The Adventures of Marissa & Tevita

NEW BLOG

2010-06-23T13:31:00.003-06:00

I originally made this blog for myself to keep track of friends and family.
Tevita and I finally decided to make our own blog for the two of us.
We will try to be better about updating our blog on a regular basis. :)

Here it is:

http://www.thefalaholafamily.blogspot.com

Have a great day! The weather is beautiful!

Magnets, Haircuts, and Guitars

2010-05-23T14:19:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday, my good friend, Kami, and I made magnets for our magnet boards. I'm not very crafty, but I really liked how mine turned out. We just might make a few more. :)

Yesterday, I got some highlights and a haircut. The highlights are very subtle and look good (one day I'll put up a picture), but the haircut... still trying to decide how I feel about it. It actually isn't much of a haircut; my hair is nearly the same length... it's just thinned out a LOT. I guess when you go to a hairstyling college, you get what you pay for.

Last but not least, we purchased a new guitar! It's a beautiful Gibson Epiphone that came with a case, stand, strap, tuner, and picks... all for $100. It has a really, really nice sound and Tevita and I are having a lot of fun getting reacquainted with a guitar. :)

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T16:58:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since we've blogged, but we figured today would be a good opportunity to so that we could say...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

So happy Mother's Day to all the lovely mothers we know!

Our moms have been a huge impact on our lives.

When I read this quote from Mark Twain, I laughed. Maybe because it's true?

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it."

– Mark Twain

I know I caused my mom a lot of grief, but I really do appreciate everything she's done for me. On a more serious note, this is a scripture that makes me think of Mom.

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Proverbs 31:10, 25-31

We love you, Mom!

I'm so bad at blogging. I just can't keep up with it.

So here's what's happened since last time...

Three weeks ago, we went to Texas. It was a very, very fun trip and we loved seeing Tevita's family. Sei & Masi are doing well, Mona's staying with them until the fall, and Paul & Sammy are keeping busy while raising their beautiful daughter, Krystina.

Right when we got home, Tevita and I got really sick. Tevita eats a billion fruits and veggies a day and seems to be able to shake just about any virus. Me, on the other hand... I just couldn't shake this one. I had a high fever, I was constantly sweaty (like reeeeally gross, dripping-down-my-back sweat), had a terrible headache, and swollen, sore throat. It hurt to eat and drink (and talk) so I lost a lot of water weight. No bueno. After a week, I went to the Student Health Center (they said it was a "common cold") and when it didn't get better after another week, I went to the local Health Clinic. They ran a few tests, couldn't decide what it was, but prescribed me some (horse pill) antibiotics. That seemed to do the trick because I've been feeling fine ever since. :)

I've started school... along with Tevita! I go to school Summer/Fall, and Tevita, Fall/Winter. He's been bringing his grades up and, after switching his major to Occupational Health and Safety, has found a new motivation to finish school with a high GPA. So now, he goes year-round! We both work in the mornings before classes. We're taking two classes together and so far, school's not too bad. :)

Life is good.

Graduations and babies

2010-04-07T15:30:00.000-06:00

This week is going to be a good one.

My mom and dad are coming to visit us in Idaho! :) We're so excited to see them.

My brother, Chris, is graduating.

And our friend, Kami, is graduating, too.

Our good friends Kevin & Stephanie are expecting their first child any day.

Everyone at BYU-Idaho has babies, but this will be our first close friend to have a kid... so we're extra excited for them! The baby's name is going to be Addyson.

We're going to be partying all week! :)

CONGRATS TO EVERYONE, and GOOD LUCK!

Thankful

2010-04-06T12:45:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was General Conference.

Conference weekend always gives me a chance to reflect on the things that I am grateful for and to prepare my life for whatever changes need to be made.

- Tevita is my best friend! Sometimes we have a hard time going to sleep because we talk so much and keep each other up laughing.

