sister to use that Christmas for Holiday Photos. I reminded her to use it and she didn't. Then the next year I told her I'd extend the certificate for her to use. And she didn't use it. Then she called right after Cruz was born and she didn't like the days I offered her. Then I didn't hear from her again until today - in 2012 - and she was shocked that I wouldn't refund the money. Now she's writing all kinds of negative reviews all over the internet. For me this is really hard because I am one of those people who does care about what people think of me. I try to do right in everything I do. It's been a lifelong struggle to understand that I can't please everyone all of the time. And I want people to like me - I really do! So it just hurts that this woman is going online to slam my business and my business practices. But I think she just sounds kind of silly because she says, "How was I supposed to know you moved?" when I advertised it for 7 months on facebook, my blog, and website. I guess she just never really valued my work anyway. But it still hurts to know that someone out there has a bad taste in their mouth. GRRRR.

Nana

2012-01-26T23:10:00.001-06:00

Last weekend was Lisa's baby shower. We are all so excited to have another little girl in our lives - woohoo! I'll have a new niece very soon!

I snagged these pictures of Ry and Cruz with Nana - their Great Grandma. Not the best quality, but I love each of these. Nana is such an incredible woman.

Today after Peter left for work I took the kids out on an "adventure". We headed to Kula where we met a beekeeper and bought raw honey. Then we discovered a farmers market off the beaten path and bought onions, eggplant, zucchini, cucumber, mushrooms, and papaya all for $14!

The Boys

2012-01-19T02:47:00.001-06:00

With Ry away at school five days a week, it gives me a lot of time with these little boys. Cruz is such a water baby. When we went to Sprecks Baby Beach over the weekend, he just flung his whole body in without a care in the world. It was low tide and he waded in until he was neck deep and was happy as can be. It made me so nervous! No pictures of that since me and Peter were right there in case he went under.

He LOVES bath time. He got these little bowls with holes in the bottom and he likes the water to flow all over him.

He has taught himself how to float!! He lays down in the tub with the water all around his face and floats on his back. He even holds his breath. This little dude is going to thrive in the water - my little fishy!

Kai has been so sad since leaving preschool - he begs me to leave him in Ry's class in the morning. I had to find a way to get him back to school. A photographer friend recommended a church preschool not too far from us. We went and checked it out and he had his first day on Tuesday! He was so flippin happy. The 3's class was full so they put him in the 4's class and the teacher said he did great.

He is such a social, funny little boy. His comments crack me up all the time. He loves to wear his shoes on the wrong feet and when I mention it to him he says, "Because it's cool like that mom. It's just cool, ok?" and I crack up every time.

Me and Ry have always played the "I Love You" game where we say I love you more, and then she says, "No I love you more!" and it goes back and forth. Well Kai has now gotten in on this game. And after we exchange back and forth a few times, he says, "Mom, how about we just love each other a whole lot, ok?". I love that.

The Community Pool

2012-01-17T19:45:00.001-06:00

This weekend was like a dream weekend.

Yesterday was beach day. The community pool as we call it. It couldn't have been more perfect!

Lonely Blog

2012-01-13T13:21:00.001-06:00

Poor blog has been so lonely! Time to share all that's been going on!

We visited Uncle Nico on Christmas Eve. He had hand made mango wood blocks for the kids. They are AMAZING.The kids adore them.

Our first Christmas back home was very, very simple. Actually, even though it was a sparse Christmas, I could have done without the balance bikes. Once the kids saw the kitchen they didn't want to open anything else.

We are enjoying our safe street for riding bikes. I try to get the kids outside riding and running around every afternoon.

Even though he's getting so big, he still curls up like a little baby. I am just trying to hold onto that for as long as I can.

These pineapple fields are just down a little bit from my house. Everytime I drive by, I just love looking at them and the valley below. I am often asked why I chose to live Upcountry when all my work is either on the West Side or in Kihei. Well, I definitely knew I didn't want to live in Kihei. It's a desert and I need rain. The West Side is so expensive. And I honestly don't mind the drive Upcountry. It is so insanely beautiful that I just consider it a total privilege to be able to live here and see it EVERY DAY.

Family trip to Napili Bay.

Some cool sea animals. A purple Wana and a baby Opihi. Opihi are the limpets on the rocks.

Peter took me out on a breakfast date last week to Mala in Lahaina. This was our view from the table. It was so beautiful.

On the way home from town yesterday, I pulled over at the pineapple fields and snapped this with my phone.

Here's a little update on what everyone is up to:

PETER - Peter is working his butt off. For whatever reason, the Four Seasons didn't help with a transfer (which is really hard to understand) but I am so incredibly thankful to the Westin Maui for rehiring him. He was rehired as a casual employee (no benefits) as a bell-valet (his old job). He pulled full time hours during Christmas and then it got slow so he has been helping out in accounting all week. I have enjoyed the Monday - Friday routine. They actually might have a position opening so I'm encouraging him - the set schedule would be so awesome! Peter has been playing with the kiddos and we've been enjoying beach time together.

MARIAH - I've been trying to be everything to everyone and there are not enough hours in the day. I have been enjoying walking with the kids to the school every morning and trying to get our house in order (there are still boxes and stuff to deal with). Been enjoying the time with the boys and just tripping out on how fast everyone is growing. ADORE beach time. I have to figure out how we can go even more. Just trying to find a balance between business and home.

RYENNE - She is so smart and so sweet. She has adapted incredibly well to her new class and has made two friends. One is a little boy named Iokepa and she says they hold hands on the playground (you shoulda seen Peter's face when I told him that!). She is a little fish at the beach - completely fearless. She is such a great helper. Her reading is coming along so nicely. She loves to read and is so proud of herself when she finishes the readers she's sent home with. This video is long and you don't have to watch the whole thing, but she wanted me to video her reading a book. (if you're getting this via email you have to click on the blog link to view the videos)

KAI - Kai Boy is speaking so clearly and is so smart. He asks daily why he can't go to Ryenne's school. So on the recommendation of a friend I checked out a preschool not far from us. It's adorable. He is going to start two days next week. There is no room in the 3's class so they're putting him in the 4's class. I know he's going to do great. I had to laugh because normally schools have a shoe requirement. This one requires all shoes to come off before you enter. So Hawaii :) He is nervous and excited. He is super snuggly and his imagination is incredible. He loves to sing and dance too. Here is a video of him singing and "playing" the ukulele.

CRUZ -This little man is growing like crazy. He is getting so, so big and all of a sudden he is repeating everything! His first word accomplishment was saying Ry Ry, and now he can also say Kai and Emmy. He LOVES to talk and he's all about his cars and trucks and trains. Anything with wheels actually. Like his sister he's totally fearless at the beach. He's like a little fish boy. He has graduated to a toddler bed as he was climbing out of his crib so it wasn't safe for him anymore. He is totally entering his terrible two's and starting to test boundaries. He knows that Kai is very sensitive so he walks up and punches or bites him - this is a big challenge for us right now. Here is a video of Cruz talking (the audio isn't quite synced right for some reason)

We are just loving being back home on Maui. Everytime I think, "Wow, this is SO EXPENSIVE!" all I have to do is look outside to understand why. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't say "THANK YOU" to the Universe for bringing us back home.

Playing ketchup

2012-01-07T22:32:00.005-06:00

When I tell Ryenne I'm trying to catch up on work, she says it's ketchup :)

I was very blessed to have a really successful holiday season. But aside from the actual shoots, there is so much back-end work that I have to do that I have put all my own pictures and projects on the side. I haven't been super happy saying "NO" to fun things to the kids because I need to sit at the desk and edit. So I decided that I need to free up some of my time. I can't do EVERYTHING. So I'm sending sessions out for editing. I think I've found a wonderful company and I've sent out 4 sessions. I think this is going to change my entire workflow. And I won't have to play ketchup as much. :)

Happy 2012 - Looking Back...

2012-01-01T18:22:00.002-06:00

I remember saying goodbye to 2010 and it doesn't feel like it was very long ago. I remember thinking, "2011 has to be a better year..." and it was.

I think 2011 will be the year that I grew up. The year that I discovered my worth, my meaning, my love, my hopes, and my dreams.

I am so grateful for everything that happened to me in 2011. But mostly I'm thankful for the way that my marriage strengthened and Peter and I rediscovered each other and what we want for our family.

I'm thankful for the way my business grew in 2011. It took a mindset change in order for it to soar, and I'm so excited for 2012 to be my most successful year yet.

Though I am missing my parents something fierce, I am so thankful that Ry, Kai, and Cruz will get to grow up with the plethora of aunties, uncles, and their grandparents on Maui. The family support has been so incredible and such a blessing.

Happy New Year to you all. Whether you're part of my family, my dear friends, or just some readers stopping by. I love you all!

Dream Come True

2011-12-30T03:58:00.001-06:00

So day before yesterday Peter was off from work and I had a shoot. We had dreams about this scenario - that I would go on a shoot and he and the kids would be playing on the opposite end. Then we'd bring their tired little selves home to a restful, sea-induced sleep. So I did my shoot and came upon my three gorgeous babies and their daddy playing in the sand at the beach after sunset. May this be the first of many moments like this...

Ryenne kissing Cruz on the beach in Wailea

2011-12-29T17:08:00.001-06:00

Christmas post is coming - along with other sweet moments. It's been a crazy week. I have 5 shoots, the POD arrived, we've been unloading, unpacking, trying to organize. My life feels a little crazy right now - but in a good way.

I just had to pop on here to tell a sweet story.

After I watched the movie, "The Secret" (which has truly changed my life, by the way), I started a dream frame. I pinned little pictures onto it. Over time the kids started pulling pictures off and then I had to take it down completely when the Austin house went on the market. I took the dream frame to the bedroom and it had one picture pinned to it still. I leaned it against the wall. Ryenne asked me about the frame and the one picture pinned to it. I asked her, "Go look at the picture and tell me what it is of." She went and looked. "It's a plantation house, Mommy." she said. And I asked here where we are right now, "In a plantation house!" she exclaimed with wonder and magic in her eyes. "Exactly" I told her. And not just a plantation house. A plantation house on Maui. Yes, dreams come true.

Our Christmas Card

2011-12-25T13:57:00.001-06:00

If I had the time to do a card this year, it would have looked a bit like this...
(click to make it bigger)

I hope the magic of the season has touched you. It certainly has for me.

Christmas Spirit

2011-12-23T15:31:00.000-06:00

I have been touched by the Spirit of Christmas.

Remember I posted the pictures of the kids mailing a letter to Santa? Well I didn't even put stamps on them. I figured the post office would do whatever they wanted. But yesterday I checked the mail and there was a letter to the kids from Santa. It touches my heart that someone has taken it upon themselves to return letters to children. That is so above and beyond and so wonderful that it's just really brought me into this Season.

Several people have touched my life in the past few days.

My Dad really helped us in getting the dogs on a plane. Emmy came to Honolulu where I picked her up yesterday and brought her to Maui. He then took Dexter this morning to the airport to go to Reno where he'll stay for a few months until he can also come to Maui.

When my dad took Dex this morning, Continental told him the crate was too small but they had one for sale for $140. This was a big bummer. But noticing that Dex's crate was brand new, he offered my dad a crate trade and told him "Merry Christmas!". WOW. How amazing and wonderful!! Dex made it safe and sound to Reno where he's currently snuggling with my mom - THANK YOU MOM!

Emmy had a rough day yesterday. When I got her she was matted with poop, pee, and vomit. Poor thing was so scared. As soon as the plane touched down in Kahului I got on the phone with PetCo's grooming department. It was 6:30pm and they closed at 7pm. The groomer, Claire, heard my desperation and said she's wait for me. I brought in Emmy and Claire got her sparkling clean. She even took apart the crate and hosed it down. ABOVE AND BEYOND!!!! Me and Emmy are so grateful!!

