The Big 3-0

Uwe and I turned thirty today. Instead of a play-by-play, I'll just say I felt how much Kyle loves me and wanted this birthday to be wonderful. It was.

Here's 30 random and not-so random things I've done so far in my life:

1. married the perfect guy (for me).
2. had three of the cutest kids ever.
3. graduated from BYU with a bachelors in Marriage, Family, and Human Development.
4. spent a year and a half at BYUH.
5. served a mission in Spokane Washington.
6. learned to tie my shoe, peel an orange, and put my hair in a pony tail with one hand.
7. visited Sydney Australia for a week and a half.
8. began a Masters program.
9. quit a Masters program after having my first child.
10. learned to weave a Navajo rug.
11. read the Book of Mormon several times (once in one sitting).
12. kissed the love of my life on top of the Empire State building.
13. attended 3 temple dedications.
14. taught early morning seminary.
15. crocheted an afghan for my grandmother.
16. learned photography enough to start a small business.
17. performed my first and last hula for a crowd of 100+ people.
18. attended a sealing of a sister I taught on my mission.
19. discovered/learned the joy of washing dishes.
20. changed at least 8,000 diapers (if not more).
21. kissed my babies at least a million times.
22. rode in a helicopter (would rather have not).
23. prepared temple names for my maternal grandparents.
24. received my patriarchal blessing.
25. planted a tree.
26. was president of the LDS sorority, Lambda Delta Sigma.
27. lead the music in sacrament meeting for our small branch for 4 years.
28. taught at the MTC for a year and a half.
29. donated my hair to Locks of Love.
30. started a family blog.

PS. My favorite thought for today was: 30 is the new 20.

My Brave Little Ikaika

I have been wanting to do a post of Ikaika for a while. I sometimes feel I am always writing about Sepa's cuteness and the new things Kekoa is doing. I don't want to leave my Kaika out. So here is one for him.
Ikaika by definition means "warrior" in Hawaiian. Well, today Ikaika decided to be a little to adventuresome and warrior-like and he ended up with a huge goose egg on his forehead the size a golf ball (just more in an oval shape). I heard him cry from the other room and I ran to see what was the matter. As soon as I asked him where he got hurt I saw the swelling. Scared me to bits. I am not one to deal with those types of things well. Anyway, he recovered and after a little popcicle on his head, the swelling went down to about half. I decided it was not the greatest time to take a picture so I decided to post these two instead. (Oh, I forgot to mention he was jumping around on the couch and hit the edge of our piano sitting right next to it . . . ouch).




Well, I love my little Ikaika. He has a heart of gold and has for the most part been very mild during the terrible two years.
Yesterday, Kekoa said, "Mom, Ikaika likes two things: his milk and his grandma." He hit it right on the button with that one. Ikaika really does love those two things. Happily grandma is coming into town this weekend for a visit and I have a brand new gallon of whole milk sitting in the fridge.

PS. Both of these shots I took practicing with my new lens (I got it before the NY trip). It is a Canon 85mm 1.8 and I love it.

Short

I got a hair cut this week. I had decided a while ago I wanted to do it pretty short. I like it most of the time. It just seems so moody - sometimes looks great, sometimes not-so. Anyway, I love this picture of my Kaika - his smile is so sweet and genuine.

Can You Stand the Cuteness?

One of the hardest parts about leaving to NY was having to leave the boys behind. I always say that I have clingy boys. Well, in reality it is I who am the clingy one. I love being with them and hate to miss any moment. Don't get me wrong, I need breaks from them just as much as any other mom, but it's hard for me to be away for long periods of time. What can I say? - they are just so darn cute.
They boys for the most part did just fine staying with Aunty Celeste and Keisha (angel girls for being willing!) while we were gone. I think that Sepa had the hardest time. We would ichat with them when we could and that helped. The only time Sepa was awake for the chat was on Saturday. He was so happy to see us. He just kept kissing the screen. Celeste took a picture.


