So Blessed

The last couple of weeks have been absolutely wonderful. We have been so blessed and we cant be thankful enough. So many fun activities, spending time with family and just so many unexpected blessings.

The first big event was my nephew's first birthday. It was a big event. His party theme was Thomas the Train and they did such a good job. The food was the bomb and his cake was so cute. I pigged out sooo much that day. My girls had a good time celebrating with their cousin. It was also great to spend time with Jared's family. His parents spent a couple of days with us and my girls love having their grandparents around. Sinalei was lucky enough to spend some one on one time with them in California. She was there for about three weeks. We missed her terribly, but we know she had the time of her life and she was spoiled rotten! She definitely made out on her trip and came back with a bunch of goodies. We're so glad to have her home...especially her sister. She missed her play buddy.
The next event was my brother came down for the BYU Volleyball Camp. It was so nice having him down and spending time with him. He's grown up so much, but I still cant help feel like more of a mother to him..lol. There is a 9 year difference between us so I spent a lot of time taking care of him and Nikki. The girls had a blast with their Uncle. Sela loves to beat him up...he doesn't mind so much, but she sure does pack a punch. Sinalei loved playing with him too. They would play till midnight and I'd have to force the girls to go to sleep. We were able to take him to Thanksgiving Point, Tucanos and Sela's favorite store Borders. We had so much fun.

My cousin Dallas got married this past weekend. His reception was held at the Joseph Smith Building in Salt Lake. It was a beautiful occassion. He looked absolutely smitten with his bride. One of the perks from the wedding is that I got to see all of my family. I loved every minute I could spend with them. My cousins and I all got together and played Poker. It was my first time playing and it's so much fun...well especially because all of my guy cousins are so hilarious. We laughed so hard. I also got to have some samoan coco and pineapple pie...I was in heaven. I brought my girl cousins back to my place and we had a fun time talking till 6am. They are so funny. It's so nice not feeling too old anymore. 2 of my girl cousins are in their 20's now so I feel I can relate to them more now. I was so sad to see my family go on Sunday. I teared up, but that could also be because I'm pregnant and so emotional all the time. But I really do miss my family. The girls were spoiled once again. I wish all our family could live closer together.
The Happy Couple

Jared and I enjoying the awesome food
My sister teaching sinalei to pucker up..lol
Justin and Sinalei. He'll be attending Notre Dame next year to play football.
We're all so proud of him
Sela doing her mean face

Jared had a good friend at his work who we hang out with. They had a fight night so we went over there. It was tons of fun, but the fights were pretty boring!

I've also gone back to school. I got my CNA a couple of years ago and I let my license expire so I'm back doing a refresher course so I can get my license here in Utah. Part of the refresher course is we have to go to a medical facility and do hand on. My first Friday in the clinic was 2 weeks ago. It was a killer! I was on my feet for 8 hours!!! The work isn't hard at all...it's carrying around all this extra weight and constantly being up on your feet. I was so happy when the day was over! In January I plan on going back to school at Provo College. I'm a bit nervous as I will have 3 children. Jared and i are still trying to figure out how we are going to do it. If there's a will there's a way...right? I meet with a councelor on the 17th to go over my class schedule and financial aid. Hopefully all goes well and everything will fall into place. If not, we'll figure something out.
We're doing great over here in Utah. We've actually been blessed the last couple of days with beautiful weather. It's been in the 70-80's. I've been enjoying it so much. Hopefully it will stay like this for a while.
Sinalei also went to the Doctor and well she's definitely the complete opposite of Sela. She's very short and small..lol. She's going to be my petite little girl.
We love our girls so much and cannot wait for our son to arrive!

Food, food and more food

Last week was such a fun week. I think we broke our habit of not eating out and went on a food craze. Lets see last week we were able to go to PF Changs, Tucanos, Thanksgiving Point Deli and Ice Cream parlor, Asian Buffet...crazy huh. Well I enjoyed it and it sure shows...as I'm gaining weight like crazy, but I figure I'll hopefully lose it all after I have my baby boy.

Last week we were also able to babysit my nephew for a couple of hours. He's such a good baby. We went to play at the mall (since it's way too hot to play outside while the suns up we always opt for the indoor playgrouds) and then came home and watched Finding Nemo. Sela and I love that movie. Semisi seemed to enjoy it too, but he was busy exploring everything and helping his uncle out with his computer.

I had to give them a bath because they both scored at the mall when we went to See's candy. They enjoyed their lollipops, but got all sticky.

We were also able to hang out with Jared's cousin Toa and Lily. We met new cousins Sione and his wife Kalo. They were so much fun. We met up at Asian Buffet. My husband LOVES this place for some reason...I HATE this place. The food is so nasty and not worth the money. All I ate was fruit. Besides the food we had fun catching up and joking around. After we ate we invited everyone over to our place. My sister in law make delicious cobler so we tried it out and it was a hit. They scarfed it down so fast. I loved it because it's super easy to make. I even tried making cherry cobler yesterday and it was delicious too. I kind of prefer peach but they're both yummy. We had so much fun everyone didn't leave until 2:30. I wish I would of taken pictures but I was having to much fun to remember.

