Christmas Day!!!

To top off our Christmas Eve last night, we went and got some ice cream then drove around town looking at Christmas lights, listening to Christmas music. It was MAGICAL!! We stopped at my grandparents home and wished them a very MERRY CHRISTMAS as well as letting them know how much we love them! Alofaaga said they had the best Christmas lights on their home in town. They were so happy to hear that!!! We then came home and watched a Christmas Story ( one of my personal FAVORITES) Alofaaga had never seen it and was skeptical at first but he then fell in love with it just as I have and enjoyed it with me!!

After we woke up this morning and opened presents we went to my mom's house to be with my siblings and open presents with them. I got some AMAZING body wash and lotion, the movie P.S. I Love You, and some lip gloss!! Love it!! (Thank you Jamie!!) and Alofaaga got a very nice tool box to keep all of the new tools that Santa brought him! He loved it!! (Thank you Savana!!!) I didn't take any pictures because I forgot my camera :( but my mom and sister-in-law took a lot of pictures so I will have to get them from them and post them later. Cam (my sweet little nephew) was so dang cute and excited!! He was running around everywhere trying to help everyone open their presents. He is such a big helper!! It made a GREAT Christmas just that much to see him so excited and happy!!!
After my mom's house we came home and I took a nap :) I was super tired. I woke up to Alofaaga cooking one of his favorite meals, Lamb and Potatoes in coconut milk. Look how proud he is of himself with all of his food! He makes me soo happy!

Christmas Morning!! So exciting!!

It was sooo much fun watching Alofaaga opening Christmas presents this year!! He got soo excited!! This year he was super good and Santa brought him ALOT of tools!! He loved them soo much!

Look how happy he looks!!

The perfect end to the perfect Christmas... Going to my mom's home and eating Christmas dinner with my family. Alofaaga has already eaten his lamb with potatoes and coconut milk but he will be able to stuff some more good stuff in his tummy, I am sure. Our little puppy, Oggie has torn apart all of the toys that Santa left him as well. I am sure he enjoyed the 20 mins or so that he got to play with them!! He gets pretty excited on Christmas day, just like he should!! Love that little puppy!!! Alofaaga is now in the front room playing with his power tools (his drill to be exact). I am not sure what he is trying to drill so I better go make sure everything is okay!!! :)

Alofaaga says that this was "the BEST Christmas EVER!!" I have to agree with him. We look forward to the New Year as well as preparations for another "BEST Christmas EVER!" next year!!!

Christmas Eve at the Laulu's

Dreams do come true, and have in our home!! We are soo happy for the blessings that we enjoy as well as for one another!! Alofaaga is a the best gift that Heavenly Father has given me this year besides the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, which makes if possible for me to be with Alofaaga FOREVER!!!

The nativity, The whole Reason for the Season!!

Christmas Eve dinner, Potatoes and Roast... Yummy!!!

Alofaaga by our first Christmas tree

Our sweet little family, Oggie, myself and Alofaaga

We hope that you all have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

~MANUIA LE KIRISIMASI MALE TAUSAGA FOU!!~

ALOFA ATU,

ALOFAAGA & SHANTAL LAULU

First Christmas Ornament!!

"When you put this ornament on your tree,

We hope that you will see

That beautiful bride and groom

That once stood in the celestial room.

Like the chandelier with all it's lights

That shone on you dressed in white,

May this crystal remind you of

Eternal light sent from above."

We received this poem and ornament in the mail from the Batchelor's. I was sooo happy and excited!!! It will be a cherished keepsake forever!! Thank you Marcia!! We love you!!

First things first...

Right when we get home from church every Sunday, I run and put my sweats on :) I had to wear a dress or a skirt for one year and a half nonstop so now I get out of those things as soon as I can! Sweats are MUCH more comfortable anyways! Alofaaga stays in his shirt and tie most Sundays because he has AN AMAZING home teaching partner who will go with Alofaaga to visit their families almost EVERY SUNDAY!! My husband is such a good, righteous and kind man!! And he is HOT!! I am sooo LUCKY!!!Alofaaga still LOVES to have his picture taken in the snow... makes me smile!!!

While I am changing into my sweats, my sweet husband dishes up himself a big cup of WARM Samoan Koko... I am still not such a fan so I leave ALL of it for him and he is so GRATEFUL because he LOVES it!!!

And then there is our puppy, Oggie. He is soo dang funny and CUTE!! He goes outside and plays in the snow all day. He even waits at the gate for us to get home from church when it is FREEZING COLD and then comes in side and cuddles up next to the heat vent... So funny!!

Life is good, we are soooo blessed and sooo HAPPY!!! I am so amazed at all of the blessings that we enjoy and the WONDERFUL friends and family that have helped to make life soooo good!!

It's starting to look ALOT like Christmas at the Laulu's!!!