How precious is that? He gives the sweetest kisses by the way :)

I also wanted to just record that yesterday he stood up by himself for the first time. He was so cute. He would pull himself up next to me and then let go looking straight at me for a reaction. We'd cheer for him and he'd beam with pride. I desperately tried to get a picture of it - foregoing the artistic shot for anything that showed him standing. But he was only comfortable with me next to him and I had no one to take the picture. So these last two were the best I could do. And just for the record I do not let my little ones run around in a diaper in the middle of the winter. I was changing him into his pj's when he got away to play. Anyway, I am so glad he waited for me to come home to reach this new milestone so I could witness it first-hand : )

Her Story

Kyle did a great job giving the rundown on our event filled trip. So I'll just highlight the things I loved best about our weekend getaway.
Actually, I'll do it with pictures:

One of my favorite things was the carriage ride through Central Park. From the moment I heard we could do that I wanted to. A horse drawn carriage through Central Park on Valentine's Day? Nothing sounded more romantic to me. It was so fun and not even the scolding lady on the side of the street could have dampened my spirits (she was protesting supporting cruelty to animals - the horses I guess).



Even though I am not terribly fond of heights I really enjoyed the observation deck on top of the Empire State Building. In retrospect I feel kind of bad for not trying harder to recognize what Kyle was trying to do in his re-proposal. I guess the freezing weather and hundreds of other people made it hard to immediately get into the moment. But it was a very magical time when we found a spot in front of an open door (so warmth was flowing through) and Kyle and I talked and he did the actual proposal. I am such a dork to have said that it was conditional on our renewing our vows on the beaches of Aruba in two years. In all seriousness, I would say yes to the eternities and back to this wonderful man.



Okay - not really jiving with the romantic picture theme, but aside from the companionship of Kyle this was my most favorite part about the trip - attending Wicked on Broadway. It was so incredible and I loved ever moment of the musical. Kyle said he couldn't read my reaction to it, but I was just so enthralled it left not room for expression verbally or on my face. It was amazing and I feel so lucky to have gone in NY. The cast did a perfect job. When I first found out we were going to go during the trip I felt better about missing an opportunity to get tickets to the show coming to SLC this summer. But now after having seen it I kick myself for not jumping at the chance. It is such a fun, creative show - go if you get a chance. And if you happen to have an extra ticket or two I am standing waiting like a kid pressed up against the glass of a candy shop. hint hint : )


I also loved dinner (we forgot to get a picture - though I am sure there were many willing waiters had we only asked) on Valentine's night. Kyle was so disappointed that we couldn't have our traditional Thai meal. I thought the whole thing was super funny and ironic. But I think it worked out just right. The Japanese place was decked out in Valentine decor and as cheesy as most of it looked, I loved the ambiance of the whole place with lit candles and roses. During dinner I was reminded of how one of my favorite things about Kyle is his willingness to give anything to make me happy (evidenced by a simple act of giving me his last bite of red bean mochi ice cream. I was sure I wanted the mango when I ordered, but later decided I liked his much better - a simple act, but very telling). It was a perfect dinner for the night.


All in all my favorite thing was simply being with Kyle. We have not really had time away more than a night to Park City since we've been married. I always say that I could seriously be with this guy 24/7 for eternity. Oh, good thing I am going to be : )

~m

New York, New York - His Story

Michele and I in Baltimore waiting for our flight to Long Island.

Waiting for the subway wasn't bad since i got to stare at this beauty.

The Guggenheim was awesome! The Met was better!

Central Park Princess!! A few hours later, we rode through there in our carriage.

Gotta love the temple in the middle of Manhattan.

I know people don't like reading long blogs so I will attempt to keep this somewhat parsimonious while maintaining all of the romance (who am I kidding - since when have I been brief when talking about Michele?).

