Homecoming

Brooklin's homecoming dance was this past weekend.  Her old school didn't have a homecoming dance, so this was her first time going.  She said she had a lot of fun with her date, Wyatt.  Here are the pictures...aren't they cute!  =)

Avengers Dress and Heels

One of Brooklin's favorite things is The Avengers.  

 She was surfing Pinterest one day and found a pair of Avengers comic book heels that she fell in love with.  The link took her to etsy.com where she learned that the heels sold for $85!  She also found an Avengers dress on etsy but it was pretty expensive as well...($200!!!)

She had a dance coming up, so I searched the web for a tutorial on how to make comic book shoes and found a few (here and here) that didn't look too hard.  I ordered some cheap comic books (from NewKadia.com) and then took her out to find some heels.  I also went on a search for some Avengers fabric and a dress pattern that was cute and had sleeves (way harder than you might think!)

It took us about 6 weeks to finish the dress and shoes.  She really wanted to help with everything, but she is rarely ever home...so what could have taken me a few days, turned into weeks...but I'm so glad I got to work on this project with her!  She had a great time at the dance and everyone loved her outfit!

The Finished Outfit!! So Cute!

The Gathering Place ~ Youth Cultural Celebration

Brooklin and Caleb were able to participate in the Cultural Celebration for the Laie Temple Rededication on Nov. 20, 2010.  It was one of the most amazing and spiritual performances I have ever witnessed!  President Thomas S. Monson was there and Henry B. Eyring came too.  The prophet spoke to all the youth and then we watched the performance (it was 90 minutes long). I was able to find some good video on YouTube, so I have added the videos after the photos (thank you so much to "Mikaele293" for the great video).

The evening started out with a speech by President Thomas S. Monson.  He told the kids he loved them and that they would always remember this time in their lives.  He told them to write their feelings down in their journals as soon as they got home.  He blessed the youth...and it was beautiful.  It was so amazing to be in the presence of a true and living prophet of God.

Act 1

Act 2

Hewahewa meaning "a great many"

Kala'au or stick dancing

Act 3

Pu'u Honua

a place of refuge, sanctuary

a place of peace and safety

Act 4
Honoring Johathan Napela and George Q. Cannon

This group sang a very beautiful version of "Teach Me To Walk In the Light"

(most of the pictures turned out blurry) =(

 

Act 5

Early Immigrants

Act 6
Joseph F. Smith (our stake)
Joseph F. Smith first came to Hawaii as a missionary at the age of 15.  He was a missionary in Hawaii for four years.  He was very sick at one point and had to be nursed back to health.  He returned to Hawaii several times during his life, and when he was the prophet he announced the building of the temple in Laie Hawaii, also known as "The Gathering Place".

Act 7

Building the Temple

Act 8
WWII

Act 9
Other Islands

Act 10
David O McKay
announces the building of BYU-Hawaii
and
King Kahmehameha

Finale
Every youth performer went to the floor and they all sang "Army of Helaman".  It was so powerful!  The temple rose up out of the ground while they were singing and I still get chicken skin when I think about it!

Our kids

First Stake Dance

Brooklin got to attend her first stake dance last Friday.  (It was actually a Tri-Stake dance).  She was very excited to go and had a blast!  Darwin and I dropped her off at the stake center and then went to watch a movie (Dinner for Schmucks...funny stuff).  When we went back to pick her up, she was beaming.  Her leaders said she made the dance fun for everyone around her, and that she danced the whole night (in heels no less!!).  She danced with a few boys, but mostly had fun just dancing with her friends.  While we were in Idaho visiting family, Brooklin got to go through some of my sister's clothes and came out with a ton of new stuff.  The dress she wore to the dance was actually my sister-in-laws dress that she passed on to Marnie several years ago!  hahaha!  They did not have to dress this nicely, just Sunday dress (no jeans/jean skirts and no rubber slippers...boys had to have a collared shirt on), but she was really excited to get to wear it.

