remember me????

Cant believe I went for so long without blogging...even BS blogging! But this holiday season consumed all my attention:) Birthday Parties, many Holiday parties, SHOPPING (for myself. . . . window), awaiting my brother's phone call home, family members visiting from all over, etc

So this past Christmas season, the spirit hit me hella hard. It like, slapped me in the face, kicked me to the ground, and left me there holding my stomach! LOL! I was feeling everything on so many different levels, humility, forgiveness, patience, and that's so not normal. Part of my "all of da sudden" attitude came from being so amazed by Patrick Willis' story. His story is similar to the BlindSide movie but it was more eye opening for me. Yes, there was a palangi family that took him in but they werent wealthy like they Touey's were to Michael Oher. And it was not only Patrick Willis, but his siblings as well.

Prior to being "rescued", they lived in ways I cannot even imagine. A double wide at the end of a dirt road in a small town in Tennessee with no running water or electricity. They litterally had to use the restroom in buckets and dump it in the woods at the end of the day. Patrick, being the eldest of 4, had to cook & prepare dinner for his younger siblings by the time he was in 1st grade. By the age of 10, he worked in the cotton field to get money and helped pay for the electricity when they finally got it. With living arrangements like that, an absent mother, an abusive father, he sure did have the heart & passion for sports! Okay, so i have a lil crush on him! LOL!

Anyways, I was out to lunch with my cousin & a coworker and I mentioned this story and blah blah blah. I mentioned that I only witnessed people living like this in Tonga. It was mind boggling to think that folks live like this in American and this & that. THEN, the palangi coworker says how she actually can relate to his story because she grew up the same way. In a trailor, no electricity, hopping from place to place. But not in Tennessee or Kentucky, this was in CALIFORNIA! First thought that came to my head was this was my time to insert my foot in my mouth RIGHT NOW!!! Second thought was, here I am talking about all these famous uli uli football players who made it out da slums, ta koe, there was a BlindSide story right in front of me! A palangi Blindside story.

What? First i was surprised that my coworker lived her childhood like that. More power to her. But I was even more surprised how that lifestyle hit me close to home. Like, I actually know a person who experienced all of that. And believe it or not, my heart really sunk knowing there are actually starving children in America. I'm not tryna sound like a 5 cents a day informercial, but its just crazy. Maybe i lived my life being very naive, or maybe its because my damn nieces & nephews are frickin spoiled fatties! But this was one of my reasons Santa sprinkle some of his hard stuff on me during this time.


A lil Xmas dinner & Gift Exchange amongst some friends at Nuku's home:)



UNGA GIRL Ugly Sweater/Dirty Santa party. TONS of fun with my fav ladies!!


All my nieces & nephews at niece Skye's bday party


City view in da back of Oakland Temple

2012 is here and here are things going on....

*Biggest Loser 2012- Jackpot $4,000+ Jan-April
*Jan- ProBowl in Hawaii?????
*Jan- 49ers Playoff game at Candlestick... dont wanna watch da game, I just wanna tailgate!
*Feb- Rugby 7's in Vegas?????
*April- go with moms & sis to visit gparents in Vava'u
*May- Big Brother Bear come home from his mission!!!
*May- niece Lulu gets baptized as well as twin nephews Jacob & Jared
*July- Unga Reunion in Hawaii

gettin da X on X-Factor

Like OMG! That was the worse breakdown on a singing competition show I've ever seen! I havent been a big follower of X-Factor this season but I do watch clips on Youtube and this lil girl was too cute, esp singing Etta James "I'd Rather Go Blind". Anyone who can pull off an Etta James tune gots my vote! But she was devastated when she didnt move on. Nicole got dramatically emotional cause she felt it was her fault. . . WHOA! it was crazy! But I too got emotional too so :P This flooded my FB. Some folks are saying she was too confident thinking she was gonna move on, but I think she should've won!

on the 8th day of Xmas....

Past years, I so havent felt the "christmas spirit". I never liked listening to Xmas music cause its everywhere! I complained I hear it in the car, I hear it at work, I hear it at the store, etc I dont walk around in a jolly mood, da best thing about xmas was the movie ELF! lol. I was such a grumpy scrooge!

