What's on my mind....

It's been over a year since we left our life long home...

I told all of you about our camp residents being evicted about a year and a half ago.
It was a very emotional journey connecting with our roots, our families and fighting for our homes.

We lost the battle, but some think not the war.

Well fast forward to today, and the camp still sits.
Now completely vacant.
Overgrown.
Untouched.
Lifeless....

All those families evicted out of their homes, and for what?

The land owners bullied them and fought them proving they are the wealthy powerful bloodsuckers and then nothing.

Just think of all those families that could still be living in their homes all this time.

I think of what used to be my home and I have very fond memories, even up until the day we had to leave.
I miss my home, I miss my childhood, I miss the families we had there.



 

 



So very grateful…

With everything that has been going on in my life recently I need to focus on what truly great things I have to be grateful for.

I know my last post was a bit grouchy. I am having a hard time feeling the pressure of the season and Christmas quickly creeping up on us, but other than that I really truly am grateful for many things.

I thank God that my grandmother is still with us. On November 30th we were told she would not make it through the night and today she is still with us. It has been rough working 9 hour days, picking up my 3 year old and bringing him with me to the hospital every afternoon to visit and check on her. Then go home and get dinner ready and my son bathed. But the fact that she is still with us and getting stronger everyday is a miracle. Do I get worn out running around you bet, but I am just thankful for her.

I thank God for my amazing friend Miki who always unselfishly jumps in and helps us out in a bind when it come to my son. She had come to our rescue so many times in the past and this past weekend was no exception. We had our company Christmas party which includes dinner at an amazing restaurant (I’ll have to tell you about that in another post!!) and a room at the Grand Hyatt. It’s like our mini getaway once a year. At the last minute we lost our sitter and Miki was wonderful and took my son for the night. My hubs and I got to enjoy a wonderful dinner and night all to ourselves that never happens.

I’m grateful for my friends who are always there to listen when I’m having a hard time and just need someone to talk to. I’m very lucky to have a few friends that listen without judgment and to have friends who are there for me without keeping score and don’t require something in return. That’s true friends.

I am grateful for a job and although the end of the year is always stressful and being 31 weeks pregnant I struggle to be normal, I still have a job for a lot of people don’t.

I also write this because today 2 days before Christmas my husband decides to go ride trails with his friends rather than helping with crunch time and I need to focus on good or I’ll probably loose my mind and leave his things in the garage.

Well, with that being said, I’m off to clean the breakfast dishes so that I can do my baking. I hope it’s a productive day!

What to do??

I originally started my post for this morning about my busy but wonderful weekend and how thankful I am for a very special friend.

Then I read this article… “I am Adam Lanza’s mother”

It is worth the few minutes to read it. I really hope and pray that these mother’s and children can find the help that they desperately need.

Remember my chairs that I was soooo happy so score on Craigslist for $10 a while back?

Then remember that I had to say good bye to them because of termite damage?

I saw this on craigslist today

Two of these chairs for $75... um no thank you.

Ho'onani - to make beautiful

My Aunt is a wonderful lady, love her to pieces.

She is so thoughtful.

This past Christmas she bought herself a necklace from a co-worker of her's that makes jewlery. She was wearing it one day and my mom pointed it out to me and I thought it was a little snowman.

Cute thing aint it? It's not a snowman. It's a Kagami Mochi.

Kagami Mochi is a traditional Japanese New Year's decoration. It is used to bring good luck and fortune in the New Year.

Below is what it traditionally looks like when it is sold in mass production.

It is made from 2 mochi (rice cakes) a small one in placed on top of a larger one.

A daidai, a bitter orange is placed on top of the two mochi.

Sometimes they are placed on Konbu (kelp) or a mirror.

They are kept in the house until the second saturday where it is broken, never cut with a knife, and shared with the family.

Source

How's that for a quick little bit of history of my culture.

(yes I am part Japanese)

Well I'll give you one guess who has the most thoughtful Aunty who got her one of her very own.

Yup

me!

Of course when I wear it I get asked if its a snowman too, but then it gives me the chance to explain its meaning and share a bit of my culture.

yes... that dreaded topic!

