Merry Christmas!

Mark Holladay Lee = Awesomeness

Mele Kalikimaka 2009

The year 2009 brought our family some big achievements, happy reunions and sad goodbye's.

It was full of beach days, camping, hiking, pool and sprinkler parties, acai bowls and friends.

We were able to visit the Big Island and Kauai and enjoy our last year on the island of Oahu.

Aaron finished working at Bobby Benson Center and concentrated on his internship as an assistant to the counselors at BYU-Hawaii.  He was able to get some spear fishing in this year and even surfed a day before we left the island.  He played football on a winning semi-pro football team this last summer.  They were untouchable.  It was fun to watch.  He has spent countless hours with Krew and teaching him how to tackle and ram into the wall and into people with his helmet on.  He graduated this last month from Brigham Young University - Hawaii with his bachelors degree in Social Work and we are so proud of him for this accomplishment.  He has been an AMAZING father, husband employee and student.  He has already been accepted into the Masters program in Social Work and is in the advanced standing program.  This next year for him with be more full time work and school and he is excited about it :)

I was able to achieve my her New Years goals of working out, surfing and photography.  Thanks to my husband, and two of my friends (Hillary and Kim) I was able to lift for almost three months straight, four days a week.  This is seriously monumental for me.  With the two kids it has been difficult for me to be able to figure out how to do anything for myself :)  Thanks to Natalia, Crystal and Melissa I was able to surf again this year, which just makes my days, nothing is more relaxing than getting in a good surf session.  And thanks to Aaron and Angie I was able to get my photography business going.  It really is so much fun for me.  I didn't realize how much I love it, until I set down my camera for a few days and when I pick it up again, I get so excited :)

Knowing this was my last year on the island, My friend Larissa and I took a Tahitian dance class and was also able to perform at a recital.  It was an amazing workout and so much fun. 

Even with all of these goals I had for myself this year, my #1 goal is to always be a good mother.  I love my children very much, they bring so much happiness to my life and they teach me so much every day! 

Kali celebrated her third birthday with all of her favorite things, friends, horse back riding and a dolphin encounter.  She has learned to surf this year and is a little fish in the water.  She took swimming lessons, gymnastics and attended Na Kamalei (pre-school).  She had her first hair cut this year and went to her first circus.  She learned how to Tahitian dance and even performed at a recital.  

We celebrated Krew's first birthday "Hawaiian Style."  Lots of food, music, dancing, bounce house and friends!  Krew is a ball full of energy.  He loves football!  He loves to throw a football and tackle, pretty much ANYTHING football gets him excited.  He loves to sing and dance and laugh.  He has the cutest cheese face when he smiles for the camera.  He has grown so much this year and tries to copy and say everything he hears and sees.  He has grown out of his crib and now sleeps in a big boy bed.  Krew loves helicopters, plains, trains, and cars.

We had to pack up our home and all that we have known as a family and move this past week.  It was full of sadness and tears, leaving those behind that have become our family and leaving the island and culture that we have learned to love SO DEARLY.

Even though we have moved to colder climates we have had some AMAZING reunions with Aaron's family (and his daughter Kayla) in California and than with mine in Utah before heading to Washington.

We are excited to see what the future holds for us in Washington and know that with the help of our Father in Heaven we will be guided, blessed and protected where ever we are.

I hope this Christmas Season has brought everyone love and peace.  I hope it has helped us reflect on the Savior and his example and has made us reflect on our own lives so that we can think of ways to improve ourselves so that we can become more like him.

Mele Kalikimaka 

and much 

Aloha from the Jones Family,

Aaron, Shanae, Kayla, Kali and Krew

Aloha Oe

My girlfriend Joy wrote this when she made her first move and I am copying it having many of the same feelings as her. She said it so poetically:) Not something I am so good at. I just changed the locations to fit my own :)

There's no place like home, there's no place

.... like home..... but lately I'm not quite sure where "home" is.

The more I've been thinking it's made me realize that "home" isn't a place to me, it's a feeling. I thought "home" for the past 5 years has been Hawaii..... and now today I fly "home" with the kids to stay with my parents in Washington. Another home. I've come to realize that although walls make a house, a family and love makes a home. That place can be wherever we choose and it doesn't have to be in one single place. It can be in many.


As we go through life we evolve and grow into new people. As these changes take place we take these pieces of our lives, family, friends, and physical houses, to make a "home". That has brought me a lot of comfort in uncertainty these past few months and especially today as I said my good byes, packed up my stuff, and walked out the door of our first house for the last time.... A place where we started as newlyweds and left as a family of four. A place we loved and the first place we called home.


And I add to this HAWAII WILL BE A PLACE I HOLD FOREVER IN MY HEART!

CONGRATULATIONS!

photo credit: Mark Holladay Lee

I am so proud of my husband.  

He will be graduating tomorrow from Brigham Young University -Hawaii with a Bachelors degree in Social Work.

This has been a long hard road for him, juggling being a husband and a father, working full time and going to school full time, but he DID IT.

THIS IS A BIG DEAL.  

Aaron had tried different vocational schools in the past, but mainly worked full time not ever seeing himself going to school and getting a degree.

That was 7 years ago when I met him, look at him now.

He will be the first to graduate in his family with a bachelors degree.

He has already been accepted into the graduate program to get his MSW and he was accepted into the Advanced Standing program which means he will be able to accomplish it in one year instead of two!!!

I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU BABY :)

CONGRATULATIONS!

i love you.

So MUCH MADNESS

So I am starting to freak out with only a few days left, I can't even breathe.

HOWEVER, it has been SO much fun having the Grandparents in town.

One last check on the moving blog to see if you want to make a big purchase for the holidays :)

ONLY A FEW ITEMS LEFT :)

black leather couch, computer, camcorder, printer, King Size bed

just to name a few

Diaz Family

yes these will eventually make it to my photo blog, yes I have been a blog slacker, yes I have TONS of posts to catch up on, yes this is my last week in Hawaii, yes I am sad, yes I will get my life back in order.... sometime after the new year:)