This is what is going on around our side of town lately! Life is good and now that school is almost out for the semester we have a lot more time to get ready to get ready for our 1st Christmas together. We are both pretty excited!! Alofaaga really likes to go out into the snow without his shirt on to take pictures... The neighbors must think we are crazy!! Oh well, I think it's fun and cute... AND super cold!!! I enjoy cuddling with him to warm him up when he comes back inside :)

As I mentioned before, Alofaaga has had a lot of fun putting up Christmas lights outside. This is all that he got done before it snowed
He is so proud of his HARD work!!!

That tree has ALOT of lights on it!! I think it looks great!!!

This is our Christmas tree for this year. We had a great time putting it up together for the first time. We set up the nativity scene in front of the Christmas tree on the table so that we could remember the Reason for the Season, our Savior and His birth.

Work Christmas Party

Tonight was our work Christmas party and it was soooo freaken fun!! I loved every minute of it and walked away with the cutest Christmas magnates for my fridge!! Great time with good friends!! I cooked the turkeys all by myself!! My first time EVER cooking a turkey and they even turned out great!!! I was and still am soo proud of myself! Who knew I could cook turkeys? I didn't but now I do!! I wasn't able to take any pictures but I did have a great time with my coworkers and my sweet husband. I should mention that he did do ALL of the dishes when we got home that I used in my crazy day of cooking... What an ANGEL!! In fact I haven't had to do the dishes since I got married. Everyone says that would only last the first month or so... Well it has been almost 4 months and still he ALWAYS does the dishes!! I love him sooo much! He walked away from the Christmas party with some OLD not so cute pictures that have been passed around the agency as a white elephant gift for a few years now. He is soo funny! I am now baking him some cupcakes (with no frosting, he thinks frosting is too sweet) to show my love and appreciation for him!

A WHOLE week off from school & work...

And I did absolutely NOTHING loving every single minute of it!!! :) My husband and I spent the whole week at home, doing nothing but spending quality time together and every single minute of it was WONDERFUL!!! I shouldn't say we did nothing, that is not quite true. We did put up the Christmas tree and decorated the inside of our home. Pictures to come soon. Alofaaga also put up some Christmas lights up outside, he says that we are far from being done... I'm not sure what to expect and he kinda scares me sometimes when he gets on the slippery roof with flip flops :) We went to my grandparent's home and had a wonderful first Thanksgiving together, one never to be forgotten!! I was in charge of making the dessert and the mashed potatoes, I did a pretty good job and they tasted WONDERFUL but I made WAY tooo much and we have enough potatoes to last the WHOLE month according to Alofaaga! Good thing he likes em because he is gonna be eating them for a while!! :)
I realize that I have slacked WAY off from posting pictures, mainly because I THOUGHT my camera was broken, come to find out it wasn't and I am gonna start taking and posting some more pictures of our memory making moments here VERY soon!!! Life is good!! I am so thankful for all that I have and the many blessings that Alofaaga and I enjoy! We really couldn't ask for better family or friends!!! I couldn't ask for a better husband!!! He is soo kind, tender and thoughtful! He is also VERY VERY VERY funny!! I laugh out loud every day because of the things that he says and does. I am so very in love with a wonderful man!!
Now it is time to get back to reality. Work and School. The best part is that I feel very well rested and ready to go back. Only two more weeks left of this semester and then I will finally be in my LAST and FINAL semester of grad school!!! I have sooo much to look forward to and to be thankful for!! While it is true that I have much to look forward to (GRADUATION) I plan on enjoying the journey that I must take that leads to that final destination.

~Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...

It's learning to dance in the rain~

Two WHOLE months!!!