And lastly, the other night I picked up the kids and started to head home. My purse had been sitting on the back of the couch and Kai had knocked it over while he was playing. I didn't realize that my wallet had fallen out. I was already to Lahaina when Marissa called me. I was going to turn around, but Peter's cousin Shane decided to bring me my wallet in Lahaina. Thank you Shane!! And then I went to Taco Bell because everyone said they were hungry. The drive through attendant was a teenage boy and I was expecting him to just give me my bags and move on to the next customer. But instead he handed me three individual bags and told me, "I figured each kid would want their own bag. I hope it makes your ride a little easier." and I was BLOWN AWAY. Yes this was a small thing, but it was HUGE for me. So thank you boy from Taco Bell.

My heart is so full right now. MELE KALIKIMAKA.

Full of Love

2011-12-19T16:27:00.001-06:00


Daddy is home and all is right in Cruz's world


I received a box of very special goodies from my Mom and Grammie. My Grampy's fishing hat with flag pin and one of his pocket knives. Amazing treasures. So happy to have them.

Ry's special Christmas face while posing in front of Papa and Gramma's Christmas tree. Priceless.

Relax...

2011-12-18T01:11:00.003-06:00

Spent the day with Peter collecting fun things for Christmas. And fun things to do this week to get us in the Christmas spirit. So excited to show the kids!

Whirlwind

2011-12-16T23:52:00.000-06:00

It has been such a whirlwind lately. Sadly, I feel like it's not even Christmas.

Today I FINALLY feel like a normal person. I haven't been this sick in such a long time. There were moments where I felt I just couldn't do this by myself. And then Peter came to the rescue like a knight in shining armor to take the load off of me, to let me sleep, to let me regain my strength, to support me as a husband and as a father to the kids.

Our little Christmas tree sits alone in the corner of the room undecorated. I haven't even gone Christmas shopping because I hate Wal-Mart (with a passion) and K-Mart is out of stock in just about everything. Anyway, I feel like I've missed this holiday season because of the move and because I was so sick. I haven't gotten to enjoy much of it at all and it makes me a little sad. I know that the kids don't know much of a difference yet, but it's still sad to think that none of our holiday things are here yet. I guess more sad for me than for them. Next year will be better. And of course we're back to Maui holiday schedules and Peter will be working Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

I'm blessed to have two busy weeks coming up with lots of photography sessions. Tomorrow Peter and I get an entire day together to go Christmas shopping while the Littles stay with their grandparents. Excited to have some time with him without the monkeys. Maybe now that I'm better I can really start to enjoy soaking everything in that is "Maui at Christmas".

Letters to Santa

2011-12-14T20:09:00.001-06:00

Peter is here *sigh* life is easier. :)

Today me and the big kids did letters to Santa. Ryenne's is pretty awesome.

"I want presents." Makes it pretty easy, huh?

They decorated their letters and we took them out to the mailbox. Kai is also sporting a green mustache. And he wanted to do the manly thing and pee in the bushes.

Ry's first day at school & a tour!

2011-12-13T13:24:00.003-06:00

Ry had her first day of school yesterday. Koa brought up Shayna to stay with the boys so I could take Ry without the distraction that is "the boys". We walked up together and she held my hand so tightly. We entered her classroom - now keep in mind the school was built in the 1930's and hasn't been updated much since. Her eyeballs opened wide as she noticed the walls were kinda bare and the desks and chairs are all pretty old. Let's just say this school probably gets about a quarter of the budget her old school got. She met her teacher, Mr. Costa, who is an older gentleman. Not quite the younger, type A personality Ryenne had envisioned. But he's really nice and welcomed her. She didn't want me to leave and was thisclose to crying until a group of girls came and held her hand and took her to the carpet to sit down.

I came home and got the boys ready to head to Kihei. I found a clinic I could go to. It was quite an excursion with two crazy little boys in a doctors office. I have a sinus infection and conjunctivitis in both eyes. I look like a haggard mess. I got prescriptions and am starting to feel a little better today but hopefully even better tomorrow. At least my eyes weren't glued shut this morning!

Anyway, took the boys to pick up Ry yesterday and she said she had a great day. She got hugs from the kids in her class and told me all about lunchtime and recess (her two favorite subjects) and the sentence they were working on today. Mr. Costa let me know they're having a tea party today at 1pm and I can bring the boys so we're all going for a tea party! How fun!

And here's a little video of our house! If this is coming by email, you actually need to click the link of the blog to view the video :)

After the tea party today we zip down the mountain to pick up Peter at the airport! SO EXCITED!

Nuggle Me

2011-12-12T23:25:00.000-06:00

"Mama, nuggle me...." has got to be my most favorite thing to hear right now. Through the craziness, the tantrums, the 'camping out' in our house - this one phrase just makes me stop in my tracks each time and look my kid in the eye and be in the moment with them. Even when I just walked past this...

Makawao Town

2011-12-10T20:56:00.001-06:00

Today the kids made a sleigh out of a box. It was pretty adorable. When Cruz went to take a nap I locked the door, turned on a movie, and curled up in a blanket behind the kids and tried to sleep. It wasn't a real sleep, but it helped. When Cruz woke up I felt a little better and decided to pick up the camera for some images of my babies. My camera hasn't been picked up nearly enough.

Handsome Kai Boy with the tree behind him.

The super big smile - love that smile!

I wonder what was going through her mind?

Then I asked if we could get some on the front step and they actually indulged me. I was a little surprised actually!

My favorite of the series.

Such a cutie!

Showing off the yard and garden.

Look at me! I'm a climber!!

The kids were getting pretty stir-crazy so we walked to Makawao Town which was doing a little Holiday Festival today. The kids got to put their handprints on a horse!

And they got to visit Santa at the library too!

Stogin' on candycanes....

Haha Kai's face in this one cracks me up!

Piiholo stables was doing free pony rides. Score!

And we finished our afternoon painting a portion of the Makawao mural that they were having kids paint.

I'm glad we went cause I'm hoping the kids will be pooped and it was super cute. As for me, not feeling so hot right now. I'm headed to Napili tomorrow with the kids to hand over the kids to their grandparents so I can curl up in a little ball and sleep. We're doing cereal for dinner and then it's off to bath and early bed for everyone! Nighty, night!

The trip over

2011-12-10T20:25:00.001-06:00

Pops snapped these from his cell phone from our airplane ride.

At SeaTac

A Cruz Burrito

And these are from going to the beach with Grandmama!

I call this next one "The Earl" cause Nico's eyes are closed like Earl (it's a tv show)

Poor Cruz. He wasn't feeling good at all!

Pretty morning but...

2011-12-09T01:00:00.001-06:00

Today was just a really hard day.

The shower in our house is broken so it's being worked on. And since we have just the one bathroom I tried to keep us out of the house as much as possible today so we wouldn't have to use the bathroom with the workers.

This morning I took the kids to feed some horses, but it started raining. Jenna and her boys came with us - so she suggested we go to Kula to check out Kula Country Farms. They were closed for another half hour so we ran around at Rice Park and then went into Kula Country Farms.

Rice Park has an amazing view! For those that don't know what they're looking at, we're on the slopes of Haleakala in Kula. Looking down you see the valley of Maui with ocean on both sides. You also seet the West Maui Mountains and the island of Lanai there to the left.

Cruz putzing around

Kai in front of the gardens

The farm stand where we bought strawberries, tomatoes, and cabbage

Ry checking out the pony

Happy Sunflower!

After our little trip to the farm Cruz was overtired and hungry. So back home we went where I made them chicken stew with rice. Everyone ate all their food and then dumped their bowls over on the table and the floor and spilled rice everywhere. Not just the baby, but all three. And I lost it.

I had been up since 6am bathing, dressing, feeding, and cleaning up after the kids. I didn't get dressed myself or even wash my face until after 10am. And here they were leisurely throwing their food and bowls around like cleaning up after them is all I am here for all day long.

So then we went to Kahului to have Ry's tb test read so I can register her for school tomorrow. We get home and the older two go running off into the house without even a regard that I had small stuff to carry in and could have used their help. I guess it's just getting to the point where it's really, really hard to be by myself. There is nobody to help me clean up, take out the rubbish, give baths, feed, do laundry, edit photos, ect. I am just overwhelmed and exhausted. I honestly don't know how single parents do it! I have been going, going, going nonstop for the last two months and I think my body is telling me that I just need a break. I joked with Peter that when he gets here on Tuesday I'm giving him the kids and running in the opposite direction! haha

All joking aside - I love them immensely. I am just so overwhelmed!

Full Tummy

2011-12-07T00:44:00.001-06:00

Turns out an old friend from high school lives right next door. I went to see her today and she welcomed us into her house with a big dinner and lots of toys. The kids quickly fell in love with Auntie Jenna. Ryenne even got to help make dinner and had a hot cocoa tea party. We dined on rice, mashed potatoes, steak, roasted pig head, and an eggplant/tomato/onion salad. It was so good. When she heard I just have one pot she grabbed one of her pots and filled it with chicken stew and helped me walk home. What a wonderful day!

The View from Here

2011-12-06T17:28:00.001-06:00

Another Picture the Holidays theme... the view from here. I might re-do this one because if I have this one published in the book the kids might be mad at me later on. But this is so real and so them at this moment.

This morning was our first morning waking up in the house. We made cinnamon rolls and while they were baking the kids started going through a box of books that Nico gave them. The books are from when we were kids and they are like little treasures. From the dining area, I snapped this image of them. Ryenne is shoving hair out of her face, Kai is picking his nose, and Cruz is trying to see the book even though it's upside-down. Just a little glimpse at how they are at this age, unstaged, on a regular morning.

The older two did excellent in their first night in the house. We read stories after bath and they fell asleep no problem. Cruz fell asleep no problem but woke up at 3am with a super stuffy nose and phlegm. I did as well so we both took medicine together and I couldn't get him down again until 5am. Lucky for me the older two slept in until 9am and Cruz and I woke up again at 8am.

This morning it's a little windy and rainy. But between the rain showers we walked to Makawao school and I got the paperwork that I need to register Ry. We're heading down to Kahului this afternoon for a TB test as that wasn't required in Texas. We can hear the school bell from the house and at recess we can hear all the kids playing. Ry says she can't wait to start school. Poor thing will have about 4 days of school then be out for Christmas break. I know she's stir crazy being with her little brothers all day.

We also walked around the garden area and pruned the hydrangeas that are growing on the side of the house. We took off all the dead flowers and hope that it'll give us some new bunches of flowers.

We are loving the house - can't wait to put my furniture in it and hang pictures to make it our own.

You hold the key

2011-12-04T21:36:00.001-06:00

I had to think about this one.... You hold the key. A literal key? Well the new key to my house isn't that pretty of a key. Then I went to the front door to hang a bow with Ryenne and I saw the new doormat that I picked out yesterday and it dawned on me that this was my answer.

Aloha in your heart is the key to everything. And it didn't hurt that our slippers were there. Slippers at the front door of a plantation house... pretty awesome. This is Hawaii at it's core.

On another note, when I changed Cruz's diaper this morning, a fortune from a fortune cookie fell out (of his diaper! I know, right?) and I had to laugh because this is what it said:

Kinda fitting since I'm moving onto the mountain, dont'cha think?

I was very thankful that Marissa and Eugene followed us to Makawao today to help us get more organized. And a very special letter with stickers was waiting from Gamz too.

All You Need is Love

2011-12-04T21:31:00.001-06:00

I missed Picture the Holidays yesterday so I have two today.

The first is ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE.

And here they are. My monkeys. My beautiful three plus my amazing nephew. I am so blessed to have these children in my life. I often reflect on how many years I wished for them, prayed for them, and cried over not having them. And yet here they are. Even in my moments of feeling like a complete crazy person, I still ponder that time in my life when they weren't here. And I am so glad that they are here and chose me to be their mommy.

