Letter 8

Briana, Amber, Kimberly, Elise, and Aubrie,

I am so very grateful that I have you five as sisters (although, growing up with you I was singing a different tune sometimes...)! You all have a different sense of style, focus and presence about you, and I get to be in the mix of it all!

Yes, I know we all have our quirks, and through growing up, made choices we didnʻt/donʻt necessarily agree with, but before going to bed at night, I love each of you and there isnʻt really enough room to be annoyed or frustrated. Also, you better believe I will bust out some mamma bear if ANYBODY threatens my sisters!

You five also know that at anytime if you need anything, please ask me.

Iʻm really thankful that I have time to spend time with each of you. That may be face-to-face, video chat, phone or text messages, social media or even prayer. Thank you for wanting to continue a friendship and cultivating a relationship with me! Iʻm so happy we want to try and see each other and drive distances to close gaps. You each are willing to help when you can as often as possibility allows.

Briana, thank you for the late night texts. Itʻs a wonderful way to calm, vent and end my day!
Amber, thank you for your hospitality always. Itʻs fabulous to know Iʻm always welcome in your home, eating your food, and late night talks.
Kimberly, thank you for your love for me and my kids. Your heart is so full and so willing to help where you can!
Elise, thank you for driving down to see me. I know itʻs hard to load the four kids on a trip! I value the times we laugh hard and bond with tears.
Aubrie, thank you for be willing to watch kids, and try new things. Your innocence is needed to keep me set for adventures!

I love you five much more than I let on, Iʻm sure. Thank you for your lives and being in mine. Thank you for your example, help and love for me.

Letter 7

My neighbors and neighborhood,

Hello new friends as of July 1st of this year! Thank you first of all, for being welcoming! Iʻve walked up and down our streets quite a few times with my kids and I can always count on a wave or even a little chat as we roam. What a difference it makes when you are around genuine people! Thereʻs no need to show off, but when you do, itʻs not your yard, itʻs your neighborʻs! Thank you for asking if we need anything or offer up starters from your yard to beautify our home! Thank you for giving!

We have really enjoyed the location as well! We like being on the end of the street, and grateful we have good neighbors that will watch our house while we are gone out of town. Thanks Gary for doing that without us even asking while we were in Ohio! WHAT a guy! We donʻt have really any traffic at all, and when we do, we know itʻs for whatʻs happening at our house! Weee!

Really though, this post is for our neighbor Santina. She was a God-send! I honestly believe you are not placed somewhere by accident. She is the type of neighbor everyone should be jealous about having living next to them! (We have her though, so continue to be jealous!) She is kind enough to watch our kids in a crunch, let us borrow dishes, pans... you name it! (Her daughter, Sophie, is the sweetest little girl, who is so very good with my two.) Letʻs be honest though, I love all who live with her!

I have had some fantastic neighbors in college in UT living in apartments, Hawaii: Auntie Mavis and all the Fonoimoanas AND their cooking.... YUM! I have had great neighbors in the different homes Iʻve grown up in with my family out in Ohio, and have appreciated that I was raised with an inclusive perspective!

Thank you neighborhood and most especially, thank you Santina for helping me want to be a better neighbor.

Letter 6

Thank you added income: Banana Republic, Yoga, Voice and Piano lessons.

Iʻm really trying to get back into the swing of things with more students in the 3 Iʻve actually gotten certified and degrees in teaching. Iʻm grateful for the times I am able to teach though, and grateful for the students I do have currently. I love feeling like I am providing some help towards our family and they are in avenues in which I love! 

Each of these jobs have their perks and unleashes a favorite aspect of my personality. Banana Republic: 

How better to meet new friends than to talk to some one different as often as I work? I love telling people how great they look in whatever they are trying on, or at least be honest with them with the style or size. This past Saturday, I met two Tongan guys and told them they should come over for dinner. This will be happening as a triple date and will be joyous for all involved, Iʻm sure! 

Itʻs also a break from my daily routine while being silly and OCD with organizing all at the same time! Quite the contrast, but I love it! 

Yoga: 

How better than to help women and men feel relaxed, comfortable in their own skin, and that someone is supporting them in being healthier in body, mind and spirit? I feel confident in my approach to teaching yoga, which helps me in my own wellness, and I learn so much about the human body! 

Piano:

There is nothing sweeter in finding out HOW a child/teenager/adult needs to be taught! I find creative routes in how to inspire their mind by finding out their own interests and loves. I have had so much fun with my niece lately correlating a piece of music to reading/writing a book! I love playing piano and it always jolts me in practicing more myself! 