I guess it is kinda sad that I only attend to my blog every month or so. I will do better when I am done with school. I don't even have any new pictures to post, my poor blog... I guess we could say that it has seen better days. On the other hand, I guess we could also say that better days for having more time to post on the blog are right around the corner!!! Yay!! One and a half semesters left till I am done with school forever!!! Life is good and only gonna get GREATER!!! My husband is so supportive and wonderful, even on the days I come home tired and kinda grouchy, that is hard to admit, but yes, I get grouchy and it happens quite a bit lately with the lack of time and the excessive amount of tasks that need to get done.
One thing that I am working on is trying to live in the moment and enjoy every minute of it in order to eliminate, as much as possible, the grouchiness. I recognize that I still have a long way to go but I am doing the best that I can and my husband is ever so patient! What a great man!!! I am not sure what I did to deserve such a perfect man for me but I would do it all over again in a heart beat!!!
Just to name a FEW of the things that I love and appreciate about Alofaaga are:
1. He is toooo sweet to me! He knows what my favorite treats are and when he goes to the store he always brings it back for me just to show me that he was thinking about me! I LOVE it sooo much!!! And so does my tummy!! :)
2. He always is sensitive to my thoughts and feelings. If I come home grouchy, he wants to talk and find out why, then he wants to fix it so I am not so upset. I am so thankful for that! He listens to me and comforts me when I need it.
3. He is SOOOOO funny!!! I laugh out loud EVERY single day because of him. He has a great sense of humor and a wonderful perspective on life. It helps me to mellow out a little and 'go with the flow.' Sometimes (okay, A LOT of the time) I need help with that. He balances me perfectly.
4. He is strong when I am weak. It is a new experience for me since I have been independent for so long, but it is soooo refreshing to have a shoulder to cry on and a hand to hold through tough stuff, knowing that we are in this together and we will make it out together! I LOVE that thought soooo much!!!
5. He helps me to identify the MANY blessings that we have enjoyed together and is a great example of being thankful and humble. I often times stand in awe of his humility and have learned VOLUMES on how to be a more giving and thoughtful person. I am sooo LUCKY to have him.
6. On the days that I question whether or not I want to keep working towards finishing school he provides the support and encouragement that I need. He ALWAYS tells me that he thinks that I am sooo talented, smart and that he feels so lucky to have me. I think it is the other way around... I am SOOO LUCKY TO HAVE HIM!!!
7. He loves Oggie, my puppy. At first Alofaaga wasn't a fan of Oggie. As time has gone on I have seen a DRASTIC change take place and now Alofaaga LOVES Oggie. He plays with him and he feeds him every day now when before he wanted to lock Oggie out of the house. He is making up for the time I am away from my puppy and is such a great puppy daddy! TOO CUTE!!!
Okay, okay, okay... I could go on and on about how wonderful I think Al is and how much I love him as well as why but that could get boring for all that read this so I will stop.
I am so grateful that I have been so blessed in so many ways! I know that Heavenly Father shows his love for us through other people, and I have felt His love so much through his humble servant, Alofaaga Laulu, through the past two WONDERFUL months!!! The BEST is yet to come and every day gets better and better!!!

It's been one MONTH!!!

Time FLIES when you are having fun and in love. I know it has only been one month but it has been the best month of my life thus far. I am one lucky girl, that is all I have to say. Alofaaga is such a kind and patient man to have to put up with me (a very stressed out grad student of a wife). I have learned so much about him over the past month. He is the most kind and giving person I have ever met. I really admire this about him because he is sooo willing to do anything for anyone, at the same time GIVE anything to anyone. He truly does have a heart of gold, and for that I am thankful!!! He is sooo good to me. He knows that I have LONG and STRESSFUL days so when I come home from work or school he has dinner cooked (chicken and rice) as well the whole house clean. WOW!!! I love coming home to a clean home, where the spirit is felt, and a cooked meal. I must confess though, I often times feel guilty because I want to be the one cleaning the house and cooking the meals for HIM!!! I know that as soon as I get done with school I will have ALOT more time to do those types of things to show him my love and gratitude for him.
Our yard looks WONDERFUL!!! Al has the magic touch that can make grass grow ANYWHERE. I am sooo serious! There is grass in places I thought would NEVER be grass!!! With the help of Lemalie (Al's brother) and Michelle (Lemalie's wife) our yard has never looked better (Thanks guys!!) and our neighbors aren't disappointed at how awful our yard looks anymore!!! Whew! What a relief!!!
Al has opened my eyes to things that I never even thought about before, such as rugby, eating lamb for every meal, luaus and of course Koko Samoan. I love the luaus, still don't understand anything about rugby and trying to learn to like lamb and Koko Samoan. I think it'll come with time (if not it just leaves more for Al, which I am SURE he won't mind:))
Life is good! I couldn't ask for a kinder, more understanding, patient husband for myself. I am not sure if such a man exists. I look forward to the rest of forever with the man of my dreams... Alofaaga Laulu!!!

P.S.
I posted a ton more of wedding pictures under the last post... If you haven't had a chance to see them check them out! The are AMAZING!!! (Thank you Jared and Lisa!!!)

For time and ALL ETERNITY!!!

So this may be a little bit of a picture overload, but I have so many to pick from that it was hard to leave very many out... It took me a while to get these pictures posted... We've been super busy! Enjoy the pictures from the most wonderful and perfect day of my life so far, 8-22-2009, the day I married the most perfect and wonderful man for me... The man that I love with all of my heart and look forward to spending ETERNITY with!! :)

My mom with Al and I at the reception

Al's family that was able to make it up to the temple
Al's mom, Loa and his brother, Lemalie at the temple

Al giving his sister, Ise, a hug after the sealing

Al and I with his mom, Loa

First picture as a married couple :)

All of the girls

All of the desserts, they did such a GREAT job! It looked amazing and

tasted even better!!!

Tender :)

My husband is sooooo HOT!!!

Grandma, Grandpa, Alofaaga and Me

Lisa and Me, She did my hair and my makeup,

She Always does such a GREAT job and I LOVE HER!!

My Cusion Jared, He took all of the Pictures!

AMAZING!

Alofaaga and I with one of Alofaaga's best friends, Deon

Alofaaga with Grandma

The cake... I LOVED the cake!!!

Not the best picture of us cutting the cake... but still fun :)

My dad, Tina and Joseph with us