Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Friday night was girls night out and it was so much fun! We went to this new and very funky japanese restaurant where we ordered a bunch of different food and shared everything. Then we sat talking for quite awhile at the tastyness which is Coldstone! I became friends with most of these girls at BYU and I'm glad we still keep in touch and have fun nights like this! They are all super fun! We missed Amber who was having contractions, Des whos son had a high fever, Sanae who moved to Utah, and actually several others of you who I would love to hang out with for the night!


Back row: Allison, me, Jen, Tiffany, Nazomi
Front row: Tara & Trisha.

Obviously 3 of these girls are sisters and the other 3 are sister in laws who are also my cousins!

Beach Bums!

One of the best things about living in paradise is the beach! Unfortunately we don't always make the time that we would love to enjoy it like we should! But, last Wednesday was Prince Kuhio day- a state holiday. Travis was off work but of course he still went into the office. I did however convince him to leave early so we could go to Ala Moana beach for a couple of hours! Our family, the Balish's and Brandon and Kim ended up meeting us there later for a picnic dinner. The weather was perfect and we really had the chance to relax and have a great time.


Trav and Maddie were the only ones brave enough to go in the water which was unusually cold that night. Travis was a good sport to entertain his cousin and I am glad he did because I got this amazing picture! I love it!


This was Tysons very first trip to the beach! The first of very many I'm sure. His poor parents have to put up with a sister in law that is supper sentimental and an obnoxious scrapbooker, so I forced them to take this picture!

Because Trav and I had such a great time we re-committed ourselves to trying to be beach bums on our days off! Sounds nice to me!

HOPpy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! We hope all of you had a great day with your families!

For us we are celebrating in the traditional way. We had hard boiled eggs for breakfast and then went to church and got the important chance to reflect on why we truly celebrate today. We snatched a photo before we left. I tried to talk Trav into a more "eastery" tie but this one was already on and tied so it was the one! Unfortunately I normally don't put as much thought into what I wear to church each week or really any other day like I should. But today I couldn't decide between this top and a pink one. I think you would agree that this one was more easter eggy. I did however decided not to add a white hat and gloves like I used to LOVE to wear on Easter Sunday when I was a little girl. We have a spiral ham in the oven and the funeral potatoes are ready to take to Grandmas house too. That IS Easter! Mom aren't you proud?



Last night we also had an early Easter and Birthday celebration with our cousin Maddison and her family- the Balishs. Maddie's the cute one in the ears next to me. We went out to a really nice dinner, a movie (Drill Bit Taylor- funny but not fabulous) and then we topped off the night by going to Cheesecake factory for desert. Now that's a celebration!

Happy B-Day Tyler and St Pattys Top 5

Okay I know I just posted yesterday but I have a good post-I feel like a blogging dork! :)

I wanted to wish my brother Tyler a very happy birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day and an even better year to come! I love you very much and I am very thankful for you in my life! You probably won't even check this but MAYBE Vicki will!

Now for the TOP 5 REASONS I LOVE ST PATRICKS DAY!
1. Obviously the previously mentioned tasty breakfast that Trav made.
2. Trav surprised me with taking me to a huge block party down town where we had fish and chips and brawts.
3. Having fun people watching crazy drunk people at the block party- so entertaining I must say! And meeting and actually taking pictures with 3 of the crazies!
4. Seriously meeting Tom Seleck!
5. And topping of the night by realizing both of our favorite ice creams are green so how can we not swing by Baskin Robbins. Mint Chocolate Chip for Trav and Pistachio Almond for me!

So since I just proved that ALL we did yesterday was eat, I will definitely be fasting today and only having carrots and water for the next 3 days.

Happy St Pattys!

I know this photo will get your attention!



So I may not be Irish, but I am Welsh which is close enough! I definitely have luck every year on St Patricks day because Travis makes me breakfast every year on this day! Isn't he adorable?!

Not only does he make breakfast, he makes his version of green eggs and ham- which is a over easy egg with green food coloring, and spam. Yes spam. Since my dad loved it and introduced it to me a long time ago, I fit right in with Hawaii's obsession with the mystery meat. I know the photo doesn't look particularly appetizing, but trust me it was tasty!

So thank you Trav for a delicious breakfast and to the rest of you don't forget to kiss the Irish today!

Scrap Yo Heart Out!

This is a picture of my awesome co-worker Candice Hironaka and boss Bella Finau-Famnuina and I at an event this weekend. It was a scrappers jam at the beautiful Ko'olau Golf Course. Check out the amazing mountains in the back ground of that photo!

