June 2012

What a crazy time of life it is for us!! It seems as if time just passes so quickly and before I know it another month has come and gone! I really want to make it a priority to keep our blog updated and am going to try to make a more valiant effort to do so.

Toa and Uncle Ryan right before his first REAL 4wheeler ride

Toa has a little 4wheeler that he rides around the house and LOVES it so when we went up to Uncle Ryan and Aunt Jamie's camp site we thought that he would LOVE to take a ride on a real 4wheeler. We were wrong. He was fine at first but when Uncle Ryan stopped to make sure he was ok, he started crying, climbed off the 4wheeler and tried to run back to us. Bless his heart. It's been interesting to me to see what he is afraid of. He will always try to push the vacuum around the house but when I plug it in and turn it on he runs to the couch as fast as he can and tries to get away from it. Cracks me up!! I might be a mean mom, but I am ok with that ;)

Kinda nervous but willing to go for a ride, at first anyways :)

Siaosi had been going through this stage where he was afraid of almost everyone except for his momma (kinda made me feel special for a minute ;)) So when he were up camping and he would let Abby hold him with no problem, I was very impressed!!

Siaosi and Abby up camping

Toa had a BALL playing in the dirt, running around the mountain, throwing rocks and all of the fun things that little boys like to do.  He came home SO dirty and I honestly think he left a couple of pounds of mud in the bath tub after his "baf" (that's how he says bath and he LOVES them!!) 

Sliding down the mountain :)

I have to say that through out all of my life Heavenly Father has blessed me with some of the most choice and elect people I could ever hope to have known. I am so thankful for that and I am so thankful that I am able to keep in contact with many of them.  Some of those people are Melissa and Sara, both of them former roommates.  I love these girls and was so happy that we were able to meet together at my home and let our babies meet each other and play together. What a great experience!! So fun!!

Sara with Bridger, Melissa with Amy and baby girl (in her tummy) and Me with Toa and Siaosi

Father's day this year I let Alofa pick what he wanted to do, since he is a wonderful father and deserves it :) For some reason he LOVES Golden Corral. LOVES IT!! So, me being the good wife that I am, let our family go to Golden Corral for Father's Day. We took my dad, Tina, Joe and met Randy and Sami with baby Pais there. It was a good time and Alofa stuffed himself.  We went up to my grandparents and spent some time up there as well and Alofa got a new BBQ grill.  Spoiled daddy!! ;)

Daddy with Toa and Siaosi eating dinner at Golden Corral on Father's day
We love you daddy!!

I was so excited this year for Toa to be able to play in the water outside since he loves baths so much!! I knew he would love splashing in the pool as well!! I was so right!!

Toa and Emma getting ready to play in the pool!

Loving it!!

One thing that I have loved so much as I have watched Toa and Siaosi grow up together is watching how their relationship has grown and evolved.  When Siaosi was born, Toa was curious about Siaosi and would give him loves every once in a while but as time has moved on, both of them have started showing more and more affection for one another. I have cherished watching this happen, so very much!! Nothing melts my heart more that to see Siaosi get a big grin and get SO excited when his brother talks to him or when Toa walks up to Siaosi and gives him kisses for no reason. I am so happy that they love each other and can just see their relationship getting stronger and stronger as time goes on. What a blessing!! I love my little Laulu Boys!! :)

my sweet baby boys holding hands!!

At 5 Months, Siaosi has become VERY  expressive with his face! He is SO funny and makes some of the funniest faces I have ever seen!! I love him!! He learned how to blow bubbles and make "raspberry" sounds. He has become very aware of his tongue and is always sticking it out as well as sucking on his fists.  He is such a joy in our family and we love him so very much!!

Another one of Siaosi's silly faces!

Over all life is going great!! We have been very blessed and are continuing to grow and learn as a family!!

