The Third Generation Smile

I grew up in a sleepy little mining community in Southeastern Idaho. My dad grew up in the same dusty town and as a child I would often be stopped by older folks claiming that I had "my dad's look about me." To most people this would not be significant, in fact most people resemble their parents. However, I am biracial and therefore have many of my mothers Maori features. I was unable to see past these features to see where my dad's genes had made themselves known. Therefore, I would shrug off the comments and carry on my merry little way thinking that they were all wrong and that I looked just like myself. When Liam was about three years old, my dad's relatives started telling me that Liam resembled my dad as a little boy. Again, I kinda just shrugged it off and didn't know what to think since I hadn't really seen pictures of my dad as a young boy. Well folks, I am eating my own words as the proof has been shown to me in the past few weeks. My youngest college-aged sister has been living with my parents this past Summer to earn and save money for her Sophomore year at college. She has been doing a lot of digging around through our grandmothers personal photos and history. Grandma has relished her company and has enjoyed the opportunity to reminisce about the amazing life history that she has had so far. My sister felt selfish that only she was privy to these photos and felt that they needed to be shared with our entire family. So my sissy has been uploading all of these photos to Facebook so that our entire family can enjoy these photos. I have been astounded to see that not only does Liam in reality look very similar to my dad but that I also look like my dad! I have his identical smile, my eyebrows and the shape of my eyes all come from my dad. I love that my dad, myself, and Liam all have the exact same smile. I didn't realize the smile that I love so dearly in my own son is in fact my dad's smile. It makes me so happy to know that my boy Liam has some of his papa Ken's facial features! Not to mention that when I am looking at my face, I am in fact looking at part of my dad's face as well. Somehow, this knowledge that I do in fact look like my dad has made me feel very close to him and grateful that I inherited some of his facial features to be a daily reminder of where I come from. I love you dad and am so glad that I have your "looks about me" as a reminder that I am yours. Just as Liam has "your look about him" to be a reminder that he belongs to both of us.

Making Plans For Summer

I have had a busy week filled with making plans for the coming months. I made reservations for Spring Break and I am planning my Family Reunion for this summer as well. Here are some of the pictures of our last trip as a family to this particular campsite in 2006.




I am so excited to roast marshmallows, tell ghost stories, and just chill with my family. Its been a really long time since I have had the opportunity to do so; therefore, I am looking forward to it!

Silly Sisters

I am smack dab in the middle of five brothers. Each time my mother would discover that she was pregnant, I would begin praying in all earnestness that I would be blessed to have a sister. I remember tiptoeing into my parents bedroom after the birth of my brother Kawiti and upon discovering I had another brother, I cried out, "But its a boy, can't you send him back?" (Sorry Kawiti, I would never trade you in for anything now!)
When I was just a few months shy of turning 8 years old my mother had finally complied with my wishes and had birthed me a new baby sister. I went from door to door in the neighborhood early that morning to tell everyone that my mom had just given birth to a girl, I could hardly contain my joy!! Here I am many years later grinning from ear to ear since I have struck the jackpot with five younger sisters. We range in age from 33 to 17 and despite our age differences we are exceptionally close. We have been able to build and nourish our relationships with one another despite the age differences and different phases of life that we are each in.


Yesterday I had the opportunity to be with my family at a wonderful baby blessing. When we get together we are like a pack of laughing hyenas. We can't seem to contain the joy we experience being together and so we express it through juvenile teasing and hysterical high pitched girly laughter. I love you my sisters and I wouldn't want to whoop it up with anyone but you ladies.

To Have And To Hold

Jessie and Esther's Engagement Pictures

Jessie and Esther in Logan Canyon, Spring 2009

My younger sister Esther (aka Essie) was married yesterday May 23rd to Jessie Smitheram. Esther and Jessie were glowing with joy as they were married to one another. They had a great turnout and we are all excited for them as they enter their new life together. I think Jessie will be a great addition to our family and I look forward to getting to know him better.

My parents gave the couple a traditional Maori wedding with traditional Maori food and entertainment. At the conclusion of the Maori program, the couple addressed the audience. I was really proud of each of them, they did a great job.

I love having five sisters! I admire, love and respect each one of these amazing ladies. From L-R: Ana, Tashina, Laura, Esther, Moana, and Kiriana. Hooray for sisters!

Esther is a twin and Ezekiel is her twin fraternal brother. They celebrated their 19th Birthday on May 21st. They are holding our older brother Clint and sister-in-law Laura's twins. We thought it would be neat if we had a picture of twins holding twins. Another interesting fact is that the baby twins they are holding were the same birth weight as each of them. Both in weight and size.

The Wedding was super gorgeous and the happy couple was grinning from ear to ear all evening as they were joined to one another. I spent so much time gabbing with others that I didn't get very many pictures and so I had to "borrow" most of these from other family members. The food was fabulous, the entertainment amazing, and we all had a great evening with loved ones.

Double the Joy Double the Trouble

These gorgeous babies were born this week to my older brother Kingi and his gorgeous wife Laura. The babies were born 5 weeks early and were breathing and eating on their own immediately. They are currently in the NICU but are doing incredibly well. Laura has already been discharged and is anxiously awaiting when she can take her babies home. Big sisters, Yasmene and Aniah are also looking forward to snuggling and cuddling the babies. Congrats Kingi and Laura, welcome to the world little ones!!

