Niko's newborn photos

i was gong to send out newborn announcements for Niko but i ended up being too busy and never got around to it. now i feel like it's too late to do them so i guess i'll just post a few of the pics that my talented sister-in-law took on here...

Parental Fail

I can't believe how fast my baby Niko is growing! You think your first child grows fast but just wait until you have #2...they grow even faster because your twice as busy! I was in such denial that when I went to Costco and bought a HUGE box of diapers size 1-2 (thinking he was still a 2) I came home and put the first one on him only to find out they were too small! FAIL! Well....anyone need 230 diapers size 1-2? Back to Costco I go for size 3...

I really don't want my angel boy to grow up but then again...I really don't want to be buying the mother load box of diapers from Costco any longer than I have to.

beauty sketch

i came across this video today...

 ...and it reminded me of an experience i just had. last saturday my little sister was going through the temple for the first time. beforehand, as i was getting ready to go to the temple i scrambled around trying to find something to wear. my clothes didn't fit right (due to the stubborn baby weight i gained), my face felt super round and chubby, and my hair felt dried out and nappy. i was having a [ moment ]. i felt ...discouraged... and somewhat frustrated. it's not that i don't feel i'm beautiful (and i mean that in the most self-loving-non-conceited way)...i just don't feel like i have the same confidence as i did pre-pregnancy. anyways, so i pulled my hair back into a quick side-bun and threw on a long skirt with a loose sweater and was out the door. once i got to the temple, i walked past a group of temple workers as i walked through the women's locker room to change. before i walked into the endownment session one of the workers, who seemed to be around the same age as me, approached me and said, "i saw you when you walked in and i just wanted to tell you that you are beautiful and stunning!" i was kind of taken aback and didn't know what to say for a second and then replied with an awkward, "thank you." honestly, her kind compliment was a bit of an ego boost. i thought to myself, "what was i stressing about earlier? i'm not sure what she saw but maybe i'm not looking as awful today as i thought i was." after that i told myself i wouldn't be so hard on myself.

anyways, i loved this video.

 what we see ourselves as isn't always what others sees. 
you're more [ beautiful ] than you think.

Motivated to DO better & BE better

I'm enjoying this beautiful general conference sunday with this cutie. I didn't realize how much I missed having a baby in our home. They change and grow so fast everyday! This 'lil guy just brightens up my entire day every time I see him smile.

Anyways, between taking care of the kids and cooking (and sleeping) here's a couple thoughts/notes I had that stood out to me this conference:

-as mother/wife, I set the tone in our home
-make CHRIST the center of our home and a refuge from the world
-simple, consistent habits lead to full and bountiful blessings
-stay on the Lord's side and I will "win" every time
-too much wasted time on phone/Internet-->set time aside each day to connect with my boys
-more faithful & OBEDIENT-->I will receive power added into every aspect of my life
-be a TRUE FRIEND
-recognize the GOOD in others
-always speak to my son to uplift him
-marriage is a gift from God to us-->the quality of our marriage is our gift to God
-even if my child/husband make a mistake, make sure they still feel my confidence and love for them

I always love hearing from the leaders of our church. I still have much to work on and personal weaknesses to overcome but I feel renewed and am [ motivated to DO better and BE better ]. I am PROUD to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Say Saints.

Just to get by...

Lately, I've been feeling so burnt out! Since having two kids my days have somehow become shorter. I'm making breakfast and before i know it's time to get the kids ready for bed. Honestly, some days i feel like my biggest accomplishment is making it through the day without anyone dying! Sometimes it feels like I'm living "just to get by" until that next pay check comes...or until I can just get both the kids to sleep (at the same time)...or letting my son watch Netflix (literally) all day so I can get more done or so I can just chill out like a vegetable and think about absolutely nothing while all his favorite shows lull him into a passive state...

Wow, I really just made my life sound miserable. It's really not. Today has just been one of "those days". I just realized I could (and need) to do a lot better in [ enjoying ] everything, including the little things, and not just [ enduring ] day to day life.

So my new goal is to put a little more [ umph ] into each day and add an extra dose of [ passion ] into everything I do....because "life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." (Pres. Hinckley)

thnakes (snakes) & nacks (snacks)

this poor guy and his lisp. hopefully he grows out of it. but for now -it's cute. and he was killin' me at :30.

march madness!

march was a crazy, busy month! now that things have slowed down and i can finally breath i'll do a quick catch up of this past month...

at the beginning of month WE MOVED! now that our little fam is growing it was time to upgrade to a bigger place and move closer to saf's work and school. it was bitter-sweet leaving our first humble home. it was our first home as a married couple, it's where we learned more about one another and worked through the first few 'tough' years of our marriage, it was where we brought home our son the first night out of the hospital as new parents, safi boy had most of his 'firsts' there, saf and i spend countless nights just lying on our family room floor (because the couch was too small for both of us) while we talked about anything and everything and laughed all night while our son slept in the bedroom, it's where i learned how to cook most of the things i now know how to make, it's where our son would run out the front door early every morning to meet his daddy when he got home from work, we laughed there, cried there, fought there, prayed there, and loved there. i'll miss that place only because of the memories that were made there but am more than grateful to be moving forward to bigger things.

the same weekend we moved we also had Niko's baby blessing. it was a beautiful day. i feel so blessed and grateful to have such great family and friends who came. but most importantly i'm grateful for a loving husband/father who is worthy to bless our son's.

 

we renewed our disneyland passes!

my baby sister, Terewai, opened her mission call and was called to serve in the Philippines.

we had a small bachelorette party for my cousin Tabi and went to the skating rink and BJ's before her big day.

i got to witness another sealing in my fam. it was another beautiful day. i love my family and sitting with them all in the temple was another reminder that i get to be with them for eternity.

Mr. & Mrs. Wright.

this past weekend my two boys and i went to utah to see my baby sister perform at her last BYU Living Legends show. It was AMAZING and she was beautiful dancing up there!i know this pic is blurry but it really captured the moment of all three of us sisters. syd and i were so proud of our baby sister that night! she is dong so many amazing things with her life and she is such a good example to us.

 

i also went horseback riding pretty much everyday with my grampa, helped my mom move into their new house up there, and saw more family including my boy's aunty layn.

i flew to and from utah by myself for the first with two kids. i seriously felt like superwoman doing it. at one point on the way home (easter morning) i almost cried in the airport before boarding the plane because both boys were crying at the same time, i had baby throw up running down my shirt, safi boy had to go poopoo, and i was told if i did make it on the flight safi boy wasn't gong to be able to sit by me on the plane (life of a standby traveler). But somehow we all made it back to cali alive and luckily safi boy and i did end up sitting together.

my little fam and i spent easter day with the 'ungas for baby boss's blessing. being with friends and fam was the perfect way to end the crazy month.

(i wish i had taken more pics through out all the month's events but sometimes moments are better lived.)