We bought the little tree from Lowe's today. We put it in the corner of the living room and also hung a bow on the front door. It's starting to feel a little bit more like Christmas.

Holy Guacamole

2011-12-04T01:17:00.001-06:00

Today I left the kids in Napili so that I could go and buy food to stock the house - fridge items, freezer items, pantry items. Costco was packed. This was the craziest Costco Trip EVER. This is what $900 looks like and yes, I pulled both carts myself.

Reframing the Season

2011-12-03T00:38:00.001-06:00

Day 2 of the holiday challenge was certainly a bit of a challenge for me. It's REFRAMING THE SEASON. And it calls for a physical frame.

Since all of my frames are on a barge in the middle of the pacific, I didn't have a literal frame. Since this Christmas will be so different from our mainland Christmas', I asked Ryenne to make a frame with her fingers around Hawaiian Santa on Papa and Gramma's tree. I love how her fingers are stained with markers as we did some coloring today.

December 1

2011-12-01T18:18:00.001-06:00

It's December first already. And I still have things to post about leaving Austin, but it's the first day of PICTURE THE HOLIDAYS - a 30 day image project with a different theme everyday.

Today's theme is GRATTITUDE - especially appropriate after Turkey Day. :)

I am grateful and thankful for so very much. Today I decided to capture MAUI - I am grateful that Maui has called me home to raise my kids. I'm grateful for the person I've become because I had the huge honor of growing up here. I'm grateful to my parents, friends, and family for believing in me and my dreams to return home. I am so very humbled.

The beach... finally

2011-11-28T22:34:00.001-06:00

You may be surprised that I've been here since Friday afternoon and haven't been to the beach yet. But I've been dealing with barfing boys and lots of snot and yuckies. It's been quite a weekend. Tonight I went out for my first photo session back home - a surprise engagement.

I waited on DT Fleming Beach for them to arrive and pretended I was photographing surfers. Then I turned and got him dropping to one knee and proposing and my heart was probably beating just as quickly as his. It was really extraordinary to be a part of that moment. So special. And the sand felt awesome on my feet. And it was just so incredibly beautiful I felt like dropping to my knees and thanking God or whoever else is up there for allowing me to follow my dreams. It was such an incredible moment for me.

DT Fleming Beach waiting for my couple to arrive

Ryenne is finally coming out of her cold. She got to go out with Papa tonight. She was so proud that she got to go by herself.

Big girl Ryenne and Papa Eugene

I'm hoping the boys are feeling better tomorrow as Grandmama and Pops are coming out to the West Side. I would love for everyone to be ready for the beach tomorrow!

Maui Mondays is coming back!

2011-11-28T15:57:00.001-06:00

I don't know if I've ever mentioned Maui Mondays on my personal blog, but essentially it's a project that I love doing and I put it on hold while I dealt with the move.

Every week I take a picture of Maui - of our adventures, something beautiful, anything really. And I email it out once a week on Monday morning. It's just a little way to make Mondays nice.

If you haven't signed up, do it now! It's free. :) SIGN UP HERE.

The House

2011-11-27T21:06:00.001-06:00

This morning me and Ryenne headed to Makawao to see our house. We met with the owner, Emi, and talked story a while. It was so refreshing to meet her and hear her introduce herself to Ryenne as "Auntie Emi" - that is so Hawaii. I missed that.

We went to check out the house and the current tenants are moving out. They are extremely messy people. The house is in serious need of cleaning. Ryenne was quite disgusted. I could see past it all to the beautiful house that it is. It should be ready on 12/2 and sparkly clean. So excited. I can't figure out which bedroom to claim as ours. All three bedrooms are quite small but light and bright. There's also a wonderful cross breeze through the house.

The dining room with the living room through the arch

The kitchen - the counters are butcher block - really pretty!

There's a really beautiful lanai in the front and gardening space. The baseboards and crown moulding through the entire home are really, really gorgeous. I can't wait to start decorating for Christmas. I can just see lots of baking going on in the kitchen. And it's just a short walk from school. I also found out a high school classmate lives right next door and has a little boy Kai's age. SWEET!

After visiting the house, I took Ry to Maui Child Toys & Books on Makawao Ave to pick out a special toy for her Mommy & Me date. We then went and had lunch at Cafe O'Lei and shared a brownie sundae. I think she had a great day with her Mama!

Home

2011-11-27T02:10:00.001-06:00

Haleakala from Hana Highway on the way into Paia

We are home! After two days of traveling, cranky kids, being peed on, being thrown up on, ect... we made it.

Thank goodness my Pops traveled with us. Made it so much easier for me. We also had a really helpful staff on both Alaska and Hawaiian Air so that also made it easier.

Upon arrival Kai got off the plane yelling, "YES! We are home!" which was absolutely adorable. Ryenne was an incredible helper and Cruz was just a sick little boy. He is still getting over a yucky, phlegmy cold. Poor little dude.

When we got to Marissa and Eugene's house they had a Thanksgiving feast waiting for us. It was so good as we were all hungry and tired.

Today we headed to Pickle's house where we had another beautiful Thanksgiving. Grandmama is visiting which made it even more special. Uncle Jeff, Miles, Nico, Abra, Pops, Tyler and Keenan were all there. The kids had a ball. They played badminton, football, and did some fishing. By the time dinner was done though they were totally pooped and cranky. They came back to Napili and just crashed.

Tomorrow we head to Makawao to see our house and meet our landlady. I am SO EXCITED. Pictures coming tomorrow!

Crafty

2011-11-21T13:46:00.001-06:00

I wish I was a more crafty person. I am inspired by others' crafts and projects and love browsing Pinterest looking at them. But I'm just not very crafty myself.

But I saw these adorable angel ornaments at Target and thought they'd be the perfect teacher gifts for the kids to give their teachers as a thank you for being their school angels. I bought paints and paper and the kiddos got to paint to their hearts content. I wrote a special note on the back of each teacher's painting and tied the angel on with raffia.

I think they came out pretty darn adorable!

Broke Da Mouth

2011-11-21T11:19:00.001-06:00

Last night we invited our Texas 'Ohana - our closest friends - to our last big Texas dinner. We went to the Salt Lick in Driftwood and dined on ono kine Texas BBQ. They gave us the banquet section and the kids had a blast running around like hooligans.

It was so nice having these kiddos all together. They've been friends since we moved here and have become more like family. We left the Salt Lick with full bellies and full hearts. It was a wonderful evening.

Over the next couple days I'll be packing everything up for mailing. I think my computer is going tomorrow... Tomorrow is also the last day of school for the kiddos. It's all happening!

The latest... cell phone pics

2011-11-17T08:48:00.001-06:00

Ryenne brought home her class stuffed animal, Franklina, the weekend we were doing the big moving. It was stressful but added an element of fun. I love this image of her laughing!

The last Saturday Donut Day at 2309 Wilma Rudolph!

Cruz is a huge climber now!

On 11/8 our container was picked up. It's now leaving Pflugerville, TX and will be on it's way to San Diego and then Maui!

On Sunday we drove down to Wimberley to go to our babysitter, Hannah's school function. Since we don't have a big car, Peter had to ride in the back.

Ry got her face painted

Cruz likes my morning shakes. He looks like a little Spaniard, doesn't he?

I took this on my way to a photo shoot. When we moved to Texas I was in awe of the "mini castles" and the suburban neighborhoods. Now I can't stand them! Funny how that changes...

Old building in San Marcos, TX

Mommy/Daddy date in San Marcos while the kids were at school. We went Christmas shopping!

On Tuesday we (finally) closed on the house. We are no longer home owners! WooHoo! The kids liked the fountain at the title company.

This little snake was outside yesterday. Poor Kai flipped out!!!

11-11-11 at 11:11pm

2011-11-11T23:15:00.001-06:00

Screenshot on my phone. Just wanted to record it.... 11.11.11 at 11:11pm - pretty cool.

Outside

2011-11-11T11:45:00.001-06:00

After a very chilly morning, it was beautiful for playing outside at Pops' house. Cruz had just gone down for a nap and the older two could play with the wagon and the "motorcycle". Love how Kai can rock the pink and purple "motorcycle".

We're Out

2011-11-10T18:17:00.001-06:00

Wilma Rudolph House is totally clean and lovely and ready for her new owners. We're all at Pops house. It's been a little crazy, but fun. The kids have really been wonderful.

We were supposed to close today, but since our buyers are doing a VA loan and tomorrow is Veterans Day, the office was so busy it couldn't be completed today. So now we close on Monday.

It was a beautiful afternoon. We played outside. The pups are having a great time with Meesie and she is with them, too. All is well!

Our internet was down for 3 days but it's back up and running (thank goodness!) Amazing how little can get done when I don't have access to the net!

What a day!!!

2011-11-07T21:48:00.001-06:00

You hear me say it every year, but I'm saying it again: I hate the time changes that happen twice a year. Once again the kids were up early - 5:30am to be exact. I was still exhausted from packing up the master bedroom yesterday.

Thankfully, a drop in day was available at the preschool so I took the boys today and powered out all the furniture in the house. I did a lot of Goodwill runs and rubbish runs. The only thing left to tackle is getting the food out of the fridge and pantry and bringing it to my dad's house and cleaning out the garage and bringing my dads tools back to him.

I got frustrated today because Peter really sucks at moving. I had to yell at him a few times and I was really upset. But I took a deep breathe and told myself that everything I'm doing I'm doing for ME because I WANT TO and it doesn't matter what he does or doesn't do because I can make it happen myself. So I gave myself a break and said to myself, "I'm going to check my email right now and there's going to be a new photography booking." And I checked and sure enough there was one for December 5. So that put a big smile on my face.

Then Peter told me that the job he applied for at the Four Seasons Maui wasn't available anymore because the original person who had quit decided to come back to work. Bummer. So the search is still on.

And then after moving big furniture myself and busting my butt it was time to get the boys. Once the kids were home it really got crazy. Nobody would listen to anything and it was all around chaos. I looked at my dirty, empty house and realized that this part of our lives is REALLY coming to an end. Pretty soon we'll be saying goodbye to that house forever. It kinda tripped me out.

And then I got the best news of the day... we got the sweet plantation house in Makawao!!! Out of all of those people she chose our family to take care of her beautiful house. And I really do feel like it's a privilege. I am SO EXCITED. This is going to be such an amazing place for us.

I celebrated with a cheeseburger and a milk stout beer. I'm sitting in Pops' quiet house. It was a crazy day, but it was a great day.

40 down to 3

2011-11-06T14:04:00.000-06:00

Just got an email from owner of the plantation house in Makawao we're trying to rent. She let me know that out of 40 applicants, she's narrowed it down to 3 potential families and we're one of those families.

Still sending positive thoughts out to the Universe that we'll get picked!

One more room

2011-11-05T14:11:00.001-05:00

Almost there. I pretty much have just one more room to pack - the Master bedroom. Bed, two nightstands, and the big dresser. And the dining room table. The plan is for all the kitchen plates and silverware to go inside the big dresser drawers. Then we have a massive trip to the Good Will and we're all packed up. Wow.

Hourglass

2011-11-04T10:34:00.003-05:00

Hourglass by Mindy Gledhill
{youtube video}

Little boy, when you speak
I can't help but kiss your cheeks
I love the way you grab my hands
And tell me all about your plans
Rocket high, comets fly
You and I could take a ride
And fly away to Neverland
And give our best to Peter Pan
When you reach for the stars
Don't forget who you are
And please don't turn around and grow up way too fast
See the sand in my grasp
From the first to the last
Every grain becomes a memory of the past
Oh, life's an hourglass
Life's an hourglass
Story's read, prayer is said
Close your eyes sleepyhead
While angels linger in your dreams
And hold you in their feathered wings
Just like you, I was small
Not that long ago at all
I wish you all the happiness
That God gives freely if you ask
When you reach for the stars
Don't forget who you are
And please don't turn around and grow up way too fast
See the sand in my grasp
From the first to the last
Every grain becomes a memory of the past
Oh, life's an hourglass
Life's an hourglass
Life's an hourglass

Mahalo's to my cousin, Alison, for emailing me this artist. LOVE IT!!

