Recording Contract?!

Psych, not really a recording contract, but she did record a church song that is on iTunes. It is a church song from a lady in our ward that composes music. It was something that we didn't really want to take the time to do, but went and did it anyway. We came out of there happy about the results and feeling lucky that we were able to go and record the song. We got a few pictures of Kalena recording. She was really nervous at first, but sounded great!

It was pretty funny when Jan Pyne gave us the CD. I played the song for my mom and told her it was her grand daughter. She must not have heard me say it because through the song, she asked who was singing and that she had a good voice. I just chuckled and told her once again. 

Halloween 2013

Like last year, I was running around last minute trying to find a costume for Kalena. She wanted to be Harry Potter. Since there is no cross dressing at school, it gave me the day to work on making her costume happen. She had found her wand a couple of weeks in advance and I think I was hoping I could talk them out of trick-or-treating. I offered them a deal of buying them any big bag of candy in return for not having to take them out that evening. I got 1 out of the 4 to agree to it in the end. And I know Lavea'i would have been done with it by the time we made it to about the 10th house.

Anyway, after stopping off at 4 different stores. having lunch in the car, dragging two VERY TIRED little kids and one other bored little kid, I finally found everything I was looking for. It didn't mean my day was over preparing the costumes. I had to end up making the scarf for the Griffindor outfit. I also made the glasses out of pipe cleaners. But Kalena knew I wasn't really wanting to do any of this, but since she was such a good sport and went to school as a ghost, I told her I would make it happen. Luckily, I was able to do it.

But as I was upstairs sewing the scarf together, she was downstairs writing me a note letting me know that she knew I didn't want to do it and that it was a lot of work, but that she would do "double dish cleaning" or anything else that I wanted her to do. I broke down in tears because I had not had the best attitude about it, but after reading her note just realized how much this act of costume dressing meant to her.

Tula'i was Superman for school and Dracula at night. He liked being Dracula a lot better than Superman. He also made an awesome Dracula.

Maika ended up being a Ninja. That was a super easy costume and they had Ninja toy weapons at Walmart which made that cool.

Leilani was in her bee costume ALL day and wouldn't let me take it off. She finally took it off after her late afternoon nap and saw the kids with all their candy from school. All in all, it was a fun trick-or-treating experience. Loved getting out and walking with the kids.

Need a Fat Lip?

Before we moved this summer, Leilani decided that she could climb up on the back of the bar stools. Well. what she didn't realize was that it would come toppling down and pummel her. I think the chair won this fight. Of course, she was doing something I told her not to do. Why is it that kids ALWAYS get hurt when they don't listen to what we have to say? Then they expect us to have sympathy on them...I am so not the type that gives sympathy very well either.

Kalena'a Year End Play

Kalena's class put on a play in their classroom about fitting in and finding your place in the world. it was really cute. Kalena was a butterfly. Of course, I think I was one of the very few mother's with her other little kids in the room. Oh well, I thought that it would be nice for the kids to see her too. Leilani ran to her as soon as she spotted Kalena. In fact, Leilani didn't even want to sit down during the play. She wanted to be her sister's shadow the whole time, so it was a little difficult to get her to sit on my lap.

Anyway, Kalena memorized he part quickly and was good at reciting it when it was her turn. She also sang her little heart out and fluttered her little wings all around the room.

2013 Attempt for Kids Pictures

I tried to get pictures of the kids after church one Sunday in August. They turned out decent, but still not the greatest, but it will do until we get professional pictures taken again. I am midst of trying to get it set up. So for now, these are the pictures that are hung on the walls and up on the piano.

My Feeble Attempt to Catch Up: Spring Break

Spring break was spent up in Washington with my sisters, Cajsa and Nezhone. We all happened to have Spring break at the same time. So Nezhone with her family and Mom drove here to Utah and then Mom jumped in with me the next day and we drove off to head to Cajsa's. Cliff had to work so it worked out that mom drove with us.

The house was crazy loud with 15 kids being in it. We realized that we needed to get them out of the house as much as possible. Luckily Cajsa's kids are mostly older than the rest of them, so they took the kids and went to the park down the road.

Most of the time was spent just hanging out with each other while John and Josh went golfing. Getting ready for church was a little crazy, but worked out. Leilani wouldn't stay in nursery so I had both her and Tunoa in Sunday School and Relief Society. Didn't pan out so well, so outside we went and just hung out until church was over.

After church, Nezhone and I put together an Easter egg hunt. That was the highlight for the kids that day.

