Hopoate Happenings

Nani is Baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

2012-02-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

Nani was very excited to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She met with her dad the bishop, and was baptized on September 10th, 2011.

"Mom, I feel real good inside" - Nani, after being baptized.

I had the chance to tell a bit about Nani and shared how she has such a strong knowledge of the gospel, and that she truly desires to do what is right. I am proud of her for setting such a good example for her younger sisters.

Nani was very lucky to have a room full of people who love her and wanted to support her. Grammy and Papa Crippen even came up from California with cousin Leneah in tow.

Nani sure loves her granparents. :)

Baptism Picnic

Pretty Nani

The Crippen family came to show their love...

The Hopoate family came to show their support...

The ward friends also came...

We ate, played, and enjoyed good company and weather. It was a great day.

It's great to be 8!

2012-02-12T13:22:00.000-08:00

Nani turned 8 and we celebrated by heading over to the Crippen's for cake, and Piano practice. :) We knew we would be celebrating in a BIG way on her baptism day, so it was a sweet and simple day.

Nani's 8 cake... or is it monster googly eyes???

The whole family came and stole Nani away from the school cafeteria for a hamburger/french fries lunch... complete with cheesecake!

What is it!!! I love how excited the others are for Nani... Aren't gifts great.

Nani was happy to get her very own beta fish who she named Pumpkin Patch because he was orange and black. After a few months he decided to 'take the porcelain plunge' and so now nani has a beautiful purple fish named Periwinkle. :)

Hopoate Family Reunion 2011... and a baby!

2011-12-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

We decided to get together and hold a 2 day reunion with the Hopoate family that was here in Utah. we went to Yuba lake and had a GREAT time. It is nice to get away from it all... of course, that didn't happen with the Hopoates. (We still had a freezer, fans, and tv/dvd) :)

Glen relaxing in the lake.

Samara scouting out the campground.

Tino and Kea sleeping after spending the day out in the water.

S'more fun.

Tino and I found out we were expecting a baby and decided to let the girls in on the secret. We 'celebrated' with juice in fancy plastic glasses.

Here's to a new little Hopoate in March 2012!

Independence Day... more than a one day celebration when you live in Utah!

2011-12-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

In Utah, they LOVE the 4th of July. Between fireworks, parades, and festivals, it lasts for a few days!

Watching the fireworks just outside of the stadium of fire with Louis and his family, the Crippen kids, and Cody and Jessica.

Not our best shot... but proof that we were there!

Little Aubree knocked out on her Uncle Cody.

Uncle Louis brought glow necklaces for everyone.

We woke up early and went to the balloon festival in Provo, and then head over to the parade.

There were awesome balloons there... piggy banks, and even a Darth Vadar one!

It was all so beautiful until a gust of wind started blowing and caused the balloons to not be able to take off. Major bummer. :(

The Crippens and our friend Scott joined us to watch the parade.

Little posers! (hey byuh peeps, recognize the face of the man in the background? Small-small world.)

Kea marching along to the music.

The Hopoate family loves the USA!

Tino and Samara got a little tired and sought out the shade.

When we got hoe from the parade... we were HOT. Tino quickly fixed that problem by pulling out the house and getting us all a little wet. :) he and Louis added that house and faucet down in our garage... and we love having access to water outside.

The freedom fun continued as we headed over to the Crippen's for a BBQ, slip n slide, and firework fun.

Nani

Ryan

Samara

Keandra

Tino in his natural habitat. :)

Freedom flag and firework cupcakes!

Watching their Big Cousins light up the fireworks.

Playing with Sparklers... in our matching outfits. :) Nancy made both Samara and I clothes for our birthday... She and her 2 boys also have matching outfits.

It was a busy, fun-filled celebration. Thanks to all those who fought to allow us our freedoms!

Summertime! 2011

2011-12-04T16:23:00.000-08:00

Hanging out with their Daddy, the bishop at our ward Luau.

Macey's did a fun bug's picnic activity for children. For my three girls who talk about growing up to be bakers... this was a dream come true.

"Diaper Ninjas" A funny moment with the girls.

Pudding painting... easy, fun, and DELICIOUS!

Lani, Tino's niece, spent most of the summer with us, and was such an easy-going girl that we loved having her with us.

Fishing in Provo Canyon with the girl cousins Lani, Ilaisa'ane, and Tehani.

The best bait... Velveeta cheese!

Good catch Kea!

Sunday Blanket houses... ah the memories. Tino is a busy man these days, yet he is such a great dad. He loves to play with his girls, and although his quantity of time is short... his quality of time is definitely there. :)

California trip... Just Mom and the girls

2011-12-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

Right after the girls got out of school, I took them down to California for a nice visit. They are so happy there with the family, big yard, animals,and weather. We had a great visit. It was nice to go without Tino because I was able to just be a mom and a sister, and got a lot of girl time without worrying how Tino was feeling. Thanks for letting us go Tino!

Nani was introduced to volleyball as my sisters held a small clinic for girls.

Cameron got baptized while we were down there and it was fun to be a part of that important day. :)

All of us together on his special day.

When the Family gets together....

2011-12-04T15:54:00.000-08:00

Amelia and her family drove down in May when my parent's were coming into town. We had a fabulous '3 Youngest kids reunion' starting with a delicious stop to Tucanos. This is when I encouraged Cody to apply... he got an application, dragged his feet, and later got a job.

You're welcome Cody!

The little girls dancing to music in a beautiful gazeebo while music played... quite magical actually. :)

Cody, me, Aimee, and Justin. Full and happy!

We went on a grown up date to eat and play together. Dad, Mom, Chris, Sherelda, Tino, Katie, Amelia, Justin, Cody, and his new girlfriend (now fiance) Jessica. There is nothing more fun then haning out with the family you love, being free from responsibilities of being a parent. Loved it.

We had a number of hoops competitions... Here is mom, cheering on her #1 man. :)

Samara got a bike for her birthday!! Funny story... I love a bargain, and as Samara's birthday drew near I began checking the classifieds to find a nice used bike for a great price. I saw this adorable Pink princess bike and helmet for $30.00 and decided to go and check it out. The problem, I took Samara with me. When we got there and the lady showed me a faded , torn seat, missing one training wheel bike that looked NOTHING like the picture I had seen I was ready to walk away. Not Samara. It was 'love at first sight'. She was so pleased with it, that I decided to take it and the helmet anyway... (for $25.00) and fix it up. Turns out that after buyig new training wheels, a basket, and horn, I spent more on it then I would have buying a new one! Great Bargain. :) We never could get the training wheels to go on, so...... we decided to see if Kea could ride a 2 wheeler and let her use the pink one for awhile. Imagine my surprise as I put Kea on the bike, offered some encouraging words, and she took off out of my hands and rode the bike with no problem.

She is a fearless girl, and my back thanks her for learning to ride a bike so easily.

So long story short... Samara rode Kea's purple bike with training wheels, and Kea rode Samara's pink bike without. Problem solved. (Update, Samara learned to ride a 2 wheeler in September, and is now back on her pink bike).

...phew!

The Low's joined us at the Lake to see the Va'a.

Samara, Kaiona, and Kea sunbathing.

Playing wii, Just Dance Kids with Papa

Sharing a Mother's Day Smoothie... Justin and Tino made DELICIOUS wheat pancakes and smoothies to spoil us!

Samara feeling pretty in her new birthday outfit from Grammy and Papa, the little doll is a bargain-find of my mom's... only her bargain really was a bargain. :)

Happy 4th Birthday Samara!

Crazy Cousins!!! (The only way I could get them all to look at me!)

Springtime fun

2011-12-04T15:07:00.000-08:00

Much to the girls delight... cousin Ame came home from her mission and stayed with us for a few months. She is the sweetest, and the girls just LOVE her. They play, laugh, dance, cuddle, and just be plain silly at times.

Our family participated in the Ward Talent Show this year. Tino played the uke, Ame sang and the 3 girls and I danced a little dance. It was a lot of fun... and they were 'oh so cute'.

I turned 31 this year and celebrated with a 'mini-party' at home. We had cake, and played games I remembered playing at parties when I grew up (pin the tail on the donkey, freeze dance, and dropping clothes pins into a jar) The girls LOVED it and I learned that you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. :) Ame, Nani, Kea, and Samara also picked out and dressed a build a bear for me named Katie-bear. It was a fun day.

Easter was a lot of fun this year. The girls participated in the coloring contest at build-a-bear, and although there were no big wins, we had a lot of fun doing our best.

We went to the petting zoo held at the park and enjoyed all of the little critters. If my children inherited anything from me, it is my love of animals.

Kea's preschool held an Easter fair for the children complete with food, games, bouncy houses and prizes... all for free!

It's not easter until the eggs are colored!!!

Easter Sunday, and the girls were all pretty in their dresses. (Samara was being a little bugga and was actually crying up to the second before this pic... hence the grimace-smile)

IT'S A....

