Our 19th Anniversary!

September 17th to 19th

On Tuesday the 17th of September, Jason took me out to the 'Cheesecake Factory' for our 19th wedding anniversary.  We had a very yummy appetizer 'fried zucchini, avocados & portabello mushrooms'. Then Jay got a 'caramel macadamia' cheesecake & I got the 'mango keylime' cheesecake. I like mine better it was tropical & had coconut in it too.

On Wednesday we drove to Wendover and stayed the night at Montego hotel for free. We ate at the buffet first, buy-one-get-one-free. Their choices were ok, meats were a bit over cooked for my tastes. Our room was big & nice, except no hot tub, but that's ok, we had an enjoyable night together.

Thursday we slept in, and then checked out & drove to downtown Salt Lake. We went & ate at Tucano's for lunch and stuffed ourselves so much we could barely move. So we went for a walk around and I got me some white skinny jeans from Old Navy & Jay got him a top.  Got sucked into buying some cookies, which we probably didn't need.

Then we headed to our hotel which was the 'Anniversary Inn' on South Temple.  I surprised Jason with the 'jungle Safari' room, which was a hoot, we had a wild time!

Time has gone by sooo fast we can't believe it has been 19 years together. I have lived here longer now than I did growing up in New Zealand. And I couldn't imagine spending it with no else but my Jaybean! xxx

Written 10/9/13

NEW FLOORS!!!

September 12th

Jason & I went to 'lumber liquidators, home depot & lowes' to check out the floors. In the beginning we were set on having real hardwood floors, but then we changed our minds, to Laminate because of the durability, price & ease of care.

To make things go smoothly and quicker I decided to pick my favorite one from Jason's two most favorite.  Mina and I liked the one from Lowes.  But Jason was being stubborn and wanted the one from Home Depot. Jason was going to have his way, but decided to make me happy instead.

We made the arrangements with 'Carrie' the lady in charge of flooring at lowes.  I didn't really like the way she helped us, which wasn't helpful at all. Like she just wanted us to hurry up & pick so she can do other things. We had to choose side boards to match our floors, but our floors didn't come with side boards so we had to pick from another floor choice.  All I wanted was that the color be darker than our floors! Was that too hard for her to figure out, I mean isn't it her job to know all the colors of the woods or flooring she's selling? NO, she kept on saying that the one we picked 'correlated' with our wood? What the heck, whatever that means?

So because the side boards were the wrong color & I took them back to get the right ones. Which Jason just found online? we were wondering why she couldn't she just show us them online?
It took longer, so when Paul & Dan came to put them in my niece Cynthia was here visiting with us from New Zealand.

Paul & Dan were to older pakeha guys, they were very professional & nice. Paul also covered our trunk we made out of the island that was in the living room, with carpet I had bought from the carpet guy.

Our floors look awesome, it is kinda loud in the house now. But I don't have to look at the ugly stained carpet anymore, until I go into our bedroom. lol

Photo taken 2/1/2014

Mina's 14th Birthday

Our beautiful oldest daughter is getting older. 14 years old now. Time is flying by. She gets A's in school and helps out a lot when asked. She still has spill powers though. She always seems to spill stuff all the time ever since she was a little girl. She had her friends Julia and Sophia sleep over for her birthday Friday night. We had cake Saturday night with Grandma, Camila, Talia and baby Alessandra visiting. She got clothes, money, a red ukulele and a red xbox controller.

Wednesday, Sept 4th Mina's mutual activity was a Stake Daddy-Daughter Prom at the chapel so I went with her. They had decorated the gym and had punch & cookies and music. We danced a little whenever they had a good song. Most weren't. Bro. Morgan kept doing his funny sprinkler dance to every song. He called it the sprinkler but looked more like a pistol.

Monday, Sept 2nd was a day off for me for Labor Day. I didn't do much but we had dinner at Scott's house.

Mina's Sacrament Talk

Mina did an awesome job talking about her Young Women camp in Sacrament. So proud of her.

Hi, my name is Wiramina Wihongi, and I'll be telling you about my girls camp experience this year. This years theme was “Oh, the places you'll stand!” It was a Dr.Suess theme and it was very cute. We decorated our camp with truffala trees and hung up signs and quotes with cat and the hat on them, our leaders did an awesome job.

On the 1^st day I got sick and threw up twice so I had to come home. I learned to never eat spicy noodles before going to girls camp. 

On the 2^nd day my mum woke me up and told me I had to go back to camp because there was only going to be three girls... of course I didn’t want too, but I came any way. That day I still had a choice to go back home but I chose not to. And Im soooo happy I stayed because we went zip lining and let me tell you something, sister Smith is the craziest, funniest, awesomest Young Women Leader ever! She was able to go upside down with no hands on the zip line! I am so glad I came that day instead of staying at home.

On the 3^rd day we went canoeing, it was tiring but fun at the same time. Then we had our testimony meeting, tears and all, and I really felt the spirit there.

