stephen-fua today: 2009

even though i have the tendency to say, "no," i've learned just as well to say, "thaaaaan-kyou!"
they both come quite natural but i seem to get a better response when i use the latter.

it's been quite a year and i'm sure even when the ball drops into 2010, that it won't be anything less.

7 short of 2
...commencing the 2009 year at 7 short of 2 was my traditional visit to the east coast for my uncle faanati's birthday. my mommy treasures that time not only because she misses her brothers like crazy, but she also treasures it because it's bonding time for her and her prince (that would be me). at this point in my life i was more articulate than my parents had hoped. needless to say, they were pleased.

6 short of 2
...my daddy and i spoiled my mommy with her fave - flowers. MAN! does my mommy love flowers or what?!? MY vocabulary increased and i was becoming more and more active.

5 short of 2
...we celebrated my uncle talo's 40th birthday. unknown to me at the time, that would be my last celebration with my uncle for his birthday since he is now home with Jesus. (i love you uncle talo.)

4 short of 2
...brought in two more birthdays in our family along with my vocabulary development that would pleasantly surprise my parents at the end of each day.

3 short of 2
...is always the month that mommy and grammy LOVE. my mommy LOVES the month of may because of mother's day. my grammy loves it for that and for may being her birthday month.

2 short of 2
...we celebrated my mommy's birthday and how GREAT GOD has been to my parents in keeping their marriage strong after 15 years. some people don't think that's a great accomplishment but my mommy? she's amazed that she hasn't messed it up. (she's like that, lol!) i think the word that describes my parent's marriage would be, hmmmmm...NOT perfect...NOT the "usual"...NOT routine...hmmmm...oh I KNOW, thriving! miraculous! these two STILL act like they are girlfriend and boyfriend. (who does that? MY PARENTS!)

SIDE BAR: you would think that out of all these celebrations, that i would at least get to eat some cake. but that would be a 'negative' (as opposed to an 'affirmative' in radio talk). my mommy just now began to allow me to drink certain juices from the store. did you catch that? "certain" juices...and i am not kidding. she and my daddy will find that 'certain' juice for me to drink. i guess my taste buds are forming around the foods and drinks that my parents (mostly my mommy) allow me to eat. i LOVE my mommy's hotcakes! a multi-grain mix with "bloo-beh-wees" - YUM! (no syrup allowed) right now, i LOVE fruits and "car-rets." i also eat salad with my mommy. our favorite is the kind my daddy makes.

1 short of 2
...was a busy month as we prepared to go to samoa with our church's samoa missions team.

2!
I GO TO SCHOOL - since my parents noticed that i was articulating better than they had thought, they began to discuss the possibility of starting me off in school this year once i turned 2. remember, i have been attending day care since i was 5 months old and i LOVE my friends and family at my day care. socializing and interacting with other kids has not been a challenge for me due to how my parents planned my schedule. now don't get me wrong, i've had and still have challenges. this just so happened not to be one of them for me.

by my birthday month, my parents had narrowed their search down for a school for me to 2 Christian schools and 1 non-Christian school. although my daddy and mommy had lengthy discussions regarding this new phase of my life, the ultimate decision was made by my daddy. so when all the older kids went back to school this fall, i began school. my daddy decided that i would go for three half days and continue to go to my day care two days a week. so mondays and wednesdays i go to school, nap and then have aoga samoa (samoan school) with my grammy.

i have since adjusted to my new schedule and am enjoying my new friends at school and learning more samoan words with my grammy. my parents continue to add to my samoan library each year and my grammy is having a blast reading my storybooks to me in samoan along with speaking to me ONLY in samoan when we are together.

MAYFEST - another FUN thing that i did during my "2!" was that i met my horse - mayfest. my daddy and mommy wanted to see how i would be around a horse, especially at my age. they were so proud that not only was i not afraid of my horse, but i actually fed her hay (along with the other two on my uncle faanati's acreage - spirit and abberknockie.)

1 after 2
...at the end of september of this year something occurred that would change our lives forever. my uncle talo was taken in on a 911 call into the hospital and 15 days later went home to be with Jesus. my mommy is truly having a hard time NOT missing him. these two team-tackled our family events and "faalavelaves" since there were teenagers. needless to say, september and october of this year seem a bit surreal. however, the balance of reality continues to poke our hearts an dminds at various depths at every turn as we realize tha tour lives MUST adjust due to the absence of my "always-there-to-take-care-of-us" uncle. my parents would finance our family gatherings and he would take care of the rest. now? my parents continue to finance our family gatherings and delegate what they could to my cousin marilyn and uncle faanati (youngest) along with some of my other church uncles and aunties...otherwise, they now personally take care of what's left to do. thus, our new phase of life.

2 after 2
...october brought yet a couple of notable firsts of me - my first harvest school parade! (my parents LOVED that they called it a "harvest parade" - yes, they are sensitive like that.) i think my parents are having too much fun choosing my costume each year. it's exciting when we recieve my costume. my daddys sits my mommy and i down. he reads the message on the packaging and then he and i open it, we all scream "WOW!" "YAY!" and then my mommy and i go into my nursery to change me so that i can walk out into our living room so that my parents and dog tapa can cheer me on. my parents (especially my daddy) were STOKED that my costume was seriously the most original and classy looking. (remember, my parents are a little biased.) my daddy wanted me to wear an athletic costume but not the usual football, baseball, basketball, etc. the little girls looked cute in their princess costumes, etc. the little boys in our school saturated our halls with their superhero costumes. but me? i showed up in my payne stewart lookin' gold outfit. my daddy proudly grinned from ear to ear while my mommy graciously smiled at all the kids and their parents as they looked at me saying, "that is original!"

the second first for me during the month of october was that i had the honor of being a pall bearer. (maybe the youngest? hmmmm...) my daddy held me while he led the processional in for my uncle talo's family service. he read the Word of God as my uncles solemnly brougth in my uncle talo's casket commemorating their first sibling loss.

3 after 2
...can you say "turducken"? that is a new term that has been added to my vocabulary. (lol!) as my parents and i turn to our first holiday season without my uncle, we realize that it will be different and things will NEVER be the same. but the hope is that we will see my uncle talo again and that brings joy to our hearts and a hope that is real. not because we are Christians, but because that is the truth. God would never take away someone so needed, helpful, supportive, bossy and famly-oriented without having a plan on how we are to carry on with the same standard, level of productivity that had been laid out for us by Him through our grandparents, parents, lineage and heritage. if God is God, then He will show up every single time our family cries out for help. He has always been there and He will continue to be. otherwise He wouldn't be God, right? looking for what God's new plan is what keeps us going (especially my mommy).

it is extremely paradoxical how a painful time brings about a deep comfort and healing. pain is pain no matter how you look at it. but at the same time, comfort is comfort. i hear my parents talk about how they are learning more and more how difficult times are not for their detriment but for their betterment. it is the tool that God uses to strenghthen them. it is THAT Truth that i am thankful for this year (besides my thomas, percy, james, gordon, spencer, emily, murdoch, trevor, bertie, diesel, diesel 10, harold and the rest of my train friends)!

Have an AWESOME thanksgiving as you and your family gather around and remember what God has blessed us all with - Himself!