5th grade promotion

Caleb has graduated from elementary school and will be going to middle school next year with Brooklin!! His school had a fun little ceremony for the them and their families. The principal started by giving out special awards. Caleb was surprised to have his name called for a special award. He got a Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Citizenship and Courteousness. There were about seven other kids that received this award, and the certificate came with a pin.

After the special awards, they called each of the kids up to receive their "diplomas". When that was done, they had their school band play, and then this drum group play (it was all 4th and 5th graders in the band and drum groups). Next the entire 5th grade did this really cool step/clap dance and then the Virginia Reel...I got those on video.

I can't believe Caleb is old enough to go to middle school next year. Brooklin asked if she had to walk home with him after school...ummm YEA! She will be in 8th grade and isn't interested in being seen with a lowly 6th grader... =)

Caleb with his teacher, Mrs. Vreeland, and with his two certificates.

Receiving his award and diploma from Mr. Wilson the principal

this is the step and reel dances...it is 6 minutes long, but it was pretty cool.
(Caleb is hard to see, but he is in the center line...right under the word Valley on the sign...and he is fifth back, wearing a navy blue shirt)

Ward Christmas Party

This is going to be quick, but we had a ton of fun at our ward christmas party tonight. It was Aloha themed, and each organization did a dance. Primary did Hawaiian hula, Young Womens did Tahitian, Relief Society did Tongan, and Elder's Quorum did Fiji. Oh, and the Young Men did Samoa, and the High Priests did New Zealand...but I didn't take video of them, since none of us were in them. We had a ton of food, and then did our program. The videos follow this post. Who knew we would all learn so many Polynesian dances AFTER leaving hawaii?! There are a lot of Tongans and Spanish people in our ward, so they all just taught us the dances. It was really fun.

Caleb, London, and Isaiah doing hula to Pearly Shells.

London is second behind the girl to Isaiah's left, and Caleb is in the back of the next over from London.

Darwin dancing Fiji style

The Elder's Quorum did a dance from Fiji. It was funny, they were supposed to have music, but someone forgot it.

Melissa doing a Tongan Dance

The Relief Society Sisters did a Tongan Dance....check out my feathers!

Brooklin dancing at our ward party

Our ward's Christmas party theme was Aloha. Each axillary did a different dance. Brooklin's was from Tahiti. She did Awesome!

I guess I think we're boring now... =)

Sorry I've not been keeping this up very well this month!

Family Updates:

Darwin: Dar left on Monday morning to go to his grandma's funeral. It was this afternoon. He gets back on Saturday, and I am glad for that! I haven't been going to bed until late all this week, and I almost fell asleep in the library this morning while I was doing my homework...hehe. He told me that he is so glad he was able to go and be with his family. He got to see a lot of his cousins and such, that he hasn't seen in probably 10 years. He also got to see Jared and Sarah's newest addition, Cambry. I am jealous, but grateful that he could go. He never really tells us about work, so I think it is just going fine. He has to leave or be on the phone forever at least once a week during his "home time" to help fix a problem, but it isn't too bad.

Melissa: I am having fun in college. I have two classes, communications and math (elementary algebra), and am doing well in both of them. In communications, I have given three speeches (A, A, and A-) and have a group debate on kids and computer games tomorrow (Friday), and a group presentation on geocaching on Monday. After that I only have a pursuasive speech (due Dec 3rd) that I don't have any ideas on...yikes!...and two papers to write. There isn't a "final" for the class, just a portfolio (the two papers and the final draft of my pursuasive speech). Math is fun. The professor is a hoot. I have taken three tests so far (99%, 100%, and 99%) and have another test on Monday. After that, I have one more test and a final exam on Dec 8th. I registered for spring semester on Monday and am taking three classes (10 credits). I will be taking math (Intermediate Algebra), music appreciation via the internet, and a photography class that meets at night once a week. Also, I started learning a Tongan dance for our ward's Christmas Party. The Young Women are learning Tahitian dance, and the Primary children are doing hula. The men are doing something also, but I can't remember what.

