what i wore today

*so i just realized that its backwards...lol

because the weather is still somewhat warm...it's a t-shirt and jeans kinda day. so...as you can see above (no i'm not getting a shot of my boobs) i'm sportin' my $1 kavaroots tee (made by ammon and his Yu-Do lol), some jean capris and my platform slippers from walmart.

i wanted to highlight the shirt cuz it is one of my favs. as previously mentioned, it was made by my old boss ammon watene, the current owner of kavaroots....which at one time was my second home. for those who follow my blog, i'm sure you remember how much i LOVED working at this place. it was by far the EASIEST and most chill job EVER!!! not only that, but i actually cared about that place. i sacrificed so much for that place as mentioned in a previous post.

kavaroots is a little shack on the north shore known for their acai bowls. for those of you who don't know what an acai bowl is...allow me to explain. acai is a berry from the amazon...packed with antioxidants. it is mixed with strawberries, bananas and apple juice in the form of a smoothie, which is then poured in a bowl, and topped with the BEST granola, sliced bananas and drizzled with honey.

it really is the BEST. and not to brag or anything...but i think i make 'em the best. lol. sadly...we don't have a kavaroots here in utah...and even though i can buy the ingredients up here to make my own, i don't have the right blender. so when i try to use the normal household blenders out here...it really isn't the same.

its funny how these posts work themselves out. i was planning on writing about clothes and how they can sometimes "make or break" a person...but i just got carried away with my memories of kavaroots. *sigh* i miss that place.

my beliefs

upon reviewing today's topic, i figured i'd be really simple. since my beliefs are just that...simple.

* i BELIEVE in a loving and caring Heavenly Father whose love is everywhere

* i BELIEVE in eternal families

* i BELIEVE that you get what you give

* i BELIEVE the people in your lives are there for a reason

* i BELIEVE in my Savior...and HIS atonement

* i BELIEVE in forgiveness

this may not seem like a lot...but these are the most important ones...to me at least.

a moment

when i first moved to utah...i stayed with my sister and her family of 8. it wasn't that big of a change considering i lived with them back in hawaii before they relocated. and besides...i'll have to admit that she and her husband have been like my second parents for some time now. i remember when i was in high school, i went to a birthday bash with them, and some of my friends thought they were my parents. i never let one live that down. hahahaha!!!

anyhoo...since my brother and his wife moved up and get a house for themselves, i moved in with them. no more missing clothes, or messy room from kids going through my stuff. no more waking up to kids fighting or babies crying. its been nothing but peace and quiet. its been nice considering i've been working so much lately. but i do miss those monkeys.

so last night, bestie and i stopped by the saaga's. and this is what we walked into:




as much as i enjoy the peace and quiet and the cleanliness of my new "home," its moments like these that remind me why i moved up here in the first place. i don't know what my life would be like without these kids. they make living in utah bearable....and its moments like these that bring truth to the saying "home is where the heart is," cuz these little heartbeats make life worth living.

my best friend

i was looking forward to this post because there are so many stories to go along with this topic. lol. you know you're best friends when you go through a lot together...and i mean a LOT!!! this girl has had my back as far back as i can remember. we had so much in common from our first crush to our first loss. she truly is my SAS! here are a few things we have in common:

*born and raised in hau'ula

*lifetime H4 members

*both our fathers served as bishops for the ward.

*we both had the HUGEST crush on the same guy...until we both outgrew him. literally.

*lost our siblings (my brother and her sister) in car accidents. first jason. then sarah. both of whom are the same age and grew up together as well.

*both of us got lickings from the same person....who just so happened to be my mother. lol.

*fully dependable.

wen i look back through the years, mine and maria's relationship grew through the young women's program. we would complain about almost every activity, and as soon as we got our license we would ditch the last hour of church to discuss the past weeks activities while stuffing our faces with mcdonalds up at the point. because we went to different schools, these were one of the few times we could catch up on the latest gossip.

one of the BEST stories i have of us is the summer after her senior year and my junior year. we were both single and she was sooooooo ready to mingle. especially after just ending a two year relationship with her h.s. boyfriend. drama dat one. anyhoo...it was ward camp. and she being the outwardly open rebel...and me not being so open decided it would be a good idea to sneak away and attend a grad party that was going on that night. surprisingly...this was the first time she ever snuck out anywhere. lol. so i laid out the plan:

*tell the parentals we were gonna hang out in the main tent.

