Its Sunday morning and we are getting ready for church. Robert is giving our combined YM & YW lesson. He's giving it via power point and so i'm excited for him because he just learned how to use power point over the weekend. He always gives great lessons I think a lot of it is because he served a mission and he knows the scriptures very welll. Anyways the picture above is of the Tokoyo Temple. Robert and I attended a sunday meeting when we where there with my brother and dad on one of our trips. It was awesome. It took us several train transfers and a good mile or two walk but definately worth the effort. I was thinking today about that meeting and how although we didn't really understand the language the spirit was there. It was a really good feeling to sit in with the ward and know that no matter where you go in the world you can find a church house and take the sacrament. I'm so thankful that my family is active and seeks to take the sacrament every sunday.

Great Grand Father Kenison

This is a picture of my Great Grand Father Fredrick Kenison burial plot in Laie Hawaii. Jennifer was just there attending another family member funeral and took this picture. I'm amazed it is still standing. I wonder if someone over the years has redone the stone? Maybe not.

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Things I like to do

So I was thinking about things I like to do and realized I spent alot of time doing things I don't really like to do but they are a part of my life. Like I really don't like to cook for big groups of people but lately with my church calling (YW'S) it seems we do a very lot of this. I don't like being away from my family. Currently I'm flying out every Monday to go to work and return home every Friday anyways you get the picture the list goes on and on. So today I'm wriing about something I like to do but don't get to do but once a year.

I absolutely love going to Broadway Plays. When I was sixteen I went to my first play and fell in love with it. Evita. Next I saw Phantom of the Opera. Cats was next I will have to admit I didn't care for this one. I would have to say that I don't really like Cats in real life so watching them prance around on stage did nothing for me other then I love to be at the theater. After Cats I think it was Les Meserable then Rent. One year Danielle and I were shopping in New York and we went to see Mamma Mia. It was in its first run. That was an awesome experience. A couple years after that My sister Jen her daughter Rianne, Danielle and I were in London and saw We Will Rock You. Again an awesome event. The last play I saw was Wicked in Los Angeles. Richard was visiting Dayna from England and both mentioned they wanted to see Wicked so I bought tickets for Jen, Richard, Dayna and I to go. At $200 a ticket it was worth it!

Family from far or not so far....

Well its been quite awhile since I've had time to get on here but I'll try and update you. It seems the older we get the more we seek family history and family near and far. Interesting story. The other day I was sitting at church in our usual seat and Robert notices an unfamiliar face sitting in the row ahead of us. He greets them and welcomes them to the ward. Mean while I am busy chatting with my friend. Robert then begins to tug at me to get my attention but of course I'm too busy chatting. Well long story short it turns out the man sitting there was my uncle David Hannemann from Hawaii who I hadn't seen in years. He is actually my mothers first cousin. He's 80 years old (or just about) and sharp as a tack. We sat there in church as he wrote notes back and forth to Robert and I about my family tree and reminiscing of when my mother was alive and we would often go to the Wax Museum in Buena Park where he was the Director and then again we would visit him in Hawaii when he returned to PCC. During our visit he also mentioned that uncle Bill Wallace has cancer. The picture there is of Uncle Hannemann giving the prayer at Mufi's (Mayor of Honolulu) Hannemann night of election. It was really nice to chat with him and have him tell me about my Grandmother Jane who served with his mother in the Relief Society and Primary boards for many many years.

Happy New Year 2009

Robert and I attended our ward dance this year. Lots of fun. Dayna opted for a party in LA and Danielle was back in Utah. I'm tired right now (up too late) and will finish this later.

Laurels sleep over

Last Saturday I had my laurel class over for a sleep over. I'll let the pictures do the talking :) The first set of pictures are of Dayna, Danielle and Funa making cupcakes. The rest are of the girls just being girls.

