Happy Halloween

Kealani dressed up as a flower fairy this year for halloween. Maiya added the underskirt with the flower petals, and mommy did the hair piece. She was so cute and had such a great time telling everyone "trick or treat". We of course enjoyed our yummy pumpkin waffles before going out.:)

Headed out to our neighborhood block party. Kea had fun playing games, jumping in the big bouncer, and even won a cake in the cake walk.

Anything scary that Kea sees she calls it "ewwww! yucky!!" People that were dressed scary she would call them that. But we saw a witch in the store and she said, "Ewww! Naughty naughty, you go time out!" Good thing it was a dummy. This little gremlin she was nervous about, but eventually got up closer for a picture and even ended up giving it a kiss!

Kealani being oh so cute

After trick-or-treating Kea exclaimed, "trick or treat so fun!! I like a trick or treat!"

Daddy carved a pumpkin and placed it out on the driveway with a candle.

Kea doing such a great job at potty training. What a big girl!!

Uncle Davey came in town and Kea had a great time following him everywhere. Here are the two at Maiya's house playing with toys. Never thought that I would see my big bro play with, and KISS, a barbie doll...but Kea sure knows how to work miracles. :) Dave, for your sake I didn't post your big smooch with barbie.

Family Fun

Congrats to Rhianna & Brad Baggs. They tied the knot August 15 in the Mt.Timpanogos temple.

Papa and Kea. Kealani got to be the flower girl. She loved the idea of throwing flowers everywhere.

It was so great to finally see the big sis again! We even got to sneak out for our own little sista date, so great! She is just behind me in pregnancy and is going to have her 5th child!

Papa and Kea playing in the water. Kea got mommy and papa real wet!!

Kea and mommy riding the horsey. Kea absolutely loves to wear sunglasses, it is a fashion must.

Kea and daddy going down a slide at pump it up, a fun place full of slides, bouncers, and mazes.

Kea met a good friend, Paige, that took her down all the big slides when daddy got tired. It was so cute to see how Paige took care of Kea and helped her climb the big steps.

Our little princess going for a ride in style. Kea also learned how to potty on the princess toilet. She loves to wear princess panties and be a big girl. We are so proud of her!!

Kealani is so good at doing chores with mommy. She loves to unload dishes, and her favorite is to vacuum. She even takes out the hose and does under the cabinets with mommy. What a good helper!

Kea's favorite movies are High School Musical 1 and 3. Most of all she loves Troy Bolton. Daddy bought her a Disney Karaoke game. If the video continued you would see her getting up and dancing everywhere with the microphone in hand. Afterwards, she always bows and says, "Thank you much".

Papa ready for game day! We love the fall for the leaves, weather changes, and football!! Kea loves it too. The other day when she woke up from her nap I aksed what she wanted to do and she said, "umm...I wanna watch football mommy!" She loves to shout and "woo-hoo" with daddy and papa, and yell "Touchdown"!!!

Tommy is in the Young Men's presidency and is the Scoutmaster for our ward. He really enjoys all the fun things he gets to do, and he looks cute in his uniform! Whenever daddy is gone camping Kea makes sure that we get out our sleeping bags and go camping too.

Our little white Hawaiian girl doing her dance with the boys. My brothers Dave and Nick, and daddy rockin' it out with the 'white girl'.

Summer Fun

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted. We have been busy, but having fun! You will find plenty of pics and videos on this post! This summer has been full of great adventures and friends!

Kealani doing her princess pose for mommy. What a cutie!

Tommy and I stayed at an awesome resort for our 5th anniversary. We had such a great time, especially on the waterslide! (I totally won, Tommy, you know it!)

This year I celebrated my 30th birthday! Tommy threw a fun surprise party for me. Awesome friends and Tom's BBQ... it was perfect!!

Kealani turned 2 in June. We had a big party for her. Kea's favorite thing to do is help mommy in the kitchen. Once she realizes mommy is busy in the kitchen she immediately starts scooting a chair over.

Kea loves helping mommy and she definitely loves tomatoes!

Kealani's favorite part was playing out on the slide and in the pool. Here she is with uncle Jesse helping her down the slide. What a little fishy!

Mommy made a big pink flower cake, and kea had fun decorating it all by herself...and eating the cake decorations too.

Tommy celebrated his 28th birthday in July. We had a party, then headed back home to California so he could get some surfing in, and some business for work.

Out in Cali we stopped at one of our favorite restaurants on the water, the Crab Pot. I used to work here when I was coaching and saving up money for the next college semester. It is right on the water, so you get a great view, fresh air, and really awesome food.

Tommy had fun eating his seafood mess. Kea enjoyed watching until daddy started teasing her by pinching her fries with the crab claw. In the end, she did end up eating a fry that daddy fed her with the claw, though she was quite reluctant. It was so hilarious!