Voice:

My passion. If I could, I would take only middle school-high school age girls and teach them (through music) self-confidence. There is nothing like teaching girls to find their own voice by showing them how to find their own voice! I have tried explaining a technique and been lost for words in how to convey it to them, but then quickly been led by God in helping girls and boys find the light of understanding. You are nearer to heaven when the voice is exploring their true tones, I believe! I am most happy sitting at the piano teaching an eager pupil my love! 

Iʻm grateful I know what I love and if not doing them all the time, moving towards that goal! I am so happy I have these "jobs"! 

(And hopefully soon enough, I WILL be singing too for a job!)

Letter 5

Hello house,

I am grateful that you keep my family warm. I REALLY hate being cold and walking from the outside into a warm home is so very gratifying!

I am grateful for the windows that let in the natural sunlight; the happiness that ensues after opening the blinds is almost touchable!

I am grateful you are big enough to house friends and family when they come to visit! We can have a party or just a get-together and all fit comfortably. AND at any time we want, we can shut the windows, blinds, and doors altogether and feel safe, secured and private!

Iʻm grateful for what happens in our cute house! Thank you for facilitating actions such as: hide-and-go-seek, chasing, jumping, and hugging! Also, having room for toys, books, clothes, and furniture! As well as cooking, eating and loving all of our favorite people.

We even have space AROUND our house! We can do all sorts of projects, grow food to eat and again, have friends over TO eat!

Thank you for spoiling us with a roof and basement; electricity and gas! We also have plumbing and water that we can simply turn on and off! THINK of it!

Thank you for being our house. I like to decorate you and clean you. I like to show that I appreciate you by doing such things. Then, I feel like I deserve my living space.

May I continuously be grateful for the walls, roof and floors that make up my home!

May peace, laughter and love always reside within.

Letter 4

Vanessa, 

Oh! My favorite thing lately is you telling stories! I canʻt understand half of what you say with all the made-up language youʻve invented. (I think Chancey understands it, and thatʻs what matters mostly.) The story always begins with or at least ends with you telling us that you got a "bonk" of sorts. Your expressions are priceless! You are so intense with how it all happened. I love, love it! 

Your little long fingers are just like mine! You point and gesture the same ways too! You will be my mini-me, I do believe. You are so attentive to details and like to create stories to go along with what you are playing with at the time. You get VERY heated when Chancey comes in to mess it up or try to play a game of it. Your fuse is short when it comes to things. Iʻll work on that too since you probably inherited that trait from me. 

You are so obedient! If I tell you to come, you are always the first to put on your shoes or your jacket or go get a diaper. You may get side-tracked with a fish or toy, but thatʻs alright, it happens. When itʻs time to clean-up, you are SUCH a good helper! You will pick-up and sing along with it! (I also love if you find a piece of string, scrap piece of paper or crumb of some kind, you will pick it up and throw it away!)

Speaking of singing, you LOVE to sing! I think your favorite songs are, "Horsey, Horsey," "5 Little Ducks," (But we sing 2 since thereʻs only two kids in our family) "Old McDonald Had a Farm," and you like "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes." You love to do the motions! You are so smart to know so many body parts! You are smart always! You know so many words! You are also starting to echo what mom and dad say, and learn spanish like daddy is teaching you! There is nothing cuter, really! 

You love best: avocados, oranges, tomatoes, and yogurt. You love all of mom and dadʻs cooking though as well. You are SUCH a great eater! 
You love to read books! You will sit with me for hours (if Iʻd let you) and we get new library books once a month! Your favorite book is probably "I Love You Stinky Face." But, you really donʻt care as long as I am reading to you. 
You love your butterfly blanket with the satin edges best. You love to sleep with it and carry it around. You like the other 3 blankets in your bed alright, but if you donʻt have your butterfly one, you arenʻt happy. You like the little dog I gave you to sleep with too. (Your favorite toys though are small cups, and Chanceyʻs little car at the moment.) 

Vanessa, you are my very best sweet little friend. I love that I get to see you grow-up and learn so many new things each day. I love that you teach me how to relax, to be silly sometimes, that life is simple and happy! You love me and I love to hug you! Your little laugh was hard to wiggle out of you for a long time, and now itʻs savory! I love that I get to do your hair and dress you so pretty! 

I love you Vanessa Kane! 

Letter 3

I could say ladies first and start with Vanessa or I could say Chancey is an hour older, so I should start with him... Choices...

Chancey,

Since I can hear you coughing in the monitor, my sympathies are enhanced, so I will begin with my boy. What a little lover boy you are to your mom! You come up to me randomly just to glue your whole self and wrap around my leg. You love me so much! You hate it more than your small body can stand it to see me leave to go to work or even to walk out the door for the mail.

