Seven

We have been blessed with yet another beautiful babe!  Elijah Akeakami is so precious.  Who would have thought  we'd have seven children, oh they are such a blessing and I am so amazed at the love of our Father in Heaven who entrusts us (with all of our flaws) to raise these children. With every child my love for each of them grows so much deeper.  When expecting my second child "I thought...how could I love another as much as I do my first?"  It's amazing how our love becomes immeasurable with each child that you have. How much more is the Father's love for us? 

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-17

The Beauty Around Us

Some of the best gifts are the ones all around us, the ones that usually go unnoticed.  As I take a walk with my children I can't help but marvel at the beauty all around us. I can't help but to think about the beauty of our Creator and how good he is to us to give us these gifts to enjoy. Everything is so beautiful around us. Every tree, every creature, every person. Even in the midst of a challenging day just to step outside and look around at the wonders that God made.  To think that we don't have to travel miles to see the ancient wonders of the world like the Great Pyramid of Giza, but in our own backyards whether big or small every created thing is a wonder because God made it all.  And how blessed we are to be able to enjoy these wonders.  He is full of Beauty.   

Thank you Lord for the gift you have given me to see, to smell, to touch and the words and mouth to proclaim the beauty of your creation.  I love you!

Still

Be still and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

This verse says so much to me at this time of the year.  As I approach Jesus's birthday I don't want to forget to acknowledge my Savior.  And through all the busyness of my mind with thoughts and anxiety of what I shall do this year for my loved ones and friends I am stubborn.  I fail to go to the One who gives me peace.  I continue with my busyness and my heart is heavy because I know that all He wants for His birthday is my heart. 

My dear sweet Jesus, capture my heart and don't let me go far from you. Draw me close to you and hold me tightly in Your arms. This is where I want to be.  Still...with You.

I Wonder

 During the day as we are going through the motions we forget so easily about what a blessing our children are to us.  We get so busy. Some days it feels as if all I did was tell the kids what to do. All day. I wonder if I even had dialouge with my children about anything else than to do this or to do that. Am I just merely letting the days go by without taking the time to build relationships with my children?  If the only reason I have children is to tell them what to do then when it's time for them to leave our home it was just that. They fulfilled their duty to mom and dad and now it's all up to them to live life and I never made the time to get to know who they really are.  What would make them want to come back? Is that what it is?
Am I taking the time to sit and get to know my children?  Am I taking the time to play and laugh with my children?  Sometimes at the end of my day I wonder, then I go to sleep and thank my Father in Heaven that it's an awesome thing that my children are so forgiving and that they love me just because.  Is that how our Father's love is? 

Missing Him

" Where's Cody?" Baby Ash asks.  "When is Cody coming back?" Tori inquires. These questions kind of come to me as a surprise. You'd never think that they would miss their big brother with the teasing and tattling that goes on, but they do.  My response to Tori was, "maybe like seven days."  And then she asks to show her how many days that is in fingers and I put them up only to hear  "aww!"  "Do you miss him?" I ask.  "Yeah..."she says.
We do miss having Cody around even just a for a few days.  I don't even want to think about the day he prepares to leave our home.  What a hard day that will be.  I'm just so thankful that we get to spend all the time that we do spend together as a family.Whether we're working, playing, relaxing, sleeping...we're doing it together and we'll have much to look back on and remember all the good times we've had.  I always have people tell me that "they grow up soo fast."  They are right.  Our babies grow up too fast, before you know it they'll be all grown up. 
Cody, take your time growing up. We don't mind having you around :o) We love you! 

I really am happy for him while he is spending the week at grandma's house.  He's planned this for over a month now so he could go to Honoli'i and surf everyday before the Honoli'i Paka surf contest on Saturday.  Hope he does well and has lots of fun!  It really is a good break for him and he desreves it.  You are awesome son!

A is for apple

Today I did it! I made my very first apple pie.  And it was delicious.  I have been wanting to make an apple pie for the last month and forever now. I purposely bought a whole bag of granny smith apples the last time I went shopping so that I could make something apple.  I always end up making something simple like an apple crisp, but I have always wanted to try to make an apple pie and for some reason it kind of really scared me, you know the crust and all, something about it. Thanks to our Apple theme this week with the kids.  I borrowed a whole load of books having to do with apples from the library and all week (you gotta read "The Apple Pie that Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson- what a lovely book!) we have been reading about apples, doing apple art, yesterday we did apple stamping and today was the BIG day....to make an Apple Pie with the help of the kiddos, well just a little because you know, I wanted it to turn out just right and there couldn't have been any mistake during the processs....It actually turned out to be more of a cooking show with the kids watching....How fun!  We all waited in anticipation staring at the pie bubbling in the oven for the whole hour and when it was ready, oh everyone gobbled it down.  There wasn't even time to let it cool down not even for 5 minutes.  So now the Apple pie, well it's in our happy tummies...and there is one left over for daddy unless it doesn't make it until tomorrow morning. Ode to our Apple Pie!

                                             

Don't forget to read this lovely book to your littles!  You won't regret it, I love the pictures.

Olivia's Art

What happens when I leave my computer and a 6 year old little girl takes over? She creates.

And these are just a few of her creations!

                           

Olivia, you are an amazing artist, I love you!