I Live Life Offline

It's been raining for days, and our poor iMac can't take the humidity. Me neither, man. Everything is getting moldy. Our friends without clothes dryers are either living at the laundromat, using our dryer, or preparing to shovel out $400 to buy one on island. If you hang things outside they get wetter.

Anyway, our computer is in the shop. They said it's working fine now, so maybe it just needed a vacation in AC. Me too, man.

So that's why I haven't been "around" in my online life. I'm living offline.

Also, Ephraim's in Hawaii. He's part of a scientific diving course in Kona. Right now I'm a single mom of three. So I have very little time for computing anyway. I'm occupied changing diapers, giving baths, nursing, disciplining, reading library books, picking up a million messes, and wiping mold off the walls. Wish me luck.

Flag Day '09

This is an old post from April that I never published.

Flag Day in celebrates when American Samoa became a U.S. Territory on April 17th, 1900. It's a big celebration, but we missed most of the festivities because new babies make you slow down life for awhile.

We did make it out to see some fautasi boats in Pago Harbor. They're pretty amazing.

The village of Nu'uuli owns this boat. It's called Satani. There are about 40 men rowing. Villagers train for this event and then compete against each other in Pago Harbor.

Even though the Satani came in third this year, all of Nu'uuli was out showing their pride as if they'd set a world record.

Here they're bringing the fautasi ashore. (That's the waste treatment plant in the background. It smells when you drive by it. And we usually don't swim in this bay because of it.)

It took about 80 guys hefting the Satani on their shoulders to get it ashore.

Then Ella and Isaac went for a dip in the ocean. Samoans just plop themselves in the water with all their clothes on, so our kids did too. They had to ride home in the buff.

Daily Days

This is pretty much how things look around here.

Ella loves Owen.


Isaac loves trucks.


Melinda loves finding Isaac putting on lipstick and mascara.

I have a theory that a mom pays a price for every indulgence. For example, I took an expensive 30 minute nap the other day. It cost me an hour of work and a bag of Hershey's kisses, because when I woke up I discovered a lovely mess waiting for me. The kids had ransacked my chocolate and cookies, leaving wrappers, crumbs and fingerprints. And Isaac had a stinky accident in his undies. It was fabulous.

Won't I be laughing about this someday?

Now to go see what my blogging indulgence has cost me...

Just the Five of Us

Mom snapped some photos before church last week.  It's hard to get five people lookin' good at the same time!  Here are two where we're all semi-normal.

Our Healing Garden

To answer your questions, yes, that was our yard in the Egg Hunt post. Isn't it beautiful?! It's one of the many perks of our new house. We're so happy here.

Actually there are four houses on the property, and we share the yard. And the gardener maintains the grounds. And we just set up our hammock in the screened-in porch. Woo-hoo! (I've been waiting 8 years to set up this hammock I bought in Venezuela.)

I feel like I'm living in one of those holistic-health, healing-garden, estate-places. Perfect for my post-partum recovery.

The big yard

Our house

This was one fabulous sunset.

I made this sign to announce our new arrival, and to give directions to friends since we have no street names or numbers.

Grandma Triumphs Again

My mom, Ann Fillmore, is a super hero.

She fears no diaper, no matter how gross.

She prepares a dozen meals in one morning.

She endures stacks of library books.

She's washed every dish in the house, multiple times.

She beats me in card games (that's actually not hard).

She makes my project dreams come true.
She completes all my daily tasks plus her own to-do's with ease.
She lets me nap everyday.
She calms a screaming newborn,
she occupies a mischievous toddler, and
she engages a curious little girl
... at the same time.

This woman amazes me.

Thanks for coming, Mom! We love you and miss you so much.

How's Owen?

"MALOSI."

That means strong & healthy. He's now 3 1/2 weeks (can you believe it's been that long?!) and everyday he looks slightly different. We can't tell who he resembles. He's just Owen.

Caught it.

Aren't newborns' heads just amazing? (Amazingly huge...)

We Adore Our Sweet Baby Owen