2011-11-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

A flashy camera, wedding, and vegas trip

2011-10-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

The New Year came in a Flash... or is that with a flash, as Ricky got engaged and asked me to do the photography. His wedding sparked a return of "Katie the Photographer" as I bought a DSLR after my poor Nikon N90 became obsolete in this new digital age. While happy to be shooting again, I feel like a small fish in a BIG ocean. So much to learn! Fun to have a connection to the 'old me' though.

Ricky and Langi were sealed in Los Angeles, California... so we got to have a family trip! All of Tino's Utah siblings were able to attend, as well as his parent's who are currently serving as Temple President in Tonga. It was very fun to be together on that big day.

The Hopoate clan, mostly siblings with a few cousins.

On our way home we decided to take a break in Vegas and stayed at a nice condo (thanks to Louis and his in-laws).We swam, ate, and watched the water show at the Bellagio. Ity was very relaxing after the responsibilities and protocols of the wedding.

A clogged Blog...

2011-10-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

Blogger and I haven't been getting along... but thanks to my sister's help, I am back in the game. I noticed how nice it was to look back through the years and see pictures and small notes about the family, visits, and traditions... I don't want to stop blogging now! I also don't want to leave anything out... so here is a brief photo-journal of the past year multi-post style. :).

Still ridin' the wave...

2011-06-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

June 26th, 2002

Laie, Hawaii

For Time and All Eternity

9 years ago today Tino and I were married in the Laie Hawaii Temple for time and all eternity surrounded by our families. I remember smiling 'like a fool' over the altar and looking into Tino's eyes wondering what the future held for us. And now here we are... Living in Utah, raising 3 beautiful, spunky, sweet little girls. When we were dating Tino told me about the tide... and quoting a line from "Cast Away" said "You never know what the tide will bring in..." He was right. Sometimes life is calm like the ocean on a flat day, and other times the waves seem unbearably huge. But like the sea... life is always beautiful. I am glad the tide brought me my 'island boy'. :)

Hopoate Family Reunion

2010-11-21T19:14:00.000-08:00

This past Summer we were lucky enough to have 2 brothers come home from missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints. Tino's youngest brother, Ricky returned home in August from serving in the California Los Angeles mission. His parents were able to come from Tonga to greet him.

Neices, Nephews, brothers, and sister-in-laws were all there to greet him. There were about 7 other groups of people waiting for their missionaries as well! We must live in Utah. :)

Mom and her baby boy... back together again.

Here is Gramma Lani with Samara so excited to see Ricky again.

Uma!

Stamis came from Hawaii with his family to welcome Ricky home.

Austin giving a lei to his Uncle.

One of our many family gatherings at Sondra's house

Utah can be a cold place when you are visiting from the islands!

Aevah with her Gramma

Poor Samara had stitches on her forehead from another fall on the windowsill of our bedroom... she might need bangs when she gets older. :)

Everybody enjoys a fire... hot dogs, hot cocoa, and marshmallows help out too.

Papa Pita keeps Minna and Nani cozy.

Summer Fun in Utah

2010-11-21T15:38:00.000-08:00

This is one of the first years that we have really enjoyed summer in Utah... It is a wonderful place with a lot to see and do.

The girls and their dad had Daddy-Daughter time up at Bridal Veil Falls in the Provo Canyon. They love to go up there and throw pebbles in the water, climb on rocks, and splash in the shallow but cold water.

We spent most of our Saturdays at Utah Lake with Kalea, the new Hawaiian Outrigger canoe club. My friend from college, Siona and her in-laws purchased an outrigger canoe, fixed it up, and a club was formed! I was so excited to be part of the team... it was a dream realized as I always wanted to join a team when we lived in Kaimuki. We would all meet, potluck, and play the day away!

Just a typical Saturday afternoon at the lake... if I squinted I felt like we were back in the islands!

The kids would all patiently wait their turn to get a ride around the Harbor...

Here is the team in action! Tino is in the #2 spot. It takes a lot of team work as well as individual strength to paddle. It is a lot of fun.

Eew! I know! But they sure had a good time!

Uncle Mike (Siona's father-in-law) would bring a tiny paddle and an old surfboard for the kids to play with. Future Kalea canoe paddlers in the making!

Tino and I would actually get to go out together since their were so many 'uncles and aunties' around! Gotta love the Hawaiian way! I was often in the 1st postion, which is the person who sets and keeps the pace. Best part about it??? The view. :)

Samara being cute...

Daddy and Daughters after a good ride.

We also enjoyed getting together and playing together and of course, eating together. :)

The keikis at uncle Lincoln's house.

Cousins make great couch buddies! Kea and Aubree really enjoy each other.

This is my neighbor Nancy... a very talented friend. Our kids spent the summer playing together for the 3rd summer in a row. Nancy and I decided to make a quilt for our other neighbor who recently had a baby.

With Siona as their teacher; Nani, Kea and Samara learned dances from the islands. They all looked so cute in their costumes it didn't matter if they forgot some of their steps. :) On July 4th they did a performance at the freedom festival in Provo.

It was a great summer!

CALIFORNIA with the CRIPPEN FAMILY

2010-10-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

Cody returned from his 2 year mission in Calgary Canada to a BIG homecoming! Besides Justin, we were all there with leis and signs. Yes, we love our brother/uncle!

The 2010 Crippen Reunion included such fun activities as chicken wrangling, the beach, boat fun at Lake Elsinore, grown-up kids temple trip, going to a jump house, karaoke, Scenic tour of lake Elsinore via double-decker bus, fire pit, family pictures, and so much more. The best part? Being together as a family and watching the closeness that exists between cousins.

Nani holding the kids favorite chicken, Chestnut.

Angie got crazy socks for the whole gang... just a sampling of the silliness.

3 generations of Crippen boys singing their hearts out!

Good to see the 'book-end brothers' back together again!

Sea+Sand=FUN!!!

Uncle Tino finally found a solution for babysitting all the kiddos...

Daddy took all 3 girls out on the Lake.

I think I have a picture with all the girls and Autumn... Like me, she appreciates a napping child.

We went with Cody to the Newport Temple, peaceful and beautiful. But the car ride home took the cake! All the siblings sandwiched into Chris's Monster-van... LAUGHING all the way! One of my favorite nights. Sometimes when your a parent, you forget that you are also a sister/brother. Take the kids away for a bit and you remember once again. So fun.

Tino and I found our dream house!

I don't know how my Dad did it... but he managed to get us this AWESOME ride... we took a long trip around to old homes, schools, churches, and other significant places of our past. I don't know about the 2 year olds... but I really enjoyed the ride.

A few family Pictures... What is your favorite?

In our Spare Time...

All Tino really wanted to do was hit the water every spare moment. We went to the beach 4 times in a week! Not that the girls or I minded...

"Which one is Daddy?"

Tino flashing a shaka as he rides the wave in.

2 more U.B.G.B. in the making!

(Ultimate Beach Grand Babies)

It's official... Summer's here!

2010-07-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! It's Summertime!!!!!

Whether it is a lake, a pool, or a puddle, these kids LOVE the water. Our neighbors got a blow-up pool that has been a lot of fun for everyone.

These three were just so darn cute... and although I was unable to capture 'happy face cute' this picture sure has character! We enjoyed a picnic lunch with the Crippen grandparents and the Crippen family.

We had a ward Luau with great food and dances... including our girls doing the Hukilau. Sadly, Only Nani and Samara were able to perform because Kea got hurt right before going on to dance. I didn't get to watch or take pictures either because I was comforting Kea. They sure looked cute though. In my next post there will be more on their dancing.

Camping with the Crippens and the Manti Pageant

Year after year we talk about going to the Manti Pageant with the Crippen family... and year after year time passes and before we know it, it's over. Not this year! We booked a spot at the same campground I went to as a child, and watched the Manti pageant that night.

We played,

We swam,

We sat,

We splashed,

We smiled,

We waited,

We watched,

(Then walked the 12 minutes back to camp each of us carrying a tired child in our homemade blanket slings... later on we wondered why we were sore, and then recalled the LONG walk back. My props to the Mormon pioneers!)

We Hiked,

We Viewed,

And of course... We ate.

Tino and Katie's 8th Wedding Anniversary

After our fun camping trip, Chris' family loaded up our 3 girl's in their monster van(bringing their kid count to 10), and Tino and I began our anniversary date. We walked main street Manti for a bit, checked out a Sanpete County art exhibit, and then drove the 'scenic route' home, with no kids in tow. We got beautiful and headed out to remember those things we loved when it was just the 2 of us in Hawaii.

Here we are! Young, happy, and in love.

Favorites? Kua'aina burger, Shark's cove, Walking Waikiki and watching the local artists, playing games at Dave and Busters, Matsumoto's shave ice, going to the beach, bodyboarding, Old Spaghetti factory, Cruising the island, shopping (well, at least I always enjoyed that), and just being together.

Here we are now, kind-of Young, mostly happy, and more in love then ever.

Our little Hula girls...

Poor thing was so tired that she knocked out right before her performance, but Samara was a 'true showman' and pulled herself together for her show at 'the old-folks home'.

They were all so brave, and for what they missed step wise, they made up for in cuteness...

Posing afterward in their Tahitian costume.