But this year, so far is sooo different. I feel more grateful, more humbled. I guess it started when watching the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. Prez Monson said "I'm saddened to see Christmas becoming less and less about Christ and more & more about marketing & sales & parties & presents. But yet, Christmas is what we make of it!"  OMG, so true! To me, the season was about wearing cute scarves & other winter clothes, Holiday blends at Starbucks, seasonal peppermint JoeJoe's at Trader Joes and Shopping Shopping Shopping.

That night, we attended a fireside with keynote speaker 49er Will Tukuafu & his wife Krystle. Listening to their stories make me think about myself and what I would've done if I were in their shoes. They're both very humble, very inspiring and it got me re-evaluating my life. (is it too serious in here? LOL) Anyways, on da drive home, I was telling the girls... I didnt grow up with a silver spoon. We had our fair share of Hard Times & humble beginnings. But it seems like, i forget sometimes. And i stated that I need HUMILITY to come and slap me in the face again from time to time as a wake up call. And this sure was a wake up call.

The next day, I felt all jolly & giddy! lol I shared my story with whoever wanted to listen cause everyone else looked at me in disbelief and rolled theirs eyes like, Okay, sure! haha Haters! I'm not trying to save the world but I feel there's more I can do. I looked up a bunch of places to volunteer, not just for the season but throughout the year. My girls and I were supposed to have a craft night and decided why not make a craft and give it to someone we want to share with (ie, a young couple who just moved into town expecting a baby)

On my way to Target, I was at the 3rd Avenue light (which can get pretty busy & congested) The car in front of me wasnt moving at the green light. I sat there being patient (for the first time) and cars behind us were honking, screaming, etc. Finally, the lady gets out the car (probably in her late 50's/early 60's) and screams "give me a break!" Then she's trying to push her own car & steering at the same time. I felt so sorry for her since everyone was being A-holes honking & flipping the birdie as they sped passed her. I pulled my car into the donut shop and walked back to help her. Walking towards her, I can see she was struggling and NO ONE else stopped. By the time I got there, she made little progression. But this was still a busy intersection, folks are still at a red light. I looked up while pushing the car and they're all starring but no one got out to help! I was just lost for words. Maybe they thought I had it all under control LOL But still. We parked her car and I ended up giving her a ride to where she was heading.

So we made these cute ornament wreaths and delivered them. It was too cute and the folks were very appreciative and felt da love. Das What I'm Talkin Bout

My CUTE purple/silver wreath!

Sini's 49ERs wreath

So far, my Christmas Spirit level is where it needs to be....and I love it!

P.S. So Hurry Down the Chimney Tonight:)

Now I'm gonna leave you with a couple xmas commercials I enjoyed as a kid lol

i just like this one in general. lol its cute

a piece of da Windy Cindy

so I'm a cooking show fanatic. I watch it all, Diners Drive-Ins, Top Chef, Man vs Food, Paula Dean, etc. On Travel channel, they always have these ____ Paradise shows (Burger, Pizza, Deep Fry) and they also have a Hot Dog Paradise. Drool in my chair cause the only thing I know bout hot dogs are the Costco ones. *which I may add are the best! esp cause you cant beat $1.50 w/ a drink*

My brother is serving in Chicago and he always talks about their hot dogs and how the best ones are at Cub stadium. A coworker mentioned this place called FLETCH's in Downtown San Mateo so we decided to give it a try.

 It was super cute with all its "Chicago" decour....

The food was excellent. Now I can relate when on the show, they mention the dog makes a "snap" sound. Cause this hot dog had da SNAP! LOL! and the bright green relish is super yum! The pickle is totally covering the toppings under so you cant really tell.

Old pix of me & my nephew Valentino but I just wanna show off my CHICAGO CUBS sweater my brother got me. Not a fan but it has sentimental value lol and it was 4th of July weekend so I wanted to wear Red, White & blue!



can i also please mention today is my "Monday" and its hard already coming back to work after a week. But to come back to this!!!!! OMG shoot me! Where do I start?!?

P.S. Atomic Dooogggggggg... bow wow wow yippy yo yippy yay! lol
YAY for FAT BLOGS!!

