Folau's in Paradise

 The Folau's are here!  They came early for Christmas!

We were so excited to see them!  We must be in heaven, because this feels great to have family here....well, it is Paradise.  Close enough!  Heaven and earth combine here.

We are at Twin Falls.  Matai, Kaeliya, Laneah and Kathy

Jumping off waterfalls!  Garth: "Here I come!"

The next little one is coming soon!

How much fun can you have in one day on the beach?

The boys look like they are digging in to stay a while.

Shoes, sand, family and the ocean......what more do you need?

We have had such a good time visiting, eating island fruit, swimming, and more sun than I am sure you are allowed.  (above: Anthony, the guy who plays the diggery-doo all over the island)

Wish it could last longer!

                               

"Proof-Positive"

Melonie in Maui, Hawaii 2011

Yes, I am here, but I have had to do some re-grouping and am a bit behind.  Just looking through the pics of the last few months thinking, "where do I start" I had a trip down memory lane and just cried!!

I love my children fiercely!  They can do nothing to dampen my love for them.  Their experiences just intensify my feelings of compassion for their pain, and desire for their continued growth towards the light. I can tell you that a mother feels every joy, pain and sorrow of her children, but you already know that.

Here is a quote that sums up my new current motto for life:

"Life is not a journey to the grave with intentions of arriving safely at a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming....WOW! What a ride!"

(this has been typed up and on my fridge)

Life will not be easy, but "it will be worth it", and I intend to get every ounce of learning out of each experience, never to return!  The wrinkles are a bit deeper, my smile lines are permanent! My sun-kissed skin is a reminder each day to thank the Lord for bringing me here. 

Yes mom, I got a haircut, and this is "Maui wild style"-all natural, "proof-positive" I am still here, and tho unrecognizable momentarily, I am still your child!

Sunshine-Rachel

Rachel turned 14!  I cannot believe how all my children are growing up.  I can see how in just a few years I will be left alone...with Laneah and Garth:)

I remember when we had just moved to Logan, UT with her as a baby.  It seems the time has gone by so quickly.  I never wanted her to grow up, I wanted her to stay "my baby" and it seems she did for so long, letting me snuggle her and always giving me long hugs.

Rachel is learning life lessons as she gets older, and seems to do it with grace.  She has many older siblings to learn from and does not have to "experience" it all.  At times she chooses to take in a lesson she learns from observing others.  She avoids groundings, attitude adjustments, and awkward situations it seems.  She has an obedient spirit and desires to follow Christ and do the "little things" that make all the difference.  Prayer, Scriptures and even her journal.  I am grateful for her consistency and her disposition of sunshine--for she truly shines with her radiant personality and smile.  She is a bit of sunshine in our home!

Josh and Isaac made this "Birthday Hat" on the spur of the moment.  It is out of a paper plate and pineapple leaves with a stapler.  Rachel was a good sport!

Rainbows of Fall

Someone captured how I feel about nature...this reminds me of the Logan, UT canyon drive.  I do love the colors of Fall.

     
 This was titled, "The Rainbows of Fall"

A stroll through the woods, a mountain hike, a nap on the beach,

in such encounters with nature we often find peace.

There's just something about the leaves, rocks, and sand

that makes us feel at home in this world.

They release us from the humdrum of our busy lives and

bring us back to the basics of life.

Love.  That is as basic as it gets.   God must love us to provide such beauty.  Thank you God, for the peace your creations bring!  It reminds me You are there.

"ROCK, Paper, Scissors...."

This is such a funny story, and will be retold for years to come, that it deserves it's own post!
"Rock, paper, scissors" is something all the kids have grown up with.  It is used when an errand needs to be run, an extra job, or when it is to be decided who will help Laneah with homework.  Laneah is just catching on and wants to participate, which results in her going around finding a reason, then an unsuspecting, (but willing) person to do it with her.  This makes us all laugh.
Then came the event.

She had got Josh to participate with her. The drama began with her consistently only choosing "rock" which led to Josh trying to explain to her how you played the game and which choice "won" over the other.  Laneah got frustrated when her "rock" was not winning each time, (which in her mind should have) and decided to demonstrate visually how "rock" was the winning choice.
Insert explanation:
We have all the windows and the french doors open in the day, to cool the house when the trade winds come through.  I have brought home some handy large lava rocks to hold down papers on the desk/computer area which were always blowing all over the room.


She goes over to the counter, gets a rock, brings it over and wraps a piece of paper around it and smashes it on the table proclaiming, "see, "ROCK" beats paper!!!  "See, the wind?  It does not move!"
It was quite funny in the telling and re-telling of it!

The only problem was...the table had glass on top.  What do you do?  I saw the table when I came in and was shocked, but after the explanation, all you can do is just laugh!  Just writing this makes me laugh again.  We have packaging tape on the glass.  Don't feel like throwing it away...yet.  Too much of a memory we are still enjoying.

My first Maui Sunrise

I saw my first Maui sunrise!
Amazing to see the first new glimpses of a new day.
It was from the top of Haleakala, a 10,026 foot volcano.  I was surprised to feel how cold it was!
I brought several layers because we heard it was cold, but did not know if I would actually use them.  After all, I am from Utah and I know what cold REALLY is.  I used them all.  I think that being here for 5 months has made me "soft" as far as being able to withstand the cold temperatures.  Guess I am not in any hurry to return to them.
I thank God every day I am here and for the beautiful and new things I see each day.

"I believe in God like I believe in the sunrise, not because I can see it, but because I can see all that it touches."  ~C.S. Lewis
(thanks Yvonne!)

"They Call the Wind Mariah"

                              Melonie & Mariah    July 2011 

                       Hancock Reunion--Spanish Fork Canyon, UT

  "Mariah, Mariah, they call the wind Mariah".

My dear little Mariah, who is now all grown up.   I am so grateful that Mariah is still with us.

On Sunday, Sept 11, 2011   Mariah was driving home late from Logan, Utah to be back for school on Monday.  She got tired, (at 2:00 am who would not) and drifted into a semi-truck and hit his tires.  It took her mirror off and scratched up the whole side of her car.  It makes me cringe to think what could have been much worse had she drifted into the middle of his trailer and gone in between the tires.....  She did not over correct and went off to the side of the road and had a meltdown.  She had tried to call us to talk and keep awake, but we were all asleep.

The Lord will not take away our agency, and lets us make sometimes  unwise choices.

But if we are trying to keep the commandments and follow Him, if our mission is incomplete and it is not our time to go, we will still encounter consequences for our actions, and poor decisions, but He can protect us from leaving this life too early.  Mariah has evaluated the take-away lessons this helped her to see at this time in her life.  There were many for her.  The main one I see is that she was very protected, the Lord is aware of her, and she is loved.  Sometimes it takes a shaking-up to help us see the obvious things in our life, that we are loved and He is aware of each individual life and there is a grand plan for each of us.  Being reminded of this and knowing He is there gives us hope and pushes us to seek Him more in a deeper way.  If we have the right perspective , we are richer for the experience.

I remember when she was in 2nd grade in Logan, UT.  Her teacher used the guitar in the classroom, and she taught the whole class songs.  One of the songs they learned was "They called the Wind Mariah".  It was so cute to hear them sing it and it has always stuck in my mind, "Mariah, Mariah, they call the wind Mariah".  She was such a spunky little girl, and so friendly to everyone.  She is a wonderful help in the home, does everything so well, and is organized.  I miss her!  I am so glad we still get to enjoy her in our family.  We look forward to her coming in December when she is done with school. We will be waiting with open arms when the wind again blows her in our direction.    We love you Mariah!