We also were able to see Harry Potter. I have mixed feelings about the movie. At the end I was kind of like that's it. Maybe I would of enjoyed it more if I read the books. I think Harry Potter will be my next set of books to read. Anyway we had a fun filled week. Cant wait for this week because my moochie Sinalei may be coming back this weekend. We miss her so much! She's having a blast though...boating with her grandparents and getting spoiled rotten..love you squishy.

TGIF

Today was such a busy day. We had a Doctor's appointment, picked my hubby up from work, went to Costco, made a stop at Farm Country and did some laundry. Although it was a little hectic we managed to have fun.
My Doctor's visit went great. I started off by getting an ultrasound which was great because they were able to determine when my due date is. I'll be having a baby boy on Nov. 2nd! Here's my belly at 23 wks 4 days! I feel HUGE!!! I am carrying him low and he's getting very active. He's a good size baby...I only hope he doesn't go beyond 8 pounds. All of my mom's babies were 9 pounds and up except for me. I was only 7 pounds. Sela was 7 lbs 15oz and Sinalei was 8 lbs 4oz. It seems with each pregnancy my children get bigger.I have a feeling this kid will be big. My next appt is in 4 weeks where I have to drink the nasty sugar water for the diabetes testing...I am not looking forward to it at all! So everything looks good. I just have to stay on top of taking my iron pills.

Jared and I were able to take Sela to Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point. It has a bunch of animals, but you're not able to touch them. Sela went on the pony ride. She enjoyed it a lot!There were so many fun things to do. Here are a couple of pictures.Sela on the wagon rideJared and ISela posingShe loved the horses..but they stink!

Overall we had fun at Farm Country it was just HOT HOT HOT.
Sela also got into my makeup today and tried to apply mascara..lol. I had to take a picture of it. She is always getting into everything! She misses her little partner in crime. I can only imagine what kind of mess Sinalei would of made if she was there with her sister.

We're looking forward to having a FUN weekend!

Catching Up...

So I haven't been the most consistent blogger..but I'm trying. We have been soooo busy lately. I don't remember if I mentioned that we moved in any of my previous blogs...we are now living in Lehi. We absolutely love it here. Our ward is literally across the street. We could walk there is we wanted to, but it's been in the 90's and I am not use to this Utah sun yet. The sun is sweltering HOT! I totally MISS the California summers...oh how I took cali summers for granted. My girls love going to our pool. It's great because I refuse to do anything else during the day besides stay inside with my AC. All errands I've tried to set up online billing or I save all errands until around 6 when it's not so hot.
Lets see...in June Jared and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. We didn't do much since we had already taken a trip to Hawaii this year so we went to our favorite restaurant Tucano's Brazillian Grill in Salt Lake. It has the most amazing food. Now I must warn you...you have to be a meat lover. They come around each table with a skewer of meat and it's just delicious. We actually brought our girls along with us because they love the food. Next to the restaurant is Clark's Planetarium. The girls love this place. They have an IMAX where they show 3D movies. Their favorite is Under the Sea. They also have movies they show in their Dome. Jared and I have seen Extreme Planets...honestly I was a bit bored, but I'm sure those fascinated by space will love it. Our next movie we want to see with the girls is Bugs 3D. I'm sure Sela will enjoy it, but Sinalei will probably freak out. Over all it was a wonderful anniversary. I'm thankful for everything that my husband does for my children and I. He's an extremely hard worker and the BEST father ever.
Sela went to her new Pediatrician this week. The staff is great and he's a wonderful doctor. She got 2 shots...where she cried for maybe 2 minutes, but complained that her leg hurt the rest of the day. She measured 36 inches and 32 pounds. In January she was 32 inches...I cant beleieve how much she's grown in 6 months. Her doctor said she was a bit "stocky" for her height...I was like are you kidding me..lol. I'm always hearing she needs to gain weight...so I guess for a Poly baby she's "skinny" hehe oh well. Sinalei goes in for her Doctor's appt. in August and I'm sure she'll be tiny for her age. Sela is learning so much right now. Her speech is coming along and she is completely POTTY TRAINED!!!! I cant beleive it. I tried to Potty train her after she turned 2 and I wasn't having any luck, but 3 months later and she was practically potty training herself. We just used some positive reinforcement...high fives...no candy needed. She's becoming such a big girl...kind of makes me sad how fast she's growing up. In 4 months she's going to be a big sister again. That's why I'm glad that I've been able to have some one on one time with her. Her sister Sinalei is in California with her grandparents having the time of her life. I'm sure she's enjoying being spoiled rotten. Sela and I have been hanging out. Jared's been so wonderful when he gets home from work. He always suggests that we go somewhere when he gets home. We've been hitting up Cabela's, Walmart and other little stores Sela loves to run wild in. If you've never been to Cabela's and you love camping you should go. The have a bunch of taxodermy and an aquarium that my kids enjoy. They also have a restaurant that served meat like elk. I wasn't brave enough to try it, but I did have their club sandwhich which was yummy.
July 4th was a blast. We met up with Jared's siblings and they had a BBQ and then we watched some fireworks. Sela loved it. She was also obsessed with these kites that people were flying at night. I think Jared and I will get her one and see how it goes.
We wish Sinalei could of been with us, but we know she had just as much fun. We cant wait for her to come back home. Her siter misses her a lot. She asks me ever morning, "momma where's sissy?" She loves her sister dearly.