Gracias, Malo, Wer Dankin Dir...

November just came, slapped me in da face, and then left! lol I had a nice week off from work and did absolutly NOTHING! Partially because I got sick but still...felt good!

Thanksgiving was great. Mom cooked of course and we had my Young St Unga family over as well as my Auntie Le'o and her husband from Kahuku. Talk about FOOD COMA!

Sis wanted to go to da local bar to watch the 49ers game but we're more chill relax kinda folks so we ended up on the couch at my aunt's house half dead and still full. WHAT A HORRIBLE GAME it was. I give it up to da Raven's defense! they were beastin and hella solid. I just witnessed my dear poor 49ers gettin ripped to pieces! lol no bueno! I was a hard thing to watch!

After the 5th round sitting around the table again. They all decided they wanted to hit up Black Friday! I've never had a Black Friday experience (maily cause I always had no money) but i didnt feel it was necessary. Anyways, they all decided to go, and came back empty handed! lol I went to Hillsdale Mall later on at 3am and it felt weird being there when all the lights are out. Like, I wanted to rob a store or sumin haha

My dear cousin Tasha was getting married that weekend so we spent the rest of Black Friday helping prep for the wedding, setting up at the eating, going to flower mart, etc. We spent that night doing flower arrangements. I dont want to see any hydrangeas in a loooong time. On top of that, imagine it in 30 degree weather lol

Here's a pix of my seat at AT&T park for Cal vs OSU football game. I love coming to AT&T park, it's so beautiful:) Especially with the Bay right behind it

P.S. Many Rivers to Cross...

Happy Birthday Auntie Pou...

My mom's side of the family is so big, her first cousins range from her age to mine! So I do hang out with some of my aunts & uncles. . .  but they're like cousins! ya know lol ITS CRAB SEASON...so original plan was to have a Crab Party since that is Auntie Pou's fav food. Due to some kinda "crab strike", there's no crab ANYWHERE!!! From Manila to Marina market= NADA! So Plan B- SAN FRANCISCO!! Off to the Wharf we go. One of my fav places to go eat. Just our luck, they have the same crab problem the rest of the Bay Area is going through and only have frozen ones. No, Thank You! So we enjoyed EVERYTHING else they had! Yum Yum Yum! Crab Cakes, shrimp, calamari, Fish, Clam Chowder, Crab Sandwiches. We totally pigged out! Kai ke mohe seriously! lol We all thanked Auntie Pou for being born today haha cause any reason to go to SF is a good enough reason for me:)

sis KAT, auntie POU & cuzzn LOTO waitin for the other ladies & drolling over the menu

parked right across the street from BOUDIN so you cant just walk by and not get something! LOL! I got "Garlic Volcano" bread and Loto got "Rustic Stuffing Bread" which tasted like Thankgiving in dough! LOL! So Yum!



cant really get the whole pix but Justin Herman Plaza on Embarcadero was covered with tents of OCCUPY SF protestors camping out! First time seeing it in real life and not on the news.


Luckily for us, my mom has a palangi friend, George, who works at United but is also a Fisherman. In exchange for giving him business, he gives us buddy passes. SCORE!! George brought us crabs he caught on Saturday and we got to enjoy it on Sunday while watching the 49ers vs NY Giants. 2 very good combos!

P.S. Oooooooohhhh. . . .  who lives in a pineapple under the sea?!?

a family that prays together.....

It seems like a lot of my blogs have been about Football lately, but it's only because its da season!!

With all the drama going on with Penn State and their football coaches, Saturday was the first game they had in decades without their head coach & legend Joe Paterno. Before the game started, both Penn State & Nebraska team members joined middlefield and knelt down together and prayed! It was a prayer given by Nebraska's coach and moment of silence for all the victims involved in the scandal. The stadium was in complete silence and filled with tears. This just breaks my heart and one thing I kept hearing with this whole Penn State sex scandal was "lets put an end to silence" YES, LETS!!!

 

Being Poly, I think we greatly appreciate the Power of Prayer. Its the answer to everything! LOL! I dont remember how many times I've been told to "pray about it" and I, in return, have told others the same thing. Its one of the greatest things that we need to take for granted.