- I have the best family in the world! I love, love, love my parents and all of my brothers and sisters (and their families, too!). My parents set marvelous, worthy examples. Will & Linda are such good-hearted people. Janis & Philip are really thoughtful and kind. Erik & Lois are sweet and always give of themselves. Dan & Leslie have the best sense of humor. Dave & Sarah are so fun to be around. Karyn & Andy are creative and loving. Scott & Emily are so smart and forward-thinking. Chris & LaTrisha are the only family we have in Idaho, it's fun to see them. And Ben, he's such a good missionary!

- Tevita's family is so good to us! They always call to check on us, we love them so much! :)

- Our apartment is affordable and it makes a quirky - yet fun - first home.

- Tevita and I both have jobs this semester! (He's doing safety and I'm working in the bookstore.) Even though we'll lose food stamps, we'll be able to make ends meet. :)

- We have amazing friends in Idaho! Jen & Jerry are like cousins to us. They always have us over, feed us, and pretty much take care of us. Chase & Kami are such good friends. They are so thoughtful and so fun to hang out with.

- BYU-Idaho is great! Tevita & I are both taking classes this summer... I'm so grateful that we can not only go to school, but that we can also afford it with a little help from pell grants.

- Spring is here (even if it's still a little chilly and snowy at times) and I LOVE Spring!

Life is good.

Real good.

March Madness

2010-03-18T12:02:00.001-06:00

Alright, you basketball fans, let's get ready to cheer! This week is the play-offs for the BYU-Idaho competitive basketball league. Here's a little peak at Tevita (#55) and his team (the Hurricanes) in action.

Putting up a shot.

Coming in from half time.

Getting ready for a rebound.

Going after the ball.

Team huddle.

And last, but not least, two free throws.

GO HURRICANES!!!

The Apartment, Part I

2010-03-18T11:07:00.000-06:00

Okay. It's been months, but our suitcases are finally unpacked, our things are in order, and our apartment is clean! So without further ado, here it is!

We were fortunate enough to have a Christmas tree this year. Some of our friends gave us an extra tree that they had lying around in the basement. The tree and all our decorations and lights really made the whole month of December special! When January came around, we didn't have a space big enough for the tree, so we left it up... with the candy canes rearranged to form hearts in honor of Valentine's Day. A little cheesy, but I still liked it.

Now, spring is finally - almost - here! We've been busy spring cleaning...

STAY TUNED TO SEE THE NEW AND IMPROVED APARTMENT!

Fantastic February

2010-02-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

Most Februarys are cold and dreary... but despite the snow, I must say this February has been a treat!

Valentine's Day was the highlight of my month. We had a four day weekend (President's Day, so no school for Tevita!) and spent the entire four days celebrating V-day. We sipped Martinellis (sparkling cider... yum!) out of our fancy glasses and ate fancy chocolates and cuddled up to watch chick flicks. For our V-day dinner, we made a delicious heart-shaped pizza. :)

Tevita has been busy with school. He just finished his midterms and is doing really well this semester. He took a fencing class for his first half of the semester. At the end of the block class, they had a fencing tournament. Tevita fenced the winners of all the other pools and won. Who would've guessed he'd be such a good fencer?

Tevita's also been busy with basketball and work. He's been playing well on his basketball team, the Hurricanes. It's fun to see him run a little faster, jump a little higher, and score a few more points each week. Everyone on his team loves him and calls him "Big T."

BYU-Idaho has started a pedometer challenge to encourage fitness among students. Each week, the winner gets a fitness-related prize. Tevita and I both got pedometers and have been keeping track of our steps. I haven't been out and about much, but Tevita walks all around campus for work. He walks a good two to four hours a day and won the pedometer challenge last week. He won a medicine ball and a Biggest Loser workout DVD. I've been using them for my workouts.

