Holy crap...

If you've ever needed a reason NOT to have children...here it is.

First of all, let's take a closer look at the cute little girl known as Ella. Such a sweet, innocent little girl. Not a care in the world...big bright eyes...rosy cheeks....aaaawww....lets all take a minute and oooh and aaawww....

........

You done?

Okay, now that that's done. Let's take a closer look at the monster within....

Today, I put Ella down for her regular nap. I gave her a bottle and she went right down. Usually after about 20 minutes or so she will start fussing because her bottle is empty and she wants another one. So...after about 20 minutes she did start fussing. I waited about 10 more minutes so she would be good and tired and go right to sleep after I gave her a bottle, but when I opened the door.

Oh...

My...

Gosh...

Let's play "Guess What the Brown Stuff is??"

Chocolate? Noooo....

Pudding? No....

Brownie Mix? No....

Oh no...you don't mean its.....?

Oh yes. Yes, it is.

My sweet, lovely daughter decided that it would be a good idea to take off her diaper...and poop in the crib. Yes, poop in the crib. Then, she thought 'Wow! What an interesting texture! I think I'll finger paint with it on the wall!' Then she thought, 'Wow! That is fun....think I'll rub it all over me!' So she proceeded to rub it aaallllll over her. This picture does NOT do it justice, but I didn't think it would be a good idea to take time to pose her or anything.

Yes, she got poop on the wall...all over her crib....all over the inside of her crib...and all over herself: including in between her fingers, up and down her legs, in her hair, and on her tummy.

The kicker of it is....there was not ONE piece of poop or wetness in her fresh diaper. No, she made sure to get it ALL in the crib. If you look at the first picture, that is her diaper, neatly laid in the corner with her bottle on top of it.

I swear....I coulda killed her....except I didn't want to touch her 'cause she was covered in POOP!!!!

Ella's birthday party!!

Well, Ella's birthday was a success! It was SO much fun! My parents and little brother flew in on Wednesday and were here until Monday afternoon. We had so much fun! We went to the beach all day Thursday, they went scuba diving on Friday, and we had Ella's party on Saturday! We had her party at Layla's. I don't have a ton of pictures because my camera kept running out of batters, but here are a few!

So many fun friends!

Ella getting ready for her cake!

Eating cake

Dad and his little Princess :)

Her spiffy birthday cake that I decorated with the help of my mom :) The lady in the purple swimsuit ended up melting a little bit....so it looked like a real fat lady floating in the water! haha!

That night, we went out to dinner with my parents and the waiters brought out a little thing of ice cream with a sparkler on it for Ella's birthday! She wasn't quite sure what to think...

My baby is ONE!

Can you believe my little baby is ONE! Wow....time definately flies! Here are a few pictures of her on her birthday morning. We are having a big party today, so there will be a bigger post and more pictures later! :)

Hurricane Omar

Okay, okay! I'll finally put up some pictures and stuff! Hurricane Omar passed by us last week and it ended up being a category 3. Yes, it was fabulous. So here are some pictures of the damage: This used to be Bliss and a bunch of other restaurants.

This is right along airport beach. The waves were so strong they were ripping the little barrier thingies out of the concrete!!



This was on our street. They came and moved it pretty quickly.

This is me...wondering where everyone is?? Maho is usually pretty busy!

Sunset Beach Bar...they're still cookin' food! The whole restaurant was pretty much washed away...

No, this isn't a river...this is a road. This is the road leading to Beacon Hill. We tried to go over and see our friends, Eleanor and Kareem, if they needed rescuing...but we couldn't get through!!

Well, that's pretty much all of them. There are more pictures on the other girls blogs if you want to see them. You can go to the Reimer's Blog, Kathy and Luke's, or Hannah Oh's. They have good pictures of golf course and stuff, which was also majorly taken out! The beach is pretty much extended all the way to the road...with no sign of golf course whatsoever! It's pretty amazing.

