Holidays = Happiness :)

I just need to mention that I absolutely LOVE everything about the holidays. I love shopping for presents; I love wrapping paper & wrapping presents; I love Christmas music; I love holiday lights & decorations... I just love it ALL. I am so excited to spend this Christmas with my family; I can't even explain it.  This Christmas feels different for some reason (I'm not sure why), but I'm excited to enjoy it as much as I possibly can! I know it's going to be GREAT! :)

Christmas Cookies :)

Welcome, December!

I love love love December! (Who doesn't love the holiday season!?) I'm super excited for all that this month has in store for me! I have two weeks left in Hawaii (technically one week & six days) & then I'll be heading to California on the 14th.

Before I leave however, we are having a Christmas party with the cousins on the 11th since I won't be here to celebrate with them. I know it will be tons of fun! We're still in the planning process, but we've talked about Christmas cookie decorating, ice skating & of course Christmas movies! Can't wait. :)

Nalani & Toshi's Winter Dance Showcase is this Saturday.  I love watching my cousins dance! & My last day of work is the 10th.  I think I'm going to be a little sad when all of our sessions are over... Some my kids are a pain in the butt, but I love them all!

Of course I have a ton of things on my CA Christmas to-do list, and that includes a two-day trip to Disneyland the 15th & 16th with my cousins. I am so SO excited! The happiest place on earth during the happiest season of all... are you kidding me!? :) :) :) We're getting our Christmas tree on the 17th & then on the 18th we're having our annual Christmas party with the neighbors-- always a good time! I have so much to look forward to this month. I am SO blessed!

& Just because this post wouldn't feel complete without a photo, here's one from my recent photo-shoot with The Hamilton Family. Thad was on R&R from Iraq, so Lacey asked if I would take some photos of her family for their Christmas photo... This one isn't exactly Christmas-photo-material, but I love it! 

Thankful.

I'm a little late for Thanksgiving, but it's good to be thankful all year round, right!? :) I have SO much in this life to be thankful for... I am so, so blessed. I really couldn't ask for anything more. I'm thankful for...

In honor of the new Harry Potter movie...

"I'm thankful for laughter, 

except when milk comes out my nose."

--Woody Allen

Make sure you aren't drinking any milk when you watch this video. I love my little sister & Harry Potter. :)

Paint Party!

Last Friday at work we had a Paint Party with the kids & it was so much fun! My group meets in Miller Annex every week & at the end of this semester it's being torn down... So, we decided to paint the walls white & let the kids go wild.  It was a lot of fun! The kids were great and very creative! They were calm and concentrated and they barely made a mess at all. :)

One Month.

One month until I go to California for Christmas.
One month left in Hawaii.

"Soon the sun will set on my time here..."

Not sure how I feel about this...
I have a LOT of things I want to do before I leave.

Here's a list, so far:
(I love making lists.) :)

• Spend a day in Waikiki playing tourist.
• Go to the Waikiki Aquarium (even though I've heard it's kinda lame.)
• International Marketplace.
• Watch the sunset over Waikiki Beach.  
• U.S.S Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.
• Olive Tree in Kahala. (I NEED the mussels once more before I leave!)
• 3-4 hour hike in Hawaii Kai that Kaili told me about.
• Tanioka's & Poke Stop in Waipahu.
• Spitting Cave of Portlock in Hawaii Kai.
• Stairway to Heaven!
• Watch the Van's Triple Crown Surf Competition. (Nov 21-Dec 20)
• Annual Honolulu City Lights (Dec 4-Jan 3) on King.
• Watch a movie at Sunset on the Beach in Waikiki.
• Night snorkeling at Hanauma Bay (December 11)
• Pali Lookout
• Chinatown
• (More to come...)

Happy Veterans Day!

A big THANK YOU to all who have served & sacrificed--
past & present! 

We are the greatest nation thanks to YOU! 

Land of the FREE because of the BRAVE.

<3

A special thank you to my Soldier Boy, Johnathan Matthew Embry.

I love you, Johnny Baby.

ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT!?

I'm happy to announce another engagement in the family!