We've been trying to keep up with the winter Olympics, but we don't have a tv! Once or twice a week, we've been going to our friends' house to watch some wintery action! We've been particularly fascinated with Apolo Ohno, an American speed skater. After noticing that he yawns (many, many times) while warming up and waiting for his race, we watched a little interview with him where he described the strategy behind his yawns. He said that yawning relaxes him. He is apparently a fan of the Discovery Channel and said that lions often yawn before they attack... and he "wants to be a lion." Tevita said he's going to start yawning before his basketball games. Haha. :)

Photo Fest

2010-01-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

I found a bunch of pictures that never got posted. Here we go...

We helped our good friends take their (6) kids trick-or-treating.

Tiade and Tylie (twins) dressed as princesses.

Teilana, Talon, and Tylie.

I made some Halloween cupcakes... didn't last very long!

Tevita's football team played their last game in below-zero weather. Brrr!

Tevita and I enjoyed a little play time in the snow. :)

Brother Don

2010-01-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of me and Brother Don Kearly taken just a few days after Christmas. Brother Don is one of the nicest people I have ever met... he's such a sweetheart.

It's almost a brand new month. For February, I challenge everyone who reads this to visit one person who needs a little pick-me-up.

Our Happy Holidays

2010-01-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

We spent this Christmas in Ohio. It was so nice to see family... although we missed Emily, Scott, Bruce, and Phoebe! Although Tevita has been at Mom and Dad's house for THREE New Years Days, this was his first Christmas there. He was a bit overwhelmed (he seemed to be a magnet for all of the kids), but loved it all the same. We got to go bowling for Eldon's birthday, Christmas shopping with Mom and Sarah, running on Christmas Eve, and sledding with Dad and Ben. Before New Years, we took a road trip to Columbus/Findlay to see Karyn and Andy's new house (it's sooo nice!) and visit everyone before we left. This year, we spent a quiet New Years with Mom and Dad... celebrated with "sprinkle toast" and Guarana. A few hours later, we headed to the airport.

All in all... TOO MUCH FUN! :)

We're back home now, trying to get ready for the next semester. Tevita is taking 17 credits, working 15 hours, and playing basketball for the school league. He's going to be so busy, but he's excited about it. I'm on break until the spring term, so I'm looking for a job around here.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

And 2010, here we come!

Late Night Concerts & Early Morning Races!

2009-12-05T12:16:00.001-07:00

For those who didn't watch the 2008 American Idol competetion, David Archuleta was the seventeen-year-old runner-up. He's a baby-faced Mormon boy from Utah - and let me tell you - the girls here LOVE him. And last night, he came to Rexburg! There were lines of people, old and young, students and community members, waiting to get in.

Well, last night, Tevita got a call from work. They needed security guards right away, so he rushed to the auditorium to help. I walked to the auditorium a few minutes later. After the concert started, the security guards and I got to see the show for free - from a private booth!

I can't say that I'm David Archuleta's biggest fan or even know any of his songs, but it was so much fun to go to the concert. This is the first real concert I've gone to (with an exception of the Warped Tour that my brother, Dave, took me to a few years ago).

This morning, Tevita and I woke up early for a 5k race. Tevita has run only one other 5k in his life (when he was in fourth grade)... he did so good! I kind of forced him into it, and I might have even told him it was only a mile long... but he ran the whole thing (no walking at all!) and finished in 30:56! I was so proud. :) Looks like I might have a new running buddy.

Beginning with the Blues

2009-12-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

It's the first of December here in good ole' Rexburg, and the snow is starting to flutter to the ground once again. It snowed in October and November, but it hasn't been sticking to the streets (thank goodness:) ). Marissa and I somehow brought something back from our Utah Thanksgiving trip . . . coughs. Unfortunately for Marissa, it's been worse for her than me. My only ailment is coughing, but hers are more stacked. Poor gal :( I'll do my best to keep her rested and looked after.

This is a first for me...blogging. Marissa does a much better job, but I thought our page needed a little polynesian love.