I have tried to teach the girls that they can use their talents for the benefit of others. What a perfect example as they brought smiles to the faces of all who watched their dancing. Thanks Siona, for sharing your talent with my girls!

I also got the opportunity to watch all the Crippen kids for a night and a day. What a sweet and helpful family they are. I think they enjoyed having extra girls in the house and even allowed for beauty makeovers! What troopers! It was fun to be Aunty Katie, and Aubree really took a liking to me. I'll do it again... anyday. :)

More May Madness!

2010-06-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

Samara's birthday!

It is true... our 'baby' is 3! Samara is such a little sweetie. She loves to be silly, loves animals (as long as they don't come too close!), enjoys reading, playing Starfall, painting, dressing up,the color pink, dancing, swimming, and playing with her big sisters. She makes us laugh a lot and is a favorite in our ward as she is such a social little bug. She is very sweet to babies and older folks, and still loves to cuddle. We love her and hope she always stays so sweet.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELA!

Birthday lunch at McDonald's with Ona!

Her best friends Nicky and Elian came and brought her a special present!

She loves them, and her gift!

With each birthday we allow the children to choose their favorite place to go. When we asked Samara where she wanted to go she said "California." We couldn't go California, so we brought California to her!

First we went to the farm where we fed animals and rode ponies, a Samara favorite.

We then headed to the Lehi Legacy Center where they have a VERY cool indoor pool.

And then on to In-n-Out

From the look on her face I would say the day was a success!

Every birthday I get so excited about creating an adorable cake. We always play too much on the day and it doesn't happen. This year I was ready... and then the power went out. So once again, the cake is an afterthought, this time a 3-pack of colorful $1.99 cupcakes. Guess what, she loved it. I love that about children, they enjoy the simple things in life.

Nani's last day of 1st grade!

She performed a pretty dance with the entire 1st grade class. She says, "There were more than 500 kids there, and there were 6th graders! It was so embarrassing." :)

Nani was surprised by the entire Crippen Family and Grammy and Papa!

We enjoyed picnics, outings, mom's smoothies, and SWIMMING 3 Days in a row thanks to Papa's hotel room.

Mom and I spent alone time together and pampered ourselves with hair cuts, head massages, and coloring! This is the first I have colored my hair... and I like it. It also makes me realize I used to have highlights, natural ones. I need to get out in the sun a bit more!

Looking good Mom!

The finished product! Mom loves Utah. Everyone in my ward thought we were sisters!

May Showers of Fun!

2010-05-23T15:02:00.000-07:00

We enjoy good company. One of our favorite families are the Fakatous, a family that we have known since before they were one! They are a Tongan/Palangi family and so are we, we have 3 girls, and now so do they! We went and met their new little one, played and of course... ate!

Pretty Samara.

Full kids = Happy kids

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

I had a PEACEFUL day... and really, there is nothing more I could ask for than that. My great husband cleaned, cooked, bathed kids, and made me feel like a QUEEN! The little ones made me cards, and played nicely with each other, and helped Daddy keep the house clean. Best of all... My hubby had a greater appreciation for what I do in a day, by the end of his day as Mr. Mom.

My budding artist...

She created this all on her own after making "necklaces".

Austin's 4th birthday!

So fun when the Utah girl cousins are around!

Tonu and Tino playing ball... Tino doesn't have to 'let' him win anymore!

Tino gets back to his roots in our own little garden.

So far we have planted watermelon, Beans, Pumpkin, and little baby pepper plants.

She got dirty. This cute little hand was only the beginning, but not having any dirt for my kids to get dirty in, it was a welcome sight to me. Go ahead... play in the mud!

Rock collecting... Provo does not have the best soil... SO MANY ROCKS!

Jackie and her family surprised us one Sunday with a visit. She is such a dear friend and I enjoy being with someone who knows me from youth like she does... it brings out the kid in me. :)

Nani's 1st grade class went to the Hogle Zoo, and I got to chaperone. It was wild... and so were the animals! :)

All 3 girls are enrolled in Siona's dance class, and really enjoy dancing for her. The idea of dancing in front of people is still a bit scary to a few of them though. They will have their first performance in June, so we will see how it goes!

April Antics

2010-05-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

Looking back, April was one of my favorite months of the year so far. :) With Conference, Easter, Birthdays, and Family visits it was FULL of some of my favorite things.

Primary Talent Show

We had a primary talent show and Nani practiced her tahitian number from 2009 to perform for the talent show. Every time she practiced, her little sister was right by her side. It was only natural that Samara followed her onto the stage when it was time to perform!

Nani demonstrated 2 talents that day. Tahitian dancing, and being a GREAT big sister. She shared her spotlight, and her pretty headband with Samara without any grownup asking her to. And you can see from the picture that Mela really looks up to her big sis and wants to be just like her.

Conference, Easter, and a visit from Papa, Grammy, and the Olsingchs

Happy Micheal

Everybody loves Papa!

Old roomies reunited... Carrie, Siona and I all lived together when we went to BYUH... fun times!

Cute cousins playing doll house together.

5 dozen eggs + 9 happy children + 7 cups of colorful dye = Good times!

Any dye left for the eggs, Samara?

Dying eggs was not our only artistic adventure of the week... All the children participated in a coloring contest held by Build-a-Bear and came up with some beautiful pictures! Kaela's picture took 1st place in her age group and she won a cool basket full of Candy, and a $25.00 gift certificate! Upon winning her response was... "I will share!" What a sweet little 6 year old!

Easter bubble blowing with a new friend... Briana's little boy Owen.

Tino turns 33!

Tino is such a great man, husband, father, and therapist. It seems, like so many other things, he just gets better with age. All of his girls love him so much!

Tino and I got to go out for his birthday to Sushi Ya... a yummy sushi place here in Utah. He also got to pick out new shoes!

Kea gets cut... twice!

4 stitches for a finger that got caught in the car door....

...and 10 inches of tangly hair! Her sassy new do is very cute on her, and we both love the quick brushing in the morning! No more tears!

March Madness!

2010-04-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

March has come and gone, but there are a few things I wanted to record... Tino's Parents received a call and asked if they would 'be ready tomorrow to go serve as acting Mission President for the Majuro mission'. They are such a good example to all of us. They left not 2 days after they received the call. I love the faithful obedience of my 'other' parents.

Here they are in the mission home on the island of Majuro.

Katie hit the big 3-0!

I turned 30, and welcomed becoming a true 'woman.' I think it would have been a hard birthday except I was a girl with a vision. I had set a goal to be back at my marriage weight by my birthday, and I came pretty darn close. I just have 3 more pounds to go, and I am there. I feel great and have decided that it really doesn't matter how old you get, as long as you are growing better while you grow older. :)

For my birthday Tino and I went to yummy Tucanos, and then to the Park City Outlets where I got to try on clothes (in a lot smaller size then they use to be), and buy a new dress. Tino NEVER complained but happily walked with me, offered his compliments, and carried bags... for a few hours! Lovingly shopping with your wife...Now if that is not love, what is?!

That Sunday was my official birthday and we met Chris and his family at the temple, and then enjoyed a yummy treat together.

Me and my pretty new dress, and much improved body!

A few of the cuties at the temple grounds...

Sherelda and I met with all of the younger kids at a bounce house... fun times!

'Utah boy'Tyler and his socks... :)

Spencer was a hard guy to take a picture of... could hardly hold still for a second!

Aubree, the little lady in charge.

Big boy Josh... what a stud!

Silly Nani and Ryan

Sherelda, Aubree, and Tyler

Me and my three...

California Dreamin'... realized!

2010-02-28T11:56:00.000-08:00

Last year when Disney first announced their "Give a day, Get a day" program I was DETERMINED to join and finally take our girls to Disneyland. It has been a dream of ours for the past 2 years, and the girls have saved their birthday money "For Disneyland." We searched for a project that would allow Nani to participate, and found the cutest family project called "Project Linus" (www.projectlinus.org) We chose out cute fleece fabric and made some blankets! Even Samara was able to assist in the making.

Even many little hands make light work. :)

Sam knows the importance of a blanket! Her favorite is a Princess blanket given to her by Carrie.

Happy to serve... We were making our blankets right after the earthquake in Haiti. It made our service feel more real as we told the children that some of their blankets might go to the children in Haiti that lost everything. In fact, When Nani drew her cards to go along with the blankets... Her people were all cute little Haitian children. :)

Daddy Daughter time. Maybe we should always have some type of project going on... it was a soothing way to pass the time.

With smiles on their faces, we finished the blankets! It was a great thing Disney did... I learned a lot of ways to include children in service, and get all of us out of ourselves and thinking of others.

"Hopoate Family... You've just finished a service for Project Linus, what're you going to do now?" "WE'RE GOING TO DISNEYLAND!"

Cousins, Reagan and Samara (or Samamawa as Reagan calls her) happy to be together again!

A visit with Nanny, my Dad's Mom who is turning 93 this year! Our oldest daughter is actually named after her. Nanita-Juanita and Nanny put together.

Who needs Disneyland when you have Crippenland! The kids favorite ride... Papa's big truck!

My mom and I. One of the best things about coming home is the spoiling this woman does for you. Delicious breakfasts, favorite dinners, awesome smoothies...LOVE IT!