This was only 10 of the 15 in the picture, but Leilani is somewhere around the herd. We hid some hard ones for the older kids and it was pretty hilarious that we had to play the hot/cold game with them. Even playing that game with them, the little kids found one of them just playing in the sandbox. Tahlia was digging in the sand and uncovered it, but Isreal still couldn't see it. Nezhone and I were laughing pretty hard. Te'alani kept raking through the bushes and would come so close to raking the egg, but then she would walk away and begin raking somewhere else. It took them a good 20-30 minutes to find the last 2 eggs.

All the other little kids found their eggs pretty quickly. Leilani is catching on that there is candy in the eggs and wanted to just open it as soon as she found it instead of continuing the search. With a bit of encouragement we got through it. It is awesome to be with family and allowing the kids to get together and hand out. My kids absolutely LOVE to visit with any of their cousins. 

Dive Bomber

Yes, that is a scab on his nose. From what, you ask? He took a dive off of our bed onto the floor because he was playing around. The headband is just what his sisters would do to him to add more humor to him. Cute Tunoa is such a stinker now. Since this episode of taking a tumble he has learned not to dive off of our bed. He gets down the proper way now.

First Run Ever!

Kalena brought a paper home to enter a mile run at BYU. She kept talking it up and so I decided to enter her into it. My goal for her was to just run the whole thing. I didn't care how fast she did it seeing how this was her 1ST RUN EVER!

Kalena before the race, all happy and anxious for it to start. How long will it last? I say it lasted...

Get Ready, Get Set, ...

And off she is about 1/3 of the way through...still smiling...

This is her cheering squad at end of the race. He time ended up being almost 14 minutes if I remember correctly.

I couldn't even get a picture of her at the end because it was SO crowded. She had to walk a few times, BUT she finished!!!! I was happy for her. She was a bit sad because she didn't win or even come close to winning. I told her that I was proud of her for even doing it when she has never ran a mile race in her life. What an accomplishment for her!

Tula'i's 6th

I can't believe this kid is 6! I feel,sorry for him because school will always start around his birthday. POOR guy! While he is young, he doesn't know the difference. I felt sorry because we went and had fun for Maika's birthday during the day, so I sent treats to school with him for his class. (The first time I have ever done that). He got a crown from his teacher and had a good first day of school. After school we took them to the movie and watched "Planes." He liked it. After the movie we went out for dinner to IHOP. The kids love to eat there and I never worry about them not eating the food, plus it is kids eat free.

Tula'i is a very soft hearted kid. He is such a home body. He will find every excuse to stay inside the house. He loves to go and visit his cousins. I can rely on him to watch Tunoa and take care of him more than the others. He has a cute smile. He likes to be in school, but not doing the work.

Maika's 7th

Always in August, when Maika's birthday comes around, it means only another week of summer vacation. We have had an adventurous summer of which I will catch up on, but for now I need to post his birthday.

He is an AMAZING kid! I may be biased because I am his mother, but even his grandpa said that he is always trying to do what is right. He is always trying to be the mediator between his other brothers when they are fighting. He is very courteous to others. The only time he gets short and disrespectful is when he is tired. When he begins to cry for asking him to do something, I know it is time for a nap. He loves to play basketball and baseball. Maika's is always helpful around the house. He will often ask if there is anything I need him to help with.

For his birthday, we went to Chuck E. Cheese during Cliff's lunch break. Afterwards, we came home and gave him his baseball and bat. For dinner he wanted his "favorite fish, Tilapia." Then, Cliff surprised him with an outdoor movie, "Iron Man."

He had a blast and I can't believe he is already 7 years old. Thanks to Grandma Bandmann for his cash, Grandma and Grandpa for the Angry Bird shirt and shorts and to his cousins Tautai and Ali'itoa for their gifts of superhero shirts and shorts.

First Day of School

It is also Tula'i's birthday. But here is a picture of the three of them. All in school for the whole day. It is quite quiet around the house while they are gone. Kalena came home excited about her new teacher and that she didn't have any homework yet. Maika's teacher wasted no time at all and made sure he had a spelling test plus reading every day for at least 20 minutes. Tula'i didn't have any homework either, but I made him read all week. They ride the bus now and not only do they LOVE it, I LOVE it! Now for the second week, bring on the homework for the rest of the year...I hope I am ready for this.

Out of the Mouth of Lavea'i

So, if any of you have seen "What a Girl Wants" you will get this right off the bat. In the movie the Mom always tells her daughter that she loves her daughter "a million red.....(fill in the blank)" So I began doing that with my kids and mine would usually be a million red M&M's or some type of candy. They would repeat it and say something back like "I love you a million universes," or something crazy like that.