A November to Remember

2009-11-27T20:26:00.001-07:00

Snow is here! On Sunday we got five or six inches of snow. The streets have mostly cleared, but the snow on the grass is here to stay. It makes me excited for Christmas!
Thanksgiving week was a blast this year. I missed getting together with the entire family, but Tevita and I got to see Karyn, Andy, and the girls in Salt Lake City. On Thanksgiving day, we ate pie with Chris, LaTrisha, and Ben. Afterwards, we spent the evening with some of our friends and enjoyed a roasted pig and other delicious Tongan food. Tevita topped the evening off by playing a few games of basketball.
Black Friday was today. We woke up at 4:30 to shop with a friend. We finally got the external hard-drive we needed (my laptop was on it's last leg of memory) for a good deal. It was a semi-fun experience, but I don't think I'll be getting up early for Black Friday next year.
Tonight, Tevita and I walked a couple blocks down to the town park. There was live music (and afterwards, music from a Christmas radio station), a Christmas tree lighting, sledding for kids, and a beautiful array of fireworks! We walked home slowly, hand in hand, as the all the beautiful Christmas lights down Main Street were lit. It was a perfect end to a perfect week. :)
With Thanksgiving just barely past, Tevita and I have had time to reflect on things we are most grateful for. The list is endless, but here are a few things we are so thankful for...

- each other (a best friend is priceless)
- a loving family (both sides of our family are sooo wonderful to us)
- an apartment to shelter us from the cold
- a college education at a great school
- welcoming neighbors and kind friends
- service opportunities and talents of ourselves and others
- the gospel of Christ
- grants, scholarships, and jobs

HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEKEND! WE LOVE YOU ALL!

Playing Catch-up

2009-10-13T16:39:00.000-06:00

I am absolutely terrible at updating my blog.

Every time Tevita and I look at blogs, Tevita tells me that I need to blog more.
I tell him he needs to blog once so that he knows what he's talking about.

So here's the new deal: sometimes I'll update, sometimes Tevita will update. But we will try to be better about updates. :)

A lot has happened since my last post:

I finished my fourth semester of school.

Tevita and I got married!

We had a beautiful reception in Ohio and, two weeks later, a traditional Tongan reception. They were both a blast! (Pictures to come...)

We went on a honeymoon cruise to the Bahamas. :)

We moved into our new apartment (in the building that Chris & LaTrisha used to manage). We painted it and are still settling in. We've been here for 5 or 6 weeks and still haven't unpacked our suitcases. Maybe this weekend?

We started another semester of school out here. I'm still a Geology major (but maybe looking to change?) and Tevita is still a Construction Management major. I just got back from a Geology field trip to Millard County, Utah.

Tevita had a birthday yesterday. He is now 25!

That's all for now, but we'll keep the updates coming!

The Grand Canyon

2009-07-21T14:17:00.000-06:00

This week, I went on a field trip to the Grand Canyon.

Our first stop was the Kennecott Copper Mine in Utah. It was the area's first open-pit mine (they used to mine only in caves and tunnels). It is so large that you can see it from outer space.

Even the dump trucks that they use are large... they are the size of a house! A school bus was parked next to one of the dump trucks... and it was only about 2/3 the height of the wheel of the truck! Every day, they mine 150,000 tons of copper ore. Somehow, I left my camera in the van and missed photo opportunities.

We didn't have an itinerary, so every time my geology professor saw something cool along side the road, we would stop, take notes, sketch, and take pictures. It was fun, but got tiring after a while. We saw where Lake Bonneville was 25,000 years ago. It was a lake over 1,000 feet deep that extended over most of northwestern Utah and into Nevada and Idaho. The BYU campus (in Provo) is built on Lake Bonneville's ancient shoreline. The only remaining part of the enormous lake is the Great Salt Lake... which is comparatively tiny.

We got to stop at the BYU's Paleontology Museum. The curator gave us a tour and let us go to the "Bone Barn." That's where they store hundreds - maybe thousands - of dinosaur bones, both big and small. We went to Snow Canyon in St. George, Utah. It was beautiful... until we were told that we would be camping there. We found a campground complete with 6 or so picnic tables, a water pump, and a port-a-potty about a half mile away...

