Sumer time!

Those 2 words...can wreck havoc in the lives of some and awesome fun in the lives of others LOL. Not bad havoc, just chaotic, yet fun, havoc :-)
Yesterday was officially our 1st day of summer vacation but in reality, our summer vacation started at 11am Friday afternoon. If this summer is anything like the past weekend, then it is going to be one hell of great freaking summer!!
We kicked off summer with a swim at a popular "watering hole" near to where we live, Bull Creek. The boys played in a split of boulders where the water was just rushing down like a waterfall. No pics but did get some video. After a couple hours of sliding between rocks, we went and got pizza...some great gourmet pizza. And of course some beers (for us, not the boys DUH). Juju said it was the best last day of school ever and I couldn't agree more.
Instead of talking about our lake life, just take a look :-)

Lake Travis is literally 7 minutes from our house...we timed it. I foresee MANY summer days here. You can follow our summer adventures via instagram or keek....you know...cuz y'all LOVE me. 

The sun is shining! Get out there and live! What do y'all have planned this summer or upcoming weekends? 

Family traditions, doing it big!

Can you believe it's already December?! I'm excited. What's in store for me? Well besides the obvious, nothing much really ;-). I do seem to miss my family back in Hawaii much more too. Normal...holidays...want all my family around...you know the usual thing you hear (which of course is totally true). And who am I kidding...I totally miss the warm weather too :-)

*source*

When I was a kid, every Christmas eve morning we got to open 1 Christmas card that we received. Later that night my sister and I would perform in our church's Christmas program (I always had a solo which I performed for 10 years strong). After church we would go to my aunt's house for some food and family time. We would play games and sing karaoke. Then of course around 11pm we would make our way back home and at midnight, I would go to Christmas service with my grandpa. Everyone else would be asleep when we got back, and he and I would sit on our couch and look at our tree until I fell asleep. I always wanted to stay up, but every Christmas morning I woke up in my bed. Of course after everyone woke up (and if you were not up by 7:30am you would get woken up by my sweet little toes pinching you) we opened presents. 90% of my family lived in Hawaii so every Christmas day for as long as I can remember (and even now that I've been gone) my family gathered and my house for a potluck. Eat, watch the Aloha Bowl, eat some more, play outside, play nintendo, and then around 3:30pm my sister and I would head out to the beach. The beach on Christmas day...I totally miss that. I learned to body surf, then boogie board and then surf all on Christmas days (different years LOL, not all on one day).

Of course, I no longer live in Hawaii and there is no real beach here, but my barbarian family and I have created our very own Christmas traditions. On December 6, we have the boys set out a boot for Kris Kringle before they go to sleep. If you were naughty all year, then in the morning you would find a lump of coal inside the boot. If you were good through out the year, he would leave goodies inside of your boot. Of course, for the past 5 and 3 years, Juju and BamBam have always gotten some chocolate and a small toy. (This is a tradition that Big Daddy did as a kid in Germany). In the middle of the month, around the 15th or so, we make our very own ornaments to add to our Christmas tree. We use anything we already have. Last year we made salt dough ornaments. Not sure what we're going to do this year. On Christmas eve, we do a big dinner. After dinner it's bath time. This is the one time of the year that the dudes love to take a bath because they know that after bath time its "PRESENT TIME! OH YEAH!!!" Yes it has always been shouted just like that LOL. We try to get the boys some cute jammies to wear for the first time on Christmas eve too. Last year I think they had Transformer and Cars jammies. After all the presents are open, we have dessert and sing a couple Christmas songs. It's always Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Jingle Bells. They have the rest of the night to play with all their cool stuff until they fall asleep in the middle of it all on their bedroom floor. Yup true story...EVERY YEAR it happens...I walk in to snoring children toys in hand, laying on toys and boxes, tv on. It makes me smile. (And because y'all know I'm a wuss, I even tear up) On Christmas morning, we get dressed (always in something new we got) and head out to IHOP for breakfast. Yup you heard right. The rest of the day is spent hanging out.

We haven't skipped a beat since Big Daddy and I were married in 2005. Same thing every year. Over the years things may change, and we might do things differently or even add some things now and then...but one fact remains the same...even since I was a kid...my family, OUR family is important. No matter how big or how small, our family will always do it big. Big memories will always be made.