Yesterday morning my cousin Kira told us all...
that her boyfriend proposed!

CONGRATS KIRA & ADAM!

Yes, that means FOUR weddings next year! :) :) :)

JDRF Walk to CURE DIABETES

On Sunday I participated in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes.  I saw a commercial for it on TV and I know a few kids with Juvenile Diabetes, so I thought it might be fun to walk & help raise some money for the cure.  Originally I decided my fund-raising goal would be $50, but later decided to up it to $100.  The walk is over, but the fund raising still continues.  I've made it to $60, but I seem to be stuck there. :( I HATE asking people for money. Seriously, I'd be the worst salesperson ever. However, the money is not for me... it's for a GREAT cause! So come on people, pitch in! :) Do your good deed for the day & help scientists come closer to a cure for Juvenile Diabetes. Click here to Donate!

Sunday was a beautiful day for the walk.  It was rainy on a lot of the island, but at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki it was beautiful! :) A lot of people showed up, and it was a fun morning. They had Zumba to warm us up, cheerleaders to cheer us on, and even Star Wars storm troopers to give us a laugh. :)

Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp-- A place of grace.

This summer I worked at Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp in Crystal Falls, Michigan (in the Upper Peninsula) as a counselor (or cabin staff, if you prefer.) I worked from June to August, and it was such a GREAT summer! Fortune Lake is one of my favorite places in the whole wide world.  Pretty much everyone who has spent any time at all there, LOVES it. How could they not? It's A PLACE OF GRACE. :)

I love this place. Even looking at pictures of it warms my heart.

Fortune Lake is like a tradition in my family.  My grandparents (on my mom's side) went to Fortune Lake, my mom and her siblings went there, my mom worked there as a counselor, my parents were married there (and had their wedding reception there), my siblings (and cousins) and I have been campers there, and then of course this summer I was a counselor at Fortune Lake. :)

The greatest staff EVER in 2010.

Not only did I get to spend my summer at a place I love, doing something I love-- I got to spend it with some AMAZING people who I learned to love.  I got to meet and work with some of the most incredible, beautiful, wonderful people I've ever met.  We had SO many good times together! & They made my summer so memorable.  

Summer Staff of 2010

I feel like I found myself again this summer.  I was in my Happy Place all summer long. So naturally, I found my happy self. :)  After this summer, I'm happier than I've been in a while. And I believe I have Fortune Lake to thank. (Along with my CAMP GIRLS who were strangers that turned into my best friends in just a few short months.) 

We're the three best friends that anyone could have!

Not to mention all my other favorites!  :)

I love them!

Seriously, SUCH an AMAZING summer! I love camp! :)

Skype is the greatest thing ever invented.

Seriously, I want to kiss the people who invented Skype. I even looked them up: Niklas Zennström & Janus Friis-- here's a kiss from me...MUAH! & Thank you. :) I love being able to see family & friends that are half way across the world.  

I get to blow kisses to my boyfriend in Iraq

& see his pretty face.

I get to share details about my life with my sister (and her finance) & see her newest paintings.

I get to cry with my friends in Michigan because we miss each other so much & we're just so happy to see each other.

I get to congratulate my cousin face-to-face after she tells me about the details of her engagement.

& I get to laugh with my family in California as we talk about how great our family is.

 I love this! Seriously, Skype-- I'm addicted to you. :)

I love Pricebusters!

Yesterday I decided to go to Pricebusters to check out their Halloween sale. (Everything Halloween related was on sale for 50% off.) Although I didn't find any fantastic Halloween items, I did find a lot of other great things! They were also having a sale on every item with a price tag that ended with an 8. Everything that fell under that category was also 50% off. I found a ton of great things and only spent $5.65! I went into the store with $27 cash, and didn't even end up spending a quarter of that! :)

This is what I ended up with:

One calendar, four American flag window clings (they were 9 cents each!), two sheets of wedding magnets, some black leather string, a pack of four sheets of self-adhesive cardboard cut-outs, and some candy to send to send to Johnny. (I'm going to send him a package of movie candies, popcorn, and a "ticket" to Harry Potter since we always see those movies together, and he can't be here when the new one comes out.) Out of everything I bought, the candy was the most expensive!