You are so good at saying "taytou" when I give you a cracker or your "bankie". (Speaking of, Chancey, you LOVE your blanket. You donʻt really have a preference for one over another, just as long as it is one of the favorite four that reside in your bed. ) You also love the little bear Grandma Smith gave you to be in bed with you when you sleep. Your favorite toy, however, are any toy cars, any size balls, small cups (at the moment), and a tri-cycle your dad had when he was your size.

 You love to serve though! You are smart enough to get a diaper when we ask you, youʻll help daddy with Vanessaʻs water or get her blanket without being asked. You want to make your sister happy; you most of the time want to make your parents happy...

You love to give hugs and kisses though! Some of my most cherished memories are when you go up to Vanessa and want to play ring-around-the-rosies, or simply just want to hug her more than she can handle the heavy attention. The best was when we were putting on shoes to go to the library and you kept hugging Vanessa and giving her kisses. Vanessa got into it too since we both were laughing and having the best time. The kisses and hugs eventually turned to me as well, and all three of us got hugs and kisses to last the rest of the day! Heavenly!

One thing Vanessa will want to do with you: race with you! (The competitive spirit runs on both sides kids!) Iʻm so glad you both have a built-in running partner. Iʻm sure youʻll get better at playing with each other, creating stories and adventures, instead of wanting the same toy or trike the other one has at the moment. You think Vanessa is pretty funny though and laugh at all of her silly faces and side-ward glances.

You love bananas, and eat a whole one in a sitting, tomatoes you love just as well! You also love veggie straws and the baby crackers. You and Vanessa love the squeezable baby food, which I love because they travel so well!) You arenʻt very good at first with new foods, but you will always eat everything. You are a very good eater... You just get so hungry you can hardly bare it sometimes... I wonder who you get that trait from...???

I think your favorite color is yellow. You say that color for any color though, so...
You LOVE to read books!! You will sit so attentively if I read and keep reading books! (You think we go to the library only for you? No, I donʻt want to get sick of reading the same books!) Your favorite book is "Going on a Bear Hunt" and/or "Hi." I should really buy that book since we get it every time we go to the library.

You love a bath, you love singing and dancing to "Happy" by Pharell. Your top three songs to sing are, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," "Itsy, Bitsy Spider" and the "ABCʻs". You think itʻs the best thing to jump. You havenʻt quite gotten any height to the action, but man, you think itʻs the greatest still. You are so good at building things! Youʻve surprised me on many occasions where Iʻve looked and thought, "I canʻt believe he knows how to do that!" I mean, itʻs no wonder. Your father is a builder as well.

Look at these valuables I get to keep with me? These memories of the bleach-blonde boy who always loves me? (Remember when you are a teenager.) I am so grateful I get to be your mommy! Look at all the things you are already teaching me? Unconditional love, patience, long-suffering, happiness, gentleness, a better listener...

I love you Chancey James.

Letter 2

Hi Matthew,

Thank you for your phone call today just to say hello and see how I was doing. It was certainly not expected, but I guess thatʻs one of the reasons I am grateful for you. Yes, your ideas change from minute to minute and I may get to see you here and there over a weekʻs time. I like how different it is though and for the fact that life wonʻt ever be stagnant and we will always be transition. It is helpful for our communication, for it keeps us on our toes and we constantly have to check in with each other. Thank you for wanting to talk it out, over and resolve controversy.

Weʻve only been married 3 1/2 years, and known each other for 4 1/2, so I suppose we wonʻt be completely in-sync with our thought-processes, we will have baggage that will regurgitate itself in angry tiffs, and we will continue to disagree on certain things when it come to raising our two children. However, Iʻm grateful for the honesty, and simply, that you wonʻt agree with me on some points; very refreshing I have to say. I do appreciate that we agree on those things that matter the most to the both of us. Hence, the reason I married you in the first place.

Thank you for your help, carefree attitude, and the acceptance of my family.
Thank you for unloading the dishwasher, changing poopy diapers, and hanging shelves.
Thank you for your determined work ethic, serving others (even though our house projects usually come after), and for loving dogs.
Thank you for knowing how to fix our cars, loving to teach, and hugging our kids as soon as you come home from a full-loaded work-day.

I donʻt want to forget these things because I love you a lot and I want to be with you forever. So, you know, when I get in the thick of annoyance, I can be reminded... later. :)

Thank you for being the one I trust and hug the tightest.
I love you Matthew!