Memorial for Grandpa

In June we went out to Chicago for a memorial for my Grandpa Wagner.

We had a great BBQ in the park with lots of water, games and great food and family.

All of the grandkids. It was so fun to see how quickly they bonded and became best buddies, even though it has been years since we have seen some of them.

At Grandpa's graveside we all took turns sharing special memories of him. It was a special time and I'm so grateful for my Grandpa and his great example of living life with no regrets each day and making his family the center of his life.

The kids all signed a balloon that we released into the sky to send to Grandpa.

Saying goodbye from the hotel.

Kris and Curt and their cute kids came to visit us, which made saying goodbye a little easier. Eating second breakfast with the gang. 

Curt, Ty and Garrett soaking up the sun at the St. Croix River

Grant, Shayla and Felicity

McKay grabbing a nap where he could

Super Curt!!!

We had so much fun visiting and meeting little Kiku. She is such a sweet little baby!

Come back soon--we miss you!!!

Under Construction...

 In preparations for our new baby in September we are finishing our basement. Here are some before pictures:

 Lovely, isn't it?

 After 2 1/2 days of framing, what progress! To the left is the storage room and to the right is the bathroom.

This will be Ty's bedroom. He can't wait--and has already picked out his paint colors. Green and Yellow. Hello, Packer's fan.

 My brother, Ricky and Kristin Smith got married on February 11th, 2012 in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple.  It was a beautiful day, and we were so happy for Ricky and Kristin!!! 

 Ricky and Kristin with my Dad, Richard Holokahi, Jr.

 All of the cousins

 The FAM!!!

It was so great to have my Auntie Kathy and Dad there for Ricky's and Kristin's special day.

Ricky hanging out with his nieces and nephews...

Dance party!!! Just Dance 3 was a hit--everyone got into the action, adults and kids alike.

Uncle Jacob, the human swing

 The kids dancing together

 Garrett riding a horse at Thanksgiving Point.

Visiting with Great-Grandpa and Grandma Johnson

Such a great trip--family times are the best!

Summer Time!!!

The kids' last day of school was Friday!!!

We celebrated by going to a neighborhood root beer float party

and then hiking at Willow River State Park. 

 Grant and Miya feeding the geese. These geese were NOT shy--they'd try to take the bread right out of their hands.

Made me nervous...

 Garrett showing me his number scroll on the last day of school.

He got to 7,000-something and was proud to have the longest scroll in his class! 

Shayla is ready for the summer!

Ty had his 5th grade graduation--look out Middle School, here he comes!

He got to share some memories of his grade school days and it made me a little sad that he is growing up so fast and a lot proud to hear what he had to say. I thought i'd include his speech here at the end, for the grandparents (I did record it, but somehow it got deleted off of my phone :(

"Through my elementary years I have achieved many goals, and there are many more that I am still striving for. I hope I've shown enough respect to all my wonderful teachers who have helped me reach my goals. Such as ones as little as learning my A,B,C's. My teachers have all helped shape the character I'm today. They've taught me to be respectful, to never give up, and to always think of others first. I hope I can share these characteristics with others someday.

One of my first memories was going to the apple orchard with my wonderful kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Sexe. I remember how proud I was to be picking my own apples. I remember how crisp and juicy the mouthwatering apples tasted! My first grade teacher Mrs. Baumann was one amazing first grade teacher. I remember the bunk bed Mrs. Baumann had. I thought it was so cool! I wasn't here in second grade but I still had an awesome teacher Mrs. Amorelli at River Crest. I can't forget my third grade teacher Mrs. Frydach. She was so patient with me. I remember fourth grade very vividly. Our class talked a lot! I was one of the kids who talked a lot. And I'm still working on that. But Mrs. Ida always kept a great attitude. 

One of my last memories from my elementary school is Camp St. Croix! It was an action packed three days. Full of rock climbing, hiking, delicious food, and many bonding experiences. Mrs. Shimon made fifth grade my favorite year by far because of her exuberant attitude, and loving heart. Elementary school is a blast and it will forever have a special impact on my life." by Tyler K. Hacking

VICTORY!!!

Yesterday Governor Scott Walker won the recall election and gets to retain his seat as Governor of Wisconsin!!! We are celebrating today with red, white and blue jello :) 

We proudly displayed a yard sign supporting Walker until it was stolen one Sunday while we were at church. So we ordered 3 more, gave one to our neighbors, replaced our own sign and kept a back-up sign in the garage just in case.  