Still in the running!

2011-11-03T18:18:00.003-05:00

Thank you to everyone who has emailed asking if we got that sweet house in Makawao. We are still in the running. I actually spoke to the owner today and she was so nice... she misplaced my rental application though so I re-faxed it to her. We had a nice chat and I think we're going to get the house. I am super duper hoping we do because cruising on Craigslist there are a lot of really dumpy rentals out there on Maui. We are talking DUMPY! So now that she has our application again and can verify Peter's employment I am hoping we'll hear from her soon. I would loooooove to spend Christmas in that house!

I've been a packing FIEND. And I love to purge. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE purging. It's my favorite thing about moving. It's strange and funny to come across things and wonder, "Why in the world did I keep this?" and then donate it so it can be someone elses treasure.

I have also really enjoyed coming across boxes that were never unpacked when we moved in here in the first place. I guess since when our stuff was delivered and just "dropped off" I tucked boxes away to completely forget about them. Some of them are such treasures. I found a wood block that Koa carved for me for Christmas that says, "Best Sister Ever". Such a treasure. That one is coming out of it's box! I guess maybe deep down I knew this wasn't our permanent home? I also never hung my Gracie lights. My Gracie lights are so special. Before we sold our condo in Napili I had my dad take them down as I couldn't bare to part with them. So they'll be held until it comes time to put them up again.

We're expecting our first freeze tonight! Gonna dress everyone warm and have the heater on tonight. Tomorrow all the dressers get loaded into the container.

Happenings

2011-11-02T13:27:00.004-05:00

Day before yesterday our POD arrived!

Halloween was pretty bad this year. Not nearly as many kids as last year, so I have a big bucket of candy leftover. I think I'll end up dumping it. I have no will power against these things! Ryenne was Ariel the Little Mermaid, Kai was Spiderman, and Cruz was an apple. But he got upset and ripped the apple off his onesie. We're at a tough spot with Kai Boy... he still needs a nap, but it's hard to get him to take one. So by dinnertime he's just a whiny puddle. This was my Halloween. Whiny puddle boy!

Yesterday was Peter's birthday and we spent the morning loading up lots of big things. We still have the chest of drawers, office, dining table, and our big bed to load. And kitchen things. But we got the big hutch and the living room credenza in. The living room is starting to look more empty!

I volunteered to read in Ryenne's class yesterday as well. I didn't tell her that I was coming. So when I walked into the classroom her eyes lit up! She ran over and gave me a giant hug. The classroom was in total chaos. Her teacher was having the kids clean up all the day's messes (it was toward the end of the day). Once everything was put away, I read the kids Leonardo the Terrible Monster, which is about a monster who tries to be scary but then decides it's better to be a great friend instead. After I was done reading, the teacher sat in front of the class and gave out scoldings for everyone being naughty. She said, "I know you all didn't go to bed on time last night because it was Halloween. And I know you probably had a lot of candy. I don't want to have another day like it was today." and then she went on to say that only two students behaved. First she called up a little boy and he got a sticker in his sticker book. And then she called up Ryenne. Her little face just lit up - she was so proud that I was there to see her recognized by her teacher. I was SO PROUD OF HER.

When we got home we got ready to drive to San Marcos where we heard there was a new Hawaiian restaurant. It's actually a lunch trailer in a cute little trailer park with picnic tables. So we got ono Hawaiian grinds for Peter's birthday. It was a great time.

Today the boys are playing with boxes. I've packed a few more things. It's hard to load with the boys around so since they'll be in school tomorrow I'm hoping to get a lot more done. Cruz thinks boxes are the coolest toys ever!

How I Love Them

2011-10-31T09:27:00.001-05:00

*sigh*

How I love them. So much.

Ryenne brings home "take home readers" a few times a week. Some she really struggles with and others she catches pretty quickly. Reading has been a struggle for her but I think she's catching on.

I'm embedding a video - if you're getting this via email you'll need to click the Dagupion Ohana link at the bottom.

How I adore her. My only girl. She is so special. She is so snuggly. She has become such a helper.

And my Kai Boy. He is going through quite a whiny stage right now. It is so funny because he reminds me so much of Nico as a boy. He falls on the floor like a puddle... but he's so lovey and silly. He is definitely "my boy". Very attached to his Mama!

Cruzer. My baby is growing so fast. While he is completely and totally a daddy's boy, he has his moments when he is lovey with his Mama. His face is changing. He's starting to look like a little boy.

Lately we've been streaming music videos on the big tv so we can have afternoon dance parties. He is particularly attached to Justin Bieber's "Baby" video and dances and dances. And then says, "Baby!" at the end. He's added a couple new words to his vocabulary - ball, baby, and 'nana (banana) are all new this week. He can now say "Hi Bops (pops)" and "Bye Bops (pops)" too. And he insists that Pops shakes his hand before he leaves. :)

Looking out over Lake Austin

He looks like such a cherub!

And this man.... oh this man. How I love this man. For all my crazy ideas, my instant mind changes, my hopes and dreams - he is the one who says I can do anything.

How I love them... this family of mine. How blessed I am.

Super Awesome Sunday

2011-10-30T12:59:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful day so far...

Woke up to a happy Kai Boy giving me kisses. Had pancakes and berries at Pops' house. the kids got to pet the cows and climb the hay. Wish I had my camera. All three were up on top of a hay bale with Pops. Ryenne got to jump off into a pile of hay on the ground. Fun and smiles were all around.

Then it was off to Lowe's where the three were in a race car shopping cart and we went through the Christmas aisles. They found a Woody Doll that a child left behind and we went hunting for the owner. They were so happy when the little boy spotted us and we gave him his doll back. In the parking lot we revved our "engines" and I took off running across the lot racing the cart. When I got good speed I jumped on the cart and we rode to the car. Everyone "squeaked" brake sounds when we got close to the car.

Then it was off to Sunflower Market for coconut milk and they were having a special vendor day. They were giving out popcorn, coconut waters, chips, ect. The kids got a Ghost Balloon and tons of samples. So much fun!

I have mini sessions this afternoon, but Pops is coming to pick up the older two for a Pops date to go see Puss and Boots at the theater. Ryenne can barely contain herself she's so excited.

It's a beautiful 70 degrees outside right now. Absolute perfection!

Following Your Heart

2011-10-27T08:35:00.005-05:00

It was a while ago that I saw the movie, "The Secret" and I've been really trying to put it to use in my own life. Using the power of positive thoughts and being thankful to receive more from The Universe/God.

I think for a lot of people, they are confused by how fast we're picking up and leaving. "Wow, that was so fast!" I hear a lot. I'm a little confused by this because moving is just that way. It is upcoming and then it's here. No matter when you plan, that last couple of weeks are always going to go by fast. So why not just get it over with?

Which brings me to another point. I am following my heart. It's taken me a long time to realize that I have the power to change things for myself and my family. I have it within my power to shape our future. I am following my heart because I am able to make changes to facilitate what my heart wants. I am able to make this move because I am willing to give up other comforts in my life. I have been able to sit down and determine what is important and what is not in the grand scheme of things. Without doing this, these pieces would not have fallen into place. I hear all the time, "What I wouldn't give for { insert something here }." But really people want something without giving up something else.

I am not perfect. Actually it's been a lifelong struggle to give myself worth and value. I have always felt not good enough, not talented enough, not pretty enough to deserve things that my heart wants. But over the last year - really since that huge fight with Peter - I have come to realize that if I want to open myself up for good things, I have to love myself first and foremost. It's a process but it's happening and my confidence is up and my happiness is up.

So yes I'm following my heart. I'm picking up and leaving Austin because I can. Because I can make it happen to make our dreams come true. And anyone can.

The Midwest, Sweet Potato Pie, and The Zoo

2011-10-23T20:56:00.002-05:00

I don't think I posted pictures from Iowa on the personal blog. Cruz and I had such a great time!

Cruz and his buddy Max played so well together!!!

Des Moines is the capital of Iowa. The capital building is beautiful!

The City of Des Moines - looks a little like Austin

Susan caught this moment of me and Cruz. I love it!

The other day I had some really big sweet potatoes and the kids don't really like smushed sweet potatoes (crazy kids!) so I decided to make sweet potato pie. I had a really great kitchen helper!

Kai being my helper in the kitchen. He was very careful!

And I spent a good portion of the day yesterday packing. And playing with my new Nikon. The low light capabilities are AMAZING. I loved getting this image of Cruz. He has a sweet little cleft chin that shows when he smiles or makes silly faces.

Today was quite a wonderful, totally awesome day. Since I had a wedding last night, Peter took the night off, which meant that he could wake up and spend Sunday morning with us. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we decided a Sunday breakfast out on the town was in order. We picked up Pops and headed to Moonshine in downtown for an amazing Sunday Brunch Buffet. It was AMAZING. And we sat in a part of the restaurant that was built in the 1860's. It was BEAUTIFUL. The kids were extremely well behaved and the waiter's name was Ryan so he loved talking to Ryenne. It was awesome.

Then we took the kids to the Austin Zoo. We saw animals, fed some deer and llamas and rode on a train. Cruz and Kai walked mostly and it was so lovely outside. Truly a wonderful family day out. I wish we had more family days out like this. It was such a treat to have Peter off on a Sunday!

See the tiger back there? RAWR!

Ryenne loved the tortoises.

Feeding the deer

Feeding the llama

Cruz loved it!

The Dagupion Ohana in front of a giant chicken!

I had a lovely photo shoot tonight and came home to steak for dinner - Thanks Pops! Lovely, lovely day!!!

Hope we get it

2011-10-23T17:09:00.002-05:00

I have been scanning Craigslist and The Maui News for a home for us on Maui. Scanning and scanning and seeing total dumps for rent. And then I saw this...

Plantation House - Check
Sweet original details - Check
A kitchen I can cook in - Check
Fruit Trees/Gardening Space - Check

Family and friends please keep it in your prayers that we get it! It's walking distance to Makawao Elementary, the library, coffee shops, ect. Nico is going tomorrow for me to check it out with the owner.

The Mexican Fisherman

2011-10-21T15:50:00.004-05:00

The American investment banker was at the pier of a
small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with
just one fisherman docked.

Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna.
The American complimented the Mexican on the quality
of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, “Only a little while.”
The American then asked, “Why didn’t you stay out longer
and catch more fish?”
The Mexican said, “With this I have more than enough to support my family’s needs.”
The American then asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life.”

The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the
processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”
To which the American replied, “15 to 20 years.”
“But what then?” asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said that’s the best part. “When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”
“Millions?…Then what?”

The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”

Something to think about, hm? I look at all I have, all the opportunities that are coming my way, and am feeling blessed and happy.

Maui on my mind

2011-10-21T13:30:00.002-05:00

Still so many pictures from the summer to go through. I figured I'd get some off my phone while Cruz is napping. I have a big stack of photography things to do, but I figure that I need to take a moment to go through my own images as well. Good for the soul ya know!

Koa, me, and Nico. Kinda funny I'm the oldest and the shortest!

Ry gets a lawnmower ride with Uncle Nico


Airport Beach, North Kaanpali. Peter and I photographed a wedding on the lawn here.

Beautiful Plumeria

The hiking trail we took up the mountain when hiking to the "L"

Part of the way up. SORE LEGS!

The amazing view. We hiked quite a long ways up the mountain!

Part of the way up. I think Lahainaluna High School has the most amazing location for their football field. What a view!