And no trip to Cali is complete without a visit to DeJong's Dairy. I went there as a kid, and now my children love to go as well.

When I saw this picture, I was overwhelmed with how lucky all our kids are. Imagine growing up with all these loving cousins! Not to mention a haven like the Cripp-Inn.

DISNEYLAND!

The girls were VERY excited to walk into Diseyland... and that includes me!

Nani takes the wheel!

Samara did too... what a ride that was. You can see how focused she was on the road. ;)

Teacups... a favorite of the day. We rode them 3 times! "We" never incudes Tino though... spinning rides are just not his thing.

That evening Nani, Papa, and I rode the teacups and Papa made us spin at AMAZING speeds. Spinning wasn't my thing anymore either. :)

Another favorite, I think because there was no line, Disney's Merry-go-round.

And the other ride to top the list... DUMBO!

Grammy and Papa Crippen came to Disneyland in the middle of the day.

They let the girl's each pick out their own pair of ears... a treasure still today.

My little baby Nani. By 9:00, these girls were done... and I was glad I have been working out all this time! My great parent's took the girls back to the hotel, and allowed Tino and I some time to play.

We helped Buzz...

And flew in space mountain... we also rode Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, and the Haunted Mansion. It was fun, and I was sooo glad for the fast passes that we had.

Me and my Prince Charming. As you can see, it is almost midnight and the magic is running out...

Thanks Walt... For a great Day.

Our 3 girls all knocked out.

We have a picture here at downtown Disney with Tino and a 1 year old Nani... Now look!

LA TIMES

Austin, Nani, Lofty, and Kea just being goofy!

Cousin Fun!

Valentine's Day!

A walk with Grammy.

A dangerous place to be with my klutzy little girls!

We had a swingin' good time!

YUMMY! I told you I get spoiled in California!

My favorite thing to do... just hang out and talk. :)

A sleepover at Grammy and Papa's house. The kids just ran upstairs and each picked a shirt from their grandparents drawers, so fun.

The Drive Home...

A random stop at a random place... but the kids had fun! I think that is something I learned on this trip. You really don't need to spend money to have fun. These kids just love being with the people they love... that is better than anything else in the world.

With the kids getting older, drives aren't quite as hard as they use to be.

For the past 2 months Tino has been reading Gordon B. Hinckley's Biography, and has loved it! Learning about a lot of the history of the church caused him to want to stop at Cove Fort... a fort built by Hinckley's grandfather.

It was a great way to finish up a fun, family filled vacation.

Happy New Year 2010!

2010-01-24T15:52:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to slide out of the old year, and splash into the new one! Happy 2010!

Our family and the Fakatou family (old friends from BYUH) met at the Holiday Inn to welcome in the New Year. This was no ordinary Hotel though... it was a new hotel with an awesome indoor water park! It had one big slide, a kid spash pool with small slides, a basketball pool, a big hot tub, and an 'old folks' pool to just float around. We enjoyed are last big feast at Chuckarama, and then swam all night! It was so fun to catch up with old friends, who now have children that give our girls new friends. :)

You gotta love Samara's expression in the beginning as she is patiently "cheesing" it for her mom to take a picture. Poor thing didn't know it was a moving picture!

Like most kids... Nani is a water girl... and she was big enough to go on the big slide. She loved it!

Kea, Teisa, and Nani

Samara and her Mom taking a break from swimming.

Our friend Briony with her 3 daughters... Teisa, Alisi, and soon to be baby girl #3!

Three girls, just like us.

Tino and Malu go WAAAAAAAAY back. Back to the island of Tonga!

After swimming for hours we got the little girls all cleaned up and cozy in their pajamas and met in our room to welcome in the new year. Almost all of us made it... Kea fell asleep at about 11:55. Briony provided fun hats, necklaces, poppers, and sparkling cider in fancy plastic cups... it was a real party.

I had taken a video of it all, but 10 seconds before Jan. 1st... I ran out of memory. :)

New Years R4esolutions...

Nani's resolution is to 'make do with what you have'. She and Kea had tried so hard to make a BIG snowman, but the snow just wasn't sticking. So... She made this little guy, and she did it all by herself, and all with a smile. :)

Kea's resolution is to 'keep trying, even when the odds are against you'. Maybe she wont reach her goal at this time... but she will certainly get stronger trying!

Samara's goal is to 'be happy with who she is and Smile'... and help others smile too! I bet she reached her goal already! (You can't watch this clip and not smile.)

Happy 2010!!!!!!

Christmas Day!

2010-01-24T14:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning

I LOVE the excitement of Christmas morning! Our girls slept in too long I guess, because their Dad decided it was time to wake them up and get on with the show. :) They had all miraculously slept through the night and were soooo happy to find out what was wrapped and under the tree.

Nani was thrilled to find her "American Doll", Mary Lynn with 2 outfits, a book, and lots of fun accessories including a violin!

Kea received her favorite mermaid, Ariel perfect for the pool or bath. All of the girls love this!

Samara was so happy to open her Doll house, especially because it has a pink toilet, a baby with a stroller, and the cutest Grammy!

Christmas Party with the Hopoate Clan

We enjoyed good food and great company as all of the local family gathered to our small home for Christmas Dinner. The kids enjoyed playing a gift game... or at least they did until they ended up with things like a pound of butter, or a food chopper. :) We had an Xbox set up, and also did a mini family photo shoot. It was a great way to end the day.

2009-12-29T09:20:00.001-08:00

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Pre-Christmas Fun.

2009-12-27T17:58:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS EVE FUN!!!

Christmas Eve we headed out for treat delivery and 'small-kine' caroling around the block.

You know it is Christmas when blankets no longer keep you warm... but transform you into people from the little town of Bethlehem long, long ago.

Nani came home from school with great news. She was Hawk of the week... and Hawk of the Month! She is a great student and we are very proud of her efforts.

CHRISTMAS SUNDAY... PRETTY GIRLS IN CURLS.

DECK THE HALLS!!!

With $20.00 in our pocket we set out to find the "perfect" tree. This is the first year I have started to think... "well, maybe we should buy a fake one." It is a lot of money every year... but it is also one of my FAVORITE memories... picking out the perfect tree. We went to one tree lot and saw a few sad looking trees that would fit our tree budget. We decided to drive on and came to a lot filled with tall BEAUTIFUL trees. I decided to look myself to see if they had anything for $20.00. I didn't see any under $35.00, and so I asked the worker and he said kindly, "We'll make something work." So all the kids got out and we looked around for a bit. The man told us to choose from any of the trees on four rows of $35.00-$45.00 trees. He was kind, and didn't belittle me or my $20.00... he had the Christmas spirit, and he put a smile on my face. :)

While we have loved all our trees in the past, they have been a bit smaller, and a bit balder. It was so fun to have such a full tree that smelled so good! Maybe we will keep on with the tradition of live trees after all. :)

My crazy "free-spirited" parents made the drive back up to Utah to attend the Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert with Tino and I... and we are glad they did. What a treat to listen to such beautiful music, and be with such good company!

They were here for a day... but what a fun day it was.

I love attending big productions... music, dancing, plays, I love it all. It was especially nice to be attending this concert because it was so Christ centered. The words that were sang are so powerful, but the sweetness of the song is so gentle. Thanks for coming Mom and Dad... and thanks for winning the tickets Roy!

Sledding in the First Real Snow of the Season!

After an hour of preparation, we took the family for some night time sledding at Rock Canyon Park... It was worth it!

When we began sledding we went with Samara...but she wanted to do it alone... so we let her!

She is so brave! Anything her sisters can do... so can she.

Nani and Kea were amazing . They would just jump on and go for a ride, and hike up the hill to do it all over again. I hate to admit it, but I have some Utah girls!

There she goes!

Tino and I like to "pretend" we're surfing the waves and ride down like this... it takes some skills.

Me and my snow bunnies!

After a long night of sledding Samara hitched a ride back to the car from daddy. It pays to be the 'baby' of the family.

See... she knows how to work it!

It was a lot of fun, and has already been repeated. The next time we were ready in 30 minutes!

The First Week of Christmas...

The month began with an amazing date night gift given by Chris and Sherelda. We were able to attend BYU's "Christmas Around the World"... a very cool show. The girls got to go stay at the Crippens house and make Christmas tree pizzas, bake and decorate cookies, and sleep over! We got to get our Christmas shopping done early, and have a nice quite night without kids. :)

The next night we attended "The Living Nativity" put on by our stake, and held in the Provo Tabernacle. It is a great way to start the Christmas season as it really focuses on the birth of Christ and brings it to life for the children. Here the girls stand with a friend from our old ward.

We met up with Tino's sister and her family to take it all in... the baby Camel was a BIG hit. Look at those eye lashes!

They had a petting zoo with a small donkey, goats, sheep, and a camel.

Tino's sister Sondra, with her 4 boys and baby girl... there first outing as a family.

Samara loved the presentation, especially Mary and the baby Jesus... As the show was ending Samara said, "I want to go with Mary, mom!" We took her up to see the doll they used for the newborn Jesus. She loved it.