Even these Poly NFL players (49ers vs Bengals) took time to gather and pray before the game. Cant be too cool to PRAY!

on a lighter note... super excited that my 49ERS are 8-1!!!! We've always had good players on this team, just needed the right coach and Harbaugh is doing one hell of a job!


P.S. *from the moment i wake up...before I put on my make-up. ILL SAY A LIL PRAYER FOR YOU! hahaha

6-10 THANKFULS

6- Music



Music brings out every emotion! A song can make you cry, a song can make you jump out your seat and dance. It can make you fall asleep and it can make you fall in love. i LOVE all types of music...i listen to it all (with the exception of House music..sorry, no fist pumping here) I can clean the house to slow jams, sing along to country in the shower, play Venga Boys in my car at high volume, get ready to  Pour Some Sugar on Me, karaoke to Total Eclipse of the Heart... endless possibilities lol


7- Friends



"So no one told you life was going to be this way.
Your job's a joke, you're broke, you're love life's DOA.
It's like you're always stuck in second gear,
Well, it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year.

But, I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour.
I'll be there for you, like I've been there before.
I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too."

YES, it is the theme song for FRIENDS but what more can i say. There's a quote I heard years ago and I loved it instantly. "FRIENDS ARE THE FAMILY YOU CHOOSE OURSELVES" And it's true! I love my friends, and is so very grateful for them all.

8- Hawaii

Where would I be without this place? oh, at home! LOL! There's so much to do there, so many islands to visit and i love it all. Beaches, sunsets, waterfalls, food, love it. No wonder why 50 First Dates is one of my fav movies! Every time we talk about vacation, Vegas is whatever, East Coast (besides Florida) is never an option, love San Diego but it's too close to home... HAWAII is always the answer and hasnt disappointed me yet! Next visit would probably be Unga Reunion 2012!

9- Freedom & Opportunity

We live in a country where we have endless possibilities I have yet to utilize it to its fullest capacity but I am grateful that I can do, see, experience things a person of my race, gender, religion cant do in other countries.
10- Pen 4 YSA

 
I wouldve been inactive and who knows what else. LoL It came at a perfect time in my life when I was kinda stuck and I needed it. I've gained more than friendships & memories but also leadership skills. Communication. It helped me grow up... even when I dont want to lol

Month of THANKS

So Im seeing that other blogs are doing daily blogs of things they're thankful for. So i guess I got 8 things I need to catch up on but figured I'll do it was a weekly thing as oppose to daily on THANKFUL THURSDAYs. And of course these are not in any specific order:)

1- Gospel/J.C.

     I'm not perfect. I'm not gonna preach. I have my faults just like the next person. I struggle & I stress but with the gospel, i can find peace. It sooths my soul & comforts me. With this, I learn humility, obedience, faith and so much more that I am grateful for.

2- My Parentals

My parents are awesome! I'm such a Daddy's girl...but I dont know where I would be without my mom. I have a really good relationship with both my parents (i believe all my sibs do) They've sacraficed so much for me and I see how much they would help me in a drop of a dime!

3- Siblings

We fight sooooo much but who doesnt! LOL! but that's because Im close enough to them that I can call them out on things. We each have our own personalities which makes our family so unique. We play our special roles in the family and it works for us. No matter what happens, we will always be there for one another.

4- Grandparents

 

The root of my family on both sides. Too much gratitute for them. They taught my parents, who taught me. They even taught me things my parents didnt want to teach me! lol

5- Unga Girls

We're first cousins but grew up as sisters. Since we were babies, my grandparents house on Washington St is where it all began. Kids to teenage years, to young adults, now some are married, some are mothers, some are divorced but we've seen each other thru it all. These girls are my soul mates!!

NFL lovez Boobies!! lol

It was such a nice thing to see how much Breast Cancer Awareness Month of October influenced the NFL. It was even nicer to see the actual players with their "pink" to show their support. Anything, anyone, anywho that supports the pink ribbon is beautiful in my book!

*ahem* HEY VERNON DAVIS!! giggle lol

  

OCHO CINCO