*wait til they fell asleep...or were about to fall asleep.

*take the van (my parents van of course since i was always the driver)...and get ready for the party at my house since everyone in my family would be at camp.

*PARTY TIME!!!!

so the excuse was going to be...we went home to grab a sweater...and just crashed at the house. after leaving the party at almost 430 in the morning...we headed back to the camp. with our change of clothes in the car. when we pulled up we quickly changed into our pj's. the plan was to circle around the camp and make it look like we were coming from the beach. we were about 50 yards away from a clean break until the dreaded flashlight (a trademark of my mother's at EVERY camp) shone brightly on our faces. busted.

maria started freaking out asking "oh crap! oh crap! what are we gonna do?" me...being the sneaky one...who's obviously had experience sneaking out before (*smh* oka...what a punk i was) told her to just be quiet and that i would explain everything. so as we approached my mother...i could FEEL her eyes penetrating through the both of us. she abruptly asked where we were, and i stuck to the whole going-home-to-get-a-sweater-and-falling-asleep story. she could see right through me. so in an effort to get the truth...she turned to maria, who was standing right next to her (wrong move)....and WHACKED her with the flashlight!!! hahahahahaha!!!! and this was no ordinary flashlight. this was the 10 lb. black security flashlight! and maria is as skinny as a twig...so it obviously hurt. omg...i'm cracking up just thinking about it. that's a true friend right there. after getting the first "beating", my mom asked maria the same question she asked me. and like a trooper maria stuck to the story.

so there we sat...the two biggest liars in the world sitting in front of my mom. when i think back on it now...we were both really stupid. what i thought was frustration and anger was actually genuine worry and concern. mom expressed how during that time of the year she worries about us on the road late at night. especially after what had happened to jason. this made me feel like crap. so we both apologized for being...well...teenage girls.

but this story will forever be etched in my memory. if you can get lickings from MY mom...you know you're family. lol. sadly...later that summer maria and i developed an even stronger bond over the loss of sarah...her eldest sister. unfortunately i was out of state when it happened and could not physically be there when it happened....but i was the first person she called when it happened. and she was the first person i went to when i returned from my trip. we know that we can depend on each other no matter what.

now that she's married and has a family of her own...our relationship remains the same. she has a new best friend...and i know i still have yet to find mine...but she will forever be my sis.

my day

today was pretty uneventful...much like any other day of my life. i would say that majority of my day has been spent working...but not today. like i've mentioned in a previous post, one of my besties is in town, so i was able to take some time off from my full time job. but poor her. i still have to work at the hawaiian cultural center.

so today...we decided to sleep in since both of us have been overworked the past few weeks. we decided to take it easy. if i had my way...i would have called in to the second job and made a spa day of it. but because i went home last week and spent waaaaaaaaay too much money, i figured i should put a few hours in.

so off we went to midvale. bestie dropped me off so she could spend some time with her brother who lives not too far away from the center. can i just say that aside from having my family here, working at the hawaiian cultural center has made the move up here so much easier. i love that even though i'm surrounded by a sea of "white" here in utah, i can walk through those doors and feel at "home." i don't have to explain myself when i buss out da pidgin. i can mention people and places from back home and not get a funny look. my coworkers truly are like family there. i don't even think i can call it work since all we do is cruise and enjoy each other's company.

so after putting in my four hours...bestie and i headed to the grocery store. i felt the need to cook. so we picked up a few things and headed home. baked bbq chicken, mashed potatoes and corn was on the menu, and bestie cooked up some devilish cupcakes. they truly were sinful. i forget how much i love to cook. i've been deprived of that privilege after working nights at delta. but its all good. the flight benefits make up for it. but how good food tastes when you make it yourself. i really should cook more of my meals myself.

then it was quality time with the brother and SIL. its been nice having bestie in town because it gives me the time i need to relax. i rarely see my "caretakers" nowadays because i work so much. i'll wake up just in time to get ready for work at the center. and then when i'm done there...i immediately report for duty at delta. by the time i come home...their asleep. or...when i have time off from both jobs i'm on a plane. so it was good to just kick back and enjoy a meal with them. that's usually when we have the best conversations. see...again with the food/convo combination.

so as you can see...not so exciting...but worthwhile for me. just quality time with good people.

