Mom & Dad

I know... It is just us, but how often do we ever get to be showcased in this blog.  Plus, this was at the Youth Night at the corn maze at we helped on.  During this picture I am sure Alohi was chasing after the cats or playing in the corn pit or climbing on the rope spider web or climbing on the hay or riding a tractor trike or who knows (It is okay she was with her friends having a blast and she didn't get hurt). I do know what Po'okela was doing. He was hanging out in his stroller next to his bud Brady waiting for a ride through the corn maze.  Anyways, I am so happy to be married to this guy!

First Hair Cuts

Rylan and I have been talking about how Po'okela was in need of a hair cut.  He kept getting called a girl with his shaggy hair.  I liked calling him my surfer boy!

However, after visiting with friends and hearing they they did their son's hair I got brave and decided we would cut his hair ourselves.  Even more so, Rylan cuts his hair himself and I go in to clean it up, do around his ears and neckline.  How hard could it be right???  Plus, I am thinking of all the $$$ we will save in the years to come since Rylan cuts his hair every 6-8 weeks and if we paid that ($15 each time maybe?) and then add Po'okela into that mix ($6-10 each time). That can add up to ALOT of money. Maybe we can put that $$ saved into his college fund.  

Here is his smile with his shaggy hair and he is pretty excited to see what is going to happen... 

Now, he isn't to sure about what is going on...

This picture is perfect to show the right side of his head has short hair and the other side had long.

The last bit of his shag.

Rylan didn't think I was doing a good job, so he took over.  I think I was a little too gentle... and emotional about the cuts.  

Here the big boy is! With a Twizzler in hand.

Of course I needed to take a picture of the locks on the floor. I couldn't believe how much hair he had and it is gone... I think this is a picture I will remember forever.

Later that night at dinner, he was still getting used to his hair. He would normally take his fork and run it through his hair (I wonder who he learned that from.... Sister and her Little Mermaid copying).  

I think he looks so handsome! He reminds me of my brother's pictures.

I am so glad we braved cutting his hair on our own. It will be something we will never forget!

Now Alohi and her hair is another story.  Before we left to move here to Scottsbluff, I wanted us to get our hair done with Tammy. She is so good and I just love how she cuts my hair.  I asked if she would do Alohi's hair and she said sure (but really didn't want to).  Here my sweet girl is and excited about her hair cut!!

Alohi got her little bits of blonde cut off the bottom... along with bangs.

I love this face... She isn't too sure anymore about this hair cut!

She did so good in the chair that Tammy actually said she was the best kid she has ever cut before!

After her cut, she looked so cute and like a big girl! She even got her hair curled!

Then she entertained us with her dancing and posing!

It is crazy to think that this was a year ago.... We cut her hair on Halloween because I remember going to IHOP after to get her a free kids pumpkin pancake.    She is due for another hair cut... but I am going to pay someone to do that for us.  Remember this.  I won't try to cut her hair again for a while....

Moving in...

So since I have been looking at pictures from last year this time.  My last blog was about moving out of our house, so why not go straight into the moving in part.  We moved our stuff out of our house on a saturday morning. We spent our last night in OKC with the Barnes.  Alohi got to spend lots of time with her Memaw and Pepaw!  Snuggles was on the agenda!

The next morning Memaw cooked us a great breakfast! Rylan and my dad left in the uhual an hour before us (kids, my mom and I). We were told to do this because the uhual needs more time on the road and isn't able to drive at the same speed as the car.  I was able to hold it together saying goodbye to friends, but when Memaw told me she loved me and would miss me I couldn't hold the tears back any longer.  I spent the first 20 minutes of our drive crying with my mom in the car.  Oklahoma you have been a wonderful place and I PRAY we can come back again... to live! We miss our Oklahoma family!