On the 4^th day we woke up and packed up and left. I was sad and glad that morning.

What I learned at camp was mainly about trials. When I was sick Jami said something to me that hit me. She said “It sucks to be sick especially when you're alone”. That day I admit that I had many complaining thoughts like, “Why can't someone else be sick. Why am I sick, why does it have to be me?” and “I wish someone else can feel the pain I’m feeling so they would understand how much it hurts.” But hearing that from Jami, I knew that she has gone through the same things I have. Like she said, it does suck more when you are alone and sick but it has made me think if we are ever really alone? I have learned that I don't ever have to wonder if there would be someone who would understand my problems or trials because the Lord has gone through worse and has felt all our pains by going through the Atonement. I can always turn to him for strength and for peace. We learned a lot about this when we had a devotional, and it was about trials. We heard the story about Job who went through many, many hard, sad trials like illnesses and when he lost his riches and property, when his children died, and even when family and friends left him. During all those trials he had, he didn’t complain one bit. He didn’t blame God, or anyone. He was faithful the whole time. And in the end, he got double the blessings. In the May General Conference Ensign that I got at camp, thanks Jami. There's this quote by Elder Quentin L. Cook that says,

“Even with the trials of life, because of the Savior's Atonement and His grace, righteous living will be rewarded with personal peace”.

I had a feeling that that devotional was meant for me. It was also telling me that I should be more like Job and not complain when things aren't going my way like I was doing in my mind when I got sick. It was telling me that if I endure trials and turn to the Lord that I would feel peace. When I had returned to camp after being sick at home I was still feeling a little ill and I had the option of going home again but I'm glad that I endured it a little longer and stayed at the camp because I received so many blessings for doing so. I gotta say my best blessing was probably eating the roast and funeral potatoes and having a yummy feast at camp!

And now I would like to bear my testimony, that I know the church is true and that Jesus did die for us and gave us the atonement and Joseph Smith did translate the book of Mormon and that it is true. I love my family and ward especially the young women and in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Thursday, 15th was the Ward pool party at the Taylorsville Rec Center. Tyrell's friend Tyler came with us. They took Erana down the slide a few times.

Wednesday, 14th, Tyrell got his drivers license. Him and Candi didn't make an appt so they waited for an hour. He had done most of his testing and driving with the Drivers Ed class he had in high school. My boy is sure growing up fast.

Seadoo at Pineview

This week Maddy has been staying with us. On Friday the 8th we spent the day at Pineview. We rented a Seadoo Jetski from the place at the lake, Club Rec or something. We had it from 1pm to 5pm. It was the first time I had driven one but Tyrell had at Lake Powell. We had a blast. I would take 2 kids with me. Jaxon and Leila and Mina.

Tyrell drove it and took Erana one time. Mina drove it too and took Maddy. I would go all over the lake and try to go as fast as it could. It would get fast and scary almost so I would slow down a bit, especially when boats made waves.

It was a nice sunny day but about 4:30pm a wind storm hit and rain clouds moved over. The water got choppy when Mina, Maddy and Leila were out there and they got wet from the wind blowing the spray onto them and Leila was shivering.

The wind broke a pole on our half-tent shelter. It wouldn't stop so we had the kids take the stuff back to the van. I waited with the seadoo until Candi came back from the van. The waves were bumping it and filling it with water. When Candi came I was on the water riding it so I went to shore to get close so she could get on. I tried to get off in the water to guide it but it wasn't shallow when I thought it was and I fell in and it came up to my chest. We rode it around in the wind, bumpy waves and light rain for a bit until we had to turn it in. It was cold when we went fast. I realized later that my ring was missing. It must have came off when I was holding the Seadoo handle when it was bumpy and slippery. It was still a good day.

Saturday the 10th, Candi, Mina and Leila performed at Sreeve & Ryan's ward luau. Mina and Leila did a Tahitian and Samoan dance. They were awesome. I was very proud of them. I joined the Maori group just to sing a couple songs and do the haka.

Farewell FHE for Josh

Friday the 2nd, Tyrell and Mina went with the youth in the ward to see the Martin Harris pageant up in Clarkston, Utah, somewhere north of Logan. They had stopped in Brigham City to do baptism in the Temple and then ate dinner in Logan I think. The pageant didn't start until 9pm. They had a good time from what they said.

For Family Home Evening on the 5th we went up to Tanner Flat campground way up Little Cottonwood canyon with Jody's family and some of Monica's family and friends for a final FHE with Josh before went into the MTC Wednesday. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows then had a sort of farewell speech/testimony time for Josh. We said our good byes to him and gave a hug and stuff when we left.

Erana & the Baby Powder

Candy and I got home at 1am from seeing 'The Wolverine' movie and we see Erana on our bed still awake next to Mina who was sleeping and Erana had put baby powder all over them. Lol!