Happy Mother's Day!!

We are both so lucky to have such awesome mom's! I have always been quite the home-body and i've come to realize over the years that its because i love spending time with my parents. Not a day went by while i was in college, student teaching, or in hawaii, that i wasn't in some form of communication with my mom. She is such an amazing example to me and i hope that i can be half the mother that she has been to my siblings and i.

All growing up I remember having cousins, family friends, even my friends, come and live with us or stay with us for extended periods of time. My mom was quickly dubbed "favorite aunt heidi" because she was always so loving and would do anything to help whoever it was that needed help. I always appreciated knowing how lucky I was to have a mom that told me she loved me and did everything she could to provide the world for me.

Many people know that we recently adopted two little foster babies whom we've had in our home for the past four years. Today at church, one of the speakers (who was also a foster baby) said how much he admires and appreciates women and mothers who take other's children into their homes, that might not otherwise have that love and support, and provide that love like they are one of their own. He stated that there is a "special place in heaven for mother's like that". I would have to agree with him!

Thank you mom! I love you so much!! and so do many others who have had the privledge of having your love and "mothering" heart and influence in their lives!





Not to forget my awesome mother's in law! Chris's Mom Kay is so giving and friendly! She would do anything for her children and love's to spoil everyone :] We love you Kay!



And lastly, Linda, Chris's stepmom. She is such a bundle of energy and always makes things exciting! She too takes such good care of us and we are so thankful for her!Love you Linda!!



Happy mother's day to our wonderful mothers and all the other wonderful mother figures we have had throughout our lives!! we truly appreciate all you do and have done for us over the years!!

brain dump

-we have been living out of suitcases for the past month. i'm ready to have a home base again where i don't have to guess which clothes i have with me and then try to make an outfit out of what's there.

-i hate zits. mostly though i hate that when i get zits i only get one (i know, i'm blessed to not really break out all that much) that completely stands out. bahh...go away!

-i laid out the other day at the house we are house sitting at and my face got really burned. and now its pealing. awesome.

-i'm starting to stress about lack of income, health insurance, and money (even though we have a completely full bank account...for now). never grow up. never.

-that said, we are trying to buy our big purchases while we still have lots of wedding and graduation money. we are going to be purchasing a reaaaaal cute table from RC willey (its half off...literally) and hopefully a big screen tv (its also marked down). big purchases scare me.

-i joined a gym a few days ago and i am loving it. i got back to running (moving and vacations really mess a girls workout schedule up) and i was pleasantly surprised to discover that all of my previous running done in hawaii has paid off a little. i was able to hop back on the treadmill and run for a long time. it was awesome.

-job hunting SUCKS! so inevitably i put it off. which does nothing to improve our income/health insurance issue

-i love the real housewives series on bravo. my favorite is new jersey and i'm so excited that its going to be back on the 16th of this month. new york is growing on me and we watch the new orange county episodes most weeks (even though the old orange county cast was WAAAAY better). i'm glad my husband likes them too.

-if jacob lusk does not get kicked off of american idol tonight i seriously might stop watching the show completely. his performances last night were 100% embarrassing and he NEEDS TO GO HOME!!!

the newest addition...

meet Lucy. our families (as in my whole families...not just Chris and I's) new baby chihuahua. She has a little bit of terrier in her and she is to die for. so cuddly and sweet and mini. she was an impulse buy (literally...we bought her in the wal mart parking lot) but we couldn't be happier. she fits right in. welcome little lady!

Hawaii to Tennessee...

Our last week in Hawaii was spent playing tourists. My family came out to visit and play with us and we had a lot of fun. Too bad the weather was stormy all but one day...oh well. still had fun.

In Hawaii we...
-celebrated Chris's graduation from BYU-Hawaii!!! way to go babe! such an awesome day!
-enjoyed the dole plantation
-at lots of pineapple
-devoured acai bowls (my faaaaavorite snack in the world! already made one here in ca)
-ate out almost every day!
-went snorkeling
-jumped the rock at waimea
-laid out when there was sun
-visited the PCC and went to the awesome night show
-lounged around at the condo playing on the ipad 2 (soo sweet!)
-said goodbye to lots of awesome friends and people
-packed up our newlywed life and moved back to the mainland. Aloha oe hawaii! you will always have a piece of our hearts!!





























The four days we were home before tennessee we had the chance to go the temple to see a family friend get sealed for time and all eternity! it was so awesome to be back in the temple remembering our own wedding 3 months earlier!



We spent four days at home in California before we went out to visit Chris's family in Tennessee. It was my first trip out to Tennessee and it was beautiful. We had a small storm scare the first night we were there but nothing too serious...and no tornados...thank goodness :]

While we were in Tennessee we...
-ate lots of southern food (catfish, not me, yikes!, bbq, potatoes, mac n cheese etc)
-went to Nasvhille
-visited the Grand Ole Opry and Opryland
-slept in every morning
-spent lots of time with family
-met the entier Spann clan (lots of food, lots of people, lots of noise...just like my family!!!)
-were sad to leave but glad we got out when we did, as lots of storms hit the south the day after we left!

this is a fairly typical southern home (larger than some, but same type of style...lots of bricks and columns out front!)