We spent a day in my hometown of Huntington Beach. It was such a blast to walk the pier like Tommy and I used to do. It really is odd being one of the tourists now! We walked out to the end of the pier and had fun reminiscing of our first date and the many that followed.

Kea is still intimidated by the sand. The first thing she did was crawl up on daddy's tummy so she didn't have to touch it. When daddy rolls her off she yells, "Foot is dirty!" Eventually we got her on the sand and she was all giggles. She loved playing in the water!

Kea and Daddy being so cute and happy after playing in the water! I love my little family!!!

Here is my little bug on the 4th of July. It was so cute to see her face as we watched the fireworks. She had a blanket ready to pull over her head each time a really big one went off. We never could figure out why, but she kept calling them Kuni. "Wow, mom see Kuni!" Then we realized that is what she calls anything with fire, including lightning.

We got to stay in Phoenix while our best friends came into town for a family wedding. Daddy asked Kea to give a really big smile for the camera, here she is... trying real hard!

Kea and Becky's little girl Lexie became friends immediately...it was meant to be!

Kealani loves music and dancing. We happened to look over and see her dancing all by herself in the middle of the dance floor. She normally loves really fast moving songs, but this showed us she has a softer side.

Tommy has been on lots of business trips this summer. One trip in July he took to Washington D.C. (my mission!!). He got a chance to hang out with my older brother Dave and his girl Kelly. Hopefully next time I can go too!! Tommy came home with a doggy that they built at the build-a-bear shop. We named it Kapu after daddy's favorite dog. Now it is a must have at bed time! Love you Dave and Kelly!

We had a fun romantic getaway to the Westin Resort with our best friends Ryan and Becky. We had a great time sliding down the slide, ordering food by the pool, and late night complimentary cheesecakes (all in all we got 6 free desserts that night, a couple of roses, and some good laughs).

My cute little Kea getting ready to head out camping up at Mt.Lemmon. She sang the whole way up the mountain...camping, camping, camping with mommy and daddy!

Kea loved her camping vest she said, "so comfy! see pockets!!" She got even more excited when we put gloves on her hands!

We got the tent set up just in time to jump inside before a very big monsoon storm hit. We got in just as the rain started to pour, here is Kea semi soaked as we listen to the rain.

Kea loves the monsoons out in AZ. She is not scared of thunder at all. When the thunder sounds she says that it is talking and that the thunder is happy! She also loves to put on her raincoat and splash in the rain. Her favorite thing to do is lay down in the puddles!

Yay, a new bed!!! Tommy and I have loved our queen. But we have been saving every money gift for a year so that we could buy this big present to ourselves, a very comfy king bed!! We love it! Oh and I also have to give myself props for the paintings on the sides of our picture, and freehanded them!! (by the way, that is HUGE for me...I did something crafty and actually loved the way it turned out!).

Kea's favorite song is "I am God" (I am a child of God). She sings it all the time. A while ago I was cleaning in the kitchen when I heard her trying to play it on the piano and singing. It melted my heart. She will sing this everywhere we go for anyone willing to listen. She even sings it when she is sad, between sobs and tears or loves to belt it out in the car. I have also found many times that it is a great alarm clock through the monitor in my room to wake up to :)

Hope your summer is going well! We are off to Utah now for Rhianna's wedding!! Love you all!

Tommy Lopaka, Jada Leilani, and Kealani Michelle

Aloha from Hawaii!

This year's trip to Hawaii was amazing, and such a blessing to have Kealani along with us.  The 6 hour flight was the only part we worried about, and Kea handled it like a pro. After a couple movies, snacks, and naps, we finally landed on oahu around 11:30 am. We got our car and drove to the Hilton right on the beach. We got to stay in the Ali'i tower with its own separate pool and evening appetizers (pupus). As soon as we got in, we went right to the beach and then pool.

The front of the Hilton

The view from our room overlooking the waterfalls.   This is our favorite pool at the Hilton with waterslides and waterfalls.

Kea can be tough about some things, but she is definitely a girl!  She was afraid of getting dirty and walking in the sand, but once she did she was all giggles!

Running from the waves right outside our hotel.  It was so beautiful to see clear water again!

We got up early in the morning on Friday and drove to the North shore so that Tommy could surf. Here Kea is helping Daddy put the yummy smelling wax on the board.

We arrived at Makaha and the waves were small, but Tommy still managed to have fun. Kea and I had a great time gathering shells on the beach and playing with a puppy named wooky.

Polynesian Cultural Center. Rhianna was able to save us $250 at the PCC.!It poured on us, but we had a blast!!  It was so much fun to be there with Rhianna and see all her experiences at school.

