The missing wheel?

This morning as I prepared to take John John to school, Danny called me and by the sound of his voice I knew something bad had happened. He was going to school after dropping Andi, Spencer and 2 other kids from seminary off at their school when... (and get this), the front driver side tire came off the van and rolled about 100 yards away. It actually flew across the street and landed in a field.

Being the psycho, lunatic mom that I am...I start to freak out and he assures me that he is just fine. Thank goodness he is such a good driver like his dad and knew to stay calm and steer the van as close to the side of the road as possible! I drive there and get him and the van situated, he was more embarrassed then shook up, as students and faculty from his elite private school spotted him, in my beat up greenish blue 90's something mini van and stopped to assist him in his plight. Poor guy, my handsome, strong, popular, captain of the fb team son is sitting on the side of a busy road, in an ugly van that's missing a wheel!

Anyways, as I am still upset and telling Loni Anne all about it and all the "Could haves" with this whole incident...she gently reminds me that the could haves did not happen. She told me to remember that Heavenly Father is so mindful of us and our situation right now, He knows what a good young man Danny is and the righteous desires of his heart to serve a mission this summer, and that is why this wasn't a lot worse then it was. She said, and I quote, "Heavenly Fathers angels were watching out for him today". My mom also relayed the fact that in her daily personal prayers she always blesses us by families, for example bless Lyla, Dan and kids, bless Loni, Grant and kids. Last night however, she felt so inclined to bless each one of her 27 grandchildren by name. She knows and I KNOW that the extra prayers offered up in Dannys behalf were heard as well. Thank you Heavenly Father for hearing our prayers and for the safety of my loved ones!

From 7 to 4...

As most of you know, I took Loni Anne to the airport last Wednesday to go back to school. She started class today, and I was surprised to see that she just wasn't that excited to go back. It's funny to me how much of a "homebody" she has become and I am already having Loni Anne pains. I know I have blogged before about the sadness I feel as each of my children are leaving our home but, I tell you it is just such a HARD thing to deal with.

Sela has just moved into her own place and she just left (about an hour ago) to spend her first night there. Danny leaves on his mission this summer and we will be down to 3 at home. Going from 7 to 3 is is an adjustment. I just hope that my kids are ready for this new part of their life...I pray that I taught them how to...

Pray
Stay safe
Clean and care for their home
Read their scriptures
Make sure they always have clean underwear on
Pay bills
Attend church EVERY week
Be responsible
Work hard
Be respectful of others
Laugh alot
Cry sometimes

and most importantly...

CALL HOME every now and then...


Don't get me wrong, I am so happy and understand the ultimate plan...we raise them the best we can and then we let them go and hope and pray that they remember all they have been taught and make the best possible choices for their lives. But, I just have to say one thing...This. Is. So. Hard!!

I'm ok and I know that I am not the first nor the last mom this will happen to...I am just feeling melancholy that's all. So to you my children, whom I LOVE more then life itself..be good, be safe, be clean, be smart and beHAVE!!! Love you MOST!! MOM xoxoxoxo!

AA=Amazing and Awesome!

While working yesterday I ran into a girl I used to work with, she was outside doing some yard work and I was delivering her mail. As we were catching up with each other and life she shared with me that she had gone through rehab for alcoholism.

To say I was shocked would be a total understatement, but to say I ever thought that she had a problem that intense would be. You see, where we worked in an upscale office environment, the manager would buy bottles of alcohol at 4pm to bring down to us girls to help us unwind before the day was over at 6. Yes, you heard me right, the manager encouraged drinking alcohol on the job. It was his way of saying, "Thanks girls for all your hard work". They were always clueless why I wouldn't have just 1 glass of wine with them. They knew I was Mormon but how could 1 glass of wine hurt me?

I do remember thinking that sometimes this was really out of hand. They were never drunk off their rockers but I believe they had a "buzz" before they left. I often thought how wrong it was that they were getting behind the wheel like that. It was hard at times to sit there and watch and listen to their alcohol induced rantings about this or that...they always seemed a bit more gutsy (for a lack of a better word) when they had a few drinks in them.

So, to see my friend and to hear of her triumphant win against this horrible disease was such, "GOOD NEWS"!! All, I could say to her over and over again was, I'm sooo proud of you! She quit that job, and I'm not saying that job was her reason for her disease, I'm just saying it DIDN'T help. She told me she was drinking a bottle of vodka a day. She was hiding bottles everywhere, in her car, yard, house...anywhere her husband couldn't find them.

She had a sponsor upon completion of her rehab and now she sponsors 3 people in their fight to get sober. She attends meetings all the time, she speaks at different functions and she is happier and healthier then ever! In this world of so much bad news and negativity I felt so inclined to share some "GOOD NEWS" on my blog.

Throwback!

An old throwback pix of me...I think I was 14 yrs old here...