I love finding great deals! & I especially love Pricebusters because I can always find them there! I went to Walmart yesterday too and bought a new shower curtain for my bathroom... but I'm going to go back and return it today because I remembered seeing a cheaper one at Pricebusters. The Pricebusters' one also came with cute palm tree shower hooks, a toothbrush holder, a matching cup, and a soap dispenser. Of course I didn't think about it until after I made the purchase at Walmart and was on my way home, but whatever.  I already went back to Pricebusters to purchase the other shower curtain set (it was $5 cheaper!) and I'm going to return the Walmart one after my meeting at work today. :)

Anyway, this is the lamest post ever. Haha! But what can I say, I love a great deal! I wish there was a dollar store on this island! I love the 99cent store in Simi Valley, CA.  Speaking of, I still need to print pictures from Disneyland for that super cute Disney Princess photo album I bought there this summer...

Congratulations, Natasha & Alex!

Yesterday my cousin Natasha's boyfriend Alex
asked her to marry him!

Yes, this is an actual picture of him proposing. :)

I am SO excited for them!
(Yesterday was their four year anniversary.)

Now that's THREE weddings I have to look forward to next year...
I love weddings!

Congrats Natasha & Alex!

I wish you all the happiness in the world. :)

A happy family is but an earlier heaven.

(This started out as a post about me and then kind of evolved into a post about my family. That's okay though-- My family plays a big role in my life & who I am.)

My name is Addie. I love my name; I think it fits me well. (And no, it's not short for anything.) My daddy calls me Delmar, my boyfriend calls me Boops, and my best friend calls me Flower Child.  I have a lot of other nicknames too, but those are my favorites. :) I was born and raised in Southern California, and I lived in the same house until I moved to Hawai'i for college in August of 2006 (after graduating from Oaks Christian High School in June.)

This May I graduated from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa with a B.S. in Family Resources.  I'm currently living in Hawaii Kai with my brother Zack.  My first year at UH I lived in the dorms (so much fun!) and then my family decided to buy a place here (they had been wanting to forever) when my brother came to join me at UH.  We've lived in this town house ever since. I'm a very lucky girl-- it's beautiful! Plus we live only a few short miles from my Auntie Ali, Uncle Bert, and four cousins: Ka'ili, Nalani, Toshi & Hokule'a. It's so nice to have some family close by. :)

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE my family more than anything in this whole entire world. Seriously, I have the greatest family anyone could ever ask for.  I am the middle child of seven children, and my siblings are some of my best friends & favorite people...

My oldest brother Nikita is 28 and recently (8/14/10) engaged! He's the kind of guy who can always make you laugh, and he's always having a good time.  He's an AMAZING hockey player, and it's fun to watch him play. GO 92! :) I know he'll always be there to make me laugh or protect me if a guy gets out of line.  Whether we're joking about receding hair-lines or my tendency to laugh in my sleep, it's always a good time when Nikita's involved.

My older sister Emily is 26 and also engaged! Her boyfriend Tad asked her to marry him on January 1st of this year. :) Emily is incredibly creative and talented.  She makes beautiful jewelery and paints incredible pictures. (Two of which are hanging in my bedroom here in Hawaii.) Emily is someone who truly cares about others and always wants to be in the loop.  She's known to call people at the most inconvenient of times, but it's only 'cause she cares. :) She used to beat me up when we were kids, but now that we're older (and at least a bit more mature) we get along a whole lot better! :) --I love her!

My other older brother Zachary is 24 and the smartest person I know! Seriously, I think he might be a genius.  We graduated together in May, which I think is really cool. :)  Zack's a funny guy.  He's one of those people who has a dry/weird sense of humor. This always came in handy at our many (long!) doctor's appointments at Kaiser.  Eventually the nurses learned that they had to separate us if they ever wanted us to stop laughing. :)

I was the baby of the family for six years before my little sister Lily came along.  She's sixteen and hilarious! Nobody can make me laugh like she does.  She's taller than me, skinner than me, has bigger boobs than me, is smarter than me, funnier than me, and still she's one of my favorite people. She's moody and a little crazy at times (hey, she's a teenager!) but anyone who has ever met her would agree that she's a good person to know.  She makes everything more fun.