The cousins all came up on stage for a cute photo with the props.

Happy Thanksgivmas!

2009-12-27T14:54:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving was a wonderful time to be with family and reflect on all we have to be thankful for. It was also part Christmas as my parent's from California came and celebrated an early Christmas with us. We had a lot of yummy food, went to Temple Square in Salt Lake City, had a sleepover at the Crippen's, and much more family fun.

The reflecting pool has a nativity placed right in the middle... it is a beautiful place to be around Christmas. The lights weren't on yet, but it was still beautiful.

Inside the visitor's center... the girls found BUTTONS!!!!!

It was freezing, but we loved learning new things about the building of the temple and all of the personal sacrifices that the early saints made to construct it.

THANKSGIVING DAY AT THE CRIPPEN'S

My mom and I... aren't we cute.

I found a new way to be creative... pie reliefs, I did a Christmas snowman as well.

My brother Chris and his wife Sherelda, their son Josh, and a very satisfied Tino and I. :)

The excited cousins waiting for the food.

Grammy and Papa Crippen with the Hopoate family. We all lok forward to their visits... but my girls just adore them!

My mom made these adorable Christmas Nightgowns for the girls... as you can see, they loved them, and they love her.

We all slept over at the Crippen's home, because we never have gotten to do that since we live here in Utah with them. It was fun to hang out, watch movies, and play games.

Tyler and Samara... cutie cousins.

Nani, Kea, and Samara just being cute on the stairs.

Papa Stanta Claus

My sister sent up these cute apron sets for the girls... so we put them to use!

The finished Gingerbread Choo choo Train... and the proud creators.

We have so much to be thankful for... each other, our wonderful families, our great friends, a warm home, a free country, the true Church of Jesus Christ, and the opportunity to have another tomorrow as we try to become more like our Savior every day. We are truly blessed.

HALLOWEEN AND OTHER FALLTIME FUN

2009-11-01T17:20:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween we enjoyed many fun activities that make 'trick-or-treating' just a sideshow! Nani has known for months that she was going to be a spider. We decided that we could have all the girls as different bugs, (I know, I know...spiders are not bugs). Kea wanted to be a ladybug and Samara wanted to be a butterfly. Well as October approached things changed. We found Samara a cute froggy outfit for super cheap at a thrift store here. When we put it on her she started hopping around the floor saying "wibbit," in the cutest way. We were sold. Kea saw a supergirl costume and REALLY wanted to be her. I tried to convince her onto another costume, because I wouldn't spend that kind of money on an outfit for everyday wear! Well, with Daddies help, supergirl won. Nani decided they still went together though..."The froggy is trying to eat the Spider, and Supergirl saves her." Cute. :)

We enjoyed a church Fall carnival, and trunk-or-treating!

This may be a mommy favorite...but I love how Samara steps up 'like a big girl' and just says her thing. If you need a translation "My name is Samara and I am a froggy."

At Nani's school They had a costume parade!

Nani's class all dressed up.

Nani and her buddy Priscilla. They also dance Tahitian together.

Nani was so proud to have her little sister's there! She went and gave them a hug all on her own. :) Sweet mommy moment!

After Nani's parade I took Kea and Samara to our Library storytime for their Halloween party

As you can see...they liked it.

Everybody got there own pumpkin to carve this year.

Initially they were a bit grossed out by the scooping of the pumpkin guts... but that feeling quickly left and they ended up practically BATHING in it!

heehee!

Like I said...'practically bathing in it'. Eewww.

Trick or treat time! This is a shot of the girls with their finished jack-o-lantern. Nani carved hers all by herself for the first time. Kea gave her pumpkin cheeks and a poke-in monster face. Samara got the happiest looking pumpkin we could make...she doesn't like scary things. :)

Supergirl to the rescue!!!

Kea's depiction of what a supergirl looks like.

Samara the Frog.

Trick or treating at the mall...it's a provo thing.

Daddy and his girlies.

A more recent picture of the newest cousin, Aevah.(Ava)

Aevah reminds me a bit of Kea as a baby, similar eyes and mouth.

Keandra, 4 years old.

A fall picture of the 975 south crew.

On a beautiful Sunday I asked Samara to go put on her shoes...She comes back and asked, "Do these match mom?"

A baby is a popular thing!

This may be a mommy favorite...but I love how Samara steps up 'like a big girl' and just says her thing. If you need a translation "My name is Samara and I am a froggy."

Trick -or-treat!

Pumpkin spa!

We have a 4 year old in the house!

2009-10-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

Kea is such a sweet, fun, thoughtful, silly, outgoing, talented little girl. She loves the color purple, playing house, ponies, doggies, and to dance, swim, and sing. She loves people, and a soft place in her heart for babies. She is a peacemaker in our family, and is good with sharing and making others happy. Always honest, Kea will often tell-it-like-it-is, so be prepared. She has dreams of being a singer, a baker, a mommy, and a doctor. We love her so much!

Our birthday outing was miniature golfing... something Kea has planned on for a whole year!

The Goofy golfers...

Kea was a great golfer...and even got a hole in one!

We also played arcade games... a family favorite. We earned enough tickets to get poppers!

Mommy and the three little girls.

Cake time!

( Once again, we have too much fun on birthdays for me to make the beautiful cakes I always dream of. No complaints from the kids though!)

This may feel like Dejavu...but Kea wanted her video on as well. Check out Samara's face as Tino lights the candle...Ha!

Cake wish granted...She wanted a dog, and she got two of them!

Happy Birthday Kea!!!!!

2009-10-16T22:18:00.001-07:00

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It's Autumn Time!!!

2009-10-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

October is here and we have already had such an eventful month!

With General Conference came the Southwick family and lots of cousin fun. We picked berries, made jam, watched conference, cruised the mall, and had a nice dinner all together. I was too busy having fun to take pictures though... so you will just have to believe me!

Brenna and Nani realized they had matching shirts and went twin crazy! These to were having so much fun together... everywhere they went was a party!!!

A quick family picture taken at my brothers home.

Sherelda and I got together to can applesauce and pie filling for the second year in a row. It is so fun to create something so pretty, tasty, and useful.

Samara got into the action and was so good at pulling the leftover pulp out of the machine. (This is what your kids look like when you are canning all day!

The best part...Eating it!

The Applesause Aftermath!!!

Well... I put all my girls to work and made quick work of the living room, I conquered the table that night, and Tino helped me with the kitchen on SUNDAY! I still need to mop the floor, but it was all worth it!

Enough talk... lets see some action!

Louis and Tino finally built our garage shelves, and it was surprisingly cheap and easy! Anybody want to hire them???

Sondra had baby #5... and girl #1!

It is so fun to be an Aunty and hold these sweet little ones! In fact I like it so much that I am looking into returning to school and becoming a labor/delivery/nursery nurse!

No name yet... but I will keep you posted!

The Panty Fairy Comes to Town.

2009-10-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

Diapers are a thing of the past around here...(except for night time of course), thanks to a visit from the cutest Panty Fairy around. Good Job Samara!

Nani turns 6!!!!!

2009-09-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

Nani is such a beautiful, fun, intelligent little girl who loves to make people smile. She enjoys dancing, bugs, animals, riding her bike, playing with friends and cousins, reading, and drawing. She is so caring, especially to her parents and to animals. She has dreams of becoming a doctor/nurse, a dentist, a veterinarian, or a beautician. (all 'caring' professions!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Nani was all smiles from the moment she woke up!

The "angels" dancing to primary music as we wait for church time.

We normally let the children choose their birthday dinner...but when this girl started talking about wanting 'those big crab legs' we had to draw the line. :) That was a busy saturday, so luckily she was happy with what I had on hand. We owe you a fish dinner Nani!

The Cake! I always have high hopes for decorating beautiful cakes...but at 8pm, the pressure is on. I found a cool trick though. Soften starburst candy in the microwave and you can 'cookie-cutter' it into all kinds of shapes and such. Too bad we only had 3 candies! She thought it was all great.

Hopoate girls on a sugar high! After blowing out the candles I asked Nani what she wished for... she replied, "The same thing I always wish for...a puppy!" That is a wish I would love to grant... we just need a yard.

I love watching Samara in this video...2 year olds rock! (atleast most of the time).

Labor day/Nani's Birthday BBQ at the park with the Hopoate clan

I had a full camara memory...so all I captured was the Pinata...and a few of the children.

Baby Dexton had the honor of the first swing...

Kea gives it a good whack!

Austin's daddy making it hard for the little guy... (look at all the anticipation behind him!)

Nani, blindfolded and bare-foot almost knocks Hello Kitty's body off!

Tino got his DREAM job!