...oh, AND bugs. TONS of bugs. Cockroaches, crickets, biting flies, black widows, beetles, huge moths, fire ants, fuzzy brown spiders, and scorpions! Luckily, when the scorpion wandered into the camp site, the boys squashed it. There wasn't enough room for tents, so the boys slept in sleeping bags on tarps on the ground... the girls slept in sleeping bags on top of the picnic tables (black widows were beneath every single table)... but there were no tables left for me (and two other girls), and there was NO WAY we was going to sleep on the ground with those bugs... so we ended up sleeping in the BYUI van. It was about 110° F... but the van felt even hotter. The good part? I made two new friends that night.

The next day, we started our drive to the Grand Canyon. We stopped at the neck of an ancient volcano where veins of gypsum rock had formed. Gypsum is a pretty mineral/rock (it looks almost like rectangular sea salt), but it's worth very little... they use it to make drywall. We collected samples from the gypsum veins. When we got closer, we stopped to collect peridotite. Peridotite nodules are pieces of the mantle, pushed up through the crust during a volcanic eruption. They look like ugly yellow-brown, round rocks. (They're heavy, too!) When you cut them open, though, they are filled with green and yellow-green crystals of olivine. I collected several of these nodules and even found some with red, purple, and green crystals.

We drove on a dirt road for about 6 hours until we finally made it up to the Grand Canyon. We didn't go to the visitor's center or tourist spots. We went to a desolated, rarely-visited part. The view was spectacular. There were no guardrails, (and there were 50mph gusts of wind) so if we wanted to take pictures off the side, we had to lay on our stomachs. I don't know that I'm necessarily afraid of heights (I don't like them if it's dangerous, but I think I'm fine when it's not?), but I was about ready to toss my cookies. We were about one mile, straight up, from the Colorado River at the bottom of the canyon.

That night, we camped at the base of the Grand Canyon. This time, we slept in tents. And this time, there was no water or port-a-potty. This was a night of firsts. My friend, Michelle, and I were the first to make a scene on the trip. We were changing into our pajamas in the van (our lookout didn't do a great job) and a boy opened the door, not knowing we were inside! It startled us so bad that we both screamed. When night came, two of my friends and I ventured off to go to the bathroom. That was my first time ever going to the bathroom in nature. I much prefer the toilet. When we got back to camp, we stumbled across a torantula! That was the first time I'd ever seen a torantula in the wild, in real life! What a night!

The next day, we saw Pahoehoe lava flows (they look ropey) and stopped at a fresh A'a lava flow (well, relatively fresh... it was a couple hundred years old). A'a lava flows are pointy, angular, sharp chunks of basalt from an eruption. We climbed the A'a flow... it was scary (it shifted with every step and was really sharp) but was really, really cool to see. Afterwards, we went to a gypsum quarry to get mineral samples.

On the way home, our professor spotted some anticlines he wanted us to see. We pulled off the dirt road and noticed a beautifully blue lake. Maybe it was our good behavior, or maybe it was the 120° weather, but he let us jump in the lake (clothes and all). We swam for a while, had a geology lesson while treading water, then came back to shore to dry off in the sun. It didn't take long to dry off. It was so much fun!

Here are some pictures of the trip. Enjoy. :)

Snow Canyon, St. George, Utah

Pahoehoe Lava FlowA'a Lava Flow

Dissolution pits, Grand Canyon, ArizonaThe Esplanade and Inner Gorge, Grand Canyon, ArizonaA torantula on our A'a lava sample. My professor's hand is for scale.Me on top of the gypsum quarryMud cracks, significant because similar to columnar joints in Earth's crustThe lake we swam in while observing the anticlines in the background

Oh Deer.

2009-06-24T14:38:00.000-06:00

On Monday, I finally felt what it was like to be a deer in the headlights.