All of us on the canoe ride at the PCC. Later that night Rhianna watched Kea and we went to the buffet and Luau. It was such a great show. Our favorite are the fire knife dancers!! Thank you so much Anne for getting us in and for playing with Kea.

Playing at the pool in the Ali'i tower overlooking the beach.

Kea looking way too cute on the beach!

Kea and Daddy at the waterfalls outside our hotel.  Kea also enjoyed the flamingos, big fishies, and penguins throughout the grounds.  Everyday she would run out of the elevator excited to see the animals.

Saturday night we went over to Corinna and Scott's house for some good food and karaoke.  It was so wonderful to be with the family again!! Corinna even set up some eggs for Kea's first egg coloring.  Kea also had a great time making animal puppets.

Kea and Stephanie.      Scott and Corinna.

The Honolulu tabernacle where we went to church for Easter Sunday. We are so grateful for Jesus Christ and for His sacrifices for us and the life that He lived!

Kealani sitting next to the waterfalls at our hotel. She loved all the ponds and rivers throughout the hotel because they had lots of tropical fishies!

Later that day we went to pick up Rhianna (Nani as Kea says) in Laie as she finished her semester at BYU Hawaii.  We had such a great time with her and were glad that we got to be a part of her experience there.

This is the beach right behind Rhianna's apartment, Bikini beach...what a tough life!!! We are glad we went to school at BYU Utah because we wouldn't be done if we'd gone to Hawaii!

Playing in the water at Bikini Beach.

On our way back to Honolulu we stopped at the Byodo-in temple.  It was a real beautiful and peaceful place to visit...besides the grouchy, but beautiful, peacock that was mad at the little birds that kept flocking around.  

Visiting Mom...

We spent some time visiting our mom and tutu that we love so much at Diamondhead Cemetary.  We are so thankful for her and the ways that she lives on in our family. We feel such a tie to her when we visit her hometown.

We love you mom, and we know that you are with us.  Thank you for all of your love, we feel it in so many ways! We are so grateful that families can be together forever and that we will see you again. Aloha no wau ia oe!!!

Our heavenly baby girl!!

We had Easter dinner with awesome Hawaiian food at Charisse's house. Afterward, Rhianna put Kealani to bed and we went out for a walk.  Well, it started out as a walk and ended in a midnight swim in the ocean!!!

Walking along the shoreline of Waikiki. In the background is Diamondhead where we hiked on our honeymoon.  We were lucky to have our "nanny" there to take the pic! ha ha!  All Rhianna wanted to do was play with Kea, so we joked that she was our nanny while we could walk hand in hand and enjoy. Thanks Anne, love you!!

After going on a few waterslides at the pool, we decided to swim in the little bay of the hotel.  Then we decided we might as well just go swim out in the ocean. The waves are so much more fun!

Daddy and kea on our 'white sandy beach'. Mommy and kea sitting by the pool side.

On our way out to the International Market we stopped for a pic at the falls where Tom gave me my favorite necklace when we were dating.

Here we are again, but this is our hot date! We ordered pizza for Kea and Rhianna then headed out for the night. We loved being in the place where we first fell in love!!!!

We had to get our memorable favorites that were inspired by Grandpa... he and Grandma took us to Hawaii when we were first dating.  He got me hooked on Lava flows...I had a ton of them while there!  And he always ordered Oysters Rockefeller for Tom. Neither of us wanted to share!

On Tuesday we took Rhianna to the airport and then spent the day at the beach and pool.  That evening we went with the family to get some great sushi!!  Afterwards, Charisse and Dwight got us into the best show..SOS! What a hilarious talented group. Everytime Kea started to sleep on my shoulder, she would hear a new song and open her eyes wide and start bouncing.  

Uncle Lott is so awesome and got us in to the Sheraton pool. We were soooo happy to see him again and are glad that he is doing well.  The Sheraton pool was on the beach and had a waterslide and a perfect kiddy pool for Kea. Daddy and Kea had a great time running through the little fountains. The best picture is of Tom getting sprayed in the face, totally makes me laugh!

Kea with her little pua (flower) in her ear...what a cute little Hawaiian baby!!

Kealani was excited to see Daddy coming in from surfing.

Daddy giving Kealani her first real surfing lesson in Waikiki!

Kea gets hang 10 the first try...well, almost! Daddy's tactics to get Kea in the water...

Saying Aloha at the airport Corinna gaves us the most beautiful smelling leis. She also made the cutest hawaiian blanket for Kealani.  Kea loves it so much and spreads it out on the floor to play on. Mahalo nui loa Corinna!! Mahalo to all our family. We are so grateful for you and that we were able to come play!! Love you!

