Aloha au iā ‘oe Hawaii...

This post may have the most pictures you've ever seen on one post. It was hard to narrow it down. We flew back home yesterday morning from a week in paradise! So sublime. A graduation/anniversary/Christmas/ celebration. 3 days on Oahu and 3 days on Maui. Waikiki, Hanauma Bay, north shore, Lahaina, Haleakala, Hana. Hiking, snorkeling, eating, basking. Crammed in as much as Lucia would allow. She was a trooper. We were proud. However she definitely has not yet taken to swimming with dolphins. She rode on one's back for a little while and then just got so bored with it. We'll have to go with the killer whales next time. :)

We woke up at 4 AM to catch this sunrise. Went from sea level to an elevation of 10,000 feet to the top of this volcanoe. (Timp has an elevation of about 11,000 feet!). This crater that we were looking down over was full of clouds. It was unreal. And freezing up there! Heaven felt close.

Jason and I have been taking a little latin dance class together and have made some huge strides in improvement. I brought our video camera to class and asked our instructor to film us with performing our latest routine. Jason choreographed it all! It's been a huge personal victory for him. When the choreography was all finished, he said it was easier than he expected because he did exactly what was in his heart. I'm so proud of him. Enjoy!

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Spreading holiday cheer

Before we address the serious adorable-ness of this photo, I need to say a few grumbling words. Not fair. No fairness at all. Lamo. For the love! Ugh it is 3:44 in the morning. No sleeping. Since 2:20. Don’t worry; my child is pretty close to sleeping through the night, actually. So no I’m not up with the screaming baby like most new moms. I’m up in the middle of the night just for the fun of it. I came down with a pretty nasty cold and shot a spray of nasal junk up there before bed to try to clear those passages but now it’s running like crazy and I can’t even lay in bed and give it a good blow because I don’t want to wake the dear hub nor the nenita. Since moving out onto the couch 30 seconds ago, I have sneezed no less than 8 times. No doubt I will continue. Sorry about the details but seriously, no one’s breaking your arm to make you read this blog. So I’ll be cursing the world tomorrow when I am exhausted and Lucy wants to play and I have 500 million things to do.

I am run down. Yes indeed. Though, happily run down. I always get sick when I am. Between church callings, finishing the semester, juggling holiday stuff and the human being that depends on me for life and more recently entertainment, I am pretty tired.

I do have exciting news… yesterday I took the final test of my college career! Yes folks indeed, you are reading the writings of a college graduate. I will walk in April with a BA in Spanish. Exciting. While this semester has been a tough one on me, I will miss school. I have loved it. I have made some wonderful friends. I have a real passion for the Spanish language and literature. It has offered me mental stimulation and social interaction and let's be honest, a reason to get ready for the day! I will have to get creative now come January in those areas. If I don’t I will absolutely drive the hub BATTY. I'm sortof preparing myself to do that anyway, but honestly. I keep thinking there are so many projects I want to get started on the house, but there's only so much you can do, with no one else around except baby, cooped up inside, until you start looking like Goldie Hawn on Overboard... you know that scene when she is completely spaced out repeating "ba ba ba ba...." and the boys are throwing grapes at her face? Yes, that's the image that comes to mind. So we'll see how I deal as a real stay-at-home mom. I must say it feels fabulous to be done!

Ok here's to the pics. Luc had her first breakdown with a stranger. And it was with poor Old Chris Kringle. When we handed her off, she was absolutely breaking her neck to turn to look at his face, eyes bugged completely out of head. She stared blankly for a few seconds and then came the tears! So I swooped her out of that bad man's arms, slapped him across the face for making my baby cry, and scurried out of there. Don't know exactly why that was the mental image that came to my mind just now as I'm telling you about it, but it did. And I wrote it. In all seriousness, it's gotta be kind of tough being Saint Nick. I'm sure it's pretty fun most of the time, but what about the real bratty kids? (Not including Lucia in that category of course!) And their parents are there coaching these kids to give their best smiles, taking pictures and you just have to be all patient and jolly all the time? Sitting there sweating bullets in that ridiculous sweat suit, not to mention those locks on your face? Maybe I should volunteer to be the ward Santa Clause next year so I can see what it's really like. I couldn't be worse than the one my sister had in her ward.

Here are a couple more of the little gem. We had the NorthStar Christmas party at Noah's in Lindon, and I'm sad I didn't take more pictures than I did because the place was really cool. We got a few in her little Christmas get-up. Oh goodness she makes me swoon!

And, last but certainly not least, here are a few from the other day just before putting her in the tub. That tush gets it's fair share of pinching let me assure you.

The Happy Two

Who doesn't want to live this day again? Man it's a shame it only happens once in a lifetime, (or so you hope). What a surreal day. Two years ago at this moment we had just arrived at the temple. My family and I had stayed at the Hilton downtown the night before. I'd been in hysterics that night because I thought I'd lost my temple recommend and for those of you who are not LDS you can not go into the temple without it! So, I was panicking, my family and I searched everywhere high and low for about an hour and a half. I had called Jason, and he was searching in his car and everywhere else he could think of as well. Lastly I thought to call the room where my brother Jesse was staying even though I didn't remember going into that room. The conversation went a little something like this.

Jesse?

Si Señorita ? (in his most authentic mexican accent.)

Can you look around that room for a blue planner? It has my temple recommend in it.

Si Señorita.

(silence for a moment)

Si Señorita.

What, it's there? (annoyed)

Si Señorita.

My blue planner is in YOUR ROOM??

Si Señorita.

I hung up, and ran to pound his door down. He opened it most casually, to find my entire family in a half circle standing around his door, not amused. He had somehow missed out on the chaos and had just casually been watching TV.

The weird part was, I just couldn't stop the hysterical crying. The hysterical crying that deforms your face. I cried, and I cried, and I cried... for about another hour. Cried myself to sleep in fact. Just over the joy and pain of it all. It was much needed. The pressure had mounted, the flood gates had opened. If it hadn't happened then, it surely would have happened the next morning which would have been disasterous. Brides are pretty much insufferable... let's be honest. It's like the worst case of PMS times 100. I think we are pretty lucky to make it to our actual big day, if no one in the family kills us first. Luckily I woke up peaceful as a lamb, though a little puffy eyed, on our wedding day... and greeted my husband-to-be with a warm, tender, not-a-care-in-the-world smile on that most fabulous morning of all mornings.

So Jason my love, here's to us! Who'd a thought we would make it this far?!? (that's a joke... I think pretty much everyone did.) You make me sublimely happy. There are specific reasons I needed you, and so many additional reasons I have been shown along the way since this day two years ago. You are my perfect fit. Peas and carrots. You are the best man I've ever known. You help me and will help me become the most perfect me possible in this lifetime. I can only hope to do the same for you. I love you and admire you more than words can express.