my definition of love

my definition used to be:

when you're ready and willing to do anything and everything for a person.

but now when i think about it, it seems to subservient for me. so after much thought and contemplation i think i've come up with something better:

love is when a person helps you realize your worth and loves you for it...unconditionally

what i ate today

ok...since i only ate on thing TODAY...i'm gonna share what i ate yesterday cuz it was mmmm....mmmmm...mmmmm good. lol.

the bestie flew into town yesterday...so after picking her up from the airport we went straight to the house to refuel. i figured its cheaper to eat at home then eat out. so we got home to find my sister-in-law prepping some lunch. perfect timing. lol. BLT's were on the menu...and i was a little hesitant because i've never had one before. sorry...not that big of a bacon fan. but man...i don't know what she put in THIS sandwich but it was yuuuuuuuuummy!!! so that was my breakfast. lol.

after work that day...my "food storage" started running low...so with ana in town...we decided to treat ourselves to some olive garden. it has definitely been a while since i've eaten there...so i forget how scrumpdiddleyicous their food is. i usually order the basics...lasagna or spaghetti. but this time i was filling something stuffed. so cheese ravioli for me with salad and breadsticks along with a strawberry mango lemonade. ugh...i'm getting full just thinking about it. dessert was the last thing on my mind after cleaning off my plate. lol. but we weren't done.

after leaving olive garden we were off to cold stone down the road to meet up with some more good company. since i've moved up here to utah..i've made it a goal to spend some time with my friends from college who are now married with kids. we usually meet up at chili's or cafe rio and make a meal of it...but this time we thought we'd just catch up over dessert. so we met at cold stone. man...i swear i became diabetic just walking into that place. everything smelled soooo sweet. but it too was yuuuuuummmy! *sigh* that just put me over the top.

one thing that i've realized however is that food is always the staple that brings people together. its the key ingredient in celebrating every occasion....weddings, birthday parties, anniversaries...etc. the list goes on and on. my friends and i have had many a good conversation over some good food. although i should really limit my eating out, you just can't limit quality time with good people.

the parentals

david and angie
my parents

they met not too long after my dad returned from serving in the northern indian mission...covering north and south dakota and wyoming. he was giving a talk at a young adult fireside that my mom just so happened to be attending. she just flew in from new zealand and was on a mini vacation in the islands. her first impression of him (in her words), "i thought he was so ugly!" *sidenote: i take offense to her comment every time she tells the story because i mean c'mon...my daddy was and still is VERY handsome. so she's crazy. lol.

anyhoo...after the fireside was over, the very one who thought he was ugly, approached him because she realized he served with one of her friends from new zealand. he says he was immediately smitten...and they began hanging out immediately after. one thing that is ironic is that the whole time my mom was here on vacation, she was staying with her cousin who was actually engaged to my dad before he went on his mission!!! hahahahaha! i tease him about how he liked to keep things in the family.

but i'm grateful for that day. had that not happened, i would not be here...obviously. it still amazes me how these two were able to come together. i know that the lord had a huge part in helping them find one another. especially in preparing my dad.

you see...he is a convert to the church. i've mentioned this in a previous post. he saved up enough money to support himself throughout his mission. he always talks about how he had to sell his fire engine red mustang to pay for his mission. he has always been a hardworker. from his years of service in the national guard after they were married, to his years of driving either tourists or high school students, my dad has always been the provider for our family. now that he's retired...he continues to work hard around the house and with his various church callings.

but he wouldn't be the strong, hard working man that he is without my mom. growing up...i've always known my mom to be a stern woman. i could never really connect with her as much as i did with my dad. isn't that true with most daughters??? well...growing up i tease her that my older sister and i were latchkey kids because she returned to the workforce when i was in the 3rd grade. so, when coming home from school, instead of being greeted by an afternoon snack made by our mother...like most kids...we were greeted with a list of chores and things NOT to do when we were done with said chores. hahahaha! but i love my mom. she is just as hardworking as my dad. so much in that she would rather stay at work sometimes, then come home. lol.

i just got back from visiting with my parents last week because mom's health isn't exactly the best at the moment. but one thing that i did observe while i was there was the undying love these two continue to have after 38 years. they are the ultimate example of unconditional love for me. i am forever grateful for them and their living example of what i look forward to achieve when i find my eternal companion. don't get me wrong. they're not perfect. they've endured more than their share of trials, but they continue to come out stronger than before. i could go on and on...but its getting a little difficult trying to see through the tears. lol. i love you mom and dad.