We met up with the Uhual in a small town in the middle of no where. I can't even remember the name of the town. We relaxed at the pool/jacuzzi and had a nice dinner at a little mexican place there.  Again the next morning, the uhual left an hour before us. We passed the uhual because Rylan's boss had asked him to stop to go over a few things and arrange for what he needed to do the next day when reporting to work (He was so tired!).  So we took a nice long stop to nurse, eat lunch and stretch.  Then stopped again to relax at Cabella's (they have super comfy recliners).  We were able to get to the house about 30 minutes after the boys arrived.  

Unfortunately, the boys had worked on the check list that we needed to do before moving in and they found that there was a lot of cleaning that needed to be done before things could get moved in. My mom and I did a lot more crying and venting because we had just left my house in OKC in sparkling condition. Now we had to do it again... It was exhausting, but the landlord did knock of a decent amount of money off the first months rent which made things a little better.

Rylan and my dad unloaded the following... bed, bassinet, crib mattress, couch, air bed and bedding. Along with the few items that were closest to the door. We just wanted to make sure we had comfy beds to sleep on that even.  Our family slept together in the same room that first night!

The next morning Rylan had to go into work and my dad unloaded as much as he could, while the snow fell...

 Rylan got home from his 1/2 day at work getting who knows what done (he doesn't remember because he was so tired) and they finished out unloading the truck.  Alohi took the snow as the opportunity to get out and play.

However, most of her time while moving in was spent playing on the iPad, watching movies, playing on the iPad and more movies. While Po'okela snoozed in bassinet or bouncy seat. I think the only time I actually sat was the nurse or stopped to sleep.

When moving, there is the never ending boxes....

My mom's goal was to get the kitchen in working order before she left and that was a HUGE blessing. My dad made sure the house was kid safe and that the house was in full functioning order (new thermostat, shower heads and a couple of other things... all of these things we will be replacing with the old stuff when we leave).  Rylan had the rest of the week off so we made a trip to Cheyenne, WY to SAM's Club to get food and things to get us set for the next couple of months and did lots more unpacking. I think my mom and I both would get 5-10 boxes done in a day.  But there are still boxes today that I have yet to unpack. I knew I probably wasn't going to use them and decided to just keep them packed. There are actually boxes that I want to fill up with stuff that we no longer use.  Plus, when we get the call that it is time to move again I will be that much closer to being ready for another move....

Nearly a year ago...

I was going through pictures on the computer I came across our moving pictures. Which then got me thinking that it is almost a year ago when we moved here. I got a little emotional looking at these pictures, but then I think about how much God has blessed us in so many ways.  Here is a look at the past...

I think this was the last picture of Alohi in her bed in our old house... and look at that little guy!  

Bright and early, friends and church family showed up to help load up the uhaul.  Here is some of them waiting for the arrival of uhaul.

Josh was once a high school boy we worked with, but now he is in college now and we only get to see him occasionally.  He was nice enough to come back to help us move! And then he got to hang out with Po'okela for a little bit. The more I think about it, I think Josh was the first guy Alohi flirted with.

After some relaxing, the work had to begin....

Oh, our first house!

We took a break for lunch. Thanks to the Sim's for providing lunch for us.  We got some Oklahoma BBQ, before our last push to get everything loaded up.

Once everything was moved out of the house... we needed to make sure things were cleaned and ready for the closing on the house.

 Alohi and her "friend" (Austin) did lots of sweeping. It got a little windy and we had to close the garage door in order to keep the leaves from blowing back in.

Alohi was the door greater, while Papa Carl and Michelle did the vacuuming.  

And... while they were cleaning the last items were being loaded into the truck and closed up.  

Thanks to these lovely folks friends and family! The Berry's, Memaw & Pepaw, and Maralee & her boys. Missing are the Sim's and Nana & Papa (my parents).

Our last family picture in front of our house. 

It was a great home. I pray that the family there now has many many great memories there!

Let's try that again pictures... Enjoy!

I don't know how my mom took pictures when I was a kid... I am sure she threw out a TON that didn't come out. But thanks to the invention of digital, we are able to just hit the delete button.  Other times these are fun to look at and just smile.... or laugh.  Please enjoy these "let's try that again."

Yep... I have no clue how this next picture happened.

Where is your eyes? Where did they go?