We took the kids to Lanai for three days. It was supposed to be just me and Peter but we decided we would miss the kids too much. They did AMAZING on Lanai. I took them to the stables to ride a pony. The pony's name was "PONY BOY" which Kai really liked cause he said it was just like him.

Kiddos on Pony Boy

The kids with their paniolo guide

The Lodge at Koele Window Seats are amazing. I adore them.

Playing Croquet


Cruz and Daddy

My big girl adored riding the pony

Kai putting his riding hat on

Ryenne helping Kai. He was a little afraid of being up so high. I got a few pictures like this and then I held his hand. The pony was so sweet and lovey. And the stables were so nice to let us hang out and watch the big horses come in from their rides.

Our visit to the Maui Ocean Center - kids had a blast.

There are still more to go through but I figured I'd get some of these moments online before life moves on and I forget. Plus when we're back home permanently there will be lots of new memories to be made. :)

And onto the present...

Ryenne's first book report. It was about Curious George.

Me scoping out a wedding spot for tomorrow. Zedler's Mill in Luling. I'd love to bring the kids back here before we leave Texas.

Spotted this on the way home from Luling. Kinda weird to put a crashed plane by the Skydive sign... not sure about this marketing!!

My new workhorse. My gear is almost 6 years old. My favorite lens broke and I needed something for low light situations. I bucked up like a big girl and made a business decision that I know will pay off. Hello Nikon!

Ryenne's school has a program where the students can buy a book to be donated to the library. Ryenne chose Princess Justina Albertina and the book is forever inscribed with her name.

The best possible way to wake up

2011-10-19T00:06:00.000-05:00

I opened my eyes this morning to find a snuggly Kai Boy looking right into my face. He smiled. It was his big, goofy, silly smile where he shows all his teeth. And he said, "Noses, Mama?" and I smiled and said, "Yes please." and was then given sweet noses and butterfly kisses. What a fabulous way to wake up!!

I might as well announce it already...

2011-10-15T14:30:00.002-05:00

We're going home. Soon.

It's football season and supposed to be the busiest time of year for Peter. But it's been the worst season ever. So much so that I've been afraid of how we're going to make ends meet. So it doesn't make any sense at all to move into a small, cheap place in Austin and try to survive. We'll just get stuck because there won't be any extra money to put away toward a move. As we approach winter, there aren't any photo shoots, either.

So it makes sense that we go home to Maui as soon as possible. I have already turned down 12 photo shoots for October on Maui and several for November. I'm hoping that I'll continue to get business there. And thankfully my in-laws are taking us in and helping us get back onto our feet. Big shout out to them as this wouldn't be possible without their help.

So my last wedding in Austin is on November 18th. Shortly after that we'll be homeward bound. Dogs will have to wait until 12/22, but we'll figure it out. It will all work out.

My Hula Girl

2011-10-15T11:18:00.005-05:00

Sitting and tackling some "to do" things today. My desk has a big pile on it! My hula girl...

Home from Iowa

2011-10-14T13:34:00.001-05:00

What an absolute treat to fly to Nebraska and drive to Iowa to see a dear friend. I love to travel - almost as much as I love photography. So it was a treat indeed to combine my love of travel, photography, and friendship into one trip.

Cruz and I flew into Omaha where we met with Susan and Max for two days of play, photography lessons, editing lessons, Starbucks, and pedicures. Cruz loved playing with Max (2 months older) and Max's big brothers. I loved hanging out with a girlfriend and getting to know her and her family better.

The midwest was lovely. I am so glad that I got to go and experience Fall in a different part of the country. We had such a beautiful time.

Back in Austin... for now.

Kai's Birthday

2011-10-08T22:09:00.001-05:00

Kai's birthday was small and sweet - just us. His big gift was a Lighting McQueen scooter. Here's a video of his excitement receiving it and Cruz stealing it.

And his birthday cake!

Big Boy had a great birthday. He is loving his personalized book from Gams and all the Cars things he got from Grandma and Papa in Hawaii, and his big racecar he got from Great Grandmama. He's a race car fiend!

Hurry Up and Wait

2011-10-05T11:56:00.003-05:00

I feel like I'm in such a limbo land right now. HURRY UP and WAIT! We got our list of things we need to fix on the house for the buyers. I was dreading it. It's honestly not too bad of a list, but it's the money I'm most worried about. This has already been the worst Fall season for tips we've experienced.

It's still too early to find a rental to move into so I feel like I don't know where I'm going yet. It's really troublesome on my mind since I love to plan things like this. I want to know where I'm going to be. So I'm just waiting until we can go looking so I'll feel more steady about everything. I'm nervous about qualifying for a rental. We have to prove income and right now it's teeny-tiny. I think after the house wipes out our savings we'll be able to qualify for food stamps so that will help. I just applied for reduced lunch for Ryenne and hope we get it. It will reduce her lunch from $2.10 to $.30.

I don't usually like to post financial things, but right now it's really tight and really scary and we're going to lose the only cushion we have to the sale of the house. I'm ok with this. The house is too big and too much money. I am really excited about a smaller space with lower utility costs. And as crazy as it sounds, I'm excited to organize all my crap. It seems like with a big space you just have room to put so much STUFF. Looking forward to downsizing.

So all my readers.... please just send some positive thoughts out into the Universe that everything will work out just as it should and that this transition in our life will go smoothly.

Funk Today

2011-10-03T12:37:00.003-05:00

Replace the N with a C and we've got today.

I have two very cranky little boys. This morning has been nonstop clingy, cranky, crying, unhappy. Two little unhappy, cranky little boys = tired, crazy mommy.

Doing my best...

Kai turns 3

2011-10-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

My big boy turns 3 today. At 5:05pm precisely he is a whopping 3 years old. There are no words to describe how important and special this boy is.

He is the epitome of thoughtful, lovey, and sweet. He is a Mama's Boy through and through. He has come such a long way in the past year. So much so that I am so incredibly proud of him and want to shout it from the rooftops.

I remember when he started speech therapy I told the therapist, "I just want him to be able to say his name. And I'll be happy!" because my sweet boy lost almost all of his speech. (By the way, if anyone wants to hear my thoughts on his speech loss and delays, please email me and I'll be happy to share with you my thoughts on what happened to him).

Throughout the last year his speech has blossomed. He loves to talk and tell "Tall Tales". His imagination runs wild. His thoughtful comments blow me away all the time. Just the other day he walked up to me and said, "Mama, you're my beautiful and so is my Ry Ry. I love you."

He is the tiniest of my babies. He is still so small that he can climb into my lap and fold himself up into a snuggly little ball. When I go to sleep at night he's curled up on his tummy like a newborn with his legs tucked under him. But don't ever say he's small because he'll yell, "No I'm not! I'm a big boy!"

Kai is a person who loves life. And he's a fighter. I know in my soul that this child will grow to be an incredible person. I love having him as my son. I am so thoroughly honored to be his mom.

He graduated out of the ECI speech and development program (which ends at age 3) so I took him to the Austin School District evaluation to see if he qualified for further therapy through the school system. He was tested and while he still has some small things to work on, he is now testing at the level the rest of his peers would test. It is incredibly gratifying and wonderful to hear that he is at the level he should be. I'm so, so, so proud of him.

Happy 3rd Birthday Kai Boy!!! Love you to infinity and beyond....

Good Friends

2011-09-29T13:55:00.000-05:00

Ryenne has finally gotten into the swing of things at school - she is like a little sponge and starting to recognize and read small words. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am at her excitement over learning. Her usual response to my question, "How was your day? What did you learn?" is "It was SCHOOL mom. That's it." - it's like pulling teeth!

But I am so thankful for her friend Joshua. Though they aren't in the same class, they are really good friends and get to play on the playground together. When I pick her up from school they have big hugs for each other with promises to see each other the next day.

Thanks Joshua for being such a good buddy to my girl. I think he's helped her with the transition a lot!

One More

2011-09-29T00:19:00.003-05:00

My Kai Boy playing ukulele.... he was so serious.

Somebody's turning three soon...

2011-09-28T22:14:00.003-05:00

I took a very special boy out this afternoon for his very own photo shoot. He did GREAT. I can't wait to show everyone all his cute pictures. But for now...

The Plan... i think

2011-09-28T11:02:00.003-05:00

We had our home inspection yesterday and we met the buyers. They are a really nice couple with two kids - they said they LOVE our house. We're still waiting to hear on the results of the inspection if there's anything that they're requesting us to fix.

As many of you know we're losing money on the house. In fact, it's wiping out our savings completely. BUT, rather than be sad about this, I'm happy that I'm not going to be tied to it anymore. It's the biggest thing keeping us in Texas. So while there are lots of happy memories in this house, I'm happy to be moving on.

I think we'll be heading to a 2 bedroom apartment or duplex and will be saving like crazy. We've been talking about it a lot and we both prefer not to move back home broke. So we'll stay in Texas and build up our reserves to pay for the move and a couple months worth of rent on Maui so it will be an easier transition. And the kids will get to finish out the school year in Austin. So target date for our Maui move is May 31, 2012. It's longer than what I was hoping for but I think it's the smartest thing for our family to make sure we don't move before we're financially ready.

A few pics & A Day Out with Thomas

2011-09-26T11:32:00.000-05:00

Before I go into detail about our trip up to Burnet yesterday, I wanted to share a couple of other pictures and updates...


On my drive home from a photo shoot on Tuesday I drove home through the city during sunset. It was quite lovely!!

When Cruz is asleep and Ry is at school, me and Kai Boy head outside. He was picking me flowers off the weeds. :)

Dot art on his last therapy session. More details about his therapy in progress coming in his very own post!


His name with dot art! I think I'm going to cut out the letters and put it in a frame.

Yesterday Pops came over with his big truck and we transferred the carseats and headed up to Burnet for the Day Out with Thomas. Last year it was on Kai's birthday but this year it was a week early. I was hoping that the weather would change and it would be semi-cool/comfortable, but it was 104 yesterday! The kids had fun but were really hot.

Of course Kai doesn't like looking where we ask him!

Striking a pose

The kiddos with Pops

Thomas attached to 1920's train. It was really lovely!

The boys saying goodbye to Thomas

Scorching hot... this was toward the end. The kids were pretty done!

On the train - Ry and Pops


The back camera so it's pixely.

Love her face in this one!

Sweaty posing LOL

Ry was in the seat in front with Pops

After we said goodbye to Thomas we went to Marble Falls to eat dinner. Chili's is right on the water so we decided on that. Wow was it terrible. I don't think I'll ever go back to a Chili's again. Yuck-o. When we got home the kids took a bath and were pretty tired. I did a workout and went to bed early.

It was nice doing an activity out and about.

Plateau

2011-09-24T22:00:00.000-05:00

I've been in a weight loss plateau for a while. Sometimes I get really depressed about it and can't understand why I've stopped losing weight. I'm working REALLY hard at this. But my body isn't dropping weight as easily as it was in the beginning.

I'm in my second week of p90x - doing it for the second time - and I'm hoping that this will help me get out of this battle.

It also helped to look back at where I started and see how far I've come. I've come a really long way - I realize that now. I just needed to see a picture to remind myself and feel proud of myself.

Here's to continuing on this journey!

My first C.S.A.

2011-09-23T12:03:00.001-05:00

I have joined my first C.S.A. (Community Supported Agriculture) program. I really, really enjoyed going to the farmer's market a few times, but it's really overwhelming with the kids. There is a little petting zoo there that's cute but it's $15 for the kids to spend 5 minutes with the animals. Plus there's popsicles and all kinds of other things to bribe kids and it gets expensive, hot, and hard for me to get everyone and everything in the car.

While I was at the Farmers Market last time I noticed a company called Greenling. They work with a variety of farmers to distribute boxes of goods to people. I signed up for the local box delivered weekly that is full of all that weeks harvest. I got my first box on Tuesday. I should have taken a picture of it!

