i hope they call me on a mission...

well, my nephew kalamaku gave his homecoming address this morning... he just returned from fiji this past thursday. he has matured quite a bit and is now officially the first of my father & mother's direct descendants to serve a full-time mission!

of course, i was doing fine listening to his talk until he spoke about the angels in our lives--both seen and unseen--and how he was assisted with dealing with his mom's passing from across the pacific. that's when i cried...along with a good number of other people in the congregation who have known ku since he was a tiny little boy and who were there last april when my sister-in-law passed away.

he's got a variation on a british accent...but he's acquired much more than that! we're grateful for his example and look forward to the coming years with him...

i like to look for rainbows, whenever there is rain...

we had our first stake child of record baptismal service this afternoon... i love these ladies! i am very grateful for the opportunity to serve with them. i know the Lord is mindful of me. i'm thankful that these ladies are a part of my life...

'cause you're his cheeseburger...his lovely cheeseburger...

~veggie tales...click on the link and check out the video if you've never heard the cheeseburger song before. it's actually an aiga tenney classic as (1) we listened to it repeatedly at our last reunion while driving from utah to california--AND BACK--yes, we had some of the 5 and under crowd in our van; and (2) the levis then brought the song to life during our family talent show. (niko's the car and byron's the cheeseburger connoiseur)...

*note: the video is not for the humoristically-challenged...

at any rate, i wanted a food-related title for this blog so i could highlight some of our favorite eating places from our two-week vacation--needless to say, we didn't have any cheeseburgers at the following family feasts:

we planned to attend the provo temple with dad while he was in town, but we misinterpreted the schedule, and the temple was still closed! we were all dressed up with nowhere else to go, so...we did what any other large polynesian family would do (with childcare still arranged for another couple of hours)--we figured we'd go out and eat instead! we ended up at one of our favorite family places...

dad, katinia, quentin, katryola, laura, kats, billy, mechelle, jake, alys, mike, anna

on yet another snowy day (we actually didn't have any other kind), we found ourselves here:

our grilled steak salad--katinia's suggestion...yum!

...and here we are on the day the snow really started coming down...it was our first time here:

kats, laura, mech, alys, jake, mike, billy

we got to go to this next restaurant two days in a row!!! one family member wanted to take us one day--then another family member wanted to take us the next day... how could we turn down an offer like that?!??

brazilian lemonade (with milk in it)

on day two of the relatively heavier snowfall, we ended up at the mall so the kids could get out and walk about. yes, it was snowing outside--but anytime is ice cream time! they weren't kidding when they advertised thick, thick shakes!!

chocolate, strawberry, and mint

we look forward to visiting these places again this summer when we go back for our next visit!!!

we are family!

in anticipation of our upcoming family reunion this summer, here are pictures of hubby & siblings--sort of in order... :) dad bill has 15 children, 44 grand-children, and 3 great-grandchildren so far ...most by birth, all by heart

samoa 2003--most of the kids & spouses

california 2006--almost everybody

looking forward to arizona 2009!

left to right: lauranntinia, katryola, mechelle, vai w/rayden, ralph, sa'ili, kathy (1), nikotemo, lynn, byron ; missing from picture: elder michael levi (pictured below)

all 8 of kathy & vai's kids together in front of the provo temple--just before elder levi left for the mtc and then the philippines:

byron, sa'ili, lauranntinia, michael, katryola, ralph, mechelle, nikotemo

william (2) lam sam tenney's gravesite...with the other williams


palota & anna

clockwise from top left:
rachel, palota, anna (3) w/dominic, marlon, kirsty, billy, nephi, jared
...there's also baby jenna, but can't seem to locate a picture of her just yet!


michael, laura, kathy, dad bill, quentin, katinia, mom ma'aola, billy, anna

asten, katinia (4), quentinia, gregson w/hudson, lewanda, quentin
...and their baby girl susana's gravesite below:



mechelle & billy

billy (5), james, eternity, mechelle, penina, little billy, selesitila, charity


michael & alyssa

lehua, alyssa, ana, michael (6), aulani


aunty peola, peterinia w/jacinta, pio, pj, falelua, laura (7), kathryn, ma'aola, dad bill
...and their oldest daughter, cynthia, now their guardian angel... (with family below):

front row:
pj, kathryn, katryola, grandma ma'aola w/lehua & liliana, ma'aola, aulani, peterinia
back row:
lauranntinia w/falelua, michael, nikotemo, mechelle, cynthia, sa'ili

ko'olina, john, kehau, welina, ailana, rommalynn, ivona (8), natahli


jilliam (9) and friend


valya, fiso (10) willanola

sefo (13), carlee and vee (11), jared

caylin
(vee & jared's baby)

moroni (12), ezra, sheridan, chandler

velma (14)

jacob (15)