When I first started blogging about 2 years ago I did this intro to the blogworld and decided to bring it back for my slew of new readers! HAHAHAHAH!

name is Lyla
eternal companion is Dan
kids-7, yes 7 I am a Polynesian Mormon...(I knew that would be pretty self-explanatory)
g-kids-YES 2 glorious! 2 beautiful! 2 amazing! 2 WHOOO HOOO!!! 1 amazing, smart, talented, beautiful, strong willed and happy boy named DONNIE and 1 gorgeous, blue-eyed, almost blonde, spitting image of her mama, breathtaking, sweet, precious and feisty granddaughter named LYLA ALANA!!
I am the youngest daughter of Saula and Tilini who hail from the Tonga Islands
I have 5 sisters all much, much older then myself!
Love my church and especially my ward family
Family is a BIG DEAL to me
Friends are too
Love to-surf the internet, watch movies, go shopping (hate window shopping), yard selling, public speaking, teaching, travel, karaoke, eating, talking on the phone, holidays with my family and more!
I am a Republican
I wished I went to college
I loved that I stayed home with my kids
I hate housework but, LOVE a clean house
Socializing and schmoozing is my thing
Total Type-A personality
My mom is my hero, I always say when I feel like life is just too hard, "Tilini did harder things"!
I am a brat to my sisters
I am the cool aunt
I am the PITB to my beloved-(that can either be Pain In The Butt or Pitt bull) you decide!
I am also his WORLD!!! Really, I am just ask him!
I have no interior decorating skills
I can throw a party like you have never seen!
I love to sing, dance, emcee and I especially love getting $$$ for it!
I love myfamily.com
I deliver the mail..."Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these courageous couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" blah, blah, blah!! More "going postal" blogs to come!
I love being in charge
I am a PTA President
I talk better then I listen
I am a pretty good cook
I am a better passenger then driver and...last but not least...(drum roll please)!


"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and gosh darn it everybody likes me"! If you were an avid fan of SNL back in the late 80's you'll get that joke...if you were just born around that time, sorry you missed out on one of SNL's best skits ever!!!



So, now that you have a little insight into my life I hope that you weren't too bored, disappointed or shocked! If you really know me then you aren't shocked at all!!

The day of LOVE!

The Valentine Birthday babies! LOVE these two!

Well, today is Valentines Day and in about 90 minutes it will be officially over. This day of LOVE has been just that, a day filled with my LOVED ones all around me! It started off perfect, I woke up to start the chicken for lunch after church and, waiting on my kitchen counter was a beautiful card and chocolate covered pretzels! My Dan gave me this card that said everything I needed to hear, it gave me that warm, soft and sweet feeling. It made me want to hug and kiss the LOVE of my life, which I did...for at least 7 minutes! ;)

Then we went to church and my sweet primary boys had some yummy treats for me to show their LOVE to me as their teacher! I am so grateful to be their teacher...they teach me more though because they are so smart and spiritual and filled with the light of Christ.

I also got to teach the sisters in RS today. Our lesson was all about Jesus Christ, our Savior, our chosen leader! I cannot think of a more perfect topic to speak on this day of LOVE then about our Savior who gave us the greatest gift of all...eternal life and salvation, all because He LOVES us all!

After church we all came home and prepared a birthday lunch for my sweet Loni Anne, she turned 23 today. Jaz, Brooks, Donnie, Lyla, Grantie, Clark, Molly, Jimmy, Emily, Eva and Bradley joined us today for the festivities! We had a yummy feast and Uncle Grant made, "holy" cake for Loni Anne! If you haven't had some of this cake you must try it! One bite and your like, "Holy freakin' cow this cake is awesome! Hence the name holy cake! Loni Anne wants this cake to be her wedding cake too...hmmm...I will have to think on that one for awhile! Grant LOVES his Loni Anne!

So this day has been fun filled and the LOVE I have felt today was great. I feel so blessed and fortunate to have family and friends who LOVE and care for me! This day of LOVE is almost over but the feelings and memories made today will last a lifetime...I LOVE that!

REASONS or EXCUSES or WHO CARES! HA!

Its been about 7 months since I last blogged. I could give you a bunch of excuses like...

its been crazy
i had another baby (OH MY)!
i work 2 jobs
my hubby was unemployed
i have no internet at home (one of the downsides of living in the rural country, only snail slow speed available)
my daughter came home from her mission
i have 5 kids still at home
i have 2 rambunctious, wild grandbabies
football, baseball, plays, basketball, rehearsals, practice
i'm pta president of John's school
i was helping danny with his eagle project
i drive about 100 miles a day with work and lifes demands
i'm addicted to facebook

Need I go on? yes, life has just taken over and my personal life on blog world became overwhelming. I CAN however post snippets of it on facebook.

So, one of my 2010 goals is to post a new blog once a month or hopefully more! You see, I started this blog as a form of a personal (but not TOO personal) journal for my posterity! So far I have really cheated them! Sorry ya'll Great, Great Grandma Lyla can be a slacker!

So, here I go!!! Wish me luck!!!!!!





Just thought I'd add this pix from Johns baptism last October...more pix to come!