In addition to the local box I also got local unhomogenized milk (YUM!!!), pasture raised organic eggs, and all natural butter. The really neat thing about it is that it comes with really local things - things I wouldn't even know what to do with sometimes. This weeks box came with fresh beans, purple hulled peas, corn, lettuce, asian pears, green beans, mushrooms, onions, and butternut squash. I am having a ball figuring out how to use everything.

The other night I made acorn squash stuffed with chicken sausage stuffing. It was SO AMAZING. Tonight I'm making a tomatillo chicken soup with the fresh beans and corn. I'm LOVING THIS!

A Solid Offer

2011-09-21T15:33:00.000-05:00

Our house went on the market in June and we've been cleaning and keeping it beautiful. It has been a challenge with three little monkeys eager to mess everything up, but it ultimately hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. It's actually been really nice to have a clean home to enjoy and cook in.

We received a really low-ball cash offer the other day. Our house is listed at $189,000 and it was for $170,000. Not so hot. And they didn't like our counter-offer at $185,000. But then we got another offer from someone else for $186,000. We are super excited and have accepted the offer. Next step is the home inspection and we'll go from there. I believe everything in the house is fine, but please send thoughts into the universe that the house passes the inspection with flying colors!

Once this all happens, the closing date is 11/11/11. We are going to end up owing money on the house which is going to wipe out our savings. As much as I'd like to ship everything to Maui right away, we'll need to stay in Austin and rent something small and cheap and save like crazy people. As much as I wanted to be in Maui by December, I don't know if that can happen just yet. I have some jewelry that I'm going to sell and some furniture so all of that will go into the "moving to Maui fund".

We are so excited about this. Please everyone send prayers that this goes smoothly and that we can find something in budget to rent with a smooth move.

September 19, 2010

2011-09-19T10:45:00.000-05:00

September 19, 2010, was one of the worst days and one of the best days of my life.

Normally 9/19 is a completely happy day for us - it's my Pops birthday and it's also the day back in 2005 that our little eggs were implanted and it ultimately resulted in our beautiful Ryenne.

But last year, 9/19 was an extremely difficult day for me. It ultimately changed me in ways that I can't even measure.

On 9/19 last year I thought my baby was going to die. On that same day I thought my marriage was going to end.

I haven't wanted to write about it because I have been in a year long healing process and needed to not talk about it with anyone while I processed things internally. If you go back to my post last year, you'll read how I wrote everything so lightly. It wasn't a light day. It was a heavy, hard day.

Today I'd like to talk about that day - what happened then - and what's happened since.

Last year we were having breakfast to celebrate Pops' birthday. Kai was at the height of his issues (though I hadn't recognized them all yet) and was having difficulty holding himself up when he was sitting. At the table he fell out of his chair and hit his head on the iron leg of the dining table - hard. I stupidly went on a walk. At home, he started throwing up and convulsing. My mom came over to watch the other two and I strapped Kai in the car to take him to the emergency room.

I kept talking to him and his eyes would roll and he'd close his eyes. I pulled the car over, jumped to the back seat and yelled at him "DON'T YOU DIE!" and kissed him and jumped back in the drivers seat to take him to the ER. He threw up in the car and again as we were running into the ER. He had a CAT scan and was given nausea meds and was monitored in the ER. His brain was ok but he was weak. They sent us home and told me to monitor him for anything else abnormal.

When we got home I tucked him into a blanket on the couch so that I could monitor him. Chico snipped at him and I got very upset. As many of you recall, I had been having issues with Chico and I wanted to put him down because he kept biting the kids. But this episode of him trying to bite my Boy while I was still on an adrenaline rush was just too much.

After this happened, Peter woke up and I told him about the events of the day. I should have told him when I was taking Kai to the hospital, but I decided to let him sleep so he wouldn't be tired.

Peter and I had been growing apart for several months. Peter had this way of turning things around whenever I tried to talk about something that was bothering me. If I ever tried to bring something up about needing help with the house or with the kids, he would immediately turn off and give me the silent treatment. It got to a point where it was always me apologizing to him even though I had done nothing wrong. It had gotten to a point where he wasn't involved in anything we were doing. He was becoming an outsider in his own family. I don't know if it was him missing Maui or having resentment toward me for moving him away - but me and the kids weren't getting any of his time or attention. I was starting to not feel attracted to him anymore.

Anyway, back to 9/19 - Peter was a little upset that I hadn't told him about Kai. And when I brought up the fact that I wanted to put Chico down, his entire face changed. It was like a different person took over - even his eyes were different. He grabbed our biggest knife and said he was going to kill Chico right then and there. The kids were watching in horror. I went to grab Peter and he pushed me against the wall in a rage with the knife in his hand. I thought he was going to stab me. My mom pulled him away and Ryenne started crying. I was terrified.

I was ready to grab the kids and leave. I honestly don't remember exactly what happened after that. My body was so full of adrenaline and fear that I just can't remember anything immediately after that point. I know I was scared.

I know that Peter cried. He realized what he was doing, dropped to the ground, and started to cry. I was completely disgusted by him. But what could I do? I don't make enough money to be on my own with the kids. I can't even afford to rent a 1 bedroom apartment on my own. My mind was trying to figure out how I could be on my own with the kids. I couldn't. I simply couldn't do it. So I stayed in the house with him.

Eventually we got to talking. He was so sorry for blowing up the way that he had. He said he would never do it again. But that door had been opened and I couldn't trust him. I kept telling him that actions speak louder than words. All of his words to me were worthless.

In the days and weeks that followed, his actions began to change. He gave me space. He started spending more time with the kids - genuine time - not just sitting on the couch with them while he played on his phone. He asked me for input on what he could do to help me around the house. He told me he wanted to regain my trust and he knew it was going to be an uphill battle. He told me that he couldn't live without us. All of these things were just words unless he put them into action.

It was like we started dating again. We started to get to know each other again. We broke out of old routines and started fresh. I became more vocal about what I needed out of him and what I expected of him. I decided not to be a silent partner in the marriage. I was going to tell him what I wanted and if he couldn't do it then I'd be done. He knew he was walking on eggshells. Everything I asked of him, he did. And he did it with a smile on his face. He became the husband and father that he always should have been.

When I left for Maui with the kids it was really hard. We had just done all this work on our relationship and things were going great and here we were being in separate states for 2 months.

I think that being apart strengthened us even more. It was hard, but it helped us. A lot.

When we went to Lanai with the kids, I decided to set up a photo shoot for us. Lanai is where we honeymooned and it's one of my favorite places on the planet (of the places I've visited, that is). I think these pictures show exactly where we are right now. We're happier than we've been in our entire marriage. I guess we had to hit a very low point in order to change and grow. I'm a stronger woman than I ever have been. You know, it's funny because my wedding rings don't fit. I haven't worn them in over a year. I kinda don't want to anymore because they represent something that is dead. Our old marriage is dead.

These are some of my favorite images from our photo shoot. I wanted to share this story because it ignited such a change in us - both of us. Though what Peter did was bad - very bad - he is not a bad person. He has grown so much and I'm so proud of him.

Running on the beach

2011-09-17T13:02:00.003-05:00

I am editing my brother's session I did for him on Maui. Ryenne came along as my assistant. And I found these images of her, which I had completely forgotten about. What a gem.

Being chased by Uncle Nico

Skipping at Palauea Beach

I love this one. She's completely airborne!

Sometimes life isn't fair, Baby Girl

2011-09-17T00:35:00.003-05:00

You know how sometimes as a parent you don't know what to say and so you say something that your mom or dad told you as a child? Today was one of those days.

I picked up Ryenne from school and asked her how her day was. She said she didn't have a good day. This morning her friend Katelyn was chosen to go to the new Kindergarten class and Ry lost her friend. She turned to me with her big brown eyes and said, "Why did that happen, Mama? It's just not fair. I'm going to miss my friend.". And I looked at her and said, "Sometimes life isn't far, Baby Girl." I remember my mom told me that.

I am sure she'll get over it, but what a hard thing for a child to deal with. She said she made another friend in class, but sometimes this other friend doesn't want to play with her or talk to her. Doesn't sound like much of a friend to me. My poor baby girl. All I could do was tell her, "I'm so sorry."

Summer

2011-09-15T00:31:00.002-05:00

It still feels like summer. It was another day at over 100 degrees. I'm just waiting for Autumn to arrive.

We had a nice afternoon in the backyard before bath. The older two are diggin the swings!

My Cherub

2011-09-11T22:20:00.002-05:00

Peter got this image of Cruz today on the cell phone. He's such a cherub. He's just such a sweet little guy. I love him to pieces. I can't believe how big he's getting already - 19 months already!!

I think a Cruzer photo shoot needs to happen soon.

I Love...

2011-09-11T12:18:00.002-05:00

As I went to bed last night, I had to giggle as I laid next to Kai who had his undies on backward. I laid there thinking about things I love. And I decided it's time to make a list of little things that I'll forget. Maybe it'll be a weekend tradition? I don't know... I just know that i need to write them down so I don't forget.

I Love...

- how Kai wears his undies backward so he can see the picture when he looks down
- how Ryenne's eyes lit up when the cat down the street followed us home on this mornings walk
- the way Cruz is so excited about a donut on Sunday morning
- how Kai wants to be a superhero and race car driver at the same time
- the way Ryenne says, "Come snuggle me Mama" when I climb into bed
- gardening yesterday all by myself in the front yard and getting my hands so dirty it took 3 washes with soap to get the dirt off
- a chocolate shake shared with Cruz
- the way Peter takes off his wedding ring and spins it on the table to make all the kids go "oooooh"

10 Years

2011-09-11T09:47:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's been ten years. I remember that morning like it was yesterday.

I know that every year on 9-11 I sit and recall the events of that day. I reflect on my feelings - a mixture of horror, fear, awe, hope, disgust, sadness. I think that day changed us all in ways that we can immediately recognize and in ways that will reveal themselves over time.

It's an important reminder in the beauty of our Country - the way that we can come together to help each other regardless of political association, net worth, and religion. My wish is that we realized these things not just on 9-11, but every day.

We will never forget.

Just One Second

2011-09-09T15:23:00.000-05:00

Today I took the boys to get the oil changed in the car and then to Target for TP and Dog food (glamorous purchases).

After I buckled the boys in, I turned on the car and was going to slowly pull out of my spot (I had a huge truck and an SUV on each side of my tiny XB), but I decided first to change the radio station. It's a good thing that I did. If I had pulled out a second earlier, I would have been hit right on the drivers side (and Kai's side) by a speeding SUV in the Target parking lot.

Made me realize that someone was watching over me and how just one second can change everything.

It's so easy to speed through a parking lot or a residential street. But it's such a terrible thing to do. Just one second could change everything.

Interesting

2011-09-07T22:17:00.003-05:00

Tonight was kinda interesting. We went to Ryenne's school for "Curriculum Night". I joked with Peter that we're "Elementary School Parent Virgins" -- The PTA president got up and spoke about how every family should donate at least $35 dollars and then we learned there's a $70 fee for all kindergartners. We heard the principal talking about what a great school they are and how they are labeled "Exemplary" by the Austin ISD.

Peter and I kept looking at each other like, "When is this thing going to end?" it was taking FOREVER! We were finally released to Ryenne's classroom where we got to see where she sits. They share tables - four students to a table. Ryenne and a boy sit in such a way they face a wall. I didn't like that at all. They have posters of all the kids lining the wall and I was looking for Ry's and it wasn't up. My stomach went into knots while I pondered how to ask the teacher about this. It brought me back to that first day of school when she didn't have a place to sit or her name represented on the class wall.

I had Peter ask. Turns out her poster had fallen down. But it still made me sad that it wasn't put up in time for us to visit. And the fact that she sits facing the wall just makes me feel like she's an invisible child. I don't know if she actually is - but it just made me feel mad.

