March 9, 2011

Dear Mama,

How are you today?  It's raining like crazy, but what else is new??  Maybe you could ask God nicely to send some sun & warmth.  lol

Today is such a blah day.  Ry is not feeling well, but is taking a nap right now.  Nunu is in school & will be going out of town with my inlaws this weekend.  Marcel is doing well, but work has been slow, so needless to say, we've been hanging out a little more often than usual.  Which can be a good thing & a bad thing.  So far, it's fine. LOL

For a few weeks I've been pondering a surprise for Gram, Auntie Day, Candice & Auntie Haruko.  And today, I submitted this email....

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Why Is My Mom So Special??

My Mom, Sweetie Camacho, is so very special, not only to me & my family...but also to those whose lives she touched in her 51 years of life.  She could enter a room & she knew at least one person anywhere that she went.  Everyone loved her because she carried herself with such grace & love.  Her smile & understanding ways made everyone around her feel so accepted & loved when they felt the world wasn't on their side.  I can only hope to be half as wonderful as she was.  

My mom lost her battle with cancer on November 14, 2009 & just because she is not here with me physically anymore...I know that she looks down on me everyday & wishes that she could be here with me too.  

Living on the mainland, I am far away from my Mom's family...her Mom, her sisters & brother & all of my cousins.  However when I do get to spend time with my Grandma, it's as if I have my Mom again, just in a different form & I will never take that time for granted.  

Sending my Gram, my Auntie, my Auntie's mother inlaw & my cousin them to your show is just a small gift from myself to them....allowing them to spend time with one another.  Enjoying the time, food, laughter, entertainment with their Mom's....before it's too late.

Mahalo Plenty....

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They didn't know, but after reading this blog they will...I'm sending them to Mento Mele's Mothers Day bash. If I was back home, I'd want to go & I know you'd want to go too.  So we'll be there in spirit & send them on a fun day out!! :)

I love you & miss you so much today...and everyday.

February 17, 2011

Hi Mama

I can't believe that I haven't posted in over a month. That's crazy. Of course, it doesn't mean that I've "forgotten" about this space...I just like to come here & write when it feels right to write. I don't want it to be forced.

How are things? How's everyone doing? Tell them I said "hello" & please give them all a big honi for me.

Things around here are same-o. Nunu is getting big & getting in to that transition. I'm not a fan of that transition. Over the weekend she spent the night at the house & when she came home, she stayed away for a few hours & then asked to go to my inlaws to sleep over. When we were getting ready to leave, her hair was in her face (which i HATE) & I told her to get a headband & then she said....

"ummm, so while I was at Papa's house, I was helping him shave his ear hair....and he flinched.. and i accidentally shaved off some of my eyebrow"

Hmmmm. I instantly knew she was lying. I yelled at her to pull her hair back & there she was. Half of her left eyebrow completely gone. UGH!! I had her call her auntie to say that she wasn't coming over & that she was grounded for a week. Not for shaving her eyebrow, for the lying.

I don't remember being like that. I remember being into New Kids on the Block & wanting to dance all the time. Not shave eyebrows off & cutting off eye lashes. I don't know what else is to come...but I'd totally be ok if nothing else happened for the next 7 years. LOL YEA RIGHT!!

As far as Ry goes, she's sooooooo.....as Raymond would say..."free spirited!" I guess that's just another couple of words for NAUGHTY. But she definitely is her own independent baby. She likes to do things herself, she's defiant most times until i stand up...then she does what I ask. Which only tells me that she knows what's going on & she's playing me. However, I can't help but laugh at her when she dances around, because it's hilarious! Alaka'i has been trying to teach Nanea & Ry to say "i love it" & finally he succeeded & they both do it now...

Here's a video of Nea (with a screaming Ry in the background)

And here's a video of Ry while having a popsicle

Marcel is doing well & has been working alot. It's a good thing, I guess. I just sometimes feel burnt out with having Ry all day long, sometimes 6 days in a row when work is good. It's just overwhelming at times & I can feel my patience slowly dwindling by 6-7pm. I always look forward to the 10 o'clock hour, because I know that both kids will be asleep (or close to it) & i can have some peace to eat what i want, watch what i want & do what i want.

Anyway, I hope that you are having a good day & that you are looking down on us all & wishing that you could be here for just one more day too.

I love you & miss you...

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Hi Mom!!

Happy New Year!! How's everything? Anything exciting today? There is NOTHING exciting here today...there's talk of snow later, so that means i'll be staying my butt at home in the warm. I attempting to make chicken long rice for the 2nd time. The first time, I had the wrong noodles. Hopefully it turns out good.

Over the weekend, Gram came up. She arrived Saturday evening, performed with Makana at the Triple Door in Seattle. It was the first time we'd been to that place & it was PACKED. 12 of us went & met up with a few more from halau. I think it was the first time that I'd seen Gram dance so nicely. But of course, on her 2nd time up, she danced Ahulili & she made the crowd roar with

laughter. The old man sitting in the front row LOVED her!! She mouthed the words "i love you" to him & he yelled back "I LOVE YOU TOO!" She was a hit & they gave her a hana hou where she came out & did My Tutu E. I haven't seen her do that song since Tutu's 90th birthday party WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY back when. After the concert we took her with us & we all went to Ocean City. After we ate everything in the restaurant we took her back to her hotel & she left Seattle yesterday.

**Gram & I at Ocean City 1/9/11**

As for everything & everyone else....we are all doing fine. Halau is great & we were asked to participate in the Kamehameha Days Hula Competition. I'm not sure on the details yet, but when I find out, you'll be the first to know.

The kids are getting big. Nunu loves school & is getting excited for middle school. Ry is naughty & independent. Marcel has been working a lot lately & so has Dad.