Mother's day and Siaosi's Blessing

This time last year, on Mother's day, we found out that we were pregnant with Siaosi.  When Siaosi was born he cried ALL of the time. As a result of his constant crying, we decided to wait a little while before Alofa gave him a name and a blessing in church.  By the time he was 3 months he stopped crying all of the time and was actually a very happy baby!! His 4 month birthday fell on Mother's day this year and we decided that would be the PERFECT day to bless him, so that is exactly what we did!! It was wonderful and Siaosi was an ANGEL the whole time!! I was so grateful for that!! :)

Siaosi on his big blessing day
4 months old

Daddy and Siaosi before church

Toa and Siaosi
Such handsome little men!!

Daddy with his boys
This picture melts my heart!! I have no idea how I got so lucky,
I am eternally grateful

Sweet Siaosi at 4 months old

Daddy and Toa

The blessing FEAST!!

Momma and her little man

Celena, Athena, Eli, Miles, Toa and Siaosi
Eli and Siaosi weren't too happy about having to take pictures

Toa, Alofa, Lemalie, Dale
Siaosi, Shantal, Miles, Eli, Michelle, Celena, Ise & Athena

Happy Mother's Day

Our sweet little family

We had a wonderful time with alot of our family coming to support us as we celebrated Siaosi on Mother's day! Was a wonderful gift!! The best gift this momma could ever ask for!! A sweet husband who is worthy to hold the priesthood in order to bless my babies as well as two handsome boys who I love more than life itself. I never knew that being a mother would bring me THIS MUCH JOY!! My heart often times overflows with the amount of joy my husband and babies bring me! I am very grateful and really enjoy being a momma!!

Toa is growing up SOOO fast!! His vocabulary increases every day and I often times find myself amazed at what he knows and how quickly he learns.  He is such a sweet big brother and will go to Siaosi and love on him all of the time. He still tries to help us when it comes time to burp Siaosi and I often times see Toa slipping Siaosi a little sip off of his sippy cup :)  Toa is a little tease!! If I tell him "no, no" he will look at me and pretend like he is going to do it anyway, just to see what I am going to do about it and then he starts laughing to himself. He seriously cracks me up every day!! He has also been fascinated with helping me clean so sometimes he will take some of Oggie's food out of his doggie bowl, put it on the floor, grab the broom and dust pan and try to "help" me clean up the mess he just made! He is soo silly and such a good boy!!

Siaosi has just discovered his hands and I often times see him just staring at them while he wiggles his fingers. He LOVES to play with the toys that are hanging above him when he is in his car seat and is getting SOO big!! At his 4 month check up he was 15.6lbs and 25inches long. He still has a temper but he doesn't cry nearly as much as he did when he was younger, for that I and our WHOLE family are thankful!! He has such a BIG, sweet, toothless smile that can just melt my heart in seconds.  He LOVES his momma!! He gets a little nervous around people that he doesn't know very well and if he can't see me while they are holding him, he starts to panic a little. He gets SUPER excited all of the time and his legs and arms start flying around in the air. He likes to grab my face with both of his hands and try to "bite" my cheek while he his squealing (this is my VERY favorite, even though he gets his slobber ALL over me when he does this). He drools ALL of the time!! I have to keep a bib on him at ALL times in order to keep his clothes dry. The Dr. said that it is ok to try to take Siaosi off of the alimentum formula and try a gentle or sensitive kind. We are planning on making the switch this weekend, I sure hope it goes well! Siaosi is a great sleeper, just like his brother and Alofa and I have been thinking about putting him in his crib in Toa's room. This was a hard thing for me to do with Toa, I just love having my babies sleep in their little bassinet beside me. I think it  is going to be hard for me with Siaosi as well. I know it is probably time though since when Siaosi is laying in his bassinet his head and feet touch the top and bottom.

Overall, our family is happy, healthy, growing and learning more and more every day!! I am so thankful that Heavenly Father has entrusted me with two of his choice spirits. While it is true that I am supposed to be teaching them, I honestly believe I learn WAY more from them than they will ever learn from me! I love being a mother! I pray and hope everyday I am raising my sweet babies in such a way that is pleasing to my Father in Heaven. I will work, pray and strive to be the best mother I can everyday for the rest of my life! I am thankful I have such a kind, sweet, gentle and good hearted man to be the father of my babies and to help me be a better person every day! 

