And Then We Said, "What Now?"

All we knew was that HE was DONE!

He did it! Benjamin Keahi Kamalu is done with his undergrad degree! Wherever you are, take a moment to stand and do a little cheer for this ECONOMICS-on-his-way-to-being-an-actuary college graduate. :)
I might add that he finished his WHOLE (except one test) Biology class in one WEEK. He was forced of course, but he did it all the same.
Anyway, today was a great day at our house with A LOT to celebrate. We aren't really sure what to do with ourselves. Any ideas?
Well, I think we will figure it out.

So, here is a quick recap-

In the four years and six months of his college degree:
- We got married
- Brooke graduated
- Scout born 2006
-Boston born 2007
- Moved three times
- Six different Jobs
-Three college major changes
- Two knee surgeries
- And more blessings, stress, happiness, worry, grattitude, mercy, fun, tears, laughter, learning, Prayer, books, late nights, family, friends, and wonderful life than can be bottled up right here.

Thank you to all of you who were supportive every minute. You celebrated our success, and minimized our stress.

At any rate, there was celebration indeed in our simple little world today.

The SiX Tag

Mary Jane,

I am taking to heart that you meant me when you tagged the sixes a while ago. :)
I have never answered a tag, but I love to read other people's answers.

Here I go:

6 TV shows that I watch:
1. I don't watch TV unless I am at someones house other than mine.
We don't have our TV hooked up, and we actually like it. I do have some
favorites though and my girls watch all the normal shows by video.
2. American Idol (I know I know...)
3. Word World (This is a favorite at our house too. The girls love it)
4. I watch the news on the internet every so often, but every time I do, I get outraged by most of what is going on.
5. Currently we are watching all the seasonal Christmas movies, and I LOVE it.
6. Nothing else...

6 Favorite Restaurants: (not in order)
1. Cafe Rio
2. Noodles and Company
3. Benihana
4. Good Wood
5. Cheesecake Factory
6. Olive Garden
7. California Pizza Kitchen (oops...I could just keep going)

6 Things that happened yesterday:
1. I wrapped Christmas presents.
2. I ran errands all by myself. The girls were napping and Ben was studying for finals. It was weird to go shopping alone. I kept wondering if my girls were okay and what they were wrecking in the stores, and then I would remind myself they weren't with me.
3. Read stories with my girls by the lighted Christmas tree. This is one of my favorite things to do with them. Scout has almost memorized How the Grinch Stole Christmas. She loves lines like, "Pooh Pooh to the Whos." AND "Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas A LOT!"
4. Cleaned up at least 5 messes, and ended up with at least 8 more.
5. Listed and talked about my blessings in my journal, and with Ben.
6. Mailed Christmas cards.

6 Things I look forward to:
1. My husband being done with school. Only two more tests!!!
2. Christmas Eve and Christmas MORNING. It is so much fun with little ones.
3. Regular Sleep.
4. Seeing how happy my husband is that he doesn't have any homework.
5. Watching my children grow and learn new things. Just seeing who they are going to be and what their talents and interests are.
6. Seeing my Grandma who is on a mission in Nauvoo right now. She will be home in January!!

6 Things on my wish list:
1. No more child abuse in the world.
2. A full and well-used library in my house.
3. More patience.
4. Knowledge.
5. A good dog. (Someday)
6. To cook something that my husband doesn't need to add sauce to.

The Loss, Fun in St. George, and Turkey Day

It all started with the cookies and cake. Go BIU! Go BIU! This is what Scout shouted as we got ready for the game and baked BYU cookies and a BYU cake.

We all gathered at Toni and Scott's for a game day party, and it turns out that was the only fun thing about the game- being together.

Oh well. Still BYU fans to the bitter end.

After the game we headed to St. George to visit family. What a great weekend it was. Grandma Karen had planned and early Thanksgiving dinner with family. It was great to see Tutus Kamalu and Kyle, Kim, and Kalel as well.

In a nutshell: Went to the festival of trees, pizza dinner (thanks again Grandma K!), played at Grandma Karen's work, had a ukulele concert by Scout, played racquetball with Grandpa Kyle (Well, Ben did. He had a great time and has a goal to beat Dad in three months. Wishful thinking?), and most of all we enjoyed family.

We got home on Tuesday night and headed to Ogden on Thursday afternoon for Thanksgiving dinner with the Reeves/Barker families. Uncle Brad and Aunt Lori prepared a wonderful dinner and kickball field. We all played Kickball after dinner.
What a great way to work off some of that dinner. I'm not sure if we worked it off playing kickball or laughing, but it was a fabulous time I must say.

What great family we have.