first love

when i think of my first love...i think of my first date. to this day i wouldn't quite say i was in LOVE with him...more of a deep like. LOL.

it was fall of '98...the start of my sophmore year, and his junior year. although we didn't go to the same school, we had mutual friends who all seemed to hang out together on the weekends after football games or at dances. and i guess that's where we seemed to connect. back when it was normal for the guy to ask the girl to dance, he was always the FIRST to approach me whenever i showed up. we would dance all night, and chat it up for a lil bit afterwards outside the gym. whenever the curfew was an issue (for me of course) our conversations continued over the phone. it was the beginning of a great friendship. or so i thought.

then it changed thanksgiving weekend. i distinctly remember because it was the weekend of the coveted prep bowl. in preparation for the "big event" i remember making leis for all my "boys" playing that weekend. then i got the call. it was him. he sounded different than before. nervous almost. after covering the basics...hey...what's goin' on....how was ur thanksgiving...blah blah blah...there was silence. he asked if i would be going to the dance later that night. me, knowing i still had a ton of leis to make, i told him i was unsure. silence again. then came the confession. he liked me. i mean...i would be lying if i said i didn't know by then...but to hear it straight from the horse's mouth was something different.

it. was. nice.

our relationship grew from that point on. i admitted my mutual interest...but wasn't ready for anything serious quite yet. which, now that i think about it...doesn't really make sense because from that point on...we were practically in a relationship...i just didn't want to admit it. our weekend conversations turned into daily phone calls...with occasional rendezvous at a friends house. our first real date was at laie theaters. hahahahaha!!! i remember my parents picking me up after the movie, and because i was too young to "date" i had him wait in the theater til i left. hahahahaha!!! i know...ghetto. but *sigh* those were the days. had to sneak around.

the prime event...my sophmore banquet. since we had become so close throughout the past few months, it was only natural for me to have him be my date. because i went to a different school where he wouldn't know ANYONE, three of my close friends took three of his friends as their date as well. so after taking group pictures at the temple (aiya...we thought we was goin prom..lol), we hopped into our limo (see! lol)...and made our way to town. all in all we all had a good time.

sadly...all good things must come to an end, and so it did with us. phone calls became less frequent. both our lives became preoccupied with sports and school work, and we just didn't seem to be on the right page. as i became more and more aware of my feelings for him, his seemed to fizzle. we tried to reignite the flame a few years later after i graduated from high school, but we both realized we were better off as friends.

so there you have it...my first "love"....or the way i like to put it....my first "deep like" :)

the challenge is challenging!!!!

ok....i am already getting off to a bad start. but things have been CRAZY this week...but i'll have to save that for a later post. on to the first topic: INTRODUCE MYSELF.

now...i'm pretty sure that everyone who follows my blog already know all there is to know about me, so here are a few random facts that may not be common knowledge...

*5 scars from a random biking accident back when i was in second grade
(one on each elbow and one on each knee along with one on the chin)

*lived in 4 different homes in a period of 3 years

*got lost at the swap meet when i was 5 years old. i don't remember it, yet it seems to be a vivid memory for the rest of my family...

*spoiled yet humble (are you humble if YOU claim to be??? lol)

*went to 3 different schools post hs graduation..only to officially graduate 8 years later

*teachers pet...in elementary at least. lol. most people think they are. but do their teachers take them to disneyland after graduating from 6th grade??? yup...that's what i thought.

*got a sprained ankle in 10th grade while playing volleyball, forcing me to use crutches for a few weeks. not a good combo when your school is on a hill

*fell off down stairs on school bus while using aforementioned crutches

*used fake hair at sr. prom...which saved me HOURS of prep time.

*love rainy days..only if it means i can stay home

*lived with 9 other girls in a 3 bedroom 1 bathroom house. i don't know how we did it.

*my first car was a whopping $300!!!

*love my family.

i thought this would be a better way to introduce myself. you know aside from the whole mundane introduction...you know, name, family members, education and occupation history. these are just a few of the random experiences that have made my life that much more exciting. granted there are waaaaaaaaay more..but these are the ones that seem to stick out in my mind. so there you have it. uilani.lina.keo