TRADITION

Last Christmas Isaac was in Germany. This year we were all home. Next Christmas Isaac will be on his mission. The face of Christmas for us will change in all the years to come. So this year Christmas tradition seemed more important than ever.

The kids looked forward with sweet anticipation to the taste sensations that only come once each year. They talked of our Christmas Eve picnic and which movie we would see on Christmas day. They devoured the coconut and pizza bread and desperately enjoyed the Christmas Eve s'mores. But no tradition is more important than the one we started in 1992...the Christmas Eve book.

Each year we go to the childrens section of the bookstore and read picture book after picture book, searching for just the right book that sparks a memory of each individual child. Pictured above are the piles of books each child will take with them when they have a family of their own.

Christmas memories are mind-pleasing and spark pleasant conversation. Next year when Isaac is away as some of the other children may be we can look to 2008 as a wonderful Christmas memory.

OUR CHRISTMAS CARD

Wishing we could embrace you all with tangible hugs and kisses - extending the warmth of His light to you this Christmas...WE LOVE YOU ALL,

Ra, Lani, Rakai, Karamea, Isaac, Ammon, Asa, Hamilton

JOY TO THE WORLD AND PEACE ON EARTH!

AMMON ACHIEVES!

Look at that smile! He's feeling mighty happy about that Drivers License! Congratulations Ammon...we love you tons!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAMILTON!

December 18 was Hamilton's 10th birthday. It was also a no school/snow day...which is very weird for St. George. Birthday's in elementary school are always fun so Hamilton was feeling a little bummed about having to stay home.

The boys played in the snow most of the day. It seems so odd to type that sentence. I can't remember that kind of snow in St. George in all the 10 years we have lived in sunny St. George.

Happy birthday Hamilton! Keep on smilin' BABE!

Merry Christmas!

From the boys.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Thanksgiving 2008

Click here to read about this adventure!

AMMON AND ISAAC

After school on Friday Ammon's girlfriends came over and braided his hair. It was such hard work that when they were done they layed down on his bed and took a nap.

Isaac and Ammon share a room and Isaac had fallen asleep earlier on his bed, under his blanket with his only his underwear on. Does anyone think this is weird? Isaac did when he woke up.

By the time he woke up it was dark outside. He sat up on the side of his bed - remember there's girls in the bed next to him and he's wearing his underwear - so he sat on the side of the bed and turned on the bedside light. He saw girls and quickly reached over and turned off the light. Bent to the floor and grabbed the shorts he had dropped to the floor before he fell asleep.

Isaac came upstairs and asked me why girls were sleeping in Ammon's bed and by-the-way, where is Ammon?

Girls are sleeping in Ammon's bed?! Ammon wasn't even home when I got home from work. But it wasn't long before he walked through the door.

I know...this all sounds really random...but if you knew Ammon and Isaac you would totally be smiling right now.

ON MY BIRTHDAY

Ra and the boys made my birthday fun - decorating as only boys can do and singing Happy Birthday in the worst way possible. The rose came from the garden...yes it's the middle of November. The weather has been beautiful and this rose was there to brighten my birthday!

Happy birthday!!!

We have the most amazing and beautiful mom EVER!
Happy birthday mom!! We LOVE you!

The Joker and the rockstar.

Ra turns FIFTY!

Happy Birthday!!!

Our Dad turned 50 on Saturday!!!!
Happy birthday you OG!


WE LOVE YOU!

FIFTY CANDLES!

Light up the cake with 50 candles in celebration of Ra's birthday! What's up with the hat?

STAHELI FARM FIELD TRIP

Yesterday Hamilton went on a class field trip out to Staheli Farm. Mom got to go with him and was able to take a few pics.
The best is the fat pig! Wouldn't that be a nice life?!!




Post Script - I did run out to the Staheli Family Farm during my lunch break. It was a great adventure. I love this activity. The kids learn great things about farms and agriculture. Farms are so neccessary and I love this one. Anytime I can hang out there is always dreammy.

Homecoming/Ammon's first date!!

Both him and Issac looked pretty slick tonight!


I made them get these flowers to impress their dates. :) hope it worked!!

THINGS TO DO WITHOUT TELEVISION

::read a book::build legos::watch the moon::go walking::ride a bike::play soccer::hang out with the cat::blog::research a new topic::make dinner::eat dinner::listen to music::play a musical instrument::read another book::eat fruit::talk to your family::make popcorn::watch a movie::write something fun::play basketball::sing a song::draw a picture::visit your neighbors::go to the park::make cookies::eat cookies::stroll around the yard::go to the gym::go swimming::make bread::eat bread::

We moved and decided not to sign up for cable, satellite or anything else that would transmit television into our house. The kids have been raised on imagination...no video or computer games in the house. Can you say excellent social skills and work ethic? That's the outcome of using your imagination.

You should try it!

HAPPY 16th AMMON!

I realized I am behind on my family blog posts and missed blogging Ammon's birthday. He turned 16 on August 22. Ammon is COMPLETELY AWESOME!

A family that blogs together,

loves and lives together.

Now there are officially 5 bloggers in the house.