WOW can you believe it, its all most Christmas. Each year it changes. Whats important to get done, How we do things and the rushing around of it all. This year I have to admit it has been very low key. With me working in San Jose and gone all week only to return home for the weekends I didn't have that HUGE push to get out and shop and shop and shop. Actually that and well thinking about the Economy and the future and preparing ourselves for what may come.

I lost a huge chunk of money on my 401 K and that's really depressing. Gosh can you imagine saving and saving and maxing out the deductions for years and now its all but gone. I try not to think about it but ya just can't. Ok so its not as bad as it seems we were at least smart enough to spread our assets around but honestly the Real Estate market is tanked lucky for us though we bought property in areas that will hold the value. Hmm well we have our health. I'm going to really have to work hard in 2009 to put more money away for those rainy days. I am also going to work very hard to make sure we are all caught up on our food storage. Yesterday we were at Costco and the same bag of rice we always buy for $13 was $24 for a 50 lb bag. Do you remember earlier this year there was a run on rice and they limited the purchase of rice to 2 bags per person on any given day. Can you imagine a Samoan home with no rice. I think Robert would just about go crazy. Oh well anyways back to Christmas. The girls sent me their Christmas list and I had to remind them after the 10th item listed that we are in a Recession. Funny girls aren't they. OH well I'm really excited to have them home.

No Rest for the weary

Sunday morning 6:60 AM. I've been up since 5 doing laundry, cleaning up the kitchen and organizing. Having only 2 days home a week really SUCKS!!! I'm not going to lie I am so over this whole traveling every week. If I didn't really like my job I swear I would find a new one. But I do like it and it pays well so i'm stuck traveling every week for now. I use to love to travel and now its more like a chore. The thought of going somewhere makes me sleepy just thinking about it. Grrrr!

Thanksgiving weekend

Its almost over. It started out so promising. On Thanksgiving day I day dreamed of all the shopping I was going to get done. I thought of all those that I needed to purchase for and mentally plotted out my shopping hit list. NM and Bloomingdales and of course Macys. Over the past oh I don't know 5 or more years I have totally become a department store shopper. Long gone are those days that I would start at one end of the mall and continue down the row of shops. Now it is all about one store get in and out. Well thats not totally true but I really have become more and more dependant on the department stores.

Long story short. I made it to Pier one imports, Bloomingdales and a quick scan thru Macys and then went home. Managed to pick up a few things. Knocked out the girls at the office picked up some really cool things for all of them. Picked up a couple of things for the girls at Anthropology and a new pair of Coach sunglasses for myself oh and did I mention I bought 4 new pair of shoes for myself. Oops :) Actually I couldn't pass of up the online sales. $34 for a pair of Steve Madden Shoes that were over $98 last week. YAY for me.

Anyways the Christmas tree is up Miracle believe me last year I fought with Robert until 5 days before Christmas about the tree. This year its up and its not even December. Which Robert wasn't happy about. He thinks its unAmerican to put the tree up before December. I argued that I will not be here until next weekend and he caved in. LOL

I think Danielle is coming home next weekend. That should be fun. Expensive but fun. These days every time one of the girls comes home it cost me just about a $1000 with all the shopping they try and squeeze in. Oh well. Gotta run its nearly time to go to church.

Thanksgiving 2008

For the first time in my entire life I will not be spending Thanksgiving with a single family member. Neither Roberts family or mine will be here. The girls have opted to stay home in Utah. They did the same last year and I flew there to spend it with them. Just the three of us eating Turkey and all at Dayna's house.

This year Robert has invited friends from church all together we will have about 30 people. I'm making Turkey, stuffing, potato salad, fruit salad and pies. The rest is coming in from everyone else. Should be lots of good food. Our friend Phyllis can really cook and Robert loves Funa's food so we should be set. I've been telling everyone that the average person consumes 4500 calories during Thanksgiving and I plan on eating my 45oo for sure!

More to come on Thanksgiving later. I've get to get to baking right now..... that and a bit of online shopping. LOL