One sign that made me laugh was the "Recall Santa" sign. I agree with the sentiment. I think a recall election should only be held if there is a moral conduct issue, or major breach of confidence. When we differ with our elected officials' policies, we should surely make our voice heard but wait for the next election to vote for who we think would better serve our community. Walker was recalled because of outrage over some of the cuts made to teachers and state employees. He reduced the collective bargaining rights of unions and required teachers and state employees to pay more towards their health insurance and pension plans. This has already happened in the private sector so I feel that the cuts he made were very reasonable, but the unions thought differently. 


This recall election has cost over $63 million, which is such a waste of resources. It could have helped reduce our debt considerably and all of the time and effort that has gone in to campaigning could have been better spent focusing on the current needs of our state.


But now it is behind us. Scott Walker is a fearless leader and wants what is best for Wisconsin. He has reduced our state budget and seen a drop in the state unemployment rate since he took office. He has made history as the first governor in history to win a recall election (there were only 2 others and they both lost). He has made some tough decisions that have pointed us in the right direction and I applaud him!!!

Aunt Sarah's visit

My sister Sarah came to visit for a week and we had such a great time. She was so helpful with the kids and they loved being spoiled by their aunt. Here are a few photos of our week together.

Volunteering at Feed My Starving Children--what a great experience!

We dry pack meals for children all over the world who are in need of food and prepare it for shipment. 

The day we volunteered the food was going to Haiti. 

 Sarah played countless games of Candyland, Zooreka and Ticket to Ride with the kids (especially Grant during the day--that kid could play games non-stop and love it).

They would laugh so hard I couldn't believe it was Candyland they were playing--just having a good time together. (sorry for the blurry cell phone picture)

 Checking out the Mall of America

 Sarah painted Miya's nails, straightened Shayla's hair and helped me dye mine. No more gray--hoorah!!!

 Buying treats at K'nokes--the best local candy/ice cream shop around!

 Miya wasted no time on her candy necklace.

 Grant is LOVING soccer!

 So is Garrett. (Shayla, too, but I didn't get a picture)

 Hiking to Willow River Waterfall

 Eating fried cheese curds from Culver's--mouth-watering good

 Ultrasound!! It was so fun to have Sarah there. Dr. S was amazing and did great with our crew of 8. Sarah, Tyler and Miya correctly predicted a girl, winning candy bars as their prize.

I can't believe we are having a girl--i was so sure it was a boy!

At the St. Paul Cathedral--it feels like it's right out of Europe.

 The view from the top of the Capitol Building in St. Paul

We also explored the Science Museum and had lots of good time to catch up and talk.

Thanks for coming out to visit, Sarah! We can't wait for your next visit.

Thoughts on Motherhood...

Happy Belated Mother's Day! 

The other day Grant and Miya were playing family with a friend, Kelsey.  Every minute or two they would run into the room and say, "Today is my birthday-now I'm 5!" and a few moments later, "Today is my birthday--now I'm 6!!!" This game continued for quite some time until Kelsey was 14, Grant was 12 and Miya was 10.  I laughed at their fun celebrations of the best days of family life and couldn't help thinking that that was about how fast real life seemed to be going. 

I think my greatest challenge is to appreciate each day, each moment and cherish it, make a mental snapshot of my kids each day. They are so precious and unique and each day is filled with moments to treasure. The challenge is sifting through all the not-so-cherishable moments of fights, tantrums, messes and exhaustion and holding tight to the hugs and the smiles and the fun. I love watching my kids play together in the backyard--the other night Ty was the coach, giving a motivational pep talk to the other kids as he practiced kicking goals at them. Shayla was the lead goalie, with Garrett and Grant backing her up, as Miya ran around the yard picking grass, leaves, and rocks to make "soup." It was such a sweet moment that I tucked it away in my heart to keep forever.

Mother's Day was such a special day--I'm so grateful for my Mom and Mother-in-law, and all the women in my life who teach me so much through their examples. 

I'm so thankful for Tyler and his constant love and support, and for each of my wonderful kids. They spoiled me all day long--starting with breakfast in bed and ending with a delicious dinner and wonderful homemade cards with sweet messages. It was a wonderful day!

I love this picture--Grant's face makes me laugh, and Garrett had a bloody nose.

A little slice of real life.

And we had our ultrasound and found out that we are having a GIRL!!!

Due Sept. 27th, 2012.

We are thrilled and feel so blessed.