Dad: ...he has quite a few, about a few different things. email him to get the links: tradewarrior@gmail.com
Mom: laninina.blogspot.com
Karamea: karameapearl.blogspot.com/
Asa: asapuriri.blogspot.com/
Hamilton: hamiltonpuriri.blogspot.com/

What's going on with your family??

CAR STICKER

Don't you hate looking at those car stickers in the back window of the vehicle in front of you?

SILLY DOGS TRICKS ARE FOR CATS

This is more than just a coincidence

HAPPY TWENTY TWO!

BEAUTIFUL KARAMEA

Family trip to SLC for the 4th of July.

One big happy family!

ALL TOGETHER AGAIN

There's a lady in our church who takes pictures of everyone and posts them on the weekly email she sends out. She wanted an updated photo of our family. This day is fathers day and Ra's first Sunday home from the middle east. Hamilton is mad cause he thought he should stand and Karamea should sit. He refused to look happy.

After many years of being apart we are all together again. Lots of big people living in the same house. Kind of a different experience.

Singing time with Hamilton.

18 GAMES LATER

The 2008 Utah Summer Games are over for us. Four players, four days and eighteen games later the boys have obtained 3 medals. Isaac and Ammon each have a gold and Asa a bronze. Hamilton did his best but they are young and in the learning stages. It was exhausting and we are all sunburned.

Wanna know more - check out this website - http://utahsummergames.org/.

EVERYBODY SMILE!

Isaac's Home!

Oh So Random

The journey of life takes unexpected turns. When the year turned from 2007 to 2008 one would never have guessed that the first of May would arrive and our family would be scattered throughout the world.

Ra called from Kuwait today. He has arrived safely.

Rakai, Karamea and Isaac are far from home. All will be home soon but today seems so strange as I think about all of us existing in different time zones.

And I am home with Ammon, Asa and Hamilton working at keeping it all together.

It's just so random...

Dad said...

Dad said I need to put these pictures on the blog so you can all see me since none of you have seen an up to date picture of me in a long time. Sooo....yea, this was last sunday at Maxi's confirmation. It's a thing in their church when a young man is recoginized as in adult in their church. It's a pretty big deal and it was lots of fun! In the second picture Maxi my host bro is to my right and Vanessa my host sis is on my left.

Castle and Currywurst

Today Dad saw his first castle and ate his first currywurst! We were in a church in Hildesheim where there was a cast iron model of the 12 Apostles hanging at the front of the chapel, he was quite fascinated by it. He saw lots of cool old things he had never seen in the castle and saw new things in Hildesheim that he'd never seen in his life. It was a day of many new experiences haha. Tomorrow its off to Dresden at 5AM then Dad goes to Kuwait Saturday morning. It will be sad saying bye again but it will be alright, because I'll be home then dad will be home short after. That's not too far away then the whole fam will be home together!!

Dad with me in Germany?!

First Pic: Dad in front of the Hannover City Hall Second Pic: Dad walking his bike down the smallest street in Sarstedt with the oldest houses in the city Third Pic: Tiny doorway on the street, Dad was very fascinated haha Fourth Pic: Dad taking a break in Hannover haha. He fell asleep anytime we sat down, he is still messed up from the time difference.

This is the first post I've made and I'm still not sure how this thing all works. Anyway, Dad flew to Germany yesterday to stop on his way to Dubai since he won't be home when I get home. So yesterday I picked him up from the Central Train Station in Hannover, then we brought him back home to Sarstedt. Yesterday we just kinda hung out and relaxed and took it easy since he was dead from the time difference and all. Then today we hung out in Hannover and I showed him around; took him to a couple churches, the cool City Hall, we ate typical German Bratwurst (which is so good) and just walked around the main City Square in Hannover.
Tomorrow I'm taking him to a castle; thursday just hanging out around home and little Sarstedt, friday off to Dresden! Dresden will be cool, its a very pretty city and I'm excited Dad will be able to see it, its just lame that Mom can't here too. It'll be alright though, one day we'll all come back and I'll be able to show them around my second home here in Germany. After Dresden though Dad goes off to the Middle East, it's weird he won't be home when I get home from Germany. It"ll be alright though he'll be home shortly after. 

Its really fun having Dad here though, seeing him for the first time again was weird though. At first I felt like it was normal and  that I had seen everyone at home yesterday! Then when he got off the train and hugged me I realized I hadn't seen him in 9 months and it all hit me and I kind of started to cry ha I'll admit it. It's really fun though walking around showing him the typical German stuff, I think his favorite so far has been tasting all the typical German foods I buy for him haha. It will be weird going home though and then having everyone there! I haven't been home with everyone home for over a year. Well, I'm glad Dad is here and we are for sure going to make the best of it! Dad even already had German beer!! ...alcohol free of course, my host dad bought it special for Dad so he could say he tasted German beer. Oh Another funny thing is when we are all just sitting around talking German and they ask Dad something but look at me, then I look at Dad and wait for the answer...then they go "Isaac! You have to translate!!" haha I totally sit and think Dad can understand what we are talking about but he has no idea. It's weird! I love that I can speak another language now! Foreign Exchanges are AMAZING!!(sorry if I made typing or grammar mistakes or whatever, my english is getting worse and worse!)