Father's Day

I am only able to celebrate Father's Day because I was born. Thank you Jon Burns aka DAD!!!!! I have a great father!
I also get to celebrate Father's Day because I have a great husband who is a proud DAD of Emjae and Julie!!!!! Everything that he has been through has helped him learn what to do and what not to do. He is an amazing Father who loves his children and thinks that they are angels. (yes, I think we need to have his brain checked too.)
Festivities started with breakfast burritos and ended with my amazing ribs, mashed potatoes, rice, broccoli and a salad. Of course like I promised I made a cake for Father's Day. I almost didn't do it, because well I didn't want too :) I thought it would be a little harder than what I thought, but it was probably the easiest cake that I have ever made.

Wait a minute I thought I said cake

 There it is :)

 This was our 4th of July/Grandparent picture. All the kids were ready for their naps!!! But before they went to sleep we not only needed that picture but we need hand prints and foot prints from all the grandkids for Opa. (Audrey's foot on the left, Riley's on the right, Julie's the yellow on the left and Emjae's the yellow on the right, with Erick being blue in the middle)

The Wallster

The Wallster
What is this? I think the better question is who is this? It apparently is a blog and means that there is a blogger behind that name who would choose to remain annonymous. I don't know how they found me nor do I care, my blog is open, I post updates on my facebook and if you want to read my blog you can and if you don't then you don't.
1. Let me just say that this blog and the things I write on this blog are my feelings, my thoughts, and my opinions.
2. I'm not ashamed or feel badly about what I write on my blog, I put it up and I make it open for anyone and everyone to see. I do not hide behind a invite only blog (I am not talking bad about my friends who keep their family blogs personal to protect information or keep things personal between close friends and family)
3. I don't feel a need to delete other peoples comments unless vulgar or offensive. People are allowed to their opnions.
4. I want to comment back to the comment that is the reason for this post

Wallster:
Well, I know a lot of the youth in the BG and FH wards and that's not the impression I get. If they seem other than how you'd like them to seem, consider that they might be used to a certain culture and certain attitudes toward things that are holy, and may not know how to respond to cultures and attitudes that are unfamiliar or confusing. Not that they are right, but who is right? And can being judgmental find itself into a post about someone else's judgmental qualities?

Me:
First off yes I may be making judgments on the way I was treated. Yes, there may be youth as well as adults in my ward who act not accordingly too. However we are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and we are taught not to treat others badly and to love all. I am not perfect at this attribitute and so I don't expect someone who is younger than me to be perfect at it either, but I felt as if I was completely treated like a bum from the street.
Now to say that they are used to a certain culture and certain attitude toward things that are holy, makes no sense to me and the topic of my post. What in my post was holy about basketball and the gym. What is so holy and different in culture and attitude from a ward that is only 2 maybe 3 miles away. Does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints not teach the same principles, the same culture and same way of life? Also how does one person know my standing in life or my culture and attitude when I first walk into a gym, dressed in clothing that covers my body in a very respectable way, as well as those who I am with. The building that was to be used is a stake building and as such can be used by all who are in that stake. Not to mention we did not just show up and expect doors to be open, we brought a key with us that my husband has in his possesion because of a calling that he holds. The gym was not scheduled for one person or group so as such it was open to the stake members. If it was just said hey we planned on our group playing and we want to play full court can we take turns or something like that I don't think I would have been so offended (for we only could play half court with the MISSIONARIES). I don't care what ward that youth group was from I just happened to know from me being involved with youth and my brother being involved with youth. I know that the feelings I get are not only mine. Maybe I shouldn't have posted what wards they were from, but either way actions are what make a person and if we are to act a certain way then we will be percieved a ceratin way.
All in all the way I felt affects the things I write. My feelings may not always be correct and may be one sided. I do not write to offend any person as well. So if I have offended please accept my apology for doing so. I was frustrated and so I wrote about it.

What is this?

What in the world are these?


One (well hopefully only one) of these is inside my husband. So what is it? These are kidney stones!!!! Let me just tell you that everything anyone has told me about these are like men giving birth. Yes woman can have them too, but that is the pain that men have.
James last week Wednesday was on the floor rolling in pain. It was such horrible pain that he was willing to go to the hospital emergency room. And if you know my husband he does not go to doctors, take medicine let alone even say "I need to go to the Emergency room." The pain started in his back kidney area and traveled to the front side.
We get to the emergency room and after being there for 15 minutes or so they were finishing paper work so he could be taken to the back, but the pain had gone away and so he decided to leave. I asked him if he was sure about that and he said yes.
We were half way home when the pain came back with a vengeance. Instead of heading back to the hospital we headed to the Urgent Care. We were quickly taken to a room (they weren't busy) and got vitals and then he had to give a urine sample. It came back positive for blood. The physician came and told us that men don't have a lot going on inside on their left side and with the blood in the urine it was more than likely kidney stones. James asked since the pain was like child birth if he could have an epidermal. The doctor had a good laugh. He did however give James a shot in the butt of pain med and sent us on our way with a prescription for more pain med and something else to help.
The next few days he was nauseated and throwing up and with the pain meds he was sleeping constantly. ?He now is doing better with the pain but, its been over a week and he still has them in him.
My mom gave us a suggestion that she found from people she trusted that said if he drank 1 liter of sauerkraut juice, 1 liter of tomato juice, 10 drops of lemon oil, and 10 drops of peppermint oil in the space of two days that within another 2 days after so doing that he would pass the stones. Well he sort of did one day and then decided to stop. Now I don't know if it works or not but he was having more pain after the first day when he was going to the bathroom, which I take as a sign that things were moving.
However long it takes I think it was a good thing that he got this while we was out of a job and hopefully he will pass them soon, so it doesn't affect with his new job.

