Alissa is 15 today!

Happy 15th birthday today to my oldest daughter, Alissa. Fifteen years have flown by.

Fifteen years ago, I remember being a young, scared new mom, with a beautiful new baby and a husband about to move halfway around the world. I remember praying that I would do a good job and wondering if I had what it took to be a good mom, especially so young.

You and I were inseparable for the first 3 years of your life. Dad was gone a lot and it was just you and me. I loved those days. I mean, they were tough. You hated to sleep!

I am so proud of the young lady you are becoming. You are confident, happy, caring, funny, smart and beautiful. You are a great student, a great leader, and a good role model to your 2 younger sisters, who watch your every move and wish they could be a teenager like you.

Your life is full of challenges right now. High school in itself is challenging. Add to that your Class President role, your military brat lifestyle, and our plan to move again this summer (and sending you to your 8th school by the time you reach 11th grade.) You handle life like a champ - taking every challenge, every situation, and you make it yours. There is nothing you can't do!

As you grow, and need Mom less and less on a daily basis, please know that I am always here in the background of your life. Always available to you, always loving you and being there for you.

You (and your sisters) are the greatest joy in my life. My firstborn child, you changed me when you joined my life. You made me something I never thought I would be. Something wonderful.

Your mom. A role I am honored to have.

We have complimented each other over the years. And today I am profoundly proud and blessed to wish you a Blissful 15th Birthday. If you see me cry off and on today, it is not from sadness.

It is because I love you so much. And I guess I never realized how beautiful your life could be. You are blessed, and it fills my heart.

I love you more than I could ever put into words. But you know that.

Have an amazing birthday today!

I got 5K yesterday....

Ok, that's a little deceptive. But I liked the title.

Alissa and I ran a 5K race in downtown Honolulu yesterday. It was the Nike 5K for Kids race. Almost all of Alissa's 10th grade PE peers attended, because they get school credit for it, and the proceeds of their entrance fee went directly back to their school.

Since Alissa had so many friends there, we separated at the very beginning of the race. She preferred to walk it with her friends, and I set out to jog as long as I could.

I crossed the finish line at 7:48, 48 minutes after I started.

It was a grand day, for many reasons:

1. A race by the ocean, how cool is that?
2. I ran 3.1 miles in 48 minutes. I was thrilled with the time. Yes, I have room for improvement. But I did it.
3. I ran about 75% of the race, slowing to a walk for just a couple of short distances.
4. It was a beautiful day.
5. I RAN A 5K race!

Those who know me know that I don't exactly have a runner's body. I am a little top-heavy, which has always precluded me from ever even trying to run. But about a year ago I started jogging, little by little. And I have continued it for almost a year now.

Jon has run in many races here in Hawaii. He is an avid runner and loves the feel of being in a race. I planned to run in one, but have always chickened out at the last minute.

Yesterday was an accomplishment for me. Who ever thought I would run in an organized event, ever??

It felt great. But today my thighs burn as I walk down the stairs. I guess maybe I should have started running earlier in life.

Yesterday makes me want to run again, and even more seriously this time. I will look for another short race or 2, to prepare me for the Great Aloha Run in February. That one I am definitely enrolling in.

It was a fantastic day. I'm proud of both of us.

Happy Monday!!

Crib quilts, babies, Park Day and fun

Last Friday we had our weekly Park Day. There's a gated park at the end of my street that has a couple of play areas and a ton of grass (for frisbees, football or kite-flying).

When I first moved here, there was a group of women who met there with their kids on Fridays after school to hang out and talk (while the kids played and ran around). They called it "Park Day". The gal who sort of organized the whole thing (we'll call her "Q") was an uber-homemaker who baked something every day, so she always brought cookies or something. The women brought lawn chairs and juice boxes and scooters, and a fun afternoon was had by all.

Well, "Q" moved last June (2008) and as new people came to the neighborhood, I encouraged them to come to Park Day. I was welcomed there, and it was fun. However, when "Q" moved, Park Day changed. The ladies who had always been there weren't as welcoming as "Q" had been, and they openly showed their disdain for the newcomers. (To this day I'm not sure that I was ever really welcomed, I believe that those ladies probably said some mean things about me when I wasn't around...) They made the new folks visibly uncomfortable. So, Park Day disbanded - unofficially.

About a month or so ago, my Paiaha Ohana suggested resurrecting Park Day - but with a new twist. This would be much more casual, more friendly and welcoming to whomever wanted to come. All you needed was a chair, a smile, and some sunglasses (because the sun shines brighter in the park, I think). We gathered in the Park for that first new Park Day, and fun was had by all.

So, the tradition continues!

And last Friday was the best of all (so far). We had 8 families represented,which was fantastic. Many of the dads also came. (That was rare with the old Park Day - too much gossip...) In addition to normal laughter, there was a small birthday party for one of the kids. To see her face light up while blowing out candles with her Ohana around, it was precious.