We're all safe and sound, though. The water and power have been finicky, but other than that, we're safe. Some students, like our friends Kareem and Eleanor, lost EVERYTHING, though! Their whole place was almost swept away! :( It's super sad, so we're trying to fundraise to give them a bunch of money and stuff. So sad.

Hopefully that was our only hurricane we'll have to go through!

Video of the Hurricane!

Well, this morning it is bright and sunny skies! It is seriously a beautiful day: not too hot, a light breeze. Then you look down and see all the broken trees and scattered pool chairs! Crazy...

We're all okay, though. Nothing was damaged and things are slowly getting back to normal. The water is still turned off, so hopefully that will turn back on soon.

Here is a video of the hurricane last night :) I'll post more pictures when we are actually allowed to go out and about. There is a 4:00 curfew right now, meaning no one is allowed on the roads until 4:00! If you want to see some good pictures of the golf course, though, click on "The Conway's" Blog and look at their pictures.

Hope everyone else is okay! :)

Hurricane Omar

Yep. Hurricane is a'comin! It is supposed to be a class 2 when it hits us. I'm not too worried. We are SUPER prepared:

• TONS of water
• Bathtub full of water
• Extra Food
• Hurricane Shutters down
• Patio furniture all in side
• Extra batteries
• Extra flashlights
• Extra snacks :)

That's about it. We don't really have to worry about the power going out because we have a generator that is JUST for situations like this! :) Yaaaay for generators! So all you ladies out there- if you want to come cook your food, you can come to my place if the power is out for a while! :)

I just hope the internet doesn't go out for tooooooo long. Maybe just a day....or just the night. That would be nice :) I hope the water doesnt' go out for too long either. It's more of an inconvenience than anything.

The hurricane is supposed to hit tonight....so if I post again in the morning, you'll know it wasn't much...but if it is a few days later..then it might have been a bad one :)

Wish us luck!!! :)

What a bunch of whiners...!

DISCLAIMER: This post isn't to anyone in specific...just to those of you that truly think your life is ridiculously, and insanely difficult. I still love you though :)

Okay, all you people out there that are big, fat whiners. No, you probably don't think I'm talking about you...BUT I AM! For those of you who are whining about how hard life is...how tired you are all the time...how difficult it is to live on an island...how busy you are with work, school, kids, whatever. Yes - this post is for you. Let me answer a few questions for you:

No, your life really isn't that hard. I'm serious...it really isn't. Get over yourself and quit complaining because pretty soon I'm going to say this to your face and I don't think you're going to like it!

Yes, people really do like you. You are cute, friendly, nice, and sweet, but people would like you even more if you were happy, nice, and sweet ALL THE TIME! :D

Yes, you need to just take a deep breath...calm down...think about EXACTLY what you are doing and why. Is what you are doing stupid? If so, do something else. Is what you are doing a good idea? If so, good! Keep doing it! You can make good decisions if you try. Just don't be stupid. This sounds so basic...but you people might be suprised. ;)

No, I'm not writing this post to hurt your feelings or to be a jerk or anything. I'm writing this post because I really care about you. Now, this may seem counterproductive, but it really isn't! I really do want your life to be happier, easier, whatever it is you want....but there isn't really much anyone can do about it but YOU! Yes, YOU! YOU are in charge of your life...SO TAKE CHARGE!!!!! :) Quit relying on other people to make you feel how you think you should feel...JUST FEEL IT!! :)

Okay, I think that is all I have to say about that. I really do love all my friends, family, everyone! It just breaks my heart when I hear people complaining and whining about stuff that really isn't that bad. I mean...do you honestly think your life is that horrible? If you really do...then I think you need some help, and I would be glad to help you if I could...but most of it is up to you! So buck up, camper! Put a smile on your face...and Grin and Bare it!!! :D

Also, since my baby is seriously the cutest thing in the entire world, I thought I would put some pictures up that are sure to help you smile...they make me smile :)

"Hi! I'm Ella! I'm super cute!!"