P.S. As tradition demands, we got up before all living things and went shopping the day after Thanksgiving. The money we save (or don't save) is nothing compared to the sights we see. Wow.
As in past years, we didn't see two ladies fight over a radio and one break her arm, and a shirt didn't get stolen right out of my hands, but there was plenty to laugh about. Was it just me or did it seem that the men outnumbered the ladies this year shopping?

Saggy in the middle. It was a sign of things to come.

Ten years ago I never would have imagined wishing my wife a happy birthday on a "blog". It sounds so unromantic. None the less, in my conformance to the world of blog, I concede and declare my love and wonderment to all who dare to google "benbrookekamalu" and in so doing, run in to notes on our world.

A month ago, when I turned 26 (I know, we are so mature now that we have passed the insurance threshold), Brooke decided to make a list of things that she thought best described me. Many of you don't know much about Brooke except for what you see in passing at church, reunions, and social events. So...much to her vexation (that's right Mr. Collins!), I have made a list of my own.

Here we go....

#1 She allows me to listen, listen, listen, when she feels the need to articulate her frustration with the world. (I have considered banning the reading of national and local headlines for this very purpose!)

#2 She reminds me not to dangle my participles when she corrects my papers...?

#3 She doesn't really want to know why the distibutive property holds, and she hates the word FOIL, and square root, and other math related terms, but she tries to understand anyway because she knows it fascinates me.

#4 She is the only one that can wear the following outfit and have people ask her why she didn't dress up for Halloween because they think she pulled the outfit out of her everyday wardrobe!

#5 She is passionate about her writing.

#6 In fact, she dresses up in boas and large hats to write!

#7 She is able to bathe the girls, do the dishes, feed them breakfast and lunch, vaccume the house, do three loads of laundry, read to the girls, make sure I have lunch at work or school, put the girls down for a nap, make sure I have something for dinner if I can't come home, all without ever complaining about not doing what she wanted to that day. (Of course she tells me I shouldn't love her when I finally do get home because she hasn't had a chance to shower yet or get dressed into normal clothes...I love her anyway!)

#8 She always is thinking about others before herself.

#9 She loves the Lord and has an amazing testimony of prayer and the Savior.

#10 She wants a library in her house one day full of books of all sorts.

#11 She makes amazing dessserts. (not sure if in another ten years that will be a good thing?!)

#12 She loves the outdoors.

#13 She loves life.

#14 She taught me to love the little things.

#15 She is an amazing companion.

#16 And lastly...she took a chance on a weirdo who dances sporadically to music, loves to dip oreos in milk, is not great with words, has his heart in the right place even though it doesn't always appear so, eats otter pops in the shower, and is far to great of a perfectionist for her!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKE!! We love you!

Ben, Scout, and Boston

Mary Ann

Three years ago today I was five months pregnant with my Scout and dear Grandma Tuckett passed away at the young age of sixy-nine. I wish my children, and even Ben could know her as I know her, and who she still is- Up there in heaven.

Someday.

I have been thinking about her all day today.

And how wherever she was there seemed to be mischief, laughter, and life in all its real forms.

I miss her terribly.

When we found out Grandma had cancer we started the rollercoaster ride so many have been through before when dealing with the implications of the future.

I was reading my journal entries from this difficult time.

These entries and excerpts capture it best:

03/13/05

"I don't know if my grandma is dying. Something tells me she is fighting inside. This weekend when I hugged her she felt so small and tender. Her eyes are different now. She looks at everyone so differently.

One more minute.

My Grandma doing a tap dance, riding her bike, playing jax, red shoes, red earings, red socks, bubble gum, nursing an animal - Classic

My Grandma- Full of life- She's holding on to every moment. I'm holding on to every memory. And together we are praying and holding on to the right now.

Love changes everything- Or so I have been shown by my short, blue-eyed, spunk drenched, hilariously celebrated Grandma."

"Ben and I went to Idaho to see Grandma Tuckett in the hospital-

We knew she was dying-

When Grandma touched my tummy Scout kicked. . . The veil seemed thin. . . She was at the end of her life, my baby was at the beginning, and I was, and am, somewhere in the middle. I felt a great responsibility in that moment.

On Sunday October twenty-thrird I lost my grandma. . . But I know she is not truly lost. I know where she is. But that doesn't keep me from longing and missing her and what she is.

I worry about Grandpa- His pal is gone for now, and I cry about his pain-

What are you doing Grandma?

Are you looking over my shoulder helping me along? I know you are someone's angel- You are still mine. . . I love you. I miss you.

Thank Heaven you knew what living meant.

Thank Heaven for you. My Grandma.

My Friend."

Knowing that the Savior was resurrected, how can we not shout for joy? For he made it possible that we might be with them again.
We might be with them again.