Saturday, December 19, 2009

Pomp and Circumstance, Part II

So yesterday (as many of you know) was the December graduation ceremony for the BYU-Hawaii, and Jobi -- after all the kicks and screams -- finally joined them. Poor guy still has homework left to do, but the ceremony was so amazing that I just congratulate him somehow. So I'm going to devote this post to him... since he doesn't read our blog anyway. hahahaha



I know it's a far shot, but that's Jobi up there, shaking hands with Bro. Christensen. I know in his mind he's thinking, "how the crap am I gonna finish two 10-page papers in 3 days?" But the men on the stand smile for him obliviously.

Then came the part of the ceremony that stood out from the rest: Jobi's commissioning ceremony. For those who don't know, this was basically my mister's personal graduation ceremony from the ROTC program, which upon completion of the ceremony he immediately moves up from a nobody (cadet) to a somebody (2nd lieutenant). It's usually held in a more intimate setting with only family and friends, but since he was the only cadet to graduate this semester (and I'm pretty sure there were some scheduling conflicts as well), the university let his commissioning be part of the commencement program.

And I'm so glad it was!




CPT Saui'a (a BYUH 1997 graduate) swore him into office. All eyes and ears were on these two, taking in each word of the oath, trying to understand what was being said. When the oath was sworn, the entire room stood in applause. A standing ovation! For one man! My husband! I was in awe.




After the oath, his parents went up to the stage to pin his rank onto his jacket's shoulders. He now looks official. Isn't he handsome?




These were some of his buddies that came to support him at the ceremony in their dress greens. From L to R: Jason, Rafaele, and Micah (who took all these pictures. Thanks, Micah. You always got his back.)



And here are Shaka and Jared. Jobi has made some really good friends in the ROTC program here. We will miss them greatly.

I'm still shaken up from the buzz of his graduation, and how awesome he looked in the tacky Army dress blues! I know he's still stressed and he doesn't feel like any of this was for him right now, but I do. I was in the same predicament as him when I graduated (I turned in my senior paper the week after graduation), but he is doing just fine. I'm so proud of him. He's worked so hard, for all of us in this little family, and it's finally coming together. He's the best.

I love you, Sweetie.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

November-December Update

Ok, people, I'm having issues again with Blogger's picture and video uploading. I don't think this system likes me very much. So this will be another picture-less blog... which is sad because Aissa took some really cute pictures of us for Christmas.

They don't look Christmas-y, mind you... Nothing's really Christmas-y in Hawaii!

So I'll just let you know what we've been up to...

We spent THANKSGIVING in Nanakuli with Henry's family. Jobi said he went there a lot before his mission and they were pretty much like his second family, so I was fine with us going. Besides, they said we didn't need to cook, and that was music to my pregnant ears. It was TONS of fun, and there was lots of good food and good people around. We ate at lunch, took a nap, went to the beach, played cards, ate dinner, played pool... and all the single people stayed up until Black Friday. Of course I was out all night, but I sent Jobi to go Black Friday shopping with them early in the morning (they got to Target at 4:30 -- a sister had been standing in line waiting for them since 10:30 the night before) to get the experience. He didn't want to buy anything, but he thought it might be fun, too.

He came back with over $200 worth of "presents" for us.

I'm not even gonna tell you what they are -- I'm still in shock over the whole thing. Ask me later, if you really wanna know.

So that was our Thanksgiving. Good times.


The next phases on our list: GRADUATION, MOVE OUT, HOLIDAYS, and MAUI.

  • GRADUATION is coming up in just short of 2 weeks (December 18 -- woot woot!) and Siope and I have lots to do for it.
  • We MOVE OUT of TVA (and consequently Laie) on the 21st, so we have to send things home, sell/give away things we can't keep, ship our car, and pack for the HOLIDAYS.
  • We are spending the HOLIDAYS in Utah! Our very first Utah Christmas! (I'd say our very first "white" Christmas, but Jobi served his mission in Mongolia...) I know it's not home for either of us, but my sister Lans has Christmas all figured out this year, so we are crashing their party. We're sooooooooo excited!!!
  • After New Year's, we'll be joining the rest of our stuff on MAUI, and that's where we'll be for the time being. I don't know how long we'll be there, but I'm pretty sure our second baby will at least be born there.
I'm still really lazy so my main priority of packing and shipping everything has been going 1-speed right now. It hasn't hit me until this morning that we're leaving, because up until last night I wasn't sure that we actually were. It's a long story and I'd rather not explain it, but at least now we know that my mister will graduate (and that I quit PCC at the right time after all), and so we can get going. Jobi's priority is graduation and commission, and that in itself is going to be a job-and-a-half, so I can't expect him to help me. (But I hope he knows that he can't expect me to help him, either.)

I feel like I'm rambling. I'm losing my train of thought... Ok, let me make my last point, and then I'm done.

This year my family's theme for our Christmas Gift Exchange is "A YouTube Christmas." Since we're all over the place now and strapped for money, we figured this will be a way everyone can get a present and get it on time. I haven't made my present yet, but I made Almonds's present for her cousin the other day (Sam and Bree's newborn son, Roger), and I was so excited it was done that I gave it to them already. So I'm gonna share it with you all. And yes, it's on YouTube already.



P.S. Sorry the song's redundant. My family will appreciate it, though.........   right guys??

THE END.