Introducing Baby Boy Kaohelaulii

Jonathan's sister, Sara, had a beautiful baby boy on February 22, 2008. They haven't named him yet, but he was 10 lbs. 5 oz. What a beautiful baby boy! Congratulations, you guys!

Here are some pictures of him with his sisters:


Apparently Pa'ia wasn't very happy about having her picture taken!

Don't Know

I don't really know what to write, I just feel like I should write something. Let's see...

I got to sleep in today.

I am going to make some delicious Minestrone soup for dinner tonight.

I haven't showered yet and it's 12:41 PM.

Jonathan is snoring.

Two dogs are sleeping on me.

My house is a mess.

I'm watching Food Network.

Basically, it's a good day :) I hope you're having one too!

A Good Weekend

This last holiday weekend Jonathan and I were lucky enough to get to spend the whole weekend together, no work or anything. It was so nice, first we got a bite to eat for lunch. Then we went to Nickelcade, I didn't have much luck there because half the machines I put nickels into didn't work, and the air hockey table sucked - Jonathan hit me in the wrist with the puck, then I almost maimed some innocent standbyer with it. I found out how out of shape I am because after playing the basketball shooting game two times my arm was really hurting me. My high score was 25 and Jonathan's was 42 (which he was disgusted by). Then we went to Target and bought curtains for our bedroom. Then we installed the curtains in our bedroom. Then we took a nap. Then J wasn't feeling so hot so we got some dinner to-go at Wallaby's (good mashed potatoes). I don't really remember what we did after that, probably nothing. Jonathan steadily got more and more sick as the weekend progressed so we stayed in for the rest of it. It was still really nice to just spend time together. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures. Maybe next time.

Happy Valentines Day!

I know I did a post recently about Jonathan, but I still wanted to take the time today to say:

I love Jonathan Saluone with all my heart!

He is the best husband ever. He always thinks about me and takes good care of me. He keeps me on the right track (even though it's annoying at times) and he always tells me how beautiful I am (and I need that). He's such a hard worker and I know he will always do whatever it takes to make sure our family needs are met. I can't wait to be sealed to him for time and eternity. He's smart and handsome and I'm the luckiest girl in the world!

Jonathan, I love you tons!

A Tasty Recipe

So I found the best meat loaf recipe ever on the Food Network website. Here's the recipe:

1 pound ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Topping:
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf.

Topping: Mix ingredients for topping and spread on loaf. Bake for 1 hour.

I don't usually add the green pepper, mostly because I never have one on hand. And I like to spoon the meat mixture into a muffin tin because it takes about half as long to bake. The topping is delicious and the meat loaf is never dry. I love this and so does Jonathan, which says a lot!

Enjoy!

Curtis

I'm sorry I don't have a picture, but I wanted to blog about a friend of mine (and my husband's) today.

Sometimes I get bogged down thinking about all the things I want and don't have, and all the things I think my life should be or could have been. The fact that Jonathan and I are preparing to go to the temple doesn't help, Satan has really been at work in my life lately. But then Jonathan started working in the tire shop at WalMart (for the winter) and he made a new friend, Curtis. Curtis is a really nice, sincere, friendly, capable, smart and innocent guy. He has some issues in his life right now, which I won't explain because that's not my story to tell, but after Jonathan got to know him, it became evident that Curtis needed some help. So Jonathan, being the service-oriented guy that he is (and I absolutely love that about him), decided that we needed to help Curtis and I'm so glad that we did. Having Curtis in our lives has definitely helped me to gain a greater perspective of my life. I found myself counting my many blessings as I learned more and more about Curtis and his situation. I realized that I have way more than I need and it doesn't matter if I don't have a brand new kitchen, and it doesn't matter if I can't go clothes shopping every weekend and it doesn't matter if sometimes my husband's bad habits get on my nerves because at least I have a house and at least I have a closet full of last season's clothes and at least I have a husband who loves me and wants to spend time with me. There are a lot of people out there who would give anything to have what Jonathan and I have (material & immaterial) and I need to appreciate that.

Thanks, Curtis, for teaching me a much needed lesson about life. And thank you, Heavenly Father, for blessing me with so much.