Brooklin: Brooklin isn't doing any sports right now, but is doing amazing with her piano lessons. Her teacher asked her (and only one other student) to be in her husband's violin recital (playing the piano...mom...) =) because she is doing so good. Most of the other students are beginners, so she didn't want us to have to sit through Old MacDonald and Mary had a little lamb over and over...hehe. We just got her report card, and she got a B in pre-algebra, A- in Advanced language arts, A's in Spanish, Science, and Social Studies, and A+'s in PE and Reading academic skill.

Caleb: Caleb is doing well at indoor soccer. He is also in a lego robotics club that meets after school once or twice a week. They are building and programming robots that complete some sort of mission. He just told me that one of robots they are building is supposed to raise a flood barrier. It is really interesting. Later this month, they are going to have a competition with their robots...each mission is worth points, and there are several missions for the different robots to complete. Very cool if you ask me! =) Oh...and they don't get their grades for another week or two, but at the parent teacher conf, his teacher said he was doing awesome.

London: London is also doing well in piano. Her song to practice this week was "Once ther was a snowman" She doesn't practice without being asked, so last week I told her that if she could go a whole week without me reminding her to practice (because honestly, I don't remember that often), I would buy her ice cream. She practiced EVERYDAY! and got her ice cream. On a side note the other kids are being bribed with ice cream as well...Brooklin gets it if she can go a whole week without rolling her eyes and harumphing at me when I ask her to do anything (she hasn't made it yet). Caleb and Isaiah will get it if they make a goal. Isaiah has received (I was going to type gotten...but I wasn't sure if that was a word) two ice cream treats for making a goal in two different games, and Caleb is still working on his. Anyway, back to London...she is doing awesome in school and her teacher said she is a natural helper to her classmates.

Isaiah: Isaiah is so much better at soccer this year, it's like night and day. He rarely follows the coach around telling stories during a game, he chases the ball the whole time he is in the game, he watches his teammates when he is on a break, and he has only done three or four fake falls this year. (Last year, he was on the ground more than he wasn't, and most of those falls were self inflicted)...little nerd! =) He is getting easier to understand, and he catches himself saying words wrong, and tries to correct them himself. His teacher said he needs to work harder on recognizing site words, but that he was a very well behaved student. For our Christmas party, the lady in charge of the program, asked if Isaiah could do the "Pearly Shells" hula by himself. She is tongan, and she was so impressed that he knew the whole thing and could also sing the hawaiian part. He learned it in kindergarten for his May Day dance and still remembers it and sings the song often.

OK...I hope I don't wait so long next time to update this. I'm really not that busy...mostly in my free time, I'm either sewing, or playing on Facebook, and I have a lot of free time, so no excuses! =)

Isaiah and Melissa go Native (Alaskan)

I got the pictures off of our phones, from the barbecue (see the post under this one). First the guy on the right (with the blue shirt and drum) told us a really long story from his tribe/house while he prepared the salmon pit. He put coals in the bottom, then lined the pit with grasses, then ferns, and lastly with skunk cabbage. Then he told us he cheated and baked the salmon in the oven, because it took 8 hours to do it in the pit...but he put the cooked salmon on the leaves to heat it back up, and then covered it with more greenery. He is married to the lady in the gray sweatshirt in the middle of the first picture, and they have a drum group. (She is also the Native rescourse person at the college and did the stories for our orientation...see the post under this one also for that story.) They sang and drummed a welcome song for us around the fire and then they did another song...all in Tlingit. After that, they moved away from the fire to do a dance with the drums. He wanted us all to be involved, so after they did the dance, all the drummers gave their drums to someone in the audience and taught it to them. That happened once more, and Isaiah literally ran and took a drum...he wanted to do it so bad. One of my other classmates gave me a drum as well, and said "Here, you can go and do it with him." So, Isaiah and I learned a Tlingit drum dance. It was pretty fun, and Isaiah was so funny...wished we had brought a camcorder.

Welcome song around the salmon pit.





Drum Dance








Isaiah and I doing the drum dance.