I absolutely love my job! It is such a huge blessing for Travis and I, especially when compared to the job I came from! Not only is my job to do what I ABSOLUTELY LOVE doing-scrapbooking, but I get to work with amazing people like this! The only other job that I think I would love more is being a mom. But I know that job is going to be MUCH harder than this one, so until then I will love the job I got!

The Fabulous Miss Keikilani Returns to the Island

This is a picture of Miss Jennifer Keikilani Cook. She is my bestie who graced our house last week and gave us some serious entertainment! I am so sorry that she was here to attend her TuTu's (Grandma's) funeral in Hilo. But I am SO happy that she came to stay with Trav and I for 5 days! We had such a great time with her AS ALWAYS!

Jenn and I have been friends since my crazy mother brought her home from church one Sunday, the summer before our freshman year at BYU. Well thank heavens for my crazy mom because Jenn and I have been amazing friends since then, and roommates for 4 years at BYU. She has really been there for me through the very rough last year, and I appreciate that SO much. She is also really close with Travis because the three of us were friends before Trav and I started dating.

Since she has been to Hawaii a bazillion times because the girl has tons of family here (she is actually a quarter Hawaiian- which is alot) we really just hung out and ate tasty food of course. When I picked her up she was definitely more sunburned then I have EVER seen her before in our 11 years of friendship. So the first 2 days we stayed clear of the beach by going to the swap meet, shopping, and seeing the movie Juno.

On Thursday night we went to see our mutual friend LeGran Akana as the MC of a Hula show "Creation- a Polynesian Journey" at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani. He was phenomenal and we had a blast kickin it with all the Japanese tourists! Then on Friday and Saturday Travis had meetings out at Ko Olina which is on the west side of the island. Merrill Lynch provided him the most beautiful room at the Marriot Ihilani so Jenn and I joined him. Of course the mormon guy has 2 women staying with him in his room! While poor Travis was in meetings all day and night, Jenn and I were at the beach either sleeping or talking non stop about who knows what- like we always do! We topped off her trip with what else but a really tasty dinner at a Thai food restaurant with Mr. Akana.

This girl is ridiculously amazing! She is one of the funniest people I know, but she also has such a huge heart that is so generous and thoughtful as well. I don't think there is a better combination made! Add the fact that she is seriously smart, has a major VIP job in Manhattan, and is a ridiculously good Relief Society President in her singles ward, she is almost too good to be true!

Best of all, Jenn is a phenomenal friend and one that I am so thankful to have. Love you Miss Cook!

More Fabulous Pics of Jenn

Unfortunately because I was so focused on being a lady of leisure with Jenn, I didn't take too many photos. I feel like I have failed as a scrapbooker. I don't know what I was thinking. But this is what I did get.

I'm "It" again!

I've been tagged again- by our adorable cousin Meredith. So here it goes....

Ten Years Ago: I was close to the end of my freshman year at BYU. What a fabulous year full of tons of new things, places, and people. It was seriously a blast!

Five places I have lived:
1. I was born in Sandy, Utah
2. Home will always be Spring, Texas
3. I had some serious good times in the P town- Provo, UT
4. After I graduated I loved living with my sister and her family in Draper, Utah before I got married. And then Trav and I lived close by for an amazing year and a half- I miss those days.
5. I now live in the beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii

Five things on my to do list:
1. GET PREGNANT AND STAY THAT WAY!!! (well just for 9 months)
2. Take Travis to Italy one day
3. Let Travis take me to Japan
4. Learn to Hula
5. Finish reading ALL the works of scriptures in their entirety- Not just the Book of Mormon and not just chapters here and there.

I enjoy:
My amazing husband and spending all the time with him that I can. My great relationships with my family and how loving, supportive, and fun they are. A friend that I can totally be myself with. Walking down memory lane because I have such great memories in my 28 years. A great meal with good company, a movie that makes me think or cry, and I hate to admit it but reality tv. Scrapbooking and swimming in the ocean. And waking up at midnight thinking it is 5am and realizing I can still sleep for seven more hours!!

Two bad habits:
1. Always saying I'm sorry when I don't really need to. Mom and Lisa that one was for you.
2. Interrupting people. I try hard to be a good listener but sometimes I just have so much to say.

Five things you may not know about me:
I am TOTALLY an open book so I don't have alot of these. Those really close to me will know all of these.
1. I HATE clowns! It's the permanent smile!
2. I grew up dancing my whole life. I loved being a little ballerina but used to cry to my mom that I wanted to be a boy because I thought my brothers lives were so much easier and definitely more fun.
3. I will eat anything once. I have actually eaten shaved pig ear.
4. I took a semester off of BYU and backpacked thru Europe for a month with two of my BYU roommates Cheryl and Emily Jones- both of which I have blog links to. Just a little shout out.
5. I can not go to sleep at night if there are dirty dishes in my sink.