At the Grand Ole Opry. We went to see Josh Turner but didn't realize that he would only be singing two songs! we were bummed but it was still a fun experience...




inside the opryland hotel...place is HUUUUGE!




Its been a busy/crazy couple of weeks but it feels nice to kinda start settling in and not having to live out of a suitcase. Now the real world begins and we are in the process of figuring out what are plans are. stressful and exciting! Lucky to have awesome family that take such good care of us!

Hawaii and stuff...

I wish I knew how to upload photos from my iPod to blogger but I dont. I have lots of fun pictures from our last week in Hawaii like...

-chris's graduation from BYU Hawaii
-dole plantation
-jumping the rock at waimea
-pretty sunsets and more

We are getting sad to leave Hawaii, especially now that we get to enjoy it by playing tourists, but we are excited about getting back to the mainland to see more family and start the job hunt (actually. Not stoked on the last part but maybe if I pretend we are, good fortune will find us???)

Lots of pictures coming soon!!

"Auntie...Can I play with my pet?"

sorry to post another picture of a gecko....you'll see why in a minute. also...this gecko is in NO way as cute as mine and chris's pet gecko gilbert.

On Thursday I took a sub job at a local (as in its on the north shore, instead of in town) school. It was a cute first grade class that I had taught about 2 weeks previous. The kids are cute, call me auntie (love this), and give me hugs at the end of the day. What's not to love?

After lunch, we came back in and started working on a little cut and paste worksheet, while i read the students a dr. seuss book. A particular little boy (somewhat of a trouble maker) who conveniently sat in the back of the u shaped classroom, was straining to hear and see the pictures. He gathered up his worksheet and color crayons and came and sat on the carpet right next to the chair i was reading from. Feeling like this was ok, I continued reading, because he was very intrigued in the story, and was actually getting his work done.

A few minutes passed, and he quickly and quietly stood up and walked over to where his backpack was stored in his cubby. Intrigued as to what he was doing, i let him retrieve whatever it was he was looking for out of the side pocket of his backpack. He came back to me, something in hand, and asked "Auntie, can I play with my pet?!"

I stopped reading, looked at him and asked "well, what is your pet?"

Then i saw it.... a black, limp, and lifeless GECKO!

Shocked, i quickly replied "ewww, thats gross! where did you get that?!" knowing full well, he retrieved it from his backpack pocket.

He told me where, and proceeded to tell me that his gecko pet was named "Candace". very fitting for a gecko, am i right? haha. I made him put the pet gecko outside, as i felt really bad for the poor little creature and knew that he was probably going to be dead within the next few hours.

Oh the adventures of a teacher....guess i shouldn't have been too suprised right? :]

Back in Business

We haven't had working internet for the past couple of weeks...and finally it's BACK! which means we're back....but with only 2 weeks left in hawaii.


all pictures from my little point and shoot canon

Even though sometimes i complain about living here (i know, i know, its paradise, how does one complain?!) i am starting to get really sad to leave. We both say that we are "ready" to get off this island paradise, and we are, but not without a little bit of a heavy heart.

here are some things we will miss the most...

-the beach as our backyard. whenever there is a few hours that nothing is going on and chris is working, i head to the beach, lather on some maui babe and tan to my hearts content. its a little pieace of heaven.

-haleiwa eats. the.best.thai.food. mmmmmmm pineapple fried rice. deeeelicious. and as long as we are on the note of food....blazin steaks, haleiwa joe's (oh those mashed potatoes, i swoon), papa ole's etc. gooood eats people. good eats

-haleiwa town. SO cute and fun and touristy but its just a happy sunny place.

-waimea bay. my favorite beach in the entire world. its perfect.

-spotting and swimming with dolphins and sea turtles. so awesome

-driving along kam highway and being right up along the coast and looking out into the beautiful ocean.

-the low key way of life here. it doesn't matter who drives what (because we all drive junk :] or how much money you have, everyone just gets by and enjoys life.

-the gunstock bikepath. i've started to log some miles on that path and i'm going to miss it.

-acai bowls/smoothies from angels. i could eat one every single day of my life. i've already looked into getting acai packets at home so that i can make them on demand. now we just need to find the perfect granola....mmmmmm i will probably miss these the most.

Hawaii. you have been good to us. we will miss you a lot. good thing we still have 2 weeks, one of which will be spent with my fam bam playing tourists on an island we have grown to call home. we got it good, falling in love and starting a life together on a small island paradise. you will always hold a piece of our hearts.

and as my mom said "enjoy it now, work and all, because soon you won't be there, and you'll work the rest of your life to get back there" too true....