We decided to bring dinner-type foods, too. As we've been staying at the park until dark, the kids were too tired to eat a proper dinner (and so their Friday night dinners had consisted of cookies and cheese puffs and whatever else the moms had grabbed on the way out the door...) I don't think dinner will be a weekly event, but it sure was fun. The kids ate a little better, and moms didn't worry what they'd do about dinner when Park Day was over...

Two of the moms are expecting babies before the end of the year (one is expecting a boy, the other a girl). One mom invited Alissa and I to feel her tummy. It's been a LONG time since I've felt a baby bump. It was sweet and precious and so wonderful. To be so close to this mom that she'd share that with us was priceless. And we felt the baby's head!! It was so cool.

These are memories that I want to hold onto forever. To keep in my heart to remember our days here in Hawaii. How the folks we met became a part of our life and grew to be very special to us. I document them here so I will have them many years from now, to remind me of those people, their generosity. Of Penny's super-funny stories and how I look forward to them. Of the baby bumps (and the new babies that will soon join our weekly festivities). Of the Thursdays every week and how I can't wait for one more day, for Friday, because I know what's coming. Stories and laughter and hugs from all the kids, not just the ones that belong to you. A group of more than just neighbors - a group of true friends.

Ohana who read this, you all mean so much to me. I have never lived anywhere where neighbors meant this much. Where all 100 of our kids could play together, and run together, and be together. Hawaii has a whole new meaning for me because you are part of that experience.

Thank you!

So, for the 2 moms-to-be, I made baby blankets. You may remember the one I made for my sister back in July. I fell in love with it. It wasn't perfect, but it sure turned out pretty cool in my opinion.

I gave them the blankets on Friday at Park Day:

for the girl baby, whose nursery is pink and chocolate:

for the boy baby, whose nursery is shades of blue:

Now I just need an excuse to make another one. I love doing it. I am really working up to making one for my own bed. But I need a few smaller ones under my belt first. And they're so stinking cute!


Happy Tuesday, everyone! Leave me a note. And if you know anyone who might like a baby blanket....

Brady

He is 11 days old today. This picture is a couple of days old, but you can see how sweet he is. What a blessing, a new life in the family.

I remember once, several years (and grandchildren) ago, my dad made a statement that he wanted to have 10 grandchildren. I don't know if he remembers saying this, and he'd probably deny it, but that statement stuck with me for some reason. There might have been 6 grandchildren in the family then...I can't remember, but I'm fairly certain it was before Abby was born, so that would have been sometime before 2003. Ten seemed like a large number back then, because I certainly wasn't planning to have any more kids. (Thankfully God disagreed with me...)

Anway, Brady makes #10 of the Diamond grandchildren. And he is such a welcome addition to the clan. I am overjoyed that my sister has a son. (And I can't wait to meet him!)

Enjoy...

It's almost September...

Man, 2009 has gone by really quickly. Seems that just yesterday my sister told me she was expecting, and now little Brady is over 1 week old! Jay and Lucie have been back in Canada for 3 months now. We've been in this house for almost a year! Alissa will be 15(!!) in just a few short weeks, and it's almost the end of the first grading period already.

I am amazed at the speed that 2009 picked up. I guess it's all that wishing on my part for 2010 to get here so we can PCS already.

Don't get me wrong. Hawaii is fine. Great, even. I enjoy the beach and the warm sunshine, and the green grass and beautiful flowers, and I LOVE wearing a tank top and shorts everyday. (I hate wearing jeans!) I've actually turned into an outdoor-person - I look for reasons to be outside. I even like mowing the lawn and pulling weeds, because it means I can be outside.

And, I am so grateful for all the really wonderful friends we've made, who've become our Hawaii 'Ohana and who mean so much to us. It's been a great 20 months. (20 months! Already?)

But, it's crazy expensive here and so far from home.

2009 has been a year full of things happening on the mainland without me - namely, Brady's birth. Oh, how I wanted to be there. I see his adorable pictures and I think to myself - "It will be just like with my other 2 sisters' kids - he won't know us. We'll be strangers." My other sister has an almost-9-year-old, who loves Alex but doesn't really talk to me at all. I think I scare him a little, because he knows my name but he doesn't really know me.

That stinks. As hard as we try, sometimes the distance just gets in the way.

So, I am ready for this move to happen. Whenever it happens.

On other notes, Brady is doing great. He's such a doll. I'll see if I can get permission to post a pic so everyone can see him.

The girls are doing awesome. The school year is going well, and we're all settled into a routine. Abby's ballet starts up again this week, and I am once again trying to get the younger 2 into Girl Scouts. (Getting into Girl Scouts is an ordeal here.)

Jon's got a stress fracture in his leg. He's doing fine, and expects a full recovery, but he's been sidelined by the Army from running for a few weeks.

Otherwise, things are fine. Same old same old. No news on the job front, but I'm maintaining my positive attitude. It'll all be OK one way or another. And surprisingly, I am learning to let it go. It's just a job, right?