Girl/oldest/born 4-20-09/4lbs 2oz: Atrinity of Peace Finlayson.

Boy/youngest/born 4-21-09/5lbs 4oz: Atreides Prince Finlayson.

Sisters

On Saturday the majority of my family was able to gather in Smithfield Utah for Kawiti and Teryn's baby Coriantumr's blessing. It was a real treat to see some of my siblings and their families. My sister Laura had the great idea to get some sister photos. Sadly we were missing our youngest sister Tashina from the pictures but you are there in spirit Tash! We love and miss you! (She is working in Bear Lake for the summer.)
Here is some interesting facts about me and my sisters:

1. Moana: I am the eldest girl, I waited for 8 years until my sister Laura was born. I love having younger sisters! I love reading, traveling, talking, writing, spending time with my husband and son, and camping. One word that sums me up would be, passionate. I am passionate about everything that I am involved with!
   
2. Laura is the second sister, she has three little girls and she is an amazing mom! She was the first out of us girls to become a mom and I admire and love talking to her about motherhood, she is a wonderful mom and wife. Laura is extremely clever and witty, not to mention super funny! She has a gorgeous alto voice that I envy and we love her to bits!
3. Kina or more accurately Kiriana is the third sister-her. She is the 10th child was born on the 10th of December and was born at 10 in the evening and weighed in at 10lbs 10 oz! Kina is a student at Utah State majoring in accounting. She is a fun sister who has always known what she wanted out of life and has basically just gone after it. She loves children and the grandchildren flock to her!
4. Ana is the fourth sister and the third of us to become a mommy. She had a daughter recently and is looking super hot, she's a hot momma! Ana is the natural athlete out of us sisters, she is also very spiritual, and an amazing poet and writer. She has a way of introspection that is not only insightful but wiser then her young years! She has a natural talent of healing and if you are ever sick, you want Ana to be the one taking care of you, she is amazing!
5. Esther is the fifth sister, she is also a fraternal twin to our brother Ezekiel. Esther from the moment she was born has always had a confidence and queenly majesty, she is therefore well named since she is named after Queen Esther from the Bible. Esther is also an athlete. She ran cross country and is a natural dancer. She came to dancing late in life and yet she has surpassed her teachers expectations, she is natural and you can't help but feel the emotions of her dancing, she is wonderful! She is also extremely self motivated and driven, if she wants something she won't take "No" for an answer.
6. Tashina is the youngest sister of the bunch and yet she doesn't pull the, "But I am the baby sister" routine! She is equally talented and driven like the rest of her sisters. Tashina is very good at doing hair and will often be found doing one of her sisters hair or her friends hair. She is very good at putting outfits together and we love shopping with her advise and keen eye for detail. She is multi-talented like her older sisters she is phenomenal at taking pictures and is our family photographer. She is determined to go to college and works very hard at her grades. She has always known what she wants like her older sisters and she has the same drive that we all seem to possess.

I love my sisters so much and am eternally grateful that I have them in my life. They are my hero's, my confidantes, my best friends, my shopping partners, my laughing companions, my fellow divas, my secret keepers, my inspiration to all that I am and hope to be. I love you girlers so much, thank you for being my sisters!

Multiple Blessings

Mason Casey Finlayson

Shiloah Sacred Torgesen

My brother Pono and his wife Michelle and my sister Ana and her husband Dave blessed their babies today in Idaho. They both looked so cute and the day was well spent with loved ones.

Liam Has Yet Another Baby Cousin!

On Friday May 23 at about 7:30 am my younger sister Ana gave birth to a health 9 lbs 7 oz 21 inches long baby girl. Ana and Dave have chosen the name Shiloah Sacred Torgesen. She has tons of pitch black hair and she is very yummy with lots of fat rolls! We are so happy for Ana and Dave as they enter into this amazing roller coaster ride called parenthood! We love them so much and are so happy for them, they did awesome and have created a gorgeous little girl! This makes four cousins for Liam this year with two more still on the way, way go family!!!

Liam Has Two More Baby Cousins

Coriantumr Finlayson son and first child of Kawiti and Teryn Finlayson

Mason Casey Finlayson son and fourth child of Pono and Michelle Finlayson

Congratulations to my younger brothers, Kawiti and Pono as they both welcomed a baby boy each into their families on April 9th. Kawiti and Teryn's son, Coriantumr weighed in at 6 lbs 10 oz and Pono and Michelles son Mason Casey weighed in at 6 lbs 14 oz. I am so excited that my brothers each had sons on the same day. Both moms are doing well and I can hardly wait to meet the boys in person! Image the fun times they will have sharing birthdays!! Liam is so excited to have two more baby cousins. For us this is the year of cousins! All of Bill's siblings will have had a child by the end of September and 3 of my siblings were expecting this year as well! So for us it will be a total of 6 babies between our families, not bad huh!! My sister Ana and her husband Dave will be the next ones to have a baby at the end of May, followed by Bill's younger brother Lonny and his wife Melissa at the end of June, then Bill's youger sister Joanna and husband Trevor will be expecting their baby at the end of September. Bill's younger brother Thomas and wife Rosalie had their son Ammon Owen in February. Liam calls all baby's Baby Cousin Owen in honor of meeting and falling head over heels in love with his new cousin! I am so excited to have all these nieces and nephews!! Congrats everyone!