From Funerals to Floods to Bare Butting Pillows :D

Its been a week since my last post. Can we all say the words, "HECTIC, OVERWHELMING, PRESSURED, EXHAUSTING?" Can we also say these words, "LOVE, SERVICE, JOY, FAMILY, HAPPINESS?" There is opposition in all things and if we are patient, have faith in Christ, and endure to the end, all things work out for the best. Sometimes its hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I know its there and if I just keep plugging along and believe in Christ, I know He will help me through these trials and in the end I will find peace and joy.

Since last Tuesday I have been baking non-stop every day. From rolls, to cinnamon rolls, to monkey bread, and then this morning pizza crust. We were invited to a family dinner. The economy has been so bad and I haven't been working a full 80 hours so I didn't have any money to buy something to take. I hadn't baked bread in about 8 to 9 years but I had been thinking about it throughout November, so I decided to bake dinner rolls. They were fresh from the oven and we had some real butter to go with them. My cousins really enjoyed them. I was so glad. I decided, that I may not have much money, but I can bake so the next morning my sister and I made cinnamon rolls for the first time. I had actually attempted cinnamon rolls a few years ago, but they were so huge my family called them cinnamon loaves :) My uncle and his family also enjoyed the cinnamon rolls and it felt really good to be able to do something for them.

The roll recipe for the cinnamon rolls was given to my sister by a wonderful sister in our ward who is such a wonderful baker. She is such a super mom and is very inspiring to me. Through her service of sharing that delicious and simple recipe with us we were able to do something within our means to contribute to my uncle and his family during a very hard and trying time in their lives, they had just lost their wife and mother, my aunty, so it felt good to do something for them. Something from the heart with a lot of love. It's funny how gifts of love are magnified. The sister who shared the recipe shared it with love and blessed my life. I shared it with love and I know with all my heart that what my sister and I have baked throughout this week was received with love and gratitude. We also shared the recipe with two of our cousins and one of them baked cinnamon rolls today. It feels so good to share.

Last week Thursday was my Aunty's funeral. It was the same day that all of Laie and the island of Oahu was flooded. That morning the rain poured endlessly from the sky. We had not heard whether or not the funeral was canceled. We had decided to pray to our Heavenly Father for the protection of our home from the flood because we had to go to the funeral. By 8:30 am we were on our way to the Hauula mauka chapel. We got stuck in front of Hauula shopping center for about 2 1/2 hours because a bridge was washed out. When we were finally allowed to cross , we got to the chapel were informed that the funeral was postponed until the next morning. My poor uncle and cousins, I cannot even imagine their stress for aunty. I was also overwhelmed at the outpouring of love I felt at seeing relatives from throughout the island, Maui, and Utah who came to pay their respects to my uncle and his family. No matter how bad the weather was they were there and it felt so beautiful.

We stayed a while at the chapel talking story with our relatives and then went home to see how our home was doing. The Lord truly blessed us because although our house is ground level and deep in flood territory :) we were not flooded. I didn't realize how bad the flood was until I had seen all the photos that others have posted where water was literally waist deep in many places and on Saturday when we drove to the chapel for my cousin's daughter's baptism there were soaked and muddied couches, carpets, and other household items litering peoples driveways in preparation for bulky item trash pick up. It was horrible and I realized how truly truly blessed we are that our home was not flooded.

On Friday morning was my aunty's funeral services, it was beautiful. My cousins had asked my sister and me to sing a couple of songs at the viewing. I was petrified because I do not play the ukulele or piano. We always sing with my mom and she plays :) I now realize everyday how much I take for granted that my mom will always be there with all her talents. I realize I definitely need to learn how to play something :) Since Sunday before the service I had been practicing our songs on my ukulele. My playing was okay (nuff said about that) LOL and my cousins and uncle received it with much love and I was grateful because I am definitely no ukulele virtuoso! :)

The viewing started at 8:30 am and the services and meal ended at 2:30 pm. Because the ground was still too saturated with water the burial was postponed until Monday morning at 10:30 am. I felt so bad for my uncle and his family but they were very strong and the burial on Monday morning was beautiful short sweet and to the point. After the funeral service on Friday I went home, rested for a bit, and then baked cinnamon rolls for our ward party that night at 6:30 pm. The party was awesome, the food ono, and the entertainment lively.

On Saturday morning we baked cinnamon rolls for the baptism. It was a good baptism. And then rested at home for a few minutes before we had to go to work. We didn't get home till after midnight and I still had to make final preparations for my relief society lesson on Sunday. Thank the Lord it went well and that afternoon when I got home I baked cinnamon rolls for those who helped me out with my lesson, and at 5:00 pm went to ward choir practice because we are singing next Sunday for the sacrament meeting Christmas program. We are singing some really beautiful music.

On Monday I tried my hand at monkey bread. It was good, but I prefer cinnamon rolls. We went to the burial service, rushed to Kailua to pay for a bill, and then I ended up calling in to work to get some time off because I was not feeling well. We came home and another one of my cousins came over to pick up some boxes we had been holding for him since April. He just got married and his wife is so cool. We ended up talking story for about 5 hours. Can you believe that? It was a lot of fun.

One of our conversations was about how we used to fight with our siblings. Keywords "used to fight" LOL. We were talking about booger flicking when my cousin's wife brings up bare butting pillows. I'm like, "What the heck is bare butting pillows?" It turns out it is exactly what she said it is, someone putting his or her bare butt on your pillow.... GROSS! I turned to another cousin who had come over earlier and asked her if she and her siblings ever flicked boogers at each other or bare butted pillows and she's like, "No, we just fight for real." I'm like, "Wow, better not mess with your brothers!" LOLOL Then again, bare butting pillows takes the cake (or should I say... cinnamon roll? LOL). I am definitely not messing with THOSE brothers either! LOLOL