On our way back to the cafeteria for a "big announcement" from the Principal, Peter mentioned to me something that I just hadn't noticed. We were the only mixed race couple there. As I watched the parents in the cafeteria, I totally noticed what he was saying. We were! It was kinda wild!

So the big announcement from the Principal is that the school has too many kindergartners. They are supposed to have maximum 22 per class, but right now they have 25 per class (with just a teacher - no room helper!). So they got approved to open up one more class that will start week after next. They'll be pulling kids from each of the current 7 classes to make a whole new 8th class.

Part of me wants Ry to be put into the new class. But on the other hand, she has made a friend in her current class - just one friend - and I think she's clinging onto this friend for dear life. I know she's overwhelmed still. Kinda a tough thing to deal with - if she has to start over with a new teacher and a new routine.

I'll keep everyone posted on if she's one of the three kids that will be chosen from her class to go into this new class.

Her school is very nice and seems very organized. It's very upper-middle-class.

What I'm loving

2011-09-07T14:11:00.002-05:00

I promised myself when I came back to Austin that I wouldn't let myself get into a funk. That I wouldn't be too sad that I had to leave Maui for a while.... that I would find the positive. Always.

I have been loving some things since getting back...

I've loved having Hannah back in our house on Saturdays. Hannah is the kids' babysitter on Saturday mornings and she is such a sweet girl. She made Ryenne a dress while we were gone. She really helps me out when I have things to do to catch up on from a week of craziness. Love you Hannah!

I've loved grocery shopping. Seriously. Not only grocery shopping, but also checking out a Farmers Market on Saturdays. I got some amazing organic things this week. I've even discovered a Dairy Market in Georgetown I wanna go check out... raw milk, raw cheeses, raw honey.... I can't wait!

I've loved cooking. A lot. And eating... hahaha.

I've loved school. I love how Ry is now excited about going to school. And the boys are back at school and Kai is one happy camper.

I think we're done with the 100+ degree heat in Texas. I am hoping. I'm looking forward to Fall. I love Fall. I know that when we do eventually move back to Maui that I will miss my favorite seasons.

Cruz tries jumping

2011-09-05T13:47:00.002-05:00

We took a video of Cruz trying to learn to jump yesterday. It was pretty hilarious!

For email subscribers, you may need to click the blog to view it on the web.

For Grampy

2011-09-05T12:47:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was Grampy's memorial service in Lake Tahoe. While we couldn't be there in person, we were all there in thought and spirit.

I got to put together a collage of images from Grampy's life. It was a wonderful reminder of how many people loved him, and how he loved them all back.

The collage was displayed at the memorial service and I thought I'd share it here as well.

A good read

2011-09-04T12:26:00.001-05:00

You may have noticed I've added a little bar on the side of the blog that notes what I'm reading right now. I LOVE to read. At the end of the day, when I'm supposed to be sleeping, it's "ME" time.

Right now I am reading a very, very interesting book. It's called Nourishing Traditions and it pretty much goes against everything the FDA tells us about nutrition and what our bodies need. It's especially aimed at the health of children and the building blocks they need to grow.

For anyone interested in a completely different point of view on nutrition, this is a really great book. I am already making my first batch of cream cheese and will use the whey to make pickles and orange marmalade. Did you know that pickling in the olden days didn't involve vinegar? I had no idea!

I would really love to get some of these types of food in the kiddos - especially for Ryenne - who has the slowest digestive system of the kids and who I think has way too much crap in her intestines.

Anyway... it's a good read! Check it out!

First day of missed school

2011-09-02T11:28:00.001-05:00

Well... we're all exhausted. Ryenne had two crowns and one filling yesterday. She had quite a sore mouth last night so I was up with her. I ended up keeping her home from school for lack of sleep (for both her and for me).

I think we are all walking around in a fog today. I have a huge pile of work waiting for me in the office upstairs, but I selfishly turned on the tv and the laptop and worked on my personal blog - it hadn't seen a facelift since December. So if you get this by email, you aren't seeing the facelift to the actual weblog.

The boys are throwing tantrums and are obviously tired. My sourdough bread experiment didn't rise (although the taste is right - it's just too dense). I'm winning the mother of the year award today as I ignore my tantrum throwing 2 year old.... can't wait for Peter to wake up so I can take a nap!

Summertime Baths & School

2011-09-01T13:41:00.000-05:00

We're in a drought.... like really bad. But we need to keep our grass green cause the house is on the market. What to do? What to do? Well it's over 100 degrees still when it's bathtime so we figured we'd just throw the kids in a pool in the backyard and fill it with water and soap. They can splash as much as they want and then we can dump the water over the lawn. The kids are LOVING it. I know they'll miss this when it cools down.

This morning was special because it was the boys' first day of preschool. Kai was so excited to go back to school - this year his buddy Hogan is going with him. It's Cruz's first year going and it will be so good for him. He has a wonderful classroom and immediately started playing with toys and the other kids. So this means I'll be kid free on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am to 2pm! What to do? What to do? I'm excited to have this time to myself... for cooking, sleeping, cleaning, learning, ect. It's just for me. And I am so excited about it. But even more important than that, the boys were super excited to go to school. After Cruz had followed last year to drop off the older two, it was like he knew exactly where he was and he was so excited.

Here are my big boys. They are like best friends.

Busy, busy!

2011-08-30T14:45:00.000-05:00

*sigh* it's been so busy around here - but that's a good thing I guess. I still haven't had time to dive into my personal Maui images to sort them and write about them.

I've been paying bills, working on client images, creating a collage for Ry's class, trying to clean up everything in the house so it can show quickly, doing graphic things for my dad, helping my mom with pictures of Grampy - I love doing it all. Just can't wait to get through it all so I can work on some of my stuff.

The kids have been super duper. Kai has been especially inquisitive lately. He's been talking about "mysteries" and creating tall tales - "Mommy, did you know a dinosaur bited me? He did! He did!" And there was a series of firsts yesterday...

After bath Kai came to me and asked why Ryenne's "bobo" was broken. Had to explain to him how girls and boys are different. It was really funny.

And Ry had a dentist appointment yesterday and has three cavities. Grrr..... She was really embarrassed that she had them and in the car asked me, "Please don't tell daddy I have cavities". I had to mark this in my mental calendar as the first of the "don't tell daddy" things she'll tell me in her life. I explained to her that I have to tell daddy about health things and that he won't be mad, but we need to really get the back of her teeth good with the brush.

Today the boys had their "meet the teacher" day at preschool. Kai is very lucky to have the incredible Miss Jenn and Miss Darlene again this year. He jumped right into his class without missing a step. Cruz got to visit his teachers and he did wonderfully. A little fussy when we left him, but as soon as he got a paintbrush in his hand he was just fine without us. They got to hang out for an hour and when we went to get them they didn't want to come home. So I know that Thursdays first day of school will be awesome. I can't wait to take pictures of my two little guys heading in.... So excited for them. I wish I could pick up that entire preschool and move it to Maui.

So it's busy, busy over here and I'm ok with it. It's keeping my mind on the present as much as possible.

Just a look back

2011-08-27T12:29:00.000-05:00

Just a look back at two little monkeys at Napili Bay. Starting to sort through the many images I need to go through from Maui. Made me smile.

Kinder

2011-08-24T22:45:00.000-05:00

Ry is getting the hang of her new routine. We're back in a steady flow of bedtime at 7:30 - 8pm. Peter went and bought a plastic pool for the backyard so we can load it up with bubbly water in the 100 degree heat and they can bathe in it and splash as much as they want. And super bonus the water doesn't just go down the drain - it actually waters our dyeing grass.

Ry still doesn't want to share many details of her class with me. She's always been that way - I've had to read what they're doing in preschool from her teachers reports. She won't tell me about friends or what her day is like. So it's a mystery to me. It feels weird to let her go for that amount of time and not know what she's doing, who she's sitting next to, what she's learning or saying.

Peter is back to work. It's his first night shift since we've been back. I'm headed off to bed in just a minute. Hoping for a peaceful night's sleep. The last few nights have been challenging. Cruz had nightmares last night - screaming in a way I've never heard him scream before - and I had a migraine. It was lovely *insert sarcasm*. Peter gave me the chance for a loooooong nap today so I took it!

I have enjoyed having the boys with me. They are different while Big Sister is around. I'll need to think of something fun for the weekend that is just for Ryenne. This is the first week of an entirely new school life for her. So proud of her!

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-22T09:33:00.000-05:00

It's here. The first day of Kindergarten. I can't believe it.

I woke up with Ry super early this morning. On the table was a sparkly bag from the First Day of School Fairy with a pencil case, sparkly erasers, and lunch money. She was excited.

We ate breakfast together and then headed off for her first day of school. My camera went wacky and wouldn't focus. Thankfully ONE image came out in focus. And even luckier it was one where she's smiling - sorta. The school was a MAD HOUSE. And it's so strange to be in a school that is all indoors. I've never had an all indoors school before - so it was packed with kids and parents. She held my hand so tightly.

We went to the office to find out which class she was assigned to. We walked together to her class and all the tables had the kids names where they're to sit. But she didn't have a name. So we went and met the teacher and she grabbed a chair and sat Ry down. Immediately Ryenne was sad - she didn't have a name spot. She grabbed my hand and got very clingy. I told her she's going to have a great day and that she's brave. She asked if she had to stay overnight and I assured her that we'd be there at 2:40 to pick her up.

I think this is the first time in a while my big girl showed me her vulnerable baby side. I kissed her and gave her a giant hug and told her to have a wonderful day. And then I left. And she's on my mind - but I know she's having a great time!

It's my birthday!

2011-08-21T12:58:00.000-05:00

Well we're back in Austin! We've been back for a few days now and are trying to get used to the time change. It's been kinda rough on the kids - which translates to rough on me and Peter. We haven't gotten a solid night's sleep just yet - but I think we're just about there.

I still have so many pictures and stories to share about Maui and our visit to Olympia, WA. Right now I'm trying to get caught up with my photography clients and then I can really sit down and concentrate on my own images and stories (and relive each moment!).

Today I turn 31 years old. Wow. Honestly I feel so much better about myself in my 30's. I dunno what it is? But I just do. I bought myself a pair of boots. They are gorgeous. Is it possible to be in love with a pair of boots? Why yes it is!

This morning Pops took us all out for breakfast. It was so nice until Cruz decided to drink syrup and barfed everywhere. Such is the life, huh? LOL. I think Pops was the only traumatized one :)

Tomorrow is more big news... Ryenne's first day of kindergarten. I think I might be more nervous than she is. While we tried to register for her school while we were in Hawaii, they wouldn't let us. So I registered her the day after we got back but they said they won't assign her a class until her first day. So we'll find out who her teacher is and see her class and the campus all on the first day. I hope she's not terribly overwhelmed. Actually, I'm confident that she'll do just fine. She's a smart cookie. I wish she had some friends going to the same school though!

Being back in Austin has been nice for a few things though.... the price of food being a big one! I stocked our fridge quite nicely. I've gotten to cook which has been AWESOME. I really missed cooking. And Target... how do I love thee!!! It's tax free weekend, so we went and got Ry some new shorts along with her school supplies. Ry and Kai each got backpacks and lunch boxes. Kai outgrew his shoes so we took him to get a new pair. He got black Toms (which means that another child somewhere in the world gets a free pair of shoes). He calls them his "Airbender Shoes" and he looks like a ninja. They are awesome.

Letsee what else.... it's hot. Really hot. Like crazy hot. Baking hot. It makes it hard to go outside and play. Even the dogs don't want to be outside. But it's ok. This is all temporary and I'm going to enjoy everything that Texas has to offer me right now.

I'm actually looking forward to (slightly) cooler weather come Fall - pumpkins, fall crafts.... I think a trip out to Fredericksburg is in order for October.

Happy day, y'all!

Wordless

2011-08-14T19:07:00.000-05:00

I have so much to blog about - so many images to share - so many stories of the fun things we've been doing on Maui.