2009-09-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed...with security, income, peace...and a happy husband/daddy. :)

(The following is a letter written by Tino to his family)

I want to take this time to share with you great personal experiences I've had and hopefully that it may increase all of our faith. This past weeks has been great. It started with talks I had with dad and hearing how faith has been and continue to put to work by him. It deeply hit me to realize we are direct offsprings of very righteous parents, who sacrifices their talents, knowledge, time and everything they to serving the Lord and on his time table. With that said and shared by our parents, answers to my own questions of my purpose in life was answered. More than any other time in my life, I know the purpose of life, "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." I realized this life is a spec compared to no beginning and end of time, but we are here to grow, tested, etc. then return to ourFather in Heaven. With this understanding, I testify to you all, it gave me and my little family peace. Why? Because I know that all I do directly affects and relates to my eternal progress, my neighbors' eternal progression, friends' eternal progression, ward's eternal progression, and so on. It has also given me literally energy and willingness to do what is right. In return, "willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his ^ccommandments which he has given them; that they may always have his ^dSpirit to be with them (D&C20:77)", yes, the spirit has come to me strong. Here is what he led me to. On Friday the fourteenth, I had a strong prompting that I needed to quit my job at Utah Family Institute and to look in the Internet and check out job opening at Wasatch Mental Health-Youth Outpatient (WMH). I immediately called Katie that I needed to quit. She was supportive. I then looked at the jobs with WMH and found there was an opening. I immediately filled out an application, went to Louis' and made copies then turned in the application that same day. Over the weekend, Katie and I felt peace with making the decision finalized by talking to my boss on Monday about it. Well, Monday the seventeenth came and I notified my boss about quitting. The trial of our faith continued, but our hopes was clear and we continued to feel peace. On Wednesday the 20th, my boss came and said he was worried for me because I had no leads for any new job (interview, etc.). He offered me to continue working with him until I had a job and he also offered to work part time for him when I get another job. This was comforting, but I strongly felt something good was going to happen. That same afternoon, WMH called and set an interview for Monday the 24th. On the 22nd I took my licensing test and failed by one point. Although I was sad, my faith was not shaken. On Monday the 24th I had my interview and felt good about it. For the next two days, Katie and I prayed and fasted. Now, it was one of the hardest two days as our faith was being tested. However, we knew the Lord will take care of us. On the 26th, I received a call from WMH that they would like to offer me the job and I will start on Monday the 31st. "I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that ^afaith is things which are ^bhoped for and ^cnot seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no ^dwitness until after the ^etrial of your faith (Ether 12:6)". I know it's not going to be happy ever after from now on, I also know faith in our Lord Jesus Christ will conquer anything. Famili, I witness and testify to you that whatever you desire in righteousness, it "shall be opened unto you." I know the Lord will bless us, because he knows and is aware of what we need, especially when we dedicate our lives to him as shown already by our own goodly parents and many other good people. It is my hope that we become closer as a family as we apply the doctrines and principles of the gospel. BBQ, Jet Skiing, talk story are all bonuses. 'Oku ou 'ofa atu kia tekimoutolu hono kotoa. Okay fo'i mei:-)

Tino

Nani Goes to School

2009-08-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

On August 19th, 2009 Nani started her loooong journey of education. She is in the first grade at Springcreek Elementary School, and loving it! Nani loves to learn, and is very bright and creative, (if I do say so myself!) So school is a great place for her! She was lucky enough to attend 2 years of a district sponsered preschool, so this is not all new for her. In Utah the cut-off day for attending Kindergarten is September 1st, and Nani's birthday is September 6th, so she needed to wait until now to start Kindergarten. Well we decided that 2 years of preschool was prep enough, so we had her tested to skip Kindergarten and she passed with flying colors! We did not know if she was going to go into Kindergarten (starting on the 31st) or first grade (starting on the 19th) until 2pm on the 18th! Luckily she was so excited about school, there was no time for being nervous. :)

Here she is, new clothes, new backpack and all! She was so excited, she was up dressed and ready a whole hour before it was time to go to school! She seemed so big all of a sudden, even helping her little sisters do their hair! It is fun to have a big girl!

We had met Nani's new Teacher Miss Pothier the day before, and loved her right away. She is everything a first grade teacher should be...So bubbly, kind, and sweet. She made Nani feel SOO special. (Excuse the picture...the flash was half covered and I didn't want to take any more time up to snap another!)

This is Nani's new classroom. She is right in the middle with her friend from dance, Pisila. That was a nice scene to watch, when they saw each other there was an excited shout of "Nani" and a big hug , I am glad Nani has a friend right from the start.

Here's to a good year!

Having Nani on a 'big kid school bus' is what makes me nervous. It is hard to not be able to protect your little girl all the time. Luckily she has a little neighborhood girl friend that she can buddy up with. A sweet story on that little girl is she has been very kind to Nani when she does feel sad. Nani told me that they 'made a deal to help each other out'. So cute!

Waiting for Nani has been a tradition for us for 2 years...but last week she informed us she wants to walk home alone with her friends. :( Maybe I am NOT ready for a big girl! Actually, once winter comes, I will be so happy I do not have to wait out on the corner with my other 2 girls...freezing!

Happy Independence Day!

2009-08-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

July 4th is always a fun day for us. Usually we attend the free breakfast at Maceys, see the hot air balloons in the morning, watch the parade with the Crippens, and then throw our own little fireworks and watch the big fireworks show in Provo...this year we decided to do things a bit differently.

Louis, Tino's younger brother surprised all the Hopoate family with jet skis to play at Utah Lake with. We had a BLAST! Here he is taking out Kea, Nani, and our nephew Drason.

Cousins, water to play in, and food to eat...Samara's perfect day.

Sondra's youngest boy Dexton, just being silly.

Tino and I headed out into the water...It was so fun to just hang on and let him try out tricks with the other boys. I was like his little biker chick...but on water. :) I did drive too, but was a bit too cautious to have too much fun. We were SO sore the next day!

The girls just playing...and modeling.

Tino always seems to be the BBQ man when we get together. He is good at it, so will just keep it that way.

It is no hawaiian beach, but everyone still had a lot of fun. We swam, went on the jet skis, and took the kayak out.

When the lake fun was over, the day had just begun...

We were given free tickets to see the 'Stadium of Fire' here in Provo, Utah. It featured the Jonas Brothers...and sounded like a lot of fun for our little Disney fans. When our nephew Dallin heard where we are going, he told us "I am their biggest fan!" So we decided to let Samara sit this one out, and bring Dallin along. Here he and Nani walk into the stadium together.

Look close and you'll see the Jo-Bros. It was fun when I knew the song they were playing.

Kea was excited with all of the dancing, fire, and music...can you tell?

Dallin...the 'biggest fan' was the best air guitarist I have ever seen!

Nani, all smiles...and Dallin still wailing away on his guitar. :)

The night ended with a big bang, or actually A LOT of big bangs. It was a great show, and at the end of it we were just covered in ash...too funny. When we went to pick up Samara we were VERY happy that we had left her with Sondra and brought Dallin because even the little pop-its had scared her!

A Princess Party!

2009-07-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

What do you do with a house full of girls for the night...throw a Fairy Princess Party of course!

We were lucky enough to have a visit from the Hawaii girl cousins and decided to live up the girl time! So we hosted a Fairy Princess Party complete with wings, wands, dresses and crowns. Thank you Burger King, and Honks (88 cents on Tuesday!) dollar store!

A Prancing princess...

A Pouting Princess...her wand had broken, and she was not too happy about it! No worries though, a little hot glue and her smile was back!

Princess 'Ilaisaane (5)

Princess Keandra (3 1/2)

Princess Nanita (5 1/2)

Princess Samara (2)

Princess Tehani (3)

It was funny to dress them up and watch them change into the sweetest of girls... too funny!

So what do you do as a princess? Well, once your crown is decorated, your all dressed up, your hair is beautiful, and your make-up is done, it is time to 'strut your stuff!'

I believe it was 10:30pm as I walked the girls around the neighborhood. They waved to the passing cars and even granted a wish to a couple we passed along the way.

Once the dresses came off...their princess ways were gone! They jumped around, ate junk food, and had balloon fights! (Note to self...keep the dresses on!!!!)

Forget damsel in distress, this is Daddy in Distress!

It's so hard to say goodbye...

2009-07-06T14:35:00.001-07:00

This June we had to say goodbye to The Naiata family as they decided to move back home to Tonga. We had a small gathering, ate a lot, and skipped rope, (so we could eat more without feeling guilty!) We are happy for them...but sad for ourselves...we miss them all! Keauhea is Tino's older sister, and just a bunch of fun to be around. She is also the mom of the only other Utah girl cousins (except baby Aubree), so my 3 are now surrounded by boys! We wish the best to them all.

This is half of Pita and Lani Hopoate's children... Keauhea and her family, Sondra and her family, Hunter and his-self, Louis and his family, and Tino and his family.
I started reminiscing about the years we got to share here together, and found a few pictures to remember them by...(no 04-05 though...we didn't have digital yet!)

A trip to the Farm with Gramma, Sondra, and Keauhea... is she shooting that horse?!? 'You can take the girl from the island...but not the island from the girl!' That horse could feed the whole island kingdom!

Baby Keandra's blessing. We were lucky to have family from both sidesthere, as well as are good friends Malu, and BJ and Anuhea Fieeiki.

This is 2005, with Peter, Tonu, Latricia, Clayton, Nani, and baby Kea.

Tricia and Nani, just a couple of bathing beauties!