For the past month, I have been trying to plan a get-away to celebrate Michele's 30th birthday (Feb. 28) and Valentine's Day. It has been a nightly routine to begin working on homework between 9:30 and midnight but lately, my "surprise" plans have taken me to 1:00a.m. Since I know Michele will fill in the details of the trip, I will just add a brief synopsis of the plans and my thinking behind the whole surprise.

I wanted to take her away to a place that was farther than Vernal. Once I priced out all of the cities that were possibilities, I settled on NYC. Thanks to some travel voucher help from mom and some other things on the side, I was able to come up with enough funds without taking any from our budget. Michele knew we were going away for three days but she had no idea where (which was funny because so many of my friends and family knew). We arrived to the SLC airport at 5:00a.m. on Friday morning. I checked her in so that she could not see where the plane was headed (It didn't matter because we had a layover). While at the airport, I gave her the first present (clue as to where we were going) - the novel "Wicked." She immediately asked, "New York?" and I had to give in. After arriving in Long Island, we took a train to our hotel on the upper west side of Manhattan near Central Park. We were both so excited for the amazing food on every corner of NYC but I had already mapped it out. We walked to Gray's Papaya (hotdog shop made famous in the movie "Fools Rush In") and had a quick bite. We then headed to La Caridad 78—a Cuban/Chinese/Carribean restaurant near our hotel, and indulged in some wonderful cuban food (the tamales were killer). I had also planned on ice skating Friday night at Wollman Rink (Serendipity, Home Alone) but the locals told us that Central Park was dangerous at night in the winter so we passed.

Saturday was our full day. Here it is in a nutshell:
9:00 - Breakfast
9:45 - Times Square
10:45 - Solomon Guggenheim Museum
11:30 - Metropolitan Museum of Art
1:30 - Lunch at a café near the theater district
2:00 - Wicked the musical on Broadway
5:00 - Carriage ride through Central Park (passed Wollman skating rink)
6:30 - Dinner at Sun-Yin Sushi near the Empire State Building (ESB)
7:30 - Skyride at ESB
8:30 - Observation deck at ESB
10:00 - Return to hotel

I have to interject that six years ago, I proposed on Valentine's Day. On that night, we had Thai food and we have had Thai food every Valentine's Day since. I had mapped out a Thai/Malaysian place one block from the ESB. Michele and I showed up and it had closed down. After a brief moment of sadness, we found a wonderful Sushi place where we were treated like royalty. The mochi ice-cream was sooooo good. When we were at the top of the ESB, I told Michele that I had her engagement and wedding rings rhodium plated (cleaned) and that I wanted to re-propose to her. Knowing Michele, I checked with her first to make sure if she wanted a full out, one knee, public proposal or a quiet one. She opted for the quiet one. Let me just say that her "yes" to my question was just as powerful as it was six years ago.

The next day was ground zero, the temple, and images of the statue of liberty from battery park. We then headed home and arrived in Utah on Sunday night.

There were so many wonderful memories from this short getaway: Wicked was incredible, the food was delicious, the museums breathtaking, and the carriage ride romantic. I realized more than anything though, that Michele is the woman of my dreams. Seeing her away from our kids made me realize how much I love seeing her with our kids. I looked at Michele a ton during this trip and I have to say, she is more beautiful than ever. It was a trip that will never be forgotten. Happy Valentine's Day Michele. I love you.

K

New York, New York

On Thursday night I went with Kyle to a banquet at UVU for an award Kyle received (called the PACE award - which is basically an employee of the year). Attending the dinner was the interim president of UVU and the entire board of trustees. At the beginning, President Hitch had everyone introduce themselves. The PACE winners each introduced their guests. It was usually the wife or husband adding at the end of the intro that they were so-n-so's spouse - almost awkwardly as if they were just tagging along. When Kyle introduced himself he said that he was the husband of Michele Reyes. His putting me first was completely opposite of all the others. To this President Hitch said to me, "That was probably your Valentine - him letting you be first." I smiled and laughed inside thinking, " You really do not know my Kyle do you?" That same dedication and going the extra mile he gives to his job, making him an easy candidate for employee of the year stems from his relationship with his wife and family. Little did she know that in less than 10 hours we would be heading to the airport for a Valentine's weekend in New York City. We are still here and will be heading home tomorrow evening. We'll post about it all when we get home. For now, I'll just say that this has been one of the most memorable Valentine's ever (right next to the year Kyle proposed). I love you Kyle.
Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy V-Day

We are headed out on our little vacation in the morning and I will not get a chance to post this on Valentine's Day. So here it is : ) Happy day of love. I love all four of my boys with all my heart and soul.