I was going for a 4.5 mile run in the middle of a nice, bright sunny day. About two-thirds of a mile into my run, a pickup truck rolled through a stop sign and hit me! Here's how it happened.

I was nearing a pedestrian cross walk at an intersection and a car was waiting for me to cross. I didn't want to stop running, so I waved the car on and started into the street. A college-aged boy (on his cell phone) in a truck was rolling through a stop sign, but just as I crossed in front of him, he revved his engine and slammed into me. As soon as he hit me, he slammed on his breaks, looked at what had just happened, and took off with that "Oh CRAP!" look on his face.

The good news? I came out of it with a slightly bruised knee, a small welt on my hip, and a sore arm, rib, and hip. On Tuesday, I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a truck. How ironic.

I didn't run yesterday, but today is Wednesday and I think I'm ready to go back out. I'll just be ten times more careful!

Singing in the Rain

2009-06-24T14:23:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, Tevita and I went for a nice afternoon walk. The skies were blue and the sun was out. We strolled down Main Street looking at all the store fronts. We got a delicious snow cone (for free!) at the grand opening of a shaved ice stand. It was perfect!

And then, out of nowhere, the skies turned black. There was an instantaneous torrential downpour complete with thunder, lightning, and huge chunks of hail! We were still about a mile and a half from Tevita's house, so we ran - sprinted! - snow cones in hand, until we got there.

We were soaking wet and freezing cold (and I was really red from getting hit with so much hail!), but it was one of the best afternoon adventures that I'd had in a while.

(Sorry, I'm still trying to figure out how to move my pictures!)

It's been raining an awful lot the last two weeks. As much as I hate being rained on when I'm trying to go somewhere, I love how green everything has become! Plus, there have been a few times where I've caught of a glimpse of a rainbow. This is a picture I took just after a rainstorm.

Old Testament Map

2009-06-24T14:19:00.000-06:00

For my Old Testament class, we had to make a freehand map/chronology of the events in the first part of the Old Testament. My map was a little off, but it took longer than you'd think.

Despite the contorted proportions, I was pretty proud of my map.

Gross.

2009-06-24T14:11:00.000-06:00

Last month, Tevita and I finally eliminated the smell in his house.

Every time you walked into Tevita's house, it smelled like a mix between mold, man-foot, and roadkill. We vacuumed the floors, got air fresheners, opened windows... nothing.

We finally figured out what is was.

The boys that moved out before Tevita moved in had left a giant aquarium behind... an aquarium that was home to three hand-sized fish and several smaller ones. The aquarium was in the spare bedroom in a closet. Apparently, the fish had starved to death and started decaying. Eww, eww, eww.

Yum!

2009-06-24T13:57:00.000-06:00

Tevita works construction all week in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wakes up early and works late. I don't get to see him during the week days, so when he comes home, I like to cook for him. A couple weeks ago, I made these little beauties.

Light Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

Homemade Stuffed-Crust Pizza

Geology ROCKS.

2009-05-07T15:28:00.000-06:00

I am officially BYU-Idaho's newest Geology Major.

This is the last semester I can change my major without petitioning the school, due to my number of credit hours. I have no idea what career I'm going to get into, but I sure love geology classes.

A few fun things I've learned this week:

- The sun, which usually goes through an 11-year cycle, is currently inactive. While it is typical for the sun to cease having sun spots / solar flares from time to time, this is the longest period of inactivity that has ever been recorded.

-Diamonds AREN'T forever. They will last for millions of years, but not FOREVER. A quartz, on the other hand, WILL last forever.

-Diamonds have the same chemical composition as graphite. Diamonds, however, are metastable... so if you baked a diamond at 500 degrees for the right amount of time, it would turn into graphite.

-Ice is considered a mineral. Water is considered to be the most common type of lava, as it is a molten mineral. Weird, huh?

-Out of the rocky (non-gaseous) planets, Earth has the largest core. The Earth is unique because it's core is both liquid and solid. The solid center spins in the molten liquid like a ball bearing. This is what creates the magnetic field that makes compasses work, helps birds fly, and protects us from being fried by things like the Aurora Borealis and potential solar flares.