My Man!

This is for Rachael, since I ignored her previous tag...

What's his name?

Jonathan Pili Saluone

How long have you been together?

3.5 years (2.5 years married)

How long did you date?

1 year

How old is he?

27 in March (9 months younger than me)

Who eats more?

He eats more than me, definitely. (Do you think I'd say if I ate more than him, anyway?)

Who said "I love you" first?

He did. I wanted to say it first, but I was too scared and just waited for him to say it.

Who is taller?

He is, by about 6 inches.

Who can sing better?

I'm pretty sure that's me, although he does a pretty darn good Elvis impression.

Who does the laundry?

Mostly me, unless I've slacked off and he's desperate for socks & underclothes. I slack off a lot.

Who pays the bills?

We both make the money, but I make sure the checks are in the mail ;)

Who sleeps on the right?

I'm on the right side (if you're looking at the bed).

Who mows the lawn?

He does, although I did mow it about 3 times the first year we were in our house. But I do all the gardenening/weeding.

Who cooks dinner?

We both do, although on weeknights it's mostly me.

Who drives?

He does. I feel much safer with him behind the wheel, or just less self conscious. Plus he has a CDL so I'm never worried when he's driving.

Who is more stubborn?

That's probably a tie, unfortunately.

Who kissed who first?

Him, of course. I'm a lady ;)

Who asked out who first?

He asked me out. It was so sweet, we met one night and, after finding out from my friend that I was available, he called me up a couple days later. He doesn't like to waste any time.

Who proposed?

He did, I think. We never really had a formal engagement, we just knew we wanted to marry each other and decided to get a ring.

Who has more friends?

I think he does. He's a friendly guy.

Who is more sensitive?

That would probably be me, although I don't like admitting it.

Who has more siblings?

I have 4 and he has 6.

Who wears the pants?

We both wear pants, but J never wears a skirt :)

Seriously, I think we do a good job at making decisions together.

I love you, Jonathan!!!!

Farewell to a Prophet

Gordon B. Hinckley is the prophet that I remember most since he was the prophet for the last, and most memorable, 13 years of my life. I will miss him, his humor and his encouragement.

The most memorable talk from President Hinckley, for me, is the talk he gave on the "Be's". I'm sure many of you remember it or the modified versions of it, including the book Way to Be! But the thing that I remember most about the talk isn't the list of things to "Be", but the prayer he offered for the youth of the church at the end of that talk. That touched me more than anything. To have a prophet of God pray out loud for me, that's really something. At that time in my life I really needed that. So here's the prayer, which I'm sure he has offered more times that once, for the youth of the church:

"Now, in conclusion, I offer a word of prayer concerning you.
O God, our Eternal Father, as Thy servant I bow before Thee in prayer in behalf of these young people scattered over the earth who are gathered tonight in assemblies everywhere. Please smile with favor upon them. Please listen to them as they lift their voices in prayer unto Thee. Please lead them gently by the hand in the direction they should follow.
Please help them to walk in paths of truth and righteousness and keep them from the evils of the world. Bless them that they shall be happy at times and serious at times, that they may enjoy life and drink of its fulness. Bless them that they may walk acceptably before Thee as Thy cherished sons and daughters. Each is Thy child with capacity to do great and noble things. Keep them on the high road that leads to achievement. Save them from the mistakes that could destroy them. If they have erred, forgive their trespasses and lead them back to ways of peace and progress. For these blessings I humbly pray with gratitude for them and invoke Thy blessings upon them with love and affection, in the name of Him who carries the burdens of our sins, even the Lord Jesus Christ, amen."

Artists on my MP3

• Dashboard Confessional
• Better Than Ezra
• Ziggy Marley
• Gwen Stefani
• Otis Redding
• The Beatles
• No Doubt
• Ingrid Michaelson
• Paul Simon
• UB40
• Natasha Beddingfield
• Sean Kingston
• The Flamingos
• Travis
• Sia

The invisibles

Puppet for your thoughts?

Did you...?

I'm not alone

Be careful when you eat out...

I think I just received a message for you...

Thoughts

So I've been feeling pretty good lately. I've been working out regularly for one week and I'm not hating it. I have even woken up EARLY to work out! And I'm talking 5:10 AM, early. Amazin' huh? I'm impressed with myself.