This was a family home evening with everyone, including Papa and Gramma visiting from Guam. That is Dallin and Nani riding Drason and Tonu. Crazy how fast they grow!

The complete Hopoate clan back in 2004.

Little Nani and Tricia on Papa's back, and that is Lofty riding Clayton

Another of Tricia and Nani... Keauhea and her family had just moved into their new home, and the park wasn't even officially open, but we decided to try it out anyway.

Peter was the first baby born here in Utah, he is now a spunky almost 5 year old!

Keauhea was a great sister-in-law, always willing to host a party, or babysit our children. They all love their Auntie.

Ricky's high school graduation, Louis, Keauhea, Stamis, Tino, Hunter, and...some cousins I guess? were all there to support him.

A year later we sent Ricky off on his mission.

boys blowing bubbles... too cute!

The diva...Mina, Keauhea's youngest

I believe this is July 4th 2007, a special day for American's AND Tongan's...we celebrate our independence, and they celebrated the King's birthday!

Clayton, Drason, Tonu, and Peter happy they found some boy toys at our house. We dont have too much of that stuff lying around...

Tricia and Nani all ready for sledding in the New year 2008.

The Hopoate family loves our outings to Chuck-a-rama or Golden Corral for an all-you-can-eat feast...the best part? They give us a banquet room, so the kids can be a little crazy, and we can still stay long to talk...and yes, eat some more!

One of our outings to Golden Corral, also pictured is Papa Pita's older brother and his family.

Cousin-love!

Yet ANOTHER picture of Nani and Tricia...what are we going to do without Tricia!!!

The Utah cousins with their Hand-some Grandpa!

Keauhea with Peter, Mina, and Tricia.

Peter looks like he will be working at the PCC as a fire dancer!

Welcoming Baby Dustin Havea!

The proud big brothers and cousins all want to see!

umm...I told you we like to go to Buffets!

All the Hopoate girls...(except Lani).

A bigger goodbye picture...

Family fun at Keauhea's home.

After Christmas Dinner

Smile!

Tricia and Nani... not so little anymore!

Mina, Saane, and me...looking our best!

An adorable picture of the Naiata girls... (yes...we are at a buffet again!)

Playing at the mall... something you do in Utah when the snow falls!

Sondra and Dex at our farewell party.

Skipping rope after dinner. The grown-ups taught the little ones how it was done in Tonga..."1,2,3..."

Kea and Mina. Kea is older than Mina by 5 months, but has always been smaller. Mina will make a great middle-blocker!

We will miss you... :(

Highlights of May...now that it is almost July!

2009-06-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

The Family Garden

We have always enjoyed planting a small garden... but after moving into our condo space got a little too tight. I did plant a bit last year, but got a scolding from the HOA president :) So this year we combined with Tino's sister and planted a great big family garden in her backyard.

It really does feel so good to work outside in the dirt. I'm sure those of you with yards wish for a break...but for us with no yard, it was great fun. I am excited for the kids to work along side us and reap the bounty (I hope) that is already growing. Thanks Sondra for sharing your yard!

Our California May Get-away!

A tuckered out Zach and Samara share a horsey ride on Balboa Island.

We Never miss a chance to ride the Balboa Island Ferry, it is part of our family history, and just a fun slow ride.

A sister picture... minus one. Carrie, Amelia, and me.

The girls getting up close with a sea lion on the beach. The extra child?... That is Luana Eliaba, We got to see Jolene on this trip as well!

A better view of Nani, Kea, Luana, and Samara's head.

May Birthdays...

A Birthday Party for Austin at the house that we use to live and work at, the Alpine House.

Nothing makes a kid smile like cake and icecream!

Kea's new closed mouth smile...

And we had a birthday girl of our own! Samara is now a big 2 year old. She is s much fun, and just makes us smile with her words and ways...Nothing like a 2 year old!

April Antics

2009-05-13T16:10:00.000-07:00

Always a fun month, April brought us warmth, Nani's dance recital, Easter Holiday fun, and family time with the Havea's and Grammy.

We bought the girl's matching hawaiian dresses on our trip and they looked so adorable I wanted to take a picture... 13 shots later, and literally CHASING the girls around the house, I threw them on the floor and captured some of the sweetest, sincere smiles ever. Love it!

NANI'S TAHITIAN DANCE RECITAL

Nani joined a Tahitian dance class led by my friend from BYUH, Gaylene, a sweet and talented woman. They held their recital on the Saturday befor Easter, and they did so well. The girls are ages 5-11, and are some of the prettiest girls I have ever seen!

The little ones... Pisila, Lupe, and Nani.

It was real fun as a mom to see my little girl dressed up so beautifully. As a BYUH alumni, I could just see the future... my little girl dancing at the PCC and such...

Pisila and Nani, buddies from preschool 07-08.

Nani girl! (Nani means beautiful in hawaiian) We were especially proud of Nani this day, as she overcame her fear of performing infront of people, and actually did it happily!

Nani, Kea, and Mela following Nani's performance.

Everyone wants to be like Nani now!

EASTER TIME!!!

An all-time favorite, dying eggs! I did let Samara in on the fun as well... she colored one egg, spilled the yellow dye, crumbled up three hard-boiled eggs, and declared herself DONE.

Cup stacking with cousin Dallin after the easter egg hunt.

FARM TRIP WITH HAVEA COUSINS

Dallin was very brave about feeding the goats... but wasn't too keen on goat drool.

Cow-girl Kea.

Tino, Drason, Samara, Nani, and Dallin

Samara on the pony with her handsome helper.

Nani always likes the biggest horse on the carousel.

It took him a bit, but Drason got to feed the goats as well, with a little coaching from Nani!

Dallin's horse looks a bit tired hmm?

Haha... this one just makes me laugh.

Drason was fun to watch... you could sense he was a bit scared about riding the horses... but he wouldn't let on to it. He sat there telling himself and others that he wasn't scared, and was real excited about it. I was impressed, I wish I could coach myself through my fears like he could!

This is just a personal addition... look familiar to any of you?!?!

Mom came at the end of April for Women's Conference at BYU. I got to go with her, and was really rejuvinated by the spirit, girl-time, and the uplifting talks. The girl's love their Grammy,and enjoyed the time they had with her. Samara loves her Grammy too, but cracks me up as each time she sees her she says "Where Papa?"

Our stay at the CRIP-INN

2009-03-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

If you asked my girls, 'the happiest place on earth' is not Disneyland, but California. They love to visit their Grammy and Papa, the Olsingchs, and the Southwicks. Go ahead... try and spot a picture where they aren't happy...

A night in the Spa, just me and the girls. We sent Tino back to Utah, while we stayed and played for a bit.

Disneyland has Mickey Mouse, Crippenland has Autumn Cat. She is very popular with all my girls.

Samara LOVES animals... but she is VERY afraid to touch them. She really wants to, but her fear often stops her. Well here she is being BRAVE!

Samara stealing all of Papa's Broccoli... she loves that stuff!

Grammy and Nani baking a treat for Daddy

My little nephew Dallin... what a cute little guy!

Our BIG FHE at the Southwick home

Rockin' out after FHE... I am giving my father a warning " You better be dancing too!"

Papa's truck, one of the attractions of Crippenland.

Grammy and Papa Crippen and their Island grandbabies.

My favorite spot in the world... the porch swing outside my childhood home.

Smoothies at Grammy's Place. Samara is a counter sitter. It allows me to get stuff done, while keeping track of this little one.

Our grown -up time, I think it started after 10:30 pm, and lasted into the early morning! We ate junk food, played a game that accountants like ;), and talked the night away. Good times!

A visit with the William's Family

2009-02-24T15:56:00.000-08:00

After, many years of not seeing Jackie Burdick Williams and her family, the girl's and I headed up to Bakersfield for a visit and a birthday party. It was so fun to be together again, and affirmed to me how special it is to have a 'life-long friend.' Her girl's are just beautiful and so friendly... it was a great visit.

Nani really liked Kona, but was a bit intimidated by his size! When he lay on the floor, se seemed much more approachable.

Cute Samara enjoying a rare opportunity to jump on the'jump o lene' (as my kids call it) without any of the big kids making her fly all over!

Nani and Katie. Believe it or not that tiny thing is 9 years old! She was a very good friend to all the girls, and a great host. A funny moment was when these 2 girls slept together and Jackie caught them head to toe with Kaitlyn hugging Nani's leg!

Nani, Lilly, Samara, and Izzy.

Outside of church with the girls.

Kea was very excited to learn about Chad and his work. She somehow got the idea that policeman were bad, and would always ask me, 'is that a good policeman or a bad one?' Chad opened her eyes to how good and FUN a Highway Patrol officer can be!

Pictured: Samara, Katie, Cleo, Nani, Kea, Isabel (and her new AGD Isabella), and Lillian.

A great group shot, even Kona got in on the fun! We had a great time with the Williams and look forward to seeing them again soon!

A day at the beach... and a Ferry tale romance.

2009-02-23T21:03:00.000-08:00

At the beach with Papa and Grammy, February 2, 2009...

Life's a Beach. :)

This is Nani's 'Baywatch' shot... what a UBGB... Ultimate Beach Grand Baby!