I'm working on another quilt - actually 2. I'll post pictures when they're complete. I think I've been hit by the quilting bug. It's actually fun to do, and the finished results are really great. I'm working my way up so that I can make one for my bed. (in shades of green, of course - I've already bought the fabric for it...)

Leave me a message, blog readers! Happy Monday!

I'm going to be an aunt again, any minute now...

My sister Shari called me last night. Seems that my other sister Laurie, 39 weeks pregnant, went into labor around dinner time (East Coast). They went to the hospital last night and she was in active labor.

So, I barely slept. Terri and Shari and Mom and everyone else promised to keep us Hawaii-folk informed. We got a text at 1:30 our time saying that Laurie was dilated to 9 and they were going to push soon. The doctors said that the baby would be born by 10:00 am (which was 3 hours ago).

I didn't hear anything for several more hours, and I woke up every few minutes to make sure that my phone was still turned on.

Just a few minutes ago, I got a text that the baby is face-down and they are trying to turn him.

(Update: he's almost fully turned so hopefully it will be very, very soon.)

I don't understand why the doctors try things for hours and hours before they finally succumb to a c-section. When I was in labor with Abby, I pushed for 3 hours. (BTW, there was no way she was coming that way. Her head was way, way too big...) I started BEGGING them to give me a c-section.

Why isn't the threshold smaller - is it really safe to push so long? I do not claim to know anything about labor and what's safe and for how long, but I have always assumed that pushing for so long isn't healthy. (Maybe it is and I don't understand, but I can't imagine.)

I'm not there with my sister, she's over 6,000 miles from here. But I hear she's a real trooper and that it should be any moment now. She has a gaggle of family there with her, and we are there in spirit and in thought.

He's almost here, almost ready to join the world, to be held by my sister and her husband, and to become a physical part of the family.

I love you, Laurie and Dion, and we are anxiously awaiting your new arrival!

Summer's Over...

Well,the girls are back settled into school now. They're into their 4th week already! I can't believe it. Some kids (on the mainland) haven't even started back and my kids are halfway through the 1st grading period.

Alex is doing great in middle school. She's really gotten the hang of changing classes and moving from building to building. She's taking "band", which isn't really band in 6th grade, but ukulele lessons. (You can't take real band until 7th grade here, for some strange reason...)

It's cool to hear her play songs on the ukulele. It reminds me that my kids are getting so much more than a mediocre education here. They're getting cultural immersion. They eat rice and li hing mui just like everyone else, they even try Spam! They're creating memories that most people won't get to have in their lifetimes. We're experiencing these things together. Things that I hope will stay with them for years, so they can share the stories with their own children and grandchildren.

Jon is busy, working toward the crazy travel season that is fall and winter. He's already scheduled for at least 3 trips between September and January. It's great for him, great experience and he really enjoys it. But these trips are long trips, and they fall on some really inconvenient dates: namely, Jon's 40th birthday in January. I had some grand ideas - travelling without the kids for a couple days, a great party, something. But he won't be here. Guess I will have to adjust my plans a little bit.

With school in full swing, the house is quiet everyday. I'm still working, but there is no bustle. There is peace, except for the blare of Chris Daughtry on my iPod. I find that the loud music makes me miss the kids just a little less, and it clears my head to concentrate on work tasks.

Alissa has started taking piano lessons with our neighbor (and good friend). She's been in lessons for about a month now, and she's really taken to it. She practices with dedication, and her instructor says she's picking up quickly. She's also busy with her Class President duties. There's a meeting every week, and she's required to take "Leadership" as one of her electives. She's currently designing the Sophomore Class Spirit T-shirt. I'm so proud of her. She's really taken this responsibility and run with it. She's always been confident, but this has given her some real tangible evidence, that she can not only do something well, but enjoy it too.

Last night was the high school open house. As Sophomore Class President, Alissa was required to speak at the opening events.

I was incredibly proud of her. She wasn't nervous at all, as she spoke to over 200 people. She showed enthusiasm about her role, and she looked incredibly cool and confident. She spoke about all the events planned for the year, and how she's tasked with designing a new Class of 2012 t-shirt, and she asked for her fellow classmates to get involved. Her advisor's husband works with Jon, so he and the advisor got talking. She explained how Alissa is a confident, hard-working, smart young lady who will make a difference to the class of 2012, even though we won't be here for 11th and 12th grade.

We, of course, already knew Alissa's ability and that she's a great kid. But hearing it from her teachers is a welcome blessing. It's nice to know that she's showing her good side at school :-).

As we approach the busy last months of 2009, I am reminded of all that I am blessed with - a job (at least for now), 3 incredible kids, a hard-working husband, a life in a warm, sunny place, and friends out there who mean so much to me. When I have a rough day, or worry about my employment, I remember that I have these things. Things that will carry me through if the job turns sour.

Happy Thursday!