What are your family traditions? I would totally love to hear them...TELL ME. I may have to adopt some of them too ;-)

Allow me to re-introduce myself

So for a few months now, my posting has been very sparatic. So I thought that since I am wanting to revamp my blog, I would do an about me post...introducing myself and my world (again) to the blog world (my current blog family & hopefully some new bloggy friends).
*Just a warning--its kind of a lengthy post but well worth it I promise*
I am lil mama here in the locker room. I was born & raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. I attended a private catholic school for both elementary & middle school and a private all girls high school. But of course I was THE rebel lol. I was a teenage mom at 16 to a little boy, skinny. He was the light of my life. He taught me how to be a mom, how to love and care for someone else. I grew up.
After I graduated high school as the most boy crazy, I moved to Las Vegas for college. My first year there, I had my second son, milkshake. *As a side note, skinny and milkshake do have the same dad.* I was in college with 2 kids and no man. Whatever...as long as I had my 2 little guys I was perfect. My 3rd year of college I sent my boys back to Hawaii just the year and a half until I graduated. I think I flew home that year like 15 times. I hated being away from them. That was also the year that milkshake was admitted into the hospital for severe dehydration and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. My world felt like it had come to a stand still. I blamed myself, saying that it was because I sent them to Hawaii. (It took me a very long time to believe that it was not punishment for me sending them back home).
The year I graduated from college, the job I was currently at, offered me an opportunity to train and become a manager at another store in Louisiana. At the time, I had been dating a guy (a little over a year) in the air force that was stationed in Louisiana...the exact same city where this job would be. So I packed up and moved.
To make a long story short, it so didn't work out with the dude, and I decided I didn't want to work for that company anymore. I missed my kids and just wanted to go back home. I was managing a hiphop store when in walked my husband, big daddy. Obviously at the time we both had no idea. When I first saw him, there was just something about him--I mean he basically just blew me off lol. I practically fell all over myself talking to him, basically throwing myself at him. His "I'm the shit" attitude was a real turn on lol. At first it was kinda weird, like I was robbing the cradle because he is 4 years younger than me. But since that day we met, we were and still are inseparable (tear lol). After a couple months of "dating" and sleeping over each others' apartments, we decided to move in together. Shortly after moving in together I got pregnant. What were we gonna do? We knew that we would be great parents together, and said we wouldn't just run off and get married because of it either. Unfortunately, I had miscarried about 3 1/2 months along. It was a devastating experience for the both of us. We helped each other grieve, as he took care of me while I was bed-ridden.
Big daddy decided he wanted to buy a house, and thats what he did. He wanted somewhere big enough for my boys to have somewhere to play and hang out. Shortly after moving in to "our" house, big daddy asked me to marry him. That story itself was hilarious, but I'll post about it another time.
We were married in 2005 and knew right away that we wanted to have a family. A month later I got pregnant and that following summer juju was born. Our first child together. Excema covered, he was still big daddy's pride and joy. He was the light of our lives. Skinny and milkshake moved to Louisiana that same summer. They were more than thrilled with their new baby brother, and step-dad. Life was good. We grew together as a family, enjoying every minute. Life was good. There of course were some things to get used to and we did encounter some issues, but we learned and grew stronger. All the men in my life all under one roof...perfect.
The year, well actually the month juju turned one, I got pregnant again. Didn't realize I was pregnant until I was 3 months along. Since I was on birth control, like I was when I miscarried, we were very hesitant to say anything, for fear of another loss. At about 4 1/2 months we figured we were safe, and let the world know that I was with child (I've always wanted to say that lol). I was so sure our little girl was finally here. Pregnancy was so different this time. I was super excited to see, what people said was like a cheeseburger or 3 "dots" in a triangle, on the ultrasound monitor. When the time came big daddy kinda had it in his head we were having a girl too. Saw the heartbeat, and then there it was. I know it was the hormones but I actually did start crying. A penis. I seen it 3 times before. Big daddy even knew as soon as he seen it. My stanky (also referred to as tank). I knew then that my family was finally complete.
Well there you have it. The locker room doesn't always smell good, and its NEVER quiet. We're definitely not your typical family and we definitely are not perfect. We've got lots of wrinkles and kinks, but hey whatever right? It's not always easy being the only girl, but thats my life and as you can tell...its a shitload of fun!