"Careful...I think I'm dry-clean only! I might wrinkle!"

"I love to swim! I'm not sure how I feel about this sunscreen in my hair though...it makes it look kind of CRAZY!"

"Hello, I am the Mess Queen. How lovely to meet you! Allow me to spread some raviolis or macaroni and cheese on your clean, white shirt! That's my favorite!"

"Give me a hug!! I love kisses and hugs!!"

"Hi! I'm just learning how to stand and walk! Pretty soon I'll be running all over the house making messes so fast that my mom can't keep up! Woo hoo!!" <-this is already happening...its so funny to watch her just go from room to room...drawer to drawer...shelf to shelf...and quickly pull things out. She speeds up when she sees me coming, too. She knows...

Things to be grateful for...

After reading Megan's post, I got to thinking about living here and all the pros and cons. Since my last post was about how the island can be hell, I thought I would write a more uplifting post about all the things we can be grateful for...now, these will vary per person, but I thought most of these were pretty general, but very important.

I'm grateful for my hunny. Each of us girls down here has one, but you might call them different things. I call Tom, "Honey". He calls me, "Crazy Fat." I know that doesn't sound very flattering, but I know that is only my name and that he doesnt' call anyone else it. :) It's our special little code name. I know he loves me very much and I know he knows I love him very much. Being down here doesn't always bring out the best in each other, but we try and show/tell each other often. I try and make Tom good dinners and keep the house clean. I try to keep Ella cute and happy so when he is around her, she is pleasant to be with...and I only make him change poopie diapers every now and then (Now THAT is a good wife! Haha!) He, in turn, does very sweet things for me. A week or so ago, I had a terrible migraine that lasted three days, and Ella was on this big screaming thing...it was bad. So as a suprise, he came home from class on Friday and said, "you better get ready - you have an appointment at two." I was like, "What are you talking about?" Then he handed me a gift certificate for an hour massage at The Spa. SO SWEET!! I could've cried, but I think that would've made him confused :) So I smiled and went and had a wonderful massage. I came back totally rejuvinated...I really do have the best husband, so all you ladies out there can be jealous :) I could go on and on about Tom and how much I love him...but we'll save that for another post...maybe around our Anniversary.

Another thing to be grateful for is my baby. For those of you who have kids already, you'll know that sometimes you just want to throw them out of the window of a moving vehicle...or put them in their cribs and just roll them down the street!! But for those beautiful moments when they look at you and just beam with happiness, it makes it all worth it. My favorite thing in the world is when I get Ella up from a nap or from sleeping in the morning, and she is standing up in her crib and smiles, laughs, and bounces up and down when she sees me coming to get her. I love watching her learn and play. I have to say, being "Mom" is a very thankless job and sometimes it feels like what you're doing is such a waste of your potential and that you've completely given up everything you wanted to do in life...but then think about your mom and how much you love her...that is what your children will think about YOU! That makes me feel like a million bucks!!!! Yes, its a lot of hard work and poopie diapers and nastiness you have to clean up, and a lot of "NO! DONT TOUCH"es and "Just go to sleep!"s, but its all worth it when they come and want to cuddle or give you big sloppy kisses on the cheek.

I am grateful for my sisters. They are both so beautiful and so smart. I love being around them and miss them so much! I am grateful for Angela's silent strength and how unbelievably intelligent and artistic she is. I am grateful for Kathryn and how funny and crazy she can be. I am grateful for all the times we have laughed so hard we can't breath and for how much we love each other.

I am grateful for my brothers. I am grateful for Daniel's steadfastness and great advice he has given me. I am grateful for Andrew's sweet emails and his cool creativeness and building abilities. I am grateful for the games of War we have played and for how much fun they are to be around.

I am grateful for my parents. This is the understatement of the century, but I am grateful for how much they love me and how much I love them. I am grateful for how hard they work and for the great work ethic they taught me. I am grateful for everything they have done and everything they continue to do.