Papa and Sammy, (as my mom calls her)

A cute little Beach Totem... Kea, Nani, and their Grammy.

Where... (and how) it all began. My parents met and fell in love here in Balboa... Kea and Nani called it 'Papa and Grammy's' beach. They even brought some home in a bottle. Nani is very proud of this shot... she was the photographer!

On Papa's Ferry at Balboa Island.

My parents were so nice as to babysit over their anniversary. This year all the local granchildren hosted a Luau in honor of their grandparents, and had the pleasure of learning their sweet love story.

From left to right; Kaela, Madison, Sidney, Leneah, Brenna, Kea, Reagan, Cameron, and Nani. This is most of the California cousins... Micheal and Dallin Olsingch are not pictured.

Dancing at the luau... Looking good Dad! :)\

Each of the grandchildren took turns providing dinner entertainment, here is Kea dancing.

Decorating cookie fun!

2009-02-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

Aloha! What an amazing getaway trip Tino and I had to the Island of Oahu in Hawaii. It was a cold, snowy, winter in Utah... and we just decided it was time to escape for a bit. We talked about going in March or April, but once the talk was going, we could hardly wait a week! We were lucky enough to do this trip on a budget, thanks to all of our great family members! We dropped our girl's off in California with their Papa, Grammy, and 2 Aunties... and we were off! Sadly, I do not have too many pictures of all the activities that we did, but I have some great memories! We had so much fun, and got the royal treatment, enjoying freedom... as it was just the 2 of us, first class flights, free living and car, an amazing Luau with entertainment, and sooooo much more.

This was our first honymooners sunset in Hawaii, at one of our old stomping grounds when we lived in town, Alamoana Beach Park.

We headed to the West Shore on Sunday to take in a front row seat sunset. We were even lucky enough to get to see whales this day!

This is us sporting our Dave and Buster's t-shirts. When Tino and I lived in town we loved to go play games at D&B's. We had saved up our points all along wanting to get something fun. Well, 6 years later we got it! This was a big stepping stone for me because at first I was thinking... 'Hmmm, what would the girl's like?' Then something clicked, I could think of Tino and I and we got the shirts! :) I love my children so much, but it was wonderful to think of only 'us' for awhile.

Our fun-loving hawaiian family; Stamis (Tino's little brother), his wife Eta, and one of their children, Hunter. They were such great hosts, and we really enjoyed the fun of beach, BBQ, and even surfing with them.

An old favorite, Leonard's Malasadas...YUMMY! It is like a super fluffy donut covered in sugar.

Chief Sielu Avea, an old friend, hold's a great Luau at Ko'olina called Fiafia. We had such a great time! The food was so delicious and the entertainment was amazing; funny and educational. They even got us up there dancing with them... and if you know Tino, you know that is a great feat!

One of my dearest friends, Sharla Avea. We hadn't seen each other for years, so this was a great reunion. Can you believe the sunset! It was so beautiful!

These adorable children are Samuta and Siela Avea, Sielu and Sharla's children. It was amazing to see them as the last time they were so little. They are both part of their Dad's Luau... Samuta (10) plays the drums like a pro, and even has his own solo! Siela starts the show and is such an amazing dancer at only 7 years old! She was such a sweetie too... fetching us our dessert and towels to wrap around our shoulder's as it got chilly. :)

Just a couple of nuts!

Tino and I camped at Malaekahana beach on the North Shore. It was real windy, but such a blast! (ha ha..pun intended!) In the morning we went for a jog, and even a swim as the sun rose.

Our last big feast with Stamis and Eta... it was good food, and because the place was closing, we ate it it soooo fast. The waiter was very impressed. :) Notice our color? We spent the last day at the beach... surfing and body boarding! It was great.

We left our mark on Hawaii, and it left it's mark on us... a once in a lifetime trip!

I would like to thank Stamis and Eta Hopoate, Papa and Grammy, Auntie Care, and Auntie Ang for making it all possible... Mahalo nui loa!

2008 In Review

2009-01-11T16:23:00.000-08:00

As we look back at the year 2008, we realize how blessed we are to be able to see so much of our family and friends! We had a healthy, happy year and hope for more in this new year. We hope the best for all of you.(This is a LARGE post. I wanted to record all that happened to us this year as we only started blogging in October. Remember this is my family journal!)

Tino and his brothers, Louis and Hunter left the cold February winter for some fun in the sun with his family there. Dad Hopoate also received a distinguished alumni award from BYUH and they were there to support him.

Tino standing near Shark's Cove.

Upon his return he presented the girl's with their gifts from the islands. They were almost as excited for the gifts, as they were to see their daddy!

The happy couple reunited!

Nani tried out Spring Soccer...a cold and interesting adventure! The first day on the field she stood there crying... not wanting to come out, but not sure what to do with herself! As you can see though, by the end of Spring Soccer, she was all smiles! A future career? She says she is DONE with soccer.

For Tino's birthday we were able to sneak away to Salt Lake City and just be US. It was wonderful, and we had no concerns for our children as they were safe with their loving Aunty Keauhea.

Tino enjoying sweet silence at the dinner table, and the opputunity to eat his own meal without having to share.

The girls on Easter Sunday.

An April Conference visit from Papa.

On May 25th we celebrated Samara's 1st birthday.

We were all able to go the the carnival right near our house and play. This is my brave 2 and 4 year old about to go on the rollercoaster...ALONE. Nani was so excited and Kea was not so sure saying" I dont want to...but I do!" We all have had that feeling before. She went for it last minute and was so cute happily screaming away.

In May we were able to meet the entire Crippen family in Southern Utah for Camp Sunbum. We broke all typical Crippen tradition's by staying in hotels and playing all day on fun, and crazy toys (thanks Haltermans). This was a reunion that will not soon be forgotten.

Katie and Samara at the Farm.

In May we also had to say goodbye to Justin, Amelia (aka Aimee), and Zach Low. They were are Utah buddies and babysitters and are STILL missed.

A Happy Daddy on Father's Day!

We were blessed to celebrate the 4th of July with the Utah Crippen's as well as my 2 Canadian Crippen Cousins. The girls loved cousin Marc, and enjoyed listening to cousin Matt play. They are both so talented!

Tino and Samara all tuckered out from the parade in Provo.

Instead of watching fireworks, we lit our own at Chris' place, and enjoyed a yummy flag cake.

A family shot with Cousins, Marc and Matt.

This past Summer we were also able to enjoy a trip to California and even make history as we rode the same ferry that my dad first offered a free ride to my mom. If they only knew then that they would become parents of 6 and grandparents of 22!

A summer visit to Sondra's home with cousin's Peter, Elaisaane, Tricia, Dustin, and Nani.

Tino's baby brother Ricky left in July to learn spanish in the MTC and to serve a mission for the LDS church in Los Angeles, California.

Katie's baby brother Cody also entered the MTC to prepare for his mission in Calgary Canada.

A very exciting reunion for me... I found my best friend Nichole from elementary school, via facebook. We were able to meet up and surprised ourselves with the commonality we still both shared!

Sadly the end of summer also meant time for The Eliaba family to move on to Bigger and Better things. Luckily they left a little bit of themselves behind with us, so the separation could happen slowly. :)

September 6th we were able to celebrate Nani's 5th birthday with a trip to the Zoo.

Nani is really 'coming out of her shell!'

Nani loves her seafood and was thrilled to have her very own crab for her birthday dinner.

A very fun new tradition...Raspberry picking in Payson. Mom Crippen was there and afterward we made the YUMMIEST syrup/jam. Cant wait until the next berry season!

A happy 3 year old!!! Kea was jumping for joy at the chance to 'go bowling ball' for her birthday on October 15.

Nani started taking a Tahitian Dance class led by an old friend from BYUH, unlike Soccer... she was all smiles from the 2nd minute!

A fall visit from the Southwick family. Madison, Nani, and Cameron cuddle on the couch.

Another visit from Papa and Gramma ended up the year. Here Kea gives Papa a massage.

They brought along two stow-a-ways, Elaisaane and Tehani Hopoate from Hawaii.

We met up with old college friends, Kim and Koa Lum and their daughters Malaya and Sidney to celebrate the end of the year.

We are so thrilled for 2009 and the fun, family, and adventure that comes with each new day. (as demonstrated by miss photogenic Samara...I was going for cute - HAH!)

Some snow fun with the Utah Crippens!!!

2009-01-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

Samara and Kea get a tow from Daddio.

Our little 'dare devil' Samara went sledding all on her own...and loved it! Sherelda, and Tino watch on as she goes for it. This little girl sees a big kid do something, and sees no reason why she cant do it herself! A sometimes SCARY thing!

This was the look we saw almost all day long. Maybe it was frozen there?!?!

Kea had a lot of fun too, until she got too cold!

Nani, Ryan, and Spencer had a great time running around, sledding, and snacking on some snow... it was a pretty recent snow fall, and they are all still here, so I guess it was okay. She and Ryan even ventured over to the 'big people' hill. When they finally figured out how to climb up, they had a grand old time!

I am only posting one video... but wanted to let you know that Jeff did make the next run!