Five jobs I've had:
1. Like all of my siblings, my first job was working for my dad. He did everything for us and that included promoting nepotism by conjuring up some random job for us to do. For me that was working a switch board at his office. Great 1st job!
2. For 3 summers I worked at the Houston Shell Open Golf Tournament and made serious money for 2 weeks. Jenn remember that?
3. At BYU I was a waitress at Tucanos- a seriously tastey and popular Brazilian Restaurant. This job was awesome and terrible in one.
4. When I graduated from BYU I worked for a real estate management company with some serious gems for co workers! I have such great stories from those days- my favorite being the secretary who stole flowers of a grave to make her wedding boquet! Yes it's true!
5. My current job is by far my favorite!! I am a designer for the local scrapbook company Creative Native Crafts. It's AMAZING!

YEAH! I'M DONE! NOW IT'S MY TURN TO TAG SOME OF YOU!

ARE YOU SWEATIN IT?! I TAG....Jenn, Tracie, Blinx, Kim, Taryn, Shari, Leo, Sanea, Raquell, and Rebecca.

WOW LAU LAU

One of our favorite cousins- cousin Glenn, invited us over to his house last Monday because he knew Travis has wanted to learn how to make Lau Lau- pronounced so that it rhymes with wow and cow. Lau Lau is a very Hawaiian food that Glenn and his father Uncle Charlie who is 93 years old make often. We had never made it before (not everyone has) and we had such a blast learning!

You first take fatty belly pork and butter fish. You wrap them in lau lau leaves which are the leaves of the taro plant. Hawaiian poi-the purple stuff- is made out of the root. The leaves have an itchy defense mechanism so when you do this your hands get itchy. You then wrap that in 2 large ti leaves, secure it with twine, and cut off the top. We then put all 40 of them (we made lots of extras to give to the aunties) in the biggest pressure cooker I have ever seen. After about an hour in there they were ready to eat! You remove the Ti leaves and just eat the lau lau leaves with the fish and pork. I know it doesn't look tasty but it is!

Thanks to cousin Glenn and Uncle Charlie for teaching us and inviting us over to their home on top of Tantlus with the most amazing view! We really had a great time!

Happy Girls Day!

Ladies it's your day in Japan! And because we are just one fun mesh of all Asians and Polynesian, Hawaii too! Happy Girls Day!

If you aren't from Hawaii or Japan then you probably don't know much about this holiday. It is fabulous! And on of the perks of marrying a half Japanese boy! I will have to tell you about the Hawaiian and Chinese perks latter.

I am not really sure of its origins and traditions in Japan as I am sure my mom and maybe one or two others of you are dying to know. And unfortunately we all know I am just a little too lazy at 7:30 in the morning to do the research. Sanae maybe you could help me out with this one!

What I do know is that it is literally a Doll Festival. So in Japan I guess there are huge displays of tradition Japanese dolls and girls receive the dolls as gifts. Here in Hawaii we get a little extra pampering and normally eat treats like Mochi on this day- a really tasty Japanese treat. My favorite is strawberry mochi ice cream- it is a MUST try!


I love holidays so I will adopt any holiday that is as great as this one! I think no matter where you are- you should too!

New Additions!!!

Okay I am so excited to welcome several people to the blogging world!

Since I have been bugging her like crazy (and all my family members too) about starting a blog, my sister in law Kim has joined the blogging world! Welcome aboard!! Now I get to see more pictures more often of our adorable nephew Tyson on the days that we don't get over to Grandma's house to see him! They are in my list as Bran, Kim & Tyson.

Also both Tuitele families have converted from MySpace to Blogs and we are very excited about keeping in better touch with all of them! All four of them danced at our wedding and we haven't done a good job of keeping in touch with them since. Then there is miss Jenna Broadbent who broke off from the oh so hillarious Clazzy Ladies Blog (what introduced me to the blogging world) to start her own family blog. I'm not sure why she couldn't mingle her pics of her adorable son Calvin with tributes to Tina Turner and Dolly Parton.

Travis's roommate Jed Young from BYU has had a blog for a long time but we just now tracked the boy down! And if all of this isn't enough my dear friend Taryn from high school started a blog from the great state of Oklahoma! She has a crazy cute family that unbelievable loves Disney as much as she does!

I have always wished I was better at keeping in touch with everyone and blogging provides such a great way to do that! I feel like such a dork for saying it but I love it! Most of you know how stubborn I am so I hate to admit it but Trav was right in getting me to start this crazy thing! Now I just need to get the rest of you on board and we will be set! Lisa, Tyler, & Kirk are you reading this?!?!