I went in for my first official doctor's visit this week. All we did was some blood work and a previous pregnancy/birth questionaire with the nurse. She was great. They called me the next day to tell me that I was anemic (which I am normally anyway) and I needed to take some iron pills. I had been noticing that I was feeling very lethargic lately and I was sleeping in till 11...which is unusual for me since I am a morning person. Lucky for me my daughters sleep in till 11 as well. Anyway I've noticed a dramtic change in my level of energy since I've been taking my prenatal and iron pill. So I'm back to my normal self again. I have my official ultrasound Friday where they will tell me my exact due date. I'm pretty excited. So I'm sure I will find some time to blog about it.

Family Vacation

We went on a spontaneous trip to Hawaii last month. It was a blast!!! We didnt really do much except be beach bums and hit up a great shaved ice place. I love Hawaii so much. The people are soooo nice and it's just BEAUTIFUL. The water is crystal clear and the weather is perfect. My girls loved the beach. Sela loved the waved, but she got knocked over on day 3 so ever since then she stayed far away from it. Sela and Sinalei were content with drawing in the sand and playign with their cousin Semisi.
One of our favorite things to do was watching the sunset in Waikiki. We also went to Aloha Stadium, which is a huge swap meet. We bought some cute t-shirts for the girls and some yummy treats.
The shaved ice place we always go to when we're in Hawaii is call Matsumoto's. It has the most delicious shaved ice ever. I totally recommend it to everyone.Here we are visiting Jared's cousin Monique. She was wonderful. She made us delicious burritos for dinner.
I had such an amazing time and I cant wait to go back!

Elder Gregory Utupo

In April my borther Greg entered the MTC. We're all so proud of him for making the decision to serve a mission. I know that the people of Washigton will love him. We all miss him so much, but we enjoy hearing all of his funny letters. He just left for Washigton on the 16th of May. He was actually suppose to leave the last week of April, but he injured his ankle playing basketball on P-day. We were all worried, but we're all relieved that he is finally out in the field. I love sending him packages...but I think I better stop because he's already gained 25 pounds!!! Can u believe it??? They must be feeding this kid well in the MTC. Greg is the first boy to serve his mission in my family. So he is so spoiled in the field. I think he gets 2 packages a week and tons of letter. I try to write him every 2 weeks. His birthday is coming up in June so I'm going to have to think of something special to send him. Greg is such a great brother and I see how much he loves being a missionary. I cant wait for him to come home and see how much he's grown.

Sela and Sinalei's Birthday Party

In April, Jared and I had a small birthday Party for our youngest Sinalei. Sela and Sinalei's birthdays are separated by 6 days so it was kind of for both of them. It was a ton of fun. We had some family over and just enjoyed lots of food and good company.
I cant believe how fast my girls are growing up. They're both walking and running around. It makes me so happy whenever I see them playing together. Sela has become such an amazing older sister. She always makes sure her sister is okay when she starts crying and loves to take walks with Sinalei down our street, but she has to be holding her sister's hand. The only downside is that Sinalei gets irritated with Sela very quickly. Sinalei is a very independent child sometimes. Since she was maybe 10 months she refused to let me feed her. I have to put the food in her hand so she can feed herself. I hate it because she can get pretty messy. I have come to truly believe that each child really does come with their own personality.
I love Sela's spunkiness and she is such a little comedian. She loves to make people laugh. She also loves to dress up. She just started to pick her own clothes and she's a fan of extra girly dresses. Sela is very friendly once she gets comfortable and loves meeting new people.
Sinalei was such a handful for the first...I dont know maybe 7 months of her life. She was ALWAYS crying. I dont know what it was, but I am sure glad that she has calmed down a lot. She is a very demanding child, but I find it a little entertaining at times. She takes a lot longer to warm up to people, but once she has, she's such a delight. She loves to dance and sing like her sister. She loves to follow her sister around...as long as Sela doesnt try to smother her. She has the cutest raspy laugh. Sinalei NEVER smiles at strangers. People will stop at the mall and tell her how cute she is, but she wont budge...no smile..lol. Well I guess thats just her.
I loves my girls so much and I'm glad that we were able to celebrate their birthdays with family.