This New Year's I found a lot of people had resolutions to get fit or loose weight.

I gave up on that idea a long time ago, but I did want to get back into shape and be more active.

I want her behind....

source

And Carrie's legs would be nice too!

source

Well, last night I was feeling particularly bloated from a day of over indulging and I did something terrible... I jumped on the scale!

YIKES!

Why did I have to go and do that!?

It got me thinking I have less than 2 months to get into bathing suit shape for our BIG family vacay!

Ok, time to kick my butt into gear!

This weekend I plan on getting in my yard, working hard and sweating!

If its nice and sunny I would love to take my boys and the dog to the beach, maybe swim off some pounds!

Clock starts today 50 days till vacay can I do it?

Oh yea and remember my lamp project?

I'm FINALLY done and I've actually been enjoying my lamp for about a week now.

I must get my post done so I can show all of you.

Hope you guys have a great weekend, what are your plans?

hello april

March has definately proven to be a tough month.

I'm surprized ya'll are still around... thanks :-)

All I can say is Thank God its over.

The last week of the month, the hubby wasnt home not a single day (sad face)
I love being a mother but sometimes it gets to be so overwhelming when I have to do everything on my own.
This was pretty much how every day went:

I leave the house with my son by 6:30 am
Drop him at my dads by 7:05 ish
Be at work by 7:15
Work till 4:15 - 4:30
Pick up my son
Get home about 5:30
Start dinner, let my son out to play with the dog, 5 mins later run out to break up a fight with my son and the dog. Continue dinner.

10 mins later break up another fight between my son and the dog.
Swear the hubby under my breath for getting the darn dog.

Come back to cooking dinner, turn on the heater, but dishes away from the night before, wash home lunch dishes.
Go outside and break up the last fight between the dog and my son and demand he come back in the house now.

Give him a snack, continue with dinner.
Get him in the tub about 7
Dinner at 7:15 ish
Fight with my son that he needs to eat his food and he will NOT have saimen for dinner again.
Swear the hubby under my breath for being so damn picky and his son being the same way.

Finish my dinner clean up the dishes, son finishes his dinner and I clean up his dishes and its already about 8:00
Play time for a little while, swear the hubby under my breath a few more times for not being around.
8:45 (I know I know its late but I cant do it all) get ready for bed, my son starts to wind down and then the hubby gets home and he's up again wanting to play with daddy... and then my night ends once again at midnight...
I - NEED - A - VACAY!!!

My exhaustion from the last 2 weeks is bigger than calgone can ever take away.

Well, its a new day and a new month and I have plans to try my best to stay stress free.
I said TRY.

Also, have ya'll heard the news about Instagram being available for Android users?
Um, Yes! Hello!! It's about time!
So excited (squel)
I first found out about it from Kevin and Amanda over on her FB page.

Speaking of FB come on and follow me there and while you're at it you can follow me on twitter and Instagram too now.
(user name is RhiannonMariko)

So I'm even more excited to take part in.... Photo A Day April!

Come and join in the fun too!

Well, here's to hopefully getting back into the swing of things!

It's the Big V Day!

Happy Valentines Day lovies!!

I'm not a big fan of the V-day.

I never saw the purpose of one day a year telling someone how much you love them.

Why not tell them everyday.

Spend triple the amount on flowers that will die in a few days, for the same price you can fill up my car with gas for a month and it would make me happier.

Buy chocolates wrapped in pink or red that will make me bloated and complain about being fat for the next two weeks.

But I have to admit, I dont mind being taken out to dinner or pampered a bit either.

LOL

I sent my son off to daycare with some little goodies for his friends this moring.

Not sure what were doing for dinner, but I'm thinking I might make some chocolate mousse for dessert. One of the few dessert items my hubby will eat.

He is not a dessert or sweets person, how we ended up together and have stayed together is beyond me...

(maybe cause I get his dessert too)

Anyways... here's wishing all you a wonderful Valentine's!

I finally got all my supplies to finish another item off my project list of 2012 so be on the look out for that post coming up!

Life happens

Did you see my post on FB today?
Yes I'm on Facebook and why are you not a fan yet?