The next thing I'm grateful for living down here are my girlfriends. Growing up in mostly Mormon areas, I didn't have a lot of opportunities to get to know people of other backgrounds. There are so many interesting girls here that I just want to know all about! I love all my girlfriends that I get to hang out with. I love sitting there at fundraisers and just talking with these girls that are in the same situation as I am. I love our "Bubble Tea" nights where we sit and vent about the island. I love beach days where we can relax, and I know that the girls will help watch Ella, and I'll help watch their kids. I love how important I feel when I get invited to something or am included in some event: i.e. birthday parties, girls nights, move nights, book clubs, etc. It is so fun to do so many fun things with so many fun girls. I really do appreciate each and every one of the girls and what they have to offer! I hope I get to know them all much more by the end of our run here. I have to say, it is going to be a sad thing to leave the girls here....not so much the island, but definately the girls.

I am grateful for our living situations. I grew up pretty spoiled, I'll admit, but I am so grateful for the living situations here. Compared to the island itself, I think we all pretty much live in the upper-level of living situations. We all have running water and electricity (most of the time) and t.v. and internet (most of the time). We all have air conditioning we can turn on (if we want to pay the bill!!) and have a fridge full of food. I am grateful for our second bedroom, so Ella takes better naps and sleeps through the night!

I'm grateful for our health. None of us have had more than a sniffle and I am very grateful for that. I'm grateful that Ella hasn't gotten some weird disease or illness down here, either!

I'm grateful for my religious convictions and the comfort they give me in hard times. I'm grateful for the direction I have in my life and for the sense of well-being that my beliefs give me. I am grateful that my family, both immediate and extended, share in these beliefs.

Anyway, there are about a hundred other things I am grateful for, so instead of writing a novel about it, I'll finish off with a list. These are in no particular order:

1. Good food
2. Awesome shoes
3. Shopping
4. Kisses
5. Swimming
6. The beach
7. Good books
8. Good movies
9. The Food Network
10. Air conditioning
11. Deoderant
12. Showers
13. A car that works (even if it has been named Smokey!)
14. MUSIC
15. Playing the piano
16. Writing music
17. World of Warcraft
18. Cleanliness
19. Friends
20. Holidays
21. Family
22. The internet
23. Email
24. Funny stuff
25. Laughter
26. Sunshine
27. Rain
28. Clouds and/or a breeze on a hot day
29. The mosquito racket
30. Walmart
31. The FDA
32. America in general
33. Religion
34. Faith
35. Inside jokes

Hope you enjoyed this post and I hope this helped you think of all the things that you have to be grateful for!!! :) Love you all!!!

p.s. Angela and Kathryn....WRITE MORE BLOGS! Hahaha!!! :)

Island Poem

Today I sit and wait at home,
so I thought that I might write a poem.
So about the island, I will tell
and describe the ways that it is hell. :) hehe

The worst thing right now are the 'squitos
They drink your blood, like Tom eats cheetos! (He really likes cheetos)
By the end of day you're red and itchy,
This can make anyone act bitchy!

The island prices are such a pain.
It's $20 for a box of Gain!
And $8 for a gallon of milk,
So instead, we just drink Silk. (Not really, but we drink that powdered milk stuff, but Silk rhymed).

The golf course can be VERY scary.
If you're out at night, please be wary!
They like to steal your money and stuff,
They're big mean black guys who are really buff!

The bridge is another nightmare, too.
Sometimes you're stopped for an hour or two.
You scream and curse and shout in vain
Then think to yourself, "Not high season again!"

And when it rains it certainly floods
The entire golf course turns to mud!
Your car coughs and sputters to get through,
But that's what all island cars do!

I hope you like this little tune,
perhaps I'll write another soon.
So keep us in your thoughts and prayers
We still have more than a year! (That rhyme was a stretch...I know...just work with me :))

Hehehe :) Hope you liked my poem! This is dedicated to all those girls I worked with in Special Collections and we used to write poems all the time while we were bored! Haha!