What happened to 2011?!?!

Well, 2011 is almost done! Blogging . . . not my forte! But family is! We've added a few members to our family since September. In the picture of Kaeo, we have JB (blue shirt) and Makai (grey tank). They are from Marshall Islands, but have lived in Springdale, Arkansas for a while now. They are 19 and 18 respectively. The next photo is of the third young man staying with us. His name is Kamu (18) and he is from Maui. The three young men were here to take classes with a YWAM ministry, specifically Warriors Come Home, called World of Dance. They came to stay with us because their housing fell through. Their leaders, who are our friends, asked if we would be willing to host these men during thier time here.

After their classes with World of Dance were over, they all decided to stay in Kansas City and more importantly join the Warriors Come Home as junior staffers. Again thier leaders came and asked if we would be willing to house them a little longer. The Lord moved Matt and my heart with compassion for these young men, and have invited them in. We were open to adoption in the Lord's timing and guidence, but we weren't expecting the "kids" to be "men".

 

 

 

 

 

The Lord has been gracious and compassionate!!

Other news and review of the year:

Kaeo is 16. He is going to Rockhurst highschool and is in the 9th grade. He just finished playing football and had an awesome year (you can check out his highlihgt videos on Matt's facebook page). He is currently trying out for wrestling, and the practices and wearing him out!!! I love wrestling! He still gets to playguitar and ukulele once in while. In fact he just did a devotional set in the Global Prayer room with our good friends Rachel and Uelese Faagutu. He will also be laying down some tracks for them on their kids album due to come out in a few weeks.

Keala (11), Kalai(10) and Kahiau(6) are going to be sining on the Faagutu's kid's album. They were in the recording studio the other day laying down some vocals for the songs. Homeschool is moving along. We haven't caught up to where we should be, but that is the beauty of homeschool. Some areas we can push ahead and other areas we need to catch up.

Kahiau's hair is super long and I want to cut it and I don't want to cut it!!! He is so stinky cute! He is doing super good in math and really excited about reading!

Kalai will be performing in the Mystery of Christmas ballet performance along with his sister and mom and dad! He loves rehersals and he dose so well with the dancing.

Keala is doing ballet again this year and she is taking Jazz. She is becoming a very graceful dancer. Her body is getting stronger, but we need to work on flexability. She is ALMOST as tall as I am!!! Freaky!

Matt and I are doing great. He is working away at Shiloh Law Group. No he is not a lawyer, he works for a lawyer and does lots of paperwork and phone calls. He is able go to the prayer room then head home for work.

Matt and I will be appearing in the Myster of Christmas ballet at the begginning of December.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've been a mom, which is really a small title for a woman with such an extensive job discription. I've been leading worship for our small group, dancing with Warriors Come Home, and I will also be singing on the kid's album as soon as my voice comes back. Oh yeah, I got a little sick and lost my voice. We've been traveling with Warriors Come Home and dancing in both Arkansas and Oklahoma. I got sick after one of the trips. Also every Monday I volunteer at Manna-4-U (IHOP KC food distribution ministry).

Summer: We got to go home to Hawaii . . . again . . . thanks to the Figueira Ohana. It was awesome!! Well hopefully I'll do another blog about that one!

<3Kris

MOCHI

To celebrate Boy's Day, a friend traveling to Japan, and just because we miss the food in Hawaii, I decided to make some Mochi.

Chi-chi dango!

Actually, the trip to the Oriental Market made me so ono (hungry) for some really good local food. So that night we had some mochiko chicken and California rolls.

Thanks to Aunty Evelyn, Reagan's mom, I have a very awesome mochi recipe and I was able to make the best mochi I have had in months. So authentic with the potato starch on the outside and everything!


Anyways, the family enjoyed it and that was the point!

Yeah for Mochi!!!

KEALA'S BIRTHDAY

Hey, It's Keala here to tell you about my birthday!

Well, my birthday actually started at 12:00 am, when my parents took me and my brothers to IHOP (International House of Pancakes). It was really fun to stay up till one 'oclock and have dessert just for my birthday.

I had a vanilla milk shake and some of my mom's fries. It was very yummy, but I was really tired.






These are some pictures of our time at IHOP.

And more IHOP pictures.

More pictures of us at IHOP!

On my birthday my mom, Aunty Jen,
and I went to Cinzetti's.