Wedding Website

2009-04-06T21:18:00.000-06:00

Yes, it is up and running.

http://theknot.com/ourwedding/marissamars&tevitafalahola

A Valentine's Surprise

2009-03-26T00:04:00.001-06:00

This is the second year that I have spent my winter in Chicago, living with my sister Karyn and her husband Andy. I've been helping out with their beautiful girls, Alli, Ruby, and June. It feels more like play than work.

A little over a month ago, Karyn and Andy decided to take a road trip to Utah to see Andy's family. At first I was a little skeptical about such a long trip, but then I was informed that while they were in Utah, I could go where I pleased. That pretty much meant one thing; I was going to Idaho to see Tevita! And I would arrive on Valentine's Day! Perfect!
All week long, I kept our impending visit a secret. Tevita and I don't usually talk for very long on the phone, but we certainly check in with each other as often as we can. This was a slight problem for me, since we were driving straight across the country, stopping only for fast food meals and "emergency potty breaks." I was just sure that Tevita would hear something that would tip him off. Thankfully, he didn't.

Andy and Karyn drove for most of the 24-hour travel time, although I did drive a four-hour shift. Weak, I know. Next time I'll drive more. Anyways, there was a point when I was driving and Tevita called. He had just gotten off of work (he's a 11pm-5am campus custodian) and called to say good morning. We talked for just a few minutes and I used the best sleepy voice I could so that he wouldn't suspect anything. Suddenly, after being flashed by highbeams, I realized that I was blinding a trucker with my brights! Out of reflex and habit, I blurted out, "Oh shoot! I had my brights on! Woops!" There was a silence for several seconds and Tevita asked, "What?" Oops. I told him something about my alarm clock going off and apologized for not making sense... it was, after all, 5am (well, 6am Chicago time).

When we arrived in Utah, I quickly changed (although I still felt smelly and gross from being in the car so long) and rushed off to the bus stop. I took the bus to Idaho, which added another four and a half hours to my travel time. I called my brother Chris, who graciously picked me up from the bus stop and dropped me off at Tevita's apartment. During our last phone check-in several hours earlier, Tevita had told me that he was going to try to catch some sleep before work. When I showed up at his door, all of the lights were off. I called him and, a few rings later, he answered sounding as tired as ever. We talked for a few minutes, then I knocked on his apartment door. I asked what the knocking sound was (I'm so clever). He told me he'd call me back because someone was at the door.

This is the best part. Tevita didn't turn on the lights, but walked straight to the door, rubbing his eyes, still waking up. He opened the door and looked at me, terribly confused, then shut the door quickly. A split-second later, he opened the door again, almost as if he was checking to make sure it wasn't a dream. My poor sleepyhead. :) Needless to say, he was completely, utterly shocked. He only had an hour or so left before work, so we sat down and talked the time away. He was in such disbelief that I was actually there! I was so proud of myself for keeping a secret long enough to surprise him! (I've spoiled every other surprise for him since we've been dating. It seems like every time I plan something sweet, I get too excited and tell him. Boo.)

We had a lovely time. We got to see Chris and LaTrisha's new baby, Taylor. We got to catch up with our close friends Kevin and Stephanie Goms. We went on a double date (bowling) with our friend Aaron and his date. We looked at married housing and wedding dresses, we went on several dates, and yes, we even went to class. It was so much fun being with Tevita!

Engaged!

2008-12-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

In response to Emily's request for more updates... here's a pretty big one. I am officially engaged!

Tevita and I flew to Texas for the Thanksgiving break. After over a year of dating, I finally met Tevita's parents. At first, I was intimidated by their names, Seilaine and Kilisimasi. Luckily, they wanted me to call them "Say" and "Masi." Not too bad. They were so good to us all week and made sure that we were well-fed. I ate so much Tongan food. Yum!

