2018 Year In Review

It is time to look back and see how we did during the year. It was a year of travel--and we loved it. I think what strikes me the most is looking back and seeing how much our two Muggles have changed this year. Looking back at the photos from earlier in the year, they have both grown physically and intellectually. Lady Hiva and I have loved being around them. They are such a blessing. 

We constantly laugh at Koala Bear's quirky side and are amazed at Lucky Dragon's wit and logical way to understand the world. 

Lady Hiva has been busy with her calling at Church. She is constantly serving others. And even if she would never admit it herself, there are many people that have been blessed by her willingness to reach out and help. 

I have started to teach night classes at LDS Business college and that has added some new dimensions to our lives. 

All said and done, we are happy to still be alive, have weathered the downs and celebrated the ups! Most of all we have each other. 

JANUARY 
January was quiet, but we were able to celebrate Koala Bear's first birthday. Looking at those photos now, it is clear that a year makes a HUGE difference in the development of a toddler. 

FEBRUARY
February brought us a surprise trip back to a place we love--Washington, DC. Although the reason for this surprise trip was a somber one. My grandmother, "Gramy" passed away joining her twin as angels in our lives. Koala Bear and Lucky Dragon were so happy to see Papa and Pluba whom were released from their service mission in Europe for a week to attend the funeral. 

MARCH
March we celebrated Lady Hiva, it is always fun to thank her for being part of our lives. (That usually is in her preferred form of payment: Sees Chocolate.) We enjoyed the weather starting to become spring. 

APRIL
Lucky Dragon started to play on a tee-ball team with some of his friends from the neighborhood. It was fun to see the way that he is enjoying friends. Although he spends more time making friends than paying attention to the game! haha. We also had a scare this month of Koala Bear aspirating a chunk of almond from an Easter Hersey Kiss. We did not know she had until she stopped breathing a few times one morning. Which landed Lady Hiva in an ER dressed in pajamas and frumpy hair and all. I met them and we were rushed to another ER, she flat-lined on us we were again having our nightmares unfold watched 50 doctors rush in and try to save our child. She had emergency surgery and they found the almond in her lung. In her spit-fire-sassy-way she was back up and running a few hours later as if nothing had ever happened. So we will forever be full of gratitude for this chance to have a medical miracle. 

MAY
It was so much fun to see warmer weather continue. We went camping a few times this month. Including Lucky Dragon going with me on his first "Father's and Son's" camp out. I love building memories with this little guy. 

JUNE
June brought another trip. This one was to commemorate our 10 year anniversary. We went to Europe, saw Disneyland Paris, spent time seeing Papa and Pluba on their mission and eating all the amazing food we could find. 

JULY
July is always a month of celebrations! We start with celebrating the 4th of July, then we have week long celebrations of the 24th of July and finally, our favorite is to celebrate the birth of our Lucky Dragon. This year included a Harry Potter themed birthday party. 

AUGUST
We basked in the summer time by doing as many "summer" things that we could. We went swimming as often as we could get out, we attended movies in the park, went on hikes. We also celebrated my birthday officially made it to our 10 years of being a family! YAY! Lucky Dragon started school this year and is loving it. His reading skills are getting so good. He makes us happy with all his interest in learning. 

SEPTEMBER
We went camping a few more times to make sure we enjoyed the last bits of warm weather. This included a camp with our church congregation where we cooked food in a traditional Polynesian underground oven. 

OCTOBER 
Halloween was in FULL FORCE this month! The house was decked out in new decor that we had made together--including a sign to invite people to join our "Dead and Breakfast." WE watched Halloween movies, ate too much candy and had several parties to enjoy. The best part of the month was when Lady Hiva allowed me to put up the Christmas lights in OCT!!

NOVEMBER 
As always, Christmas was up 1 NOV! Lucky Dragon was so excited that "It can be Halloween one day then we sleep and it is Christmas!" We had service projects and prepared for the Christmas holiday. We watched holiday movies, sang holiday songs, and found reasons to enjoy being together. 

DECEMBER 
HURRAY for December! We had service parties, we gave service, we went shopping for others, we saw lights, we ate food, we loved and were loved. It was so fun to see joy on people's faces as they opened this gifts we had purchased them. We rounded out the year with one last trip--back home to Hawaii. It was kind of nice to leave 6 degree weather and snow to go to Hawaii's warm trade winds.