Easter 2012

This year Easter was a blast!!  Toa had so much fun coloring eggs and searching at the egg hunt! I loved watching him and seeing him get so excited!! I love the meaning of Easter and the opportunity that we have to rejoice and celebrate that HE LIVES!!   

Toa and Siaosi getting ready for the big egg hunt at the park

Toa patting Siaosi's head during tummy time

We love our sweet little boys!!

Siaosi with the Easter basket



At the park in his car seat. It was kind of cold and so we kept him all bundled up. He was so good and didn't make a peep the whole time

The Easter eggs all ready for Toa go and grab

As Toa and I walked around the park, I started to contemplate the true meaning of Easter and what it means for me and my little family.  I was overcome with the spirit as I thought about what our Savior has done for us so that I can have my little family forever. I am sure the people that we were walking past thought I was a little crazy as I wiped the tears of joy away from my eyes. I am so grateful for the Atonement and for my Savior, Jesus Christ, who preformed the Atonement perfectly so that I and my family can return to Him and Heavenly Father forever.

Toa was getting a little restless waiting so I decided to take him for a walk around the park a few times to get some of that energy out



Trying to hold Toa back right before the hunt started

When they blew the whistle, Toa just stood there, he didn't know what to do at first

Then he figured it out :)

Emma, Toa and Cam with the Easter bunny

Checking out his loot :)

Toa and Emma after the hunt

Coloring Easter eggs later that night... This is where Toa just dropped an egg in a cup that already had an egg in it. He was too excited to wait till the other one was done. The color splashed everywhere :)

Having so much fun!



Momma with her sweet boy



Trying to drink the color. He LOVED the vinegar!! I had to watch him really close to make sure he didn't drink it!

Egg color and dye all over his face :)

Checking out his colored eggs

He loved to smash them together!

Siaosi and daddy relaxing while we colored the eggs :)

Easter bunny came to visit the boys!!

Toa checking out his basket

Open it mom!! :)

Siaosi checking out what the Easter bunny brought him

SWEET BOYS!!

Toa trying to take Siaosi's toys :)

Opening his Easter basket from Grandma Tina and Papa

SO HANDSOME!!

12 weeks old

Siaosi with his basket from Grandma Tina and Papa

Happy Easter boys!! We love you so much!!



Our family on Easter morning

I am very humbled at all of the blessings that I enjoy because of the Atonement and sacrifice of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Because of His pure and perfect love, I am able to be  with my eternal companion FOREVER!! I know that He knelt in the garden and took upon him my sins and sorrows so that I might turn to my Heavenly Father, humble myself and find forgiveness for my short comings. I know that He died on the cross for all of us and 3 days later He rose and now lives so that we can all escape physical and spiritual death. How grateful I am for that knowledge and understanding! I will praise His name forever!! 

Treasure, Lost in a field
Found by a traveler, then quickly concealed.
Rejoicing, he gives up his all
To have the treasure, the Kingdom of God.

Jesus knew we were lost.
He came as a traveler to cover the cost.
Unfailing, he paid with His death.
Hoping we’d join Him in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Now truly we see what we are.
The treasure will govern the heart.
And if His heart moved Him to die, so we could live,
Then His treasure is you and I.

There’s treasure waiting in heaven
For all who follow the truths he has given.
He bids us come, so that’s what I will do,
To have this treasure, I’ll treasure the truth.

Truly we show what we are,
The treasure will govern our hearts.
And if our hearts will give up all to live with Him,
Then our treasure’s the Son of God.

Like treasure laid in a tomb
Brought forth triumphant in glorious view.
I pledge my faith, and all that I can do,
To win His treasure, He is my treasure,

To be His treasure, I’ll treasure the truth.

~Kenneth Cope - Treasure the Truth lyrics