Not the post about my casserole, but the one about it being Wednesday already.

Kinda like I'm sitting here at my desk now looking at the clock that says 3:44pm, when I started this post at lunch time today when I sat down to eat. Obviouslly that didnt happen.
How is time just flying by?

My baby is turning 3 in just over 3 weeks, taxes are due soon after that... what's next?
Christmas?

Anyway, just a quick note to say hi to everyone and let ya'll know I havent fallen off the face fo this earth.

So.... who's looking forward to next week's Glee?
One reason I'll be glad the week is flying by, hehehe.

I'm planning an orange and blue birthday fish theme party for the lil guys 3rd.
Come check me out on Pinterest where I'm sharing the ideas I got for his party.

Source

If you're not on Pinterest, let me know and I'll send you an invite!
(warning: Pinterest can be very adicting! Please seek professional help if you start to alienate your friend and family and spend all your time on Pinterest. Same goes for Angry Bird and Word's With Friends)

Trying to pick which one of my many projects I have in store for this year that I can get started on. Something I can complete this weekend and something I can afford since payday isnt till next week.

And who else is bumming that GFC is going away?
(Google Friend Connect)
It was so easy to use, especially since I'm such a techno-idiot.
Oh now to get used to Google Reader or whatever it is thats happening now.
So since I'm on the subject, dont forget to subscribe to me so we dont loose touch when GFC goes bye bye. I put the button closer to the top of my page.
Oh and since you're there follow me on FB too!

Note: Just so that were being real here, its now 9:30 am the following day from starting this post and I'm finally publishing this post!

"I can do whatever I want, GOSH"
(name that movie)









moving on up...

Ok, well I'm not moving, but I am stepping it up in the tech savy world!

I just got my very first smartphone.

Yea I know, only now, I'm old skool like that.

So far, I have to say, I'm not a big fan of it.

Everyone says I just have to get used to it, so I havent thrown it out the window yet.

I also wanted to let you all know, I'm also on Facebook now check me out at From the Heart.

And if that aint enough, I also made me a twitter account too... oooohhhh....

(@Rhiannonmariko)

Just FYI, my twitter account is my personal account not my blog so you can have a peak into my bipolar random mind.

Tonight we have a little party with our martial arts Ohana.
Hopefully I can check in tomorrow during our massive pre-New Year's clean.

drowning...

I am running on empty

image source google

I am so tired as I type this my eyes are heavy and wanting to close so bad!

I've been helping my friend get ready for her daughter's first birthday party and I've had late nights every day this week since Monday.

But I cannot wait to see it all put together tonight.
I will no doubt have a ton of amazing pictures.
Not that my picture taking skills rock but that she pays attention to every last detail, no matter how extravagant. Remember the sunfower baby shower?
Yea that one.

I still have some Christmas shopping to do, my spare room looks like a tornado hit and I wanted to spend time with my dear friend Charity before she leaves me and moves to Kansas City, on MONDAY!!! (sob, sob, sob)

Saturday night is the annual Waimea Lights Parade and I really want to take my son, we've been going since his first Christmas!

I love the look of amazement in this photo.

Have a great weekend guys, I'll be back with lots of photos!

Life's little blessings...

Our family grew just a little bit bigger yesterday.

My dear friends, that are like our own family welcomed baby number 5.

Welcome precious little Keahi.

I'm so happy for this little addition to their family.

Makes me have baby fever, hehe

This would be the totally perfect way to introduce some of the baby gifts that I made for this lil guy... but that will be another post. Stay tunned...



Does Victoria have any secrets??

The Big Show is tonight!

Do you guys watch it?

I love watching the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show!

wanna know a secret? when I was young I wanted to be a VS model! True Story.

My favorite performance was last year

This is the only time I make my hubby look at other women... and the only time hes allowed to! LOL

I'm very excited for the show, only problem is... it's the same time as Glee!!
Lucky I have DVR

Thankful....

We had a super busy week and weekend.

As you know my lil man has been sick, but is doing 100 times better.

Last Friday I had a wedding on the very popular 11-11-11

They were the sweetest couple, so cute and sweet. They and their families have been though a lot and it was so touching to be a part of their wedding and seeing this family all together.