In other news, Jonathan started his job today and I miss him. I can't wait until spring when we will have the same schedule (mostly).

And I've been working really hard for the last, say, two weeks and it feels good and is exhausting at the same time.

I really feel like somewhat of a new person. Let's see how long it lasts ;)

Later

Goodbye Puppies

So we said goodbye to Kookie's second litter of puppies this last week. They were so cute and I do miss them, although I don't miss cleaning up after three little puppies.

This is a video of the three pups when they were first learning how to run and play. They loved "fighting" with each other and their big brother Kimo. Enjoy!

Something New

I thought that I would start something new here. Every so often I will write a little something about my life to date. This is mainly an attempt to begin writing my personal history, and what better way to do it than here on my blog?

I was born in 1980 to my parents, Russ & Connie. I was the youngest of five children and I'm told I was quite spoiled. I don't remember very much of our life until we settled here in Utah when I was five. But I do know some stories about when I was little, like how my older brothers used to put lemon juice or Arbys' "horsey sauce" in my milk - they loved me so much. And I'm told that when the other kids were out playing in the backyard that I would stand at the back door, where I could barely peek out the window, and yell, "guys, hey guys!" I know my brothers and sisters always loved me because, even now, I don't have any memories of them being mean or resentful toward me. And I love them all too!

New Year and stuff

Wow, I hadn't realized how long it's been since my last post (not that anyone else has noticed). But I guess I should say something about the holidays - they were great and now they're over (sad).

Here are some new things for 2008 (I don't want to call them resolutions because I haven't really resolved to do them).

• I will be working one Friday a month in this new year of 2008 and not because I choose to (sucks)
• I will try to exercise more. I haven't been exercising at all so I figure I'll shoot for once a month at least
• I will try to eat better (i.e. cook more)
• I will try to study the scriptures instead of just read them
• I will try my best to get pregnant (that should make Jonathan happy)
• I will finish at least one quilt
• I will spend less time watching tv
• I will plant a vegetable garden
• I will take more photos
• I will get sealed to my wonderful husband in the temple

I can't think of anything else. Hope your new year was happy and your resolutions are resolute.

Merry Christmas!

This is the annual Saluone family Christmas photo. I'm not entirely happy with it, but I guess that's what I get for waiting until the last minute to take the photo.

Hope you had a Merry Christmas! We love you!

Christmas Eve

We had a nice Christmas Eve with my family, the Cluffs. We had dinner and my sister's kids sang songs with my dad. The first video is my favorite, the kids are singing Away In A Manger with my dad on the guitar. After Megan lifts up her shirt she dramatically starts mouthing to her mom, "my pants are falling down!" It's great.



This is a video of the kids singing a church song, they are so good!



We hope you all had a good Christmas Eve!

"smart"

I've been pondering this subject for a little while now, don't ask me why.

What is "smart"? How do you know if you're "smart"? How do you know if someone else is "smart"? Who is the judge of "smart"?

Here are three things I know:
1. Opinions do not make you smart
2. Degrees do not make you smart
3. Everyone I know has made a stupid decision, said something stupid, or done something stupid (myself included, of course)

If being smart is a lack of stupidity then is anyone really "smart"?

I Always Knew I Was Hot...

What My Kitchen Looks Like Now (and probably for the next year)

Please pardon the mess. Actually, this is what my kitchen looks like (now) when it's relatively clean. I am pleased with the progress, it's just that I'm not pleased knowing that this is as far as we can get with a budget of $0, and it's going to be some time (about a year) until we'll be able to afford the rest of the renovations (flooring, cabinets, countertops, etc.). So I'm posting these pictures to show people what my kitchen looks like without actually making them be in my kitchen.

Puppies!

So our darling dachshund, Kookie, had another batch of pups. Three this time, same as last time, and they are adorable. No black ones this time :( But these three pups are sure tiny and sweet! Check them out:

"...all soul searchers"

So I'm starting to get into the Christmasy mood. Music really helps set the tone for the season, I think. My FAVORITE Christmas song is by Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, it's called "Christmas Song" (posted below). It is so wonderful, simple and to the point. This holiday, and year round for that matter, is all about "love, love, love".