Dancin girlz!

A few of us got together for two great luaus to perform. Lots of great dancing, laughing, and food?? We had so much fun, and definitely didn't mind the extra cash:) We love to shake it!! We have another Luau coming up on May 16th but this time the boys are going to join us so it should be a blast!

Renaissance Fair

We decided that we had so much fun last year at the fair that we would make it our yearly tradition.  It was much more fun this year because Kealani could enjoy all of the rides and animals.

In front of Storybook Castle and all of the farm animals. Kea had a great time feeding the sheep, mooing at the cows, and neighing at the oversized horse.

Kea's favorite ride was a giant swan that swung back and forth.  The worker said, "I hope she will be ok, once it starts we can't stop it!" I told him no worries!! Kea laughed and giggled the entire time!

Daddy and Kea took a ride on the elephant (ephan as Kea calls it, and then sticks her tongue out and blows bubbles as she tries to make the elephant sound), those things are huge!! Daddy got a kick out of it too.

 

At the jousting tournament, Tom eats his giant turkey leg...pretty proud of the messy barbeque face it leaves behind.

My two kids dancing to music and cheering for our knight.

This fairy is the cutest thing! Kea calls her pincess (princess).  She doesn't talk, only plays a little flute.  Kea gave her a dollar and in turn the pincess gave her a blue jewel and sprinkled fairy dust on it. Kea was so amazed!

PGA Golf Tournament

My big brother Dave works for XM radio (the very satellite that my dad launched while mission director of Sea Launch) on the PGA tours.  Luckily it brings him into town quite a bit, we always have a blast. Whether its playing four sqare on the tiny tiles in my kitchen, or celebrating Daves birthday again, and again and a, anyway.  Dave always gets us tickets into the tour and we get to see hime in action.  He also hooks us up with head sets to hear what is going on behind the scenes. Thanks Dave!

Out on the green waiting for the next player.

So excited to be riding on Papa's shoulders.  Kealani LOVES to wear her sunglasses!! She calls them "sun".  She even knows how to wear them on top of her head like mommy when we go inside.

Tom lookin hot! :)

Kealani was so excited to be out with the family! Lately she has been picking up words and phrases like crazy!!  She started saying, "again" but with an English accent! :)  When we were out on the green I gave her a sippy cup, and she looked at me and said, "Tee-too, Jada" (thank you). We all busted up in laughter!  Guess we really gotta watch what we say now!!

Back in Cali

So fortunately Tom has a lot of business trips out in Cali so that we can travel back there a lot.  We really both miss living there, but there is also a lot to say for AZ....no smog, NO TRAFFIC, no high prices on everything, and we have the best sunrises and sunsets...and the coolest rain storms I have ever seen!  This past time in CA we were quite busy, and had lots of fun along the way!

Daddy and my baby K being so cute! We stayed in the Hilton and had a great time playing, working out, and swimming.  This is my favorite part about vacation, I love going to a hotel! My dad used to always make sure that when we stayed in hotels(which was a lot because we always had some new adventure to be on) that he would find one with a pool and we would entertain ourselved for hours!

My beach boy catching a wave.  This is what makes a trip for Tom...the beauty, the serenity, and just some good old Hawaiia-style longboard surfing.

Thankfully I got a chance to get out too! Those of you who know me well know that I am addicted to running and working out. :)  I used to run a lot in college and before I had Kea. My favorite was running along the beach when we lived in Huntington.  Lately I stick to 3-5 miles, but I was proud of this particular run which was 6 miles down to the beach and back with some nice hills. 

Kealani being "pretty" for the camera.  While Daddy was working we took a trip down to the pool and had so much fun.  Kea is like mommy and Daddy in that she can't get enough of the water.

We were able to visit quite a few people and we even made it out to see GG (Tom's Grandma).  She took us to the most beautiful restaurant on the golf course. We enjoyed the delicious food and the beautiful scenery and water falls. Thanks GG, Love you!!  We also had a great time staying with our second family, the Walborns.  Kea loved visiting Debbie and John's new puppy Nala. We also got to stay with Tom's dad, Rex and Emilie and had so much fun and lots of good food like always!!! Thanks everyone, we love you!!!!

All Bundeled Up!

Here is Kea looking so cute! She's getting ready to go on momm'y run.  She loves going fast in the stroller, just chillin' there eating her cheerios, drinking milk, and reading a good book while mommy does all the work...what a life!!

This is what she does when you ask her what "pretty" looks like. She tilts her head to her shoulder, squints her eyes, and attempts to smile big. She will even shout out "cheeeeeeeese" as you take the pic.  And if you show the picture to her she will even exclaim, "oh, nice!". I love my little bug, what a fun little friend to have around!!!