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. :)