Love you! Hope you have a wonderful and love-filled Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Thanksgiving holiday was great, we ate and spent time with both families and it was really fun. Here's the one picture we got of the entire event. Notice J's AWESOME mustache (which I'm so glad he shaved later that night). Oh, and I have changed my hair color, so this is the first picture of the dark-haired Karen.

More Tito Antics

Okay, so maybe our Boxer isn't the smartest dog around. We found him like this the other night. It may not be very clear from the picture, but Tito is actually stuck in the slipcover of our couch. See, it has/had a medium sized hole in it from Tito's younger days and he somehow got trapped in that hole. Poor thing, doesn't he look embarrassed!

What My Kitchen Looked Like on Sunday

My husband worked all day on Sunday to get the kitchen to this point.



Needless to say we ate out all weekend long. But it feels so much better, you probably can't appreciate that unless your kitchen, too, felt like it was a cave.

I love that my husband knows how to do all this stuff. He's the best! And with any luck we'll have a new ceiling before December :)

What My Kitchen Looked Like on Saturday

Our home was built in 1978 and for some reason there was a trend of building dropped ceilings to accommodate the ultra-hip flourescent lighting. Well, we are no longer trendy by the 1978 standard.



My husband spent all day Saturday tearing out the drywall & framing and rewiring all the electrical in the ceiling. It wasn't finished by the time he quit at 9 PM Saturday.

Heritage

We celebrated my grandmother's 80th birthday this month. This is a picture of (from right) my grandmother, mother and me.

This is a picture of (from left) my husband, me and my grandmother.

In the background is a quilt that my mom and her sisters had made with pictures of my grandmother and her offspring. It was a great night and I'm glad to have such a talented grandmother to look up to.

Catching Up

Here's a movie we took of Hikia on the trampoline ride-thing at Circus Circus. You probably can't tell from the clip, but the guy tells her it's time to get off and she keeps jumping :) That girl is adorable.

Catching Up

These are photos from when we went to Las Vegas to meet Kevin & Sara and the girls when they visited this summer. We met up with Paula & Adrien for dinner one night. We also went to the Circus Circus Adventurdome with the girls. The Adventurdome is built out of pink glass, that's why the photos at the bottom have that pinkish tint.

Catching Up

This is a picture from when Spencer was in Primary Children's Hospital after taking a tumble down the mountain. He broke his jaw and had to have it wired shut for a few weeks, but he's perfectly fine now! This happened a week or so before his birthday so he didn't get to eat any cake on his actual birthday. After they took the wires out my mom (grandma to Spencer) asked him what kind of cake he wanted now that he could eat. He asked her for "that Mexican sheep cake you make", turns out he meant "Texas sheet cake". I guess he was close enough! Cute.


We're so thankful he recovered well and was so strong through the whole thing. We love you, Spencer!

Fall

We took a drive through the canyon a few weeks ago and these are some pictures we took. Isn't Utah beautiful in the fall? We kind of missed the bright fall leaves, but the mountains are gorgeous no matter the season.

The Result

So this is what the end result looked like. I'm not the best photographer, especially when taking pictures at night, so sorry if these are blurry. I wished the white of the spider web was more noticeable, and all the big spiders fell down after they were taped up, so I'll have to figure out a solution for that next year. But I think it turned out well. What do you think?

Monster Mash

I found out this weekend that I can get some of the Halloween decorations I've been wanting for free (yay) and I've been really excited. The picture below is the look I'm going for, after I have all the decorations up I will post a picture of my own house so we can compare.

I also found a great pumpkin "carving" idea from Martha Stewart. Isn't that so cute? Just put a mask on your pumpkin and after Halloween you'll still have Thanksgiving decorations. Love it.

Halloween

I love Halloween. I don't like being scared, but I think it's fun to dress up and get free candy. I do, however, think I'm too old for trick-or-treating, so I settle for decorating instead. My house would look like Martha Stewart's this time of year if I had the millions to pay for it, so I put out a couple of pumpkins and settle for some wickedly designed cupcakes to fulfill my creepy decorating desires.