Losses

When we lose something it doesn't always mean something bad has happened.
Just recently, the 30th of May, James put in his 2 week notice. He has been very stressed and upset with the way his job was going. He loved some of the people he worked with, but had a difficult time with the way his bosses wanted to run the business.
For the last couple of months James has not wanted to talk about work because whenever he did it made him very frustrated and took him awhile to calm down. They were wanting to move him into a different position as well. It was a pay cut and it was moving him into a different direction then where the company was headed. He had talked about wanting to leave and after our trip to California he came home to find an email that really upset him. He then decided that the email was the final straw that broke the camels back. He informed them that he would not be coming in and that he was giving his 2 weeks notice.
To show how amazing his bosses are they cut all access to his work email account immediately and didn't even reply to him at all. Later that day he text his boss and they said that he quit. They don't understand what 2 week notice is!?!?!?!
Well needless to say we are ruff riders and we now how to live without a job, at least for a little while :) Luckily for us it wont be to much longer that he is out of work. My brother Trevor was accepted into the Henderson Corrections Department and will start training in August......meaning someone needs to fill his spot.
James had applied for the position with the company on Thursday, his birthday, and had a meeting set up to talk with Trevor's boss on Monday. Erik, my brother applied as well. Monday rolled along and not only did James meet with the boss but Erik drove down from Utah with all his clothes (after signing papers in Ephraim to get him off of probation) and met with the boss as well. Tuesday they both took an assessment test and Thursday last week they were called and told that they will have jobs :) (Erik has to do a few more things but the job is his if everything goes the way it is suppose to)
James goes in Monday next week to start paper work for his new job. He will be an employee of Safety Kleen. He will be driving a truck around town and pumping out hazardous fluids from car washes, casinos, mechanic shops, and hospitals. He will be home every night, unless he gets called to go pump, but it is all in town stuff.
So we have counted are loss and we are getting a gain. The first being a better paying job, the second being insurance coverage starts right away, and the third being Uncle Erik is living with us once again.
To any that may read this just a final food for thought. Pray to the Lord with all your heart might mind and soul. If He can move mountains then He can bless you as you need it. Do all you can to devote yourself to being a disciple.  "God does not begin by asking us about our ability, but only our availabitily and if we then prove our dependability He will increase your capability." -Neal A. Maxwell

Happy Birthday James!!!!

June 2, 1982 a boy was born! His mother decided to name him James. James through the years has turned into an amazing man who is loving, giving, forgiving, slow to anger, concerned, thoughtful, and a respectful man who is not only a son, but my husband and my girls Dad!!!
How did our morning start off you may ask.....well it started with this...

 Then it went to this....

 

 To this...

 To this....

 And finished with this....

For breakfast we had some Samoan Pancakes. I had previously tried to make these and I didn't care for the way it turned out.

However.... While we were in California I learned how to make them better and learned how they should taste. So since James didn't get any while we were down there (he was out playing ball) I decided to make them for his birthday. They were delicious!!




In the afternoon we took the girls to the park. It was such a nice day and we wanted to enjoy it outside.
While we were there Emjae met a little girl and they were friends instantly. The little girl even asked, "do you want to be my friend," of course Emjae said "yes."

Julie was just having fun in her own little world going up and down the slides.
I know everyone is wondering if I made a cake for my husband, and well no I didn't. Think what you will about me, but I didn't have it in me that day, not to mention what my husband wanted for dinner.

For dinner I made my hamburger buns and hamburgers. I even did bacon out on the grill too!!

This was James burger. Yes, it is huge and yes, he did eat it all!

For that reason I didn't have all the time in the world to do a cake and decorate it, but he had a great birthday. He was with his family and with those that love him.
Don't any of you worry about Father's Day though. I already have something in mind for that cake :)

LETS DO IT!!!!!!!!!!

First off let me say thank you Hilda for reminding me to post this.
Second, my girls loved dancing to begin with.
Third, this is what Zak taught my girls.
You need to watch the first video and then the second. Can you tell what my girls picked up?