They are blessed to have each other.

Saturday was my friend's, nephew's daughter's birthday and welcome home party.

Wow say that 5 times fast!

This lil girl was born with an underdeveloped intestine and had numerous surgeries in her first year of life. She spend the last year and a half in Kapiolani Women's and Children's Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House. She's finally home with her family and they celebrated with a party. We spent 2 evenings after work making 150 cake pops for the guests favors. Whew... I dont want to see another cake pop for a long time! LOL

Sunday we had a small baby shower for a dear friend of mine. She is pregnant with her 4th boy. It was so nice to see the kids playing and nice to visit and talk story with all our friends and family.

I will be sharing some of the gifts that I made for her later this week!

I'll give you a hint... it has something to do with this post.

So I guess you could say I've been keeping busy.

I have some projects that I want to share with all of you, but I just havent been able to find the time to blog about it.

Last night I was lying in bed and I was running all the things I have to do in my head.

It was quiet and I could hear the waves crashing on the beach below our subdivision.

I listened to it for a while and thought, wow, I never noticed that before.

Then, I stopped to think.

How lucky am I to by lying in my bed and listening to the ocean waves break on the shore?

Thank you Lord.

Then I thought, it's so quiet that I can hear it, mean's my son isnt waking up sick during the night anymore. (or that my hubby isnt snoring!)

Thank you Lord.

No matter how much work the cake pops were, thank the Lord their little girl is here and healthy.

All those projects that was going through my mind. I'm thankful for the opportunity to work on them, and finish a lot of them as well.

I dont know if listening to the waves that gave me this Ah ha moment or the fact that Thanksgiving is right around the corner and its time to think of all the things you're thankful for.

Either way, no matter how busy we get we must not forget all that we should be thankful for.

Ok, and as my DECA teacher would say, thats my sermon for today.

See ya'll soon with my projects!

an update...

Yesterday's post didnt go up as scheduled and today's post won't either.

As I mentioned in my 'Monday post' we stayed home this past weekend. My son has been ill and after a trip to the dr's last Saturday AND a trip to the Urgent care this past Sunday, let's top off this party with a trip to the ER last night.

Lesson here: A mother always knows when something isnt right and trust your instincts!!

I originally took him in for a cold. He began with a dry cough and since he has a history of wheezing and they're watching for asthma I figured better safe than sorry.

Diagnosis was a slight cold and they gave him a refill for his nebulizer.

We keep our eye on him and his cough got worse and he had a runny nose.

Called the dr's and they said it was a cold going around and to keep him comfortable and give him tylenol if he ran a fever.

This past weekend, the fever hit and as he slept I watched his breathing and it seemed shallow and almost at a pant.

We called the ER who paged the peds dr on call and were told that if he was breathing comfortably and sleeping dont wake him just let him sleep and bring him in the morning.

I woke up every hour and watched him breathe.

The next morning as soon as we got up and my lil man had breakfast we went to urgent care.

He received care rather quickly and the dr seemed thorough and patient. He even called the pharmacy ahead to confirm that they had the correct attachment for his inhaler.

We were sent home and told to make an appointment for Tuesday for a follow up.

Yesterday evening when we got home, I noticed he was just not himself. He was quiet and lethargic soooo NOT him!

He got really clingy and was just crying for no obvious reason. After about an hour of watching him and asking him questions he told me he was scared cause he couldnt breathe.

That was NOT something to take lightly and I was not going to wait until his apointment the following day.

I just kept having flashbacks of last year Thanksgiving! Dont want a repeat of that!

I rushed him to the ER, it was the LONGEST drive ever!!

Thanfully we were seen right away. The dr's and nurses worked efficiently and were very nice to all of us. After a neb treatment, a couple of nurses and dr's checking him and a chest xray he was diagnosed with a slight case of pnuemonia!

Mama just knew something wasnt right with her baby.

Thank goodness we went in and thank God for the nurses and dr's and everyone that he is doing fine. We'll be going for his check up in about an hour and I'm hoping to get hom and all of us geting some sleep.

I'll check in tomorrow if I have the energy.