Samuel and Henry are my twin little brothers.  They're 13-- teenagers!? I have no idea how that happened.  I still remember the day my parents told us that my mom was pregnant with twins.  I was SO excited! My parents always wanted six kids, but they got a bonus. :) Now the boys are big and old and taller than me! They're great kids-- Funny (this runs in the family!), entertaining, sweet, athletic, and smart. I couldn't ask for two better little brothers.

I guess (actually, I KNOW) I have my parents to thank for such an amazing family.  My parents are two incredible people.  They got married and started a family when they were young, and still they made it work.

My dad is a funny, jolly guy.  He's a hard worker and truly wants the best for his family.  He's always up for a good time or a new adventure.  My favorite memories of him include days at the lake wake-boarding, our many trips to Disneyland, and nights spent at home cooking up fantastic dinners and watching our favorite movies.

My momma is the most caring person I know.  She has the biggest heart.  All of my friends love my mom, and for good reason.  She's smart, and kind, and funny even when she's not trying to be.  If you ever have a question, you can count on her to answer it.  She's the most amazing mother, a runner, and a woman of God.  She and I can have a good time with nothing more than the two of us and a small container of white tic-tacs. :)

My extended family is amazing too.  There are way too many of them to write about each of them specifically (I have a ton of aunts, uncles, & cousins) but you should know that I think they are some of the most extraordinary people in this world.  We're known for our laughing & eating abilities. :) 

I'm going to stop here for now. I could go on forever about my family, but I don't want to bore you. :)

Basically, they're the best. :)

Hello, November :)

I've been wanting to start a blog for a while, and since today begins a new month, I thought why not start writing now? This is mostly for me--  I don't really expect anyone to read this, and I don't care if they do or not.  I just like to write and I've always enjoyed looking back and reading old entries from my livejournal & myspace about things I did & feelings I had.  I'm very sentimental when it comes to memories of the past. :)

So here it is-- My first entry! :)

Sugar-free pumpkin crunch :)

Yesterday was Halloween.  (Obviously since today is the first of November & Halloween happens to be on the last day of October.) :) Anyway, I had a fun day! My Auntie Ali and I decided to throw a party because of our new sugar-free lifestyle (don't call it a diet!)  Her youngest, Hokule'a, is eight years old and we knew we had to come up with an alternative to trick-or-treating. (What fun would it be to go trick-or-treating for candy we can't eat!?) So we decided to make a whole bunch of sugar-free treats (along with a delicious dinner!) and throw a party for the fam.  I went to her house on Thursday so we could make the majority of the Halloween treats and of course we taste-tested them too!

The party was a big success.  We started the night off right by having a skype sesh with some of our family members (my sister Lily & cousins Natasha & Trey) back in Californa. We seriously have the BEST family in the world! :) Auntie & I made dinner (spaghetti with meat sauce, stuffed bell peppers & garlic bread-- yum!) & then we all dug in! If there's one thing our family is good at, it's eating. :)

The remainder of our night consisted of pigging out on all of the incredible desserts we made, taking silly pictures in our Halloween costumes, and going to the Haunted House on the other side of Hawaii Kai.  Every year the same family turns their home into an incredible Haunted House, complete with live characters & Michael Jackson's Thriller music video projected on their garage door!

We had planned on carving the pumpkins we got from the pumpkin patch last weekend & watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," but we ran out of time due to all the other fun we were having!  Still it was an awesome night, and Hoku even told my auntie that it was her best Halloween ever. :) Success!

Miley & Minne Mouse :)

The only thing that would have made our Halloween night even better is the presence of my boyfriend who is currently serving our country in Iraq.  Minnie Mouse isn't complete without her Mickey! :(  Good thing I have such a great family to keep me happy when I'm missing my other half! :)

So Halloween is over & that's the end of October. Bring on November!