I thought it was adorable, but then again I am Mom :)

Ula and Tasi Wedding

We got to go to Ula and Tasi's wedding reception while we were in California. It was at a Golf Course and when we get to the place you could tell nothing was going the way it was suppose to. The invitations said be there to be seated by 5:45, otherwise you will have to wait until the Bridal party is seated at 6. yeah needless to say it was almost 6 and they were pulling in Bishop's and their families. You could also see that there was a seating list (because you were suppose to RSVP) but that wasn't being followed either. We however got in and sat down with a co worker of James, Jim and his girlfriend. Finally things got started, but there were children everywhere! (I don't understand how people can not read and comprehend) I however was glad that we didn't bring the girls because it was a golf course reception hall and there was nice glass and table settings and I know the girls would not have sat still and not touched anything. Dinner was served, but the poor Bride and Groom hardly got to eat because they had to sit on the dance floor and watch the performance going on and then after that they started doing the Fa'a Samoa thing. Basically its a pride thing were the brides family gives the bride and groom and his family food, money, fine mats and other things as the Matai talks and talks and talks. Then the grooms family gives money back or food back or gives them fine mats and the grooms Matai talks and talks and talks. This went on for over 2 hours!!! They didn't even cut the cake by the time we left or dance or do the bouquet toss or garter toss and it was past 10 when we left. Poor Ula and Tasi were upset tired and frustrated with the whole thing but there was nothing they could do.
It was a very pretty wedding and the food was okay and the place was nice, but all the talking and pride and let me show you what we are doing for them just made it not so nice, and in my opinion it ruined THEIR day and THEIR spotlight. As we left Tasi said to James, "You were smart marring a white girl" meaning you didn't have to put up with all this crap at your wedding.
But when all is said and done the two of them are sealed for time and eternity. We love you guys and know that if you work together and pray together and play together that you will stay together!

California

Friday after James got off work we left to California for Memorial Day weekend. More than likely we would not have made the trip for the weekend, but Ula Matavao was getting married to a wonderful woman named Tasi. We were in need of a Vacation and this was the perfect 3 day weekend and excuse to do so.
Now remind you we just got our belt fixed the night before and we were glad to feel safe driving, but there was this squeal noise when we would start it up, however we were reassured it was okay. The drive wasn't to bad, we didn't hit any traffic and the girls were good and fell asleep for the last bit of the drive.
As we pulled off the freeway and at every stop we made on our way to my Mother in laws house the squeal we heard was annoying, embarrassing, and frustrating. But we arrived at the house with no problems other than a squeal.
The girls were woken up as we took them out of the car and well...they were awake for awhile. They were running across the room jumping on one bed getting down and jumping on the other bed in the back house. Julie even got so daring as to just jump off of the bed. Now take note that these beds aren't close to the ground. They are on a frame and I swear the box spring in HUGE and the mattress itself has to be a double pillow top or something like that. But the girls were having fun and Mom got to see them how they really are.
Saturday we went and saw Kung Fu Panda 2. We loved it and Emjae loved it, Julie however fell asleep towards the end. After wards we went home and got ready for the reception. The girls were unable to go because invitations said no children, so Mom was going to stay with the girls.
Sunday we went to church at our old ward, the Inland Empire Samoan ward. I do miss that ward as weird as it is for me to say that. Part of me felt as if we would be back in that ward one day. Who knows though.
For dinner we had great bbq food and then for dessert somehow my cinnamon rolls got brought up :) No I did not bring them up. I was pushing it off and thinking I wouldn't have to do them because the girls, Ariel, Crystal, Ariels cousin and I were outside playing Egyptian War and the guys were inside playing xbox while the adults were napping. However I ended up still making them.
They turned out perfect!! T and Crystal had never tried them and they were very impressed. Everyone was a little upset I only made a single batch, but hey we all don't need more than 2 cinnamon rolls.
Monday James went and play Basketball with the Rialto 2nd ward (since every holiday is sports at the chapel). Mom the girls and I went shopping :) We got some really cute outfits for the girls and just enjoyed being out until Emjae didn't want to leave the Children's Place store (they have blocks and toys to play with while parents shop). After that we went and picked up James and headed back to the house to pack and get ready for our journey home.
We had a great weekend and the girls were great. However I will show you in a later post what my girls learned from Zac (t and crystals boy)

Belts

Who needs a belt? Well my car did :) The weekend before Memorial Weekend on my way to church with the girls (James was already there because he had meetings) I heard a snap and then saw my check engine light come on. Two not so good things. I pulled over into a gas station

and tried calling James. I figured he should be out of him meeting. Well....I was wrong. He was still trying to finish up his meeting and since his phone was on vibrate he just hit the ignore button. So I called him again and again and again, thinking he would get the hint that its important.

The car was still able to run so since I was half way to the building (its only 2 or so miles away from my house) I slowly went the rest of the way there. I pulled in the parking lot as the temp to the car was all the way up and turned that bad boy off immediately.

I walk into the building somewhat upset that my husband never answered my phone calls and I see him right away and say "Don't you think its important to answer your phone if your wife calls you and calls you and calls you again, back to back when she knows you are in a meeting and wouldn't call you unless its important?" He goes to say sorry, but I was in no mood to hear that, I just told him the belt to the car broke (we knew it needed to be replaced) and I almost didn't make it here. He says sorry and says you look good though, I just wish your attitude did too. I gave him the best don't mess with me look.

Luckily we have an Elder in our ward right now that knows somewhat about cars and was able to fix the belt. Thank Heavens for that because we were leaving for California Memorial Day weekend and we didn't have tons of money to take it to a shop and then still pay for gas to Cali.