We went to two football games at the Dallas Cowboys' Stadium. The first game was the night we arrived in Texas; the second was a week later. Both times, our team (the Trinity Trojans, ranked #1 in the nation for high school football) won. Maybe I'm just good luck? ;)

We went shopping on Black Friday... well, window shopping, that is. The stores were all crazy and chaotic. It was a fun experience to be shopping at two in the morning but I still think I prefer to be sleeping.

On Saturday (November 29th), Tevita proposed! It was a very simple proposal, but it sure was beautiful. We don't have a date picked out for the wedding yet, but we expect it will happen this summer, perhaps August? It's tricky to find a good date because we're in different places most of the time. This winter, Tevita will be at school in Idaho. I will be staying with Karyn and Andy in Chicago. When I come back to Idaho for school this summer, Tevita will be in either Jackson Hole or Vegas for his job. Let's hope that we're both in the same half of the country in time for August. :)

Getting home was an experience in itself. We were flying standby with Delta/SkyWest. It was a nightmare! We just about lived at the airport for two days, feeding off of pretzels and biscuits. After not being admitted on about nine flights, Tevita's uncle (who works for the airlines) helped us get home on an American Airlines flight. If it weren't for him, we might still be stuck in the DFW airport... ahh. Thankfully, we made it back to Idaho just in time to turn in a few papers and take a few quizes.

When all was said and done, it was a lovely week. Here are a few pictures from our week in Texas.

Tevita and I at the Trinity Trojans football game.

Tevita and I right before he proposed.

Tevita's little brother, Pauliasi, after I did his hair.

The Trinity Trojans performing their haka (Polynesian war dance). If you haven't seen the movie Forever Strong, I recommend it.

Me at the Dallas Cowboys' Stadium.

A tuckered-out Tevita at the DFW airport.

And finally... my engagement ring. :)

The Birthday Boy

2008-10-21T23:55:00.000-06:00

October happenings in Rexburg, Idaho, in no particular order:

1. Tevita and I celebrated our 11 month "anniversary." (I use the term "anniversary" loosely since Emily reminded my that the word "anniversary" only applies to years, not months). The day's festivities included pre-calculus homework, geology lab, and a full day of classes. Tevita got me this beautiful bouquet of roses.

2. Rexburg suffered another tragic loss due to unattentive driving. Last year, a college sophomore was hit and killed by a car while using the crosswalk. Just a couple weeks ago, the same crosswalk claimed the life of a 72 year-old woman. This week, a 22 year-old BYU-Idaho student was killed in a car accident caused by a moose. My sympathies go out to any and all people who were friends, family members, or associates of these victims.

3. Some creepy guy has been breaking into apartments around campus. From the police reports that have been filed, he doesn't steal anything, but rather lays on top of sleeping men. The moral of the story? Lock your doors at night.

4. We already had a week of snow. Thankfully, as the weekend hit, the snow melted. It's still chilly, but I'm hoping for at least a couple more weeks of sunshine.

5. My brother and his wife (Chris & LaTrisha) got sealed in the temple the same weekend that another brother and his wife (Dave & Sarah) had their baby blessed. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it out to Ohio for the weekend. I would have loved to be there.

6. Tevita had a birthday! On Sunday the 12th, this old man turned 24 years old. His favorite pie is strawberry-rhubarb. I couldn't find rhubarb at the store (can you usually buy it there?), so I made a strawberry-ish pie. For improvising so much, it actually turned out pretty good. He was well-fed all day, had a cake with candles (complete with singing), and even got some gifts.

7. MY LITTLE BROTHER IS FAST. SO FAST. He had his district cross country meet on Saturday. I'm not sure of his time, but I do know that he came in 5th, which is fantastic. This Saturday, the 25th, is the regional meet. If Ben and the Field Falcons place well, they will be off to State! Make sure to wish him luck!

Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits

2008-10-21T23:24:00.000-06:00

This makes for an uber-boring first blog, but I finally got a haircut.

Pardon the glamour shots.