Traditions of the Fathers

Last night Kyle took Kekoa to the Jazz vs. Lakers game. We were initially going to do a double date with Kyle and our good friends, the Youngs, but I had Relief Society duties to attend to. So Kyle and his friend, Kirk, decided to take their boys instead. I hope that Kyle will have a chance to write abput it later. I just wanted to get something posted for now : )

Kekoa:
I had lots of fun with my Dad.

Here's pic from the game :

Floored

This past Saturday we had some saintly ward members come over and help us install laminate for our kitchen floor. It is something that I have wanted to do to update our home ever since we first moved in over two years ago. We decided on laminate that looks tile since I am not the biggest fan of an all-wood look. It may not be as sleek as tile, but I'm happy I do not have to scrub grout. I am enjoying the new floor so much I sweep several times a day as opposed to the . . . well I won't admit what it was before : ) We still have to put back up baseboard and quarter rounds, but that should happen very soon. I am so thankful for the mini face-lift on our home : )

BEFORE:
(this picture doesn't show how hashed the floor really was)

AFTER:
(the color goes perfect with the rest of our home)

Call it what you like . . .

. . . anticipation, excitement, bragging, you name it. I am so excited for this coming weekend. Kyle is stealing me away for a three day get-away. I have no idea where we are going. All I know I know is that I will love having alone time with my sweetheart. It is in celebration for Valentine's Day (our engagement anniversary) and my 30th birthday. I can hardly wait : )

: )

Progress Report

I had my mom and brother set up my loom on Thanksgiving week. It has been a little while and I've made some progress so I thought I'd post a picture. Here's what I've done so far.



I was hoping to be a little further along but there there are so many other things on my plate that I have to get done. It is also a little hard to work on with the boys around. They try to 'help' or Sepa tries to hang on to the strings. Battling them makes progress slow.
But I absolutely and completely enjoy weaving. It is so relaxing and enjoyable. I sometimes have to force my self not to work on it so I can get busy doing other things. I look forward to continuing and getting it done int he very near future : )

Feelin' the Love

Monday was picture day at our house where my whole goal was to get something for this year's Valentine's card. With a lot of effort, neglected house work and a good deal of bribing we ended up with a couple cute ones, including the 'tape project' that I actually decided will work okay for our card. I'll post it on VDay. Here are some of my favorites : )

This was one of the many times Sepa had enough. I learned that he does not like to be squished between his brothers at all.


Love this one of Sepa's eyes. He has the deepest dark eyes. I love it.

This next picture was a picture I hoped would be of the boys asleep. Ikaika was deep in dreamland and Sepa was too - about 30 seconds before this picture. But as soon as he saw he was not in his crib, he perked right up to see what what going on. At least I caught something I guess. I love the way he and Kekoa are looking at each other.

I have to get this one posted to remember : )

PS. I love the month of February. Valentine's day was the day Kyle and I got engaged and my birthday is at the end of the month : )

So, what did you do today, Honey?

Oh, we just had a little creative play with paper, tape and mommy's camera . . .



I wish I could take credit for such a ingenious idea, but alas my creative juices do not run quite so deep. I found a blog of an awesome photographer and decided to give one of his ideas a try. I was hoping it would turn out to be our valentine's card for this year - but again - that creative thought process is struggling. Maybe because it really has nothing to do with valentine's day. Oh well.

"Valentine, You've captured my heart" ?