It has been magical. It has renewed me. It's been wonderful watching the kids experience things I love here.

And tomorrow we fly out. I was overcome with emotions today. I ended up bawling to Peter that I don't want to leave. I told myself I'm not flying home to Austin. I'm flying TO Austin and will return HOME to Maui hopefully in December. I am just praying that everything works out as we're hoping.

On Peter's job front, some interesting things may be coming up. The Four Seasons Manele front desk manager was very interested in recruiting him to Manele Bay - which would mean a move to Lanai. His old Bell Captain at the Westin told him a Bell Captain (supervisor) position might just be opening at the Westin really soon - which would mean leaving the Four Seasons to go back to the Westin (but more money as a supervisor). He still has to pan out with his HR in Austin why they haven't sent paperwork to the Maui property. I know they don't want to lose him, but withholding his request is just plain wrong.

As for me, I'm trying to deal with the fact that my flourishing photography business model will be coming to a screeching halt the moment I step foot on Texas ground. I am sad that this will be ending (though temporary).

I AM however, very excited about Ryenne starting school next Monday (KINDERGARTEN) and Cruz and Kai starting preschool on 9/1. I'm excited about seeing my dad and my dear friend Katie. I'm excited about getting back into a routine and having my own kitchen - but I am just so heartbroken over leaving Maui right now. Completely and totally heartbroken. I don't even think words can describe what I'm feeling sitting here.

So tomorrow I'll say a temporary goodbye to Maui. We're heading to Seattle for a day of play in the Pacific NW and seeing my very first friend in the entire world, Maehren and her family - and will be heading to Austin on Wednesday.

Once I have a moment to breathe and find myself, I'll have pictures and stories of adventures on Maui.

Goodbye

2011-08-08T16:54:00.000-05:00

Today while walking to breakfast in Lanai City with the kids I got a call from Nico. Our Grampy passed away this morning.

Grampy had been battling Parkinsons and I haven't seen him in several years. I wanted to, but I was afraid I would get to him and he wouldn't know me.

I knew he was going to pass at some point, but it's hard to mentally prepare yourself for someone in your family passing away.

Grampy was an incredible person. He was full of laughter and light. He was so sweet. He loved to have his hair brushed. He loved to fart and giggle and blame it on someone else. He loved ice cream in pretty dishes and sweets. He loved his kids. He laughed when we called his nose hairs "vines". He was light hearted and beautiful.

I got to talk to Grampy the other day when he was having some moments of clarity. I tried talking as loud as I could into the phone, "Grampy I love you!" but he couldn't hear me. He kept saying, "Hello? hello? hello?" and I was sad that he couldn't hear me. When he gave the phone back to my mom he told her to tell me he loves me. I think he was saying goodbye. I wish he could have heard me - but I think he already knew how much I love him.

Grampy, I love you. I'll miss you. I'm happy that you're not in a state of pain and confusion anymore. I'm happy that you've left a body that was failing and that you've gone on to a better place. I'll always love you. Thank you for being my Grampy.

Catching Up

2011-08-06T03:29:00.000-05:00

This week has been CRAZY. 7 photo shoots in 4 days. I'm WAY behind on my work. My last shoot was at Waianapanapa in Hana - Peter and I got to stay overnight. We drove all the way around Haleakala and fell in love with Upcountry all over again. It was great fun playing tourist.

Tomorrow we're heading to Lanai for three days. We were going to go alone, but we will miss the kids too much so they're coming with us.

I'll get to catch up on work too. Lots of pictures to come!

On another note, my mom called and let me know that Grampy isn't doing so well. We could be nearing The End for him - so please everyone just send prayers that he'll go to Heaven peacefully.

Grampy, thinking of you and sending my love. XOXO

Finally

2011-08-02T15:40:00.000-05:00

Rewind to Thursday. Peter was flying in at 1:15pm. I spent the morning giddy. I think it was even worse than my wedding day. I just couldn't wait for 1pm to roll around. I headed to Kahului at noon and knew the kids needed toothpaste so I went to Whole Foods to hang out. I bought their toothpaste and was so hungry I felt sick. So I bought a salted chocolate bar. YUM.

I drove to the airport and decided to see if I could see the plane land. I went to the back road and parked. I waited. A plane appeared in the distance. It was Hawaiian Airlines. Peter was on that plane. I stood there jumping up and down waving like a lunatic (he didn't see me). I got this image on the hipstamatic. Love it.

When he touched down he texted me that he'd be heading down the escalator. I parked the car and headed to the baggage claim area. I waited. My heart was racing. RACING!! My palms were sweaty. After two months he was HERE - in the same time zone.

I had visions of running and tackling him - something crazy from a movie. But when he came out I just grabbed him and started bawling my eyes out. It was wonderful to have him here FINALLY.

I told the kids I had a photo shoot and we'd go get Daddy when the sun went down. So I walked in the house before Peter and the kids asked when it was time to get him. Then he walked in and they didn't know quite what to do. They were frozen with confusion. It was hilarious. Then they ran to him and hugged and kissed him.

Peter's mom made a great dinner and we were just glad to be all together.

That first night with him here really made me realize how much we balance each other. Even the kids were more balanced. I think they can sense when I'm not at my best and they tend to push my buttons. With Peter here I am a better mom. And they are better kids (haha).

The next morning we took the kids out to breakfast at the Plantation House. It was really yummy. The kids loved the birds that come into the restaurant.

On Saturday we got a very special treat. Peter got comp nights at the Four Seasons Wailea. Two nights with no kids. My friends hooked us up with a suite. When I asked my friend how much the suite was worth, she told me $1595 per night. PER NIGHT! OMG! That is more than my mortgage for ONE NIGHT. And we were there two nights. Holy crap!

We ate dinner at Ferraro's and had an ocean front table. The sunset was incredible. The food was incredible. The service was unparalleled.
Below is our view from the table.

After dinner we went for a walk and then to the movies together. We went running in the morning followed by heading to Kaanpali to go banana boating with Jean and Patrick. It was SO MUCH FUN. It was Kama'aina day at UFO parasailing and to go banana boating was $10 per person and they gave a free t-shirt. I got knocked off once. The water was incredible. On the way out to the UFO boat on the raft I snapped this picture - a little heart cloud over Kaanapali.

We sat at the beach at night and watched the stars and ran around in the dark and the waves. We talked - a lot. We've come a long way from last year. For a while I didn't know if we'd make it. But now I love how strong we are - how much of a team we are.

I'm so glad he's here - FINALLY. So glad we're a team. So glad we can enjoy this amazing place with our kids. And plan our lives here. I would really love to be back permanently by December.

Perfect Day

2011-07-24T19:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was an absolutely perfect day. We headed to Maui Mall for some fountain play with my friend Leizl and her two girls. The kids had a ball. Then we headed to Haiku for some much needed hangout time with Nico and Abra.

The pictures uploaded completely out of order... sorry about that.

Cruz and Aunty Abra

The kids got to climb the avocado tree with Uncle Nico. Kai was pretending it was a horse.

The tall grass was absolutely GORGEOUS. I wish I had brought my big camera with me (these are all iphone pictures). The kids and Uncle Nico were pretending they were tigers in the grass.

Of course a visit to Haiku wouldn't be complete without some fishing in the pond. Kai caught an orange fish and Ry caught a few of the silver fish. She even touched one! Kai still doesn't want to touch the fish, but he likes to reel them in.

Love this one of Kai looking back at me. He was making sure I was watching him fish like a "big boy".

This one uploaded completely out of order... grrr... Papa and Cruz napping together.

Big boy Cruz at the water fountains. He's starting to look like such a big boy.

Back to Haiku!!

Cruz is "cooking"

And getting kisses from Brutus

I ADORE this picture of Nico and Kai with the pups. LOVE IT.

More climbing the avocado tree. Ryenne was like a little monkey :)

See the monkeys in the tree?

Nico's cat PoKitty was in the tree too!

It was such a beautiful, magical day in Haiku. Haiku is such an incredibly beautiful, magical place. The kids love being there. They love hanging out with their uncle. It was just such a wonderful, wonderful day!

Inspired

2011-07-23T14:02:00.000-05:00

Aside from Ry's temper tantrums, things are inspiring here. Professionally speaking I have never been so busy. Never been so inspired. Never been so enthusiastic and confident in my work.

In a world full of photographers - professional and amateur - I've been doing this for a while. I've always felt "not good enough" - not quite at the level of everyone else. Struggling even. Struggling to find my own personal style, my vision for my company, my pricing, managing my time. Finding a balance can be really hard.

But this summer has changed everything. I took a big leap of faith and drastically changed my business model this year. I lowered my prices. Which every professional photographer publication says not to do. I'm giving away my high res files, which is becoming more and more the norm among photographers who are just starting out. I came to the conclusion that I want to be busy. I want to make money (who doesn't?). Charging more just doesn't bring in as much business - there are too many photographers to compete with to charge more - clients will just go where it's cheapest in this economy. So I decided to offer boutique style photography at a really awesome price. And it's working. Better than I even thought.

I was afraid that being inexpensive would make people not appreciate the images. That it would just be a commodity and perhaps not an experience. I was wrong. My clients are sending me amazing emails of gratitude and it just touches my heart. I received this email from a client I photographed last week - they are from Houston and we were chatting about my desire to move back to Maui permanently. This is what she said,

"Thank you so much Mariah! The photographs are simply spectacular! You are doing exactly what God put you on earth to do, exactly where He intended you to do it! To say that you're talented would not do you justice. . . You make moments come to life in photographs. Wow! Thanks again- we will always treasure the photos. --Jen "

It just makes me KNOW in my heart that I'm meant to do this - that I am worthy of it - that I am good enough at it. That I've finally found my niche - my style - my love of the business part of it as well as the creative aspect. Inspiring. I can't wait for what's next.

Gloomy

2011-07-21T17:22:00.000-05:00

Even as I type the weather is clearing. We woke up to a gloomy, rainy, beautiful morning. I love the rain. Always have.

Three little butts were facing me with their noses against the screen watching the rain fall in sheets. I wish I had grabbed my camera for that.

There is just *something* about a rainy day. Something that brings out the snuggles in everyone. The light from the living room window was dark and grainy. The kids seemed to glow. These are dark and contrasty just like the morning.

A big mahalo

2011-07-17T03:59:00.000-05:00

A big mahalo - thank you - to all of you who left me comments and sent me emails and called me about my last post.

A lot of you have suggested looking into sensory issues and possible evaluation of Ry and I think that's a route that we'll take when we get back to Austin. Kai does have sensory issues, which we're working on, but perhaps Ry does as well although in a different capacity.

Ryenne is a child that thrives off of structure and routine. Right now we are in a situation that is completely void of structure and routine. When you have 10 people living in a 3 bedroom house, all with different schedules, ideas, ages, ect it becomes impossible to follow a routine. There is no structure. Ry is freaking out and lashing out. She knows my buttons and she knows that I am in a weak position without Peter here and in a home where punishments are different than in our own. Plus I'm working more than ever and not as available to her as normal. It's a lot for a 5 year old mind to handle.

I've discussed this with my mom in law that Ryenne does need more discipline. She's agreed with me and we've taken away outtings from Ryenne until she can control her outbursts hurting Kai. It seems to be helping. I know it's a temporary fix, but I truly feel that when we're back in Austin and back into more structure that she'll become a happier person.

When we move back to Maui (date still not set), we will rent our own place and keep structure. I think it's the only way my kids will behave - all of them.

With all of that said, I have a couple videos to share - me tickling Cruz and Cruz and Kai at the Maui Mall waterfountains - these are new and FABULOUS. We took lunch and hung out. The boys had a ball (Ryenne didn't get to come as it was the day after the tantrum)

And Cruz in his little world - the front yard - in his Filipino tank top and diaper.