That is an all you can eat Itallian place. I ate so much pizza, cheese macaroni, and ice cream.









My aunty had a huge, huge salad. She really enjoyed it!









Then at night my mom made malasadas for me.
All of our friends came over to enjoy
malasadas and say happy birthday to me.








One of my presents was to paint my bedroom. But my mom wanted to do it very special for me. So instead of just painting my room, she along with my Grandma Coralie bought magnet and chalkboard paint. Now I can put magnets up and write on my wall.

It is so awsome. And if that wasn't cool enough, Aunty Jen bought chalk that is 3-D.

Thank you Mom and Grandma! My room is my favorite place.

Manna-4-U

Manna-4-U


Keala and Kris spend some of there time each week helping out at the IHOP "food-bank". It's not really a food-bank, but a place where the community of IHOP get some assistance with breads, fresh produce, dairy, and some canned food.

Our responsibilites there are to sort out the bread and bagels that come in. We get breads from Panera, Whole Foods, Price Chopper, and HyVee.

Here is a shot of my beautiful daughter in action. She is great with putting those breads in the bags, but she cannot tie the bags. But that is okay, her mom is there to help her.

After they help out putting everything in it's place, we are free to shop.

We, and everyone else who shop there, are to take only what you need for that day and the next day. It is wonderful to see how God provides all of our needs. It is a faith-builder, especially when you pray for things you want and you get it.
Often Kahi prays for a certain type of cereal. Almost always he gets what he wants. Please understand that stores don't just give everything away. So for us to get some of the things that we get is amazing. God is wonderful to us!

The people who run this ministry called Manna-4-U are Skip and Janet. They are some of the greatest and most hilarious people we have met. Working with them is not work at all. It is tons of fun.



These shots are of some of our spoils that we take home. Isn't that just a beautiful box of food! Thank you Manna-4-U.

MARCH MADNESS!!!

MARCH MADNESS!!!

Sorry this blog is not about basketball. So if you were expecting that, you can stop reading now. This is about the hair that was cut in the month of March. I decided that it was time for Keala to get a hair chop that would give her a little style, but not make her look sixteen. We cut off about 7 inches or so, but her hair is still very long. Cutting off all the legnth and dead hair made the curls come back.


















It also looks great when it is up in a pony tail.





















While I was cutting Keala's hair, Kahi was very insistant that I cut his. I was very reluctant beacuse I love his hair long. Thankfully he looks extremly cute with a hair cut, so I cut his off also.




















Kaeo needed a hair cut! We just went for the hurry up and get it done look.
Teenagers are about as patient as partents are when they ask you to clean your room!




















The only one who escapped the clippers was Kala'i. But he is next . . .

Happy Birthday Kahi !!!

HappyBirthday Kahi !!!
Kahi celebrated his 5th birthday on February 3. It was a very fun day! He got to have an early indulgence when his friends, the Faagutu family, came over to wish him happy birthday.














Later that evening we went to Chucky Cheese with the Yamamoto family. There we had lots of fun playing games, eating pizza, and making tons of noise. I think that Matt and Uncle Ross had more fun than anyone else. They were having a shoot-out at the basketball game.















This is Ezra, one of Kahi's very good friends. He is awesome!

WOW!!! I haven't kept this thing up at all. I should make this part of homeschool where the kids have to write a blog spot once a week! Not a bad idea . . .





Let me see. It has been about 10 months since I last wrote. Just made it under one year. After May I went on a mental break and an extended summer vacation. I will try to give you a condensed version of what we've been up too . .





Summer: Went on the best and only road trip of our life. We drove from Kansas City, Mo, to Spokane, WA. Then from Spokane, WA, to Eugene, OR. Then from there we went to Yellowstone National Park in WY. Next we stopped in Rapid City, SD, to see Mount Rushmore. Finally back home to Kansas City, MO.





Fall: Stayed in Kansas City and plugged into the House of Prayer. The Holy Spirit moves in power among the students and it looks like the beginnings of a "Great Awakening".





Winter: My dad flies us HOME to HAWAII!!! We spent a month in Hawaii enjoying the warmth of the sun, but more betta is the warmth of the 'Ohana! Hawaii no ka oi.

So that is the short little wrap up of what has been going on since the last post and hopefully the next one will not take as long to write. (Hehe)