Well I hope that you miss me as much as I miss you & think about me as often as I think about you...everyday. I love you.

**Nunu, Ry & I - Happy New Year 2011**

December 31, 2010

Dear mama,

How are you today? Anything exciting for tonight? We're going to spend our evening in Tacoma with a few of our favorites. We're having pupu's & desserts & drinks. We thought about going to dinner, but i'm not sure if everyone else is going to dinner too, we don't want to be caught up in the crowds, we just want to hang out & enjoy eachothers company.

I can't believe how fast the year went by. I've been reading past blogs that i've written about this time last year. I remember just kind of going through the motions of everything. No real

Christmas spirit. No real excitement for the new year. All the days were just that...just another day.

Throughout the year, i've shed many tears thinking about what used to be. The things we did. The things you said. The way you said them & they made no sense & then we'd all laugh. I think often about the games that you came up with & how it involved everyone no matter what their ages were. I think about all the things that you did & how you did them so well & with ease. It just all came so easily to you & i wish they did the same for me.

In the last few weeks, I feel like the things that you used to do year after year are fading & are not....represented. So this coming new year, in 2011, i'd like to focus on 2 events that were so "you." The halau easter egg hunt & the Christmas party.

Also, i've been thinking back on life when i was younger, elementary school, junior high & high school. Trying to remember the way things were back then. The daily routines, the chores, the things we did....all of it. I'm not sure why i've been hung up on these things, maybe because i'm trying to remember & re-create things with Ry & Nunu. I'm not sure.

Another thing that i've caught myself doing A LOT of lately, is writing things in my spiral notebook. After you passed we found a massive amount (ok, so it wasn't a massive amount, but still it was between 6-9) of spiral notebooks around the house & halau. They all were not filled, but each notebook was filled with ideas that you had, reminders of things, etc. And as I look through mine...it is filled with the same things...

My To-Do List....

My Grocery List

What I Want to do with my Tax Return

Yep. I almost feel like i'm just giving myself a big old headache doing this, but I don't like when I think of something & then can't remember it. So i've resorted to writing pretty much anything down. You'd be proud. LOL

Anyway, I hope that your New Year celebration is wonderful & full of lots of games. I love you so much & miss you every single day.

Happy new year....

Photo taken December 31, 2007, bringing in 2008

December 25, 2010

Dear Mom,

Merry Christmas Mama!!  How was your day today?  Did you all have a good day?  I'm sure you did with tons of ono food.  As usual last night was spent with my inlaws.  We ate good & then opened presents & by the time that was done, I was exhausted!!  The kids got TONS of stuff:  clothes, sweaters, toys, video games, barbie jeep.  Yes, i said barbie jeep.  Ry is in love with it & paid no attention to anything else afterwards.  Here's a picture of her in it this morning while watching Yo Gabba Gabba....

Nunu got a new wii & her & my father inlaw played games all evening.

Today we went to Auntie Ami & Uncle Kamo's house.  We ate & enjoyed eachothers company & watched the kids play with their toys.  It was such a nice relaxing day today.

As time goes by, I think of what I was doing at this time last year....and I remember being very sad & almost in a daze last year.  Just going through the motions.  This year, I felt good.  I didn't want to be sad, because I know that you would want us to celebrate the holiday in full & I felt that I did my best.  Even though I can't see you everyday like I want to, I feel your presence with me all the time....I know that you are here.  Every night when I put my phone down on my nightstand, I make sure that I leave my screensaver is on the photo of you & I say 'goodnight' to you in my head.

I love you & miss you so very much.....Merry Christmas!! :)

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Dear Mama,

How are you today? Anything exciting? Today is our halau Christmas party. I'm excited to hang out with everybody & EAT! Uncle got all the kids covered this year with MASSIVE stockings. Remember when you guys did that a few years ago? Only back then, you guys did one stocking per family....this year Uncle did one per KID!! He's crazy!! HA!! In fact, I want to go pick up some stuff for everyone's stockings too. Something mean....that the parents will hate me for!! :)

I miss you. I've been thinking about you a lot lately. Maybe it's because I have your urn here with me on my dining room table. I got it back from Kapua last week & haven't taken you home yet to the house. In fact, i'm going to take you to the party today.

Remember last year, when we put you in with all the white elephant gifts? And when Nalani picked you we all laughed so hard. So mean...yet something you'd totally do. And i'm sure you were laughing just as hard.

I won't be doing a slideshow this year. I didn't take many photos at all & what is a slideshow with no photos? JUNK! I thought up an idea to do a lip-sync video but it was a late idea, therefore i didn't get a turnout. BOO! Maybe next year, i'll start in early November, giving everyone a month.

So how did you like the girls Santa pictures? Aren't they classic?

Well Ry's finally awake now, so I better run.  I'll post up pictures later of our party.  I love you so much & miss you more than ever.

November 25. 2010

Dear Mama,

Happy Thanksgiving! :)

We're in Honolulu.  We've been here for 9 days now.  I'm loving it.  Mostly loving the fact that back home in Seattle, they got SNOW earlier this week.  YUCK!  So we definitely lucked out & picked the perfect time to come here.  We've been staying at Candice's house & basing our day around what we're going to eat.  It's great.  Then we take a nap & sometimes go to the beach.  We haven't done much shopping YET, i'm sure that'll come this weekend or during the week.  We leave here next week Friday already.  I think I could stay another 2 weeks easily.

Any exciting plans for you today?  We'll be headed to Keali'i's house in Kapolei this afternoon.  The family is all getting together over there & we're having all Hawaiian food.  So ready for it!!

Anyway, I hope that you are enjoying your day & eating all the poke & poi you can handle.  I love you so much & miss you like crazy.  Love you...

**us in the swimming pool at the Sheraton Waikiki last weekend**