I did however, get to be quite productive this weekend since we stayed home.

Got some really nice baby shower gifts done too which I'll share later!

Oh Monday, why do you come so soon??

**note**
I started this post on Monday and fully meant to publish it, well, sorry, it didnt happen.
I'll post an update soon.


Seriouslly? Why does Monday come so soon?

Friday takes forever to get here and come the end of the week and you blink and Monday is here!

It pretty much stormed all weekend long here with flash flooding and they even closed down the bridge going into Hanalei.
We were supposed to go to a wedding on Saturday evening, but the lil guy came down with a fever and we were not going to bring him out in the weather we were having.

We had very restless nights the past 2 nights. The poor lil guy is taking his athsma meds and seems to be more comfortable, except that he's acting crazy!

Well, what comes with Monday's?
MUSIC!
It's time again for:

This week is a freebie and this is just what I need to brighten up my day!

No Christmas in October!!!

Today I'm having a double feature! I'll be linking up to Fawk You Friday with my gal Bobbies

and for the first time I'm joining Mamarazzi for some Friday Confessions.

I Confess...... I've always hated Christmas. It's along story, but its just too stressful for me and it's not that joyful time of the year that it should be.

I Confess...... Since having my son, I kinda like it now, like I have a reason to enjoy it and I enjoy seeing him enjoy it. But I still play the grouchy scrooge.

I Confess..... I'm secretly excited to put up my Christmas decorations and lights. I'm excited to take my son riding around to see all the Christmas lights. I'm excited to bring my son to our local Christmas lights parades.

I was horrified when I went into Kmart and Walmart on the first of October to find a HUGE display of Christmas items.
Absolutely horrified.

Yes, they are beautiful and I really do like all the decorations, but seriously, do we have to start before Halloween?

I say Fawk you to how commercialized the holiday has become!

It is a beautiful time of the year, but we shouldnt forget what it's all about.
I won't go into what its about since it means different things to different people.

I also saw Fawk you to the sickies that are going around right now. My son and I have had a lingering cold, me for 2 weeks now and my son for one week. Please oh please let us get better already.

I do confess.... that I love that since my son isnt feeling well, he's been wanting to be comforted and held and cuddled, something he normally wont do. Makes this mama still feel like her baby wants her.

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

mama got a new do... oh and i was featured!

 Yay! Cool beans! Marcie over at Don't Waste Your Homemaking featured my Alpha Block project.  

It was such a simple project, and it was free and educational.
Go check out all the other great projects too.

So, its been WAY over a year since I got my last hair cut and color.
Picture one year of root growth.
It was bad.
Black roots, blonde tips... not a pretty picture.

Yes, I took the cheezy car photo. I was on my way to my hair appointment and just had to get a quick shot of the before.

Just look how long it has gotten, no wonder I live in a pony tail.

And here it is... well 2 days later.

I just love the look and feel right after you leave the salon.

But I got caught in the rain about 2 mins after!!! UGGHHH!!

So, actually its a bit flat.

I'm loving thats its so much shorter and easier and faster to get ready in the mornings.

Plus if I have to, I can still put it in a sassy little pony tail.

I'll give you guys the real look as soon as I get a good pix.

***DONT FORGET***

Tomorrow is the very first WTF Wednesday!

Get your Deal or Rip Off ready to post tomorrow!

learning the ropes

I'm sort of a self taught sewer.

Is that a word? Looks like sewer as in well, waste.

Anyway, I mean sew-er, cause I aint no seamstress.

This is a good help {here} I love checking out Dana's blog, she has great tutorials, plus a lot of boy stuff.
I also like this one {here} they have a TON of great tutorials as well as a bunch of other fun stuff too.

Besides all the great blogs out there with amazing tutorials that help me along, I also like to go on youtube and watch tutorials.

I came across this one

Does this freak anyone slse out? Or is it just me?

Laundry Room Envy....

Is it possible to have laundry room envy?

For those of you who read my blog, you know that I dont have a laundry room and I want one so very much!

Check out these super cute ones on babble like this one...

I spy 3 applicances. I wonder how much laundry they have to do?

Check out other super cute laundry rooms {here}