Fun in December

Christmas at our place

Making the Danish Kleina

Hukilau Beach, Laie

Andrea & her friend Jenny 

Polynesian Cultural Center

Acai bowl in the Hukilau Market Place PCC

Wove a pandanus rose at the settlement

Hawaiian Ice brought in a couple truck loads of snow
and blew it into a pile in the Market Place for kids to play in!

Weekend in Ko Olina

A Ko Olina weekend with Andrea!

Weaving a fish :)

Paradise Cove Luau

Visited Paradise Cove Luau to compare it to the
PCC's luau.  It was very enjoyable & we had a great time
but no comparison to the PCC experience!

Planting a Tree

Gunstock Ranch excursion & picnic with the Marketing Department

Planting a Milo Tree at the ranch

I picked this spot to plant because it is the number of our anniversary.
I dedicated this tree to my family and named it "Everlasting".
Everlasting will reach up to heaven everyday for those who are
struggling to do so.

What fun to see Gary and Kristen who are here visiting Gary's parents who are serving here at the PCC  in the Mission Settlement.

A visit from Gary and Kristen! :)

Mele Kalikimaka from Laie

Hukilau Market Place Christmas

Chris Played a "king" in the live nativity

BYU-Hawaii Christmas

This little girl went up to Mary, touched her face, then laid her
head gently on the baby Jesus.  Such a tender moment.

Beautiful Sunset behind the temple:

Decorating our place for Christmas

Look who came to the manger scene in our ward Christmas Party!
Awe...ha ha ha!  Pua & Heihei!

Isn't it incredible when you stop to think about it how after all these 1000's of years, we still talk of the little baby born in a manger.  We still teach of Him, worship Him all over the world and at Christmas we still sing and tell His story.  Like the wisemen, we are still watching for Him to come and waiting for that great day.

And still is found, the world around

The old and hallowed story,

And still is sung in every tongue

The angels song of glory:

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to his name.

Isn’t it also amazing that even though we have such a brief account of the words and works of Jesus, “all occurrences that make history are chronicled throughout Christendom by reference to the year before or after the birth of Jesus Christ.”

Dear Mom

Dear Mom,

It is Sunday morning, the time when I would be talking to you on the phone.  I would ask you if anything is new with my siblings.   You would tell me about your week and I would tell you about mine.  We would then talk about the whole world and how crazy it is getting and how we just can't wait for the Millennium when Christ will lead the world in righteousness.

I feel happy that you are freed from pain and reunited with Dad and other loved ones.  We will all miss you very much.

When we returned from being with you last week we found all these hearts on our door from our students. :)  They are so sweet.

You have never been to Hawaii, but now from where you are, you can see it for the first time and know what we are up to.  As you know, I made this blog especially for you so that you could see what we are doing, but now you can see for yourself.

On your table, we found the sweet Christmas letter that you were writing to us.

Right now I wish I could sit by you and watch a Hallmark Christmas movie.  I'm wondering what Christmas is like where you are.  Is Bestima playing a violin?  Is Bestifa singing a Danish song or playing harmonica?  Are you dancing?

Thank you for your letter Mom.  Thank you for your loving heart and example of valiantly enduring to the end.  Thank you for your smile and kind words and needed advise to all who visited you.  Thank you for all the beautiful things you handmade to give to others.  I'm so thankful that we are a forever family.

Give Dad a hug from me. 
I love you so much.

With much love,
Debbie

Mom is with Dad

Friday when it was clear that Mom was not going to recover and we were here to say goodbye, we had the mask removed and moved her into a regular room.  In this room we could all gather around her while she was provided with “comfort care” which means they do everything to keep you as stress and pain free as they can while you pass away.  She was instantly relaxed and so much better there. The Madison Memorial Hospital was full of angels serving her and I have high praise for all of the staff there.  

The most beautiful and amazing thing to witness was how completely loving and sweet mom was to every one of us and every single visitor who came.  She would not complain and seemed to want to spare us all from feeling scared for her.  She would look at us with the most heavenly expression of love and the most adorable smile.  It was the deep love of a mother who couldn't speak her goodbyes to her children but what she gave us through her expression and the cute little "ahhhh" sound was so beyond words.

 After many days of hanging on, Mom passed away peacefully.  After so much family day after day, Chris & I and Jen ended up the only ones in the room as she just stopped breathing.  Mom told us that she wanted to be with Dad and that she was very happy.  She saw Dad and her parents in the room and she reached up for them with the most joyful glowing expression.  We marveled and felt her happiness.

I like Chris's words about this "I could sense the unification of family on both sides of the veil; those of us who were mourning her passing but joyful that her physical struggle was over; those who eagerly awaited her on the other side who she reached for in her final hours."

Mom passed away on the 13th and her funeral was the 18th.

At the viewing, a table of pictures and pretty things Mom has made.

Table at the funeral

 

Mom and Dad are together again like a bride and groom.
Although I'm so sad, I feel a great peace and rejoicing for Mom and Dad.

 

My niece Christie, took all Mom's flower fairies and made them
into a beautiful wreath.  After the funeral the grandchildren got to
pick a flower fairy to take with them.

I gave the life sketch and my brother Kevin, gave a beautiful gospel talk.  He had his notes in a folder and when he opened it the above note was with his talk!  Nobody knows how it got there but somehow it must have come from Mom.  She liked to scalloped the edges of things.  What a very beautiful thought this is!

Aaron was one of the pallbearers 

It might be puzzling to someone who hasn't gone through it, to
see us all smiling.  We are all a bit shocked and sad but we've
been filled with a great feeling of peace and love from Mom
and knowledge that this is the right time and she is filled with joy.

Part of our forever family

Chris & I with some of our dear children

Me and my cute siblings

Getting a bite to eat before we all disperse.  I loved being able
to see loved one and spend this precious time together.

I love my family so much.  What a blessing to know that we are eternal.  We are a forever family and that is the happiest feeling in the whole world.