Well, one morning thisnisnthe conversation with Lavea'i:

Me: I love you a million red M&M's!!
L: Well, I love you all the susus in the world. (susu=breast)
Me: (laughing) That is a whole lot of susus, bud. You win that one.

Out of the mouth of this kid comes a whole lot of things. Always fearful what he will say. But usually a ball of laughs.

Freedom Celebration

Fourth of July is always a fun filled day of watermelon, BBQ chicken, and fireworks! This year we celebrate it in our new neighborhood with family. We spent the day with our cousins trying to do a homemade waterslide...epic fail. We had water balloons and just plain fun with them in the big yard with heavy duty swings!

 Our first family photo on the back porch of the Lindon rental house! Leilan's hair is so curly and all the kids faces are so cute! They are just waiting to get to the sparklers that I buy each year. The cool thing about this yard on the 4th is that we can watch fireworks from all around us! We don't need to spend our money on them because the show is brought to us right in our back yard.

The sparklers that have been anticipated all day long! Teaching Leilani how to hold the sparklers so she doesn't burn her little hands.

July 3rd

I am happy when I get to go and relax for a good hour getting a pedicure. Well, I decided that I would go on a date with Kalena and let her have her very first pedi/mani to see if she would like it. She always begs me to paint her toenails and I do't like taking the time when she would just peel it off. But, she is much better now and had a great time getting it done. She said the best part was sitting in the chair getting a massage. (sounds just like me)

The end result of our pedicures. Mine, of course, is the fatter foot.

End of the Year Festivities

Another dance festival down! This means school is almost over...weehoo!! Tula'i's class danced to "The Pink Panther" and Kalena's danced to "Perry the Platypus."

 Tula'i really came out of his shell and showed off that he has some rhythm unlike his dad!

Tula'i also had his kindergarten graduation ceremony. After having all these children, it is quite the task to keep going year after year. But he has done great, struggled through a bit of the learning and I almost pulled him out at one point, but I let the teacher, Ms Peterson, talk me out of it. He has come quite a ways for as young as he is. His birthday always falls on the 1st day of school or a couple of days before or after. Poor child, what a way to celebrate your birthday! Note to self, don't have anymore kids around latter end of August.

It has been a crazy end of the year because I have been running the kids back and forth to school because we have moved. Running back and forth every morning and afternoon gets a bit much. But, it is worth all of the cute pictures and to see them all grow. Thanks to this lovely lady, Alice Coombs, who has been heaven sent and dropped them off a few of the days for me.

Leilani is 2

Happy Birthday, Leilani! Such a true Monkey!!! This girl is so stinkin' cute and a holy TERROR! I absolutely love her to pieces. She makes everyone laugh. Since she began walking around 15 months, she has opened her mouth a lot more with speaking and I can't believe how she won't be quiet at all! She doesn't like to take naps until it is too late in the afternoon. So, I try to keep her up, but it is a bit difficult and at times not worth the struggle. She is definitely a fire cracker and loves to go, go, go. Outdoors is where she would rather be if given the choice. Swinging is one of her favorite things to do. She is a mother hen and scolds the kids for doing things that she thinks they shouldn't be doing.

Anyway, for her birthday Cliff had to be out of town so I took her to Build-A-Bear. She got her own stuffed dog and stroller. She loved it. We couldn't touch her or steer the stroller through the mall. If we tried to steer her the right direction, she would scream at us and tell us "mine."

Since Cliff wasn't home we didn't have cake and ice cream until the next evening. We purchased a cake from Costco along with their YUMMY vanilla ice cream. She was so excited about her cake because of the caterpillar on it. What a cute sweetheart! LOVE HER TO PIECES!!! She can always put a smile on our faces.

In the Moving Process...

Out with Lehi and time to head to Lindon. Same state just another location not too far from each other. We decided it best to sell our house and try to find something a bit more within our means. We are not buying anything as of yet, but are going to rent from a couple that we know from American Fork.

While in the process of moving, our kitchen table is already loaded in the moving truck. Our meals are around a folding table with camp chairs and containers that weren't used for food at one point in time.

 All of them waiting (patiently or not, who knows?) for dinner to be served. What sweet, calm faces.

 Lavea'i always being silly and Kalena never taking a serious picture either. Tula'i also with the face of he is so hungry and about ready to shed some tears.

After dinner, we had some ice cream. This girl RELISHES in her treats!! ALWAYS willing to eat something sweet, especially if it is ice cream. Love her "Cheese" face here. How does anyone get ice cream on their nose, forehead and chin while eating ice cream with a spoon? I don't know the answer, but Leilani would be able to tell you.