“A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.” – Max Muller

Smile-worthy moments are like sunshine to the soul. As the mercury rises ever so slowly, buds spring forth from the once-frozen earth to announce that spring is finally here, and with it…

…Sunshine

After a long, snow-filled winter, I’m more than ready to bask in the rays of the warm sun and the many smile-worthy moments I’ve experienced over the last 30 days. Like…

Hearing my little girl say “mommy” for the first time. Who knew that a little word could bring so much joy to a mother’s day?

Meeting a kind stranger in the post office one afternoon. It’s amazing, the friends you’ll make if you just take a moment to smile and say hello.

Celebrating my son’s 16th birthday. I still can’t believe that it’s been 16 years since I looked into Andre’s big brown eyes for the very first time. Where has the time gone?

Making memories and enjoying those precious moments with my parents while they’re visiting with us here in Missouri. 4,130 miles of land and ocean usually separate us from our family in Hawaii, so you can bet we’re making the most of our time together.

Eating my mom’s delicious homemade malasadas (Portuguese donuts). Everything my mom cooks is amazing, but her fried noodles are out of this world. And her malasadas? They’re sinfully delicious!

Running away from my toddler as she chased me around the living room while waving her poop-covered hand wildly above her head.

Looking on as my father shares the bedtime story of my youth with my little girl, Amaya. I fondly remember laying in my father’s arms as a little girl, listening to tales of Chester the Cow and Sammy the Snake while drifting off to dreamland.

Receiving a hug and an “I love you” from one of the kids, just because. It’s the little things…

Sunshine, love and smile-worthy moments… It’s the little things that make life so sweet. What are some of your favorite sunshine-filled, smile-worthy moments?

My parents are visiting with us here in small town Missouri and we’re having a blast. Papa and Grandma have been busy showering the grandkids with hugs, kisses and too many sweets. But who am I to complain? This is the stuff that memories are made of.

And what kind of mother would I be if I didn’t mention that today is also my son Andre’s 16th birthday? He’s such a goof ball, but I love him so.

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Thanks for stopping by and linking up at Live and Love Out Loud. If you’re looking for even more fabulous people to link up with, head on over to the following blogs and link up with them as well. I do. Every.single.week.

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He’s smart, athletic, funny, silly, handsome, talkative, inquisitive and he’s my son. He’s also 16 years old today.

Where does the time go?

My parents arrived here in Missouri a few days ago and boy, what an adventure it’s been. Prior to leaving their home in Hawaii for a 2-week visit with my family, my Dad had a slew of questions and a list of demands that he bombarded me with over the phone one afternoon.

You see, my father Kimo (pronounce key-mo) isn’t very well traveled. He enjoys the life he lives on the island of Oahu. He really wouldn’t have it any other way and I can’t say that I blame him. But everything about life on the mainland is foreign and completely strange to him:

“Geez, why is it so cold? The kids have to go out in the cold everyday? Why does the sky look like that? The trees are all dead! What’s wrong with this place? Whatchu mean they don’t have Portuguese sausage or saimin (a local noodle dish from Hawaii) at McDonald’s? Can’t you buy passion orange juice at the grocery store? Geez…”

But even more strange to my father is the concept of living in a small town.

Me: Hey Dad, did I tell you that we live in a really small town?
Dad: Whatchu mean “small town”? How small? Like 500 people?
Me: No Dad. Like 109 people.
Dad: WHAT?!? Are you serious?
Me: Yup.
Dad: So you’re telling me, if I throw a bomb (my Dad’s oh-so-eloquent way of saying “fart”) your neighbors going hear it?
Me: No Dad. It’s a small town as far as the population goes, but the houses are spaced out. There’s a lot of land.
Dad: Oh. So, is there a restaurant in your town?
Me: No, but there’s a cafe.
Dad: WHAT?!? A cafe? Is there a police department?
Me: No, but we have a post office that’s about the size of your kitchen.
Dad: WHAT?!? Is there a movie theater?
Me: Um, no.
Dad: WHAT?!? Got politicians?
Me: Of course. Someone needs to run the town. The mayor stopped by our house on the day we moved in. He rode over on his 4 wheeler to welcome us to the village.
Dad: Village? Whatchu mean village?
Me: There’s not enough people living in this town for it to actually be called a “town” so it’s called a village.
Dad: WHAT?!? Geez…

Following the barrage of questions regarding life in a small town -um, village- my father proceeded to lay out his list of demands. You know, just a few essential items he couldn’t possibly live without while visiting with his loved ones here in Missouri:

Geez… What a diva!

*Please tell me that I’m not alone. Are your parents just as demanding and diva-like at times?

Would someone please tell me how this little boy…

…suddenly became this young man?

How in the world did that happen?

My son Andre will be 16 years old next week. Sixteen.years.old. I seriously have no clue as to where the time has gone. One minute he was a teeny tiny little baby and now? Well now he’s a young man with muscles. God, help me.

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Thanks for stopping by and linking up at Live and Love Out Loud. If you’re looking for even more fabulous people to link up with, head on over to the following blogs and link up with them as well. I do. Every.single.week.

Two ways to link up…

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