As a parent, you never want your children to suffer or hurt. I was editing the usual vlog footage last night and saw a clip Alaka'i had taken while I was doing something with Arielle and he was talking about how he gets bullied every day. I watched and my heart broke. I know he had been bullied in the past and I had no idea that he was still being bullied at school. Some of the bullying he experiences is from kids who say they are "Christians". Proof that anyone can say they're anything but it means nothing if you don't LIVE it! I didn't want to share it but when I spoke with Alaka'i, he INSISTED that I put it in our vlogs because he felt led to share it which is why he recorded himself. He said that "if anyone else is feeling alone or bullied, I want them to know they're not alone".

So, am I the only chick out there that is not a big fan of the pokey facial hair? I am just not a fan of a beard on my man. Other men.. well they can rock beards all they want but I like the smooth feel of a shaved manly face to kiss up to. That's just my preference. Anyway, should I Nair Andrew's facial hair off since he doesn't want to shave it? ;) It's a funny video. I worked out. Nuff said! LOL.

Getting back into the health and weight loss groove is TOUGH after baby. Especially because I'm still breast feeding and I need a certain amount of calories for baby. Dieting doesn't suffice because I'm always hungry. Sigh.... so it's working out, cutting carbs down and cutting calories. Increasing healthy fats like nuts and veggies and lean proteins. It's not fun or easy, but it is so worth it!! Day 2 of my weight loss journey and I'm exhausted. I'll get more into it in a post I have scheduled for later today!

Is mommy elmo? A fun video of my family where at one point, I do my Elmo voiceover. Gosh it was such a hot day!

Arielle fancies herself a big girl, even though she's only 7 months old, she thinks she's a big girl like her cousins and her brother. She watches them running around and playing and wishes she could join them. Such is life as an infant. Although she's crawling (mostly) and able to do a lot of big girl baby things, she is still too little to get out there in the muck with her cousins and brother. Soon baby girl, all too soon you will be joining them and running around. Seriously, it feels like she's growing up so quickly that the time just flies by!  She is 7 months old already and wearing size 12-18 months because well, she's a big baby and big for her age...  I get excited with the new milestones she's experiencing, getting her first two teeth is the most recent of milestones but with every new milestone is a bittersweet feeling of knowing that my baby girl will all too soon be running around, then going to school... and it goes by in a blink. Alaka'i is 13 years old. That FLEW by for me. I can still remember the way his fat cheeks felt when he cuddled up close to me as a baby, the way his sweet baby sweat smelled after he napped, the way I'd hold him when he cried after he fell. Now my little baby boy is a little man, looking towards growing up and going through puberty and all the changes that are part of that process.  It flies by in a blink. Take your time babies!!


My Arielle really enjoys any little perks we give her where she feels like a big girl. Andrew got new headphones for listening to videos on his laptop and she wanted desperately to try them for herself so he unplugged the cable that connects to the headphones to let her try them on. She absolutely loved it. She smiled and let me take pictures. She's such a dolly. I asked her "who's a big girl now?, say it Ari, It's me mama!" and she laughed and smiled. It truly was a precious moment that I will remember forever. I wrote it in her baby book last night to preserve that memory in time for her even though when she's old enough to read it, she will have long since forgotten that moment at 7 months old.

If you have children, hold them close and cuddle tight. Breathe them in and enjoy all the precious moments, the smiles, the seconds of peace and the adventures to come because all to soon, those moments will pass and your baby will grow up into a teenager and then into an adult and you'll yearn for those sweet moments burned into your memory. Being a parent is a true gift. Thank you Jesus for blessing me with two sweet babies whom I love so much!

As a blogger and a vlogger, there is a harsh truth I've dreaded admitting to that I address in this video. Why hide the truth anyway? I always look at the home improvement and decorating blogs and vlogs and secretly covet a home of my own to decorate. Yes, I'm in my early 30s and I still live with my parents. Though I'm ashamed of it, I give some perspective on the situation in the video.

Alaka'i aka Captain Random, made his video debut and attacked (not literally).  It's a fun video of my kids being fun and silly. I hope it brightens your day!

The entire vlogging adventure that we are embarking on is time consuming, exhausting, but more fun than I've had in a long time. Unfortunately, I don't have the kind of time that other vloggers have to do all the editing and networking because of my day job, but I think I do alright. I mean, these vlogs are for our mainland family to see us for the most part, so mission accomplished!!

This video is mostly of Alaka'i and Arielle playing and hanging out. I wasn't in much of a mood to record myself this weekend so this video is very children heavy and adult light.

Arielle is becoming quite a proficient scooter and crawler. She is growing up so fast! Can you believe she's 7 months (plus ten days) old? I forgot how quickly they grew! I was pondering the rate at which Alaka'i grew the other night while I was up editing a video and man, that boy grew up fast. Somehow that fact escaped me as I watched my baby girl grow bigger and stronger each day.

I try my best to soak up all the moments, to cherish the little cuddles, the squeezes, the cheek kisses and the precious moments of connection. I never really had the opportunity to feed Alaka'i the way I feed Arielle because well, I was 19 when I had him and he preferred the bottle to breast milk. I remember trying and trying while tears poured down my cheeks as my baby boy rejected the breast and opted for the bottle. When Arielle was first born, she seemed to prefer the bottle as well but after a couple weeks at home with me, one day she just latched and connected. It was a magical moment and since then, she rarely takes a bottle (which isn't always convenient for me), but I can't complain. It's those moments where she is connected to me that I cherish the most. Knowing that she will never have that same bond with another human in her entire life just warms my heart. There is something so special about feeding your baby and allowing that natural bond between mother and child continue to grow. Not that bottle feeding makes you any less close or any less connected than breast feeding. Alaka'i was my constant companion. We spent so much time together, cuddled and loved and had all those same precious moments. It's just that in these twilight hours of silence that I'm awake editing videos that I can truly reflect on the differences between my two children and appreciate how precious and truly unique they each were and are.

Aloha Hop Information & FAQ page. 

I am so proud of my husband Andrew!! He graduated college!! Yes, after years of school while serving in the United States Air Force, working night shifts, becoming a civilian, getting married and having a newborn baby girl, he finally got his diploma. He achieved what he set out to and he did it well as a part of the Honors Society.

Andrew, we are all so proud of you!! We love you more than words can say!! You are a super man and can achieve anything! Thank you Jesus for giving Andrew the strength to persevere and get his degree.

I embarrass my son, Alaka'i... no not really, but there are things that I do apparently, that embarrass him. Hey, it's a mother's job, right? Let's talk about that!

With so much extended family living thousands and thousands of miles away, YouTube has proven to be a very convenient means of sharing videos and clips of Arielle and Alaka'i with our family that lives far away. I've actually had my channel for awhile but never uploaded anything until Arielle was born. It's fun to share videos with family so they can see how the kids act, what they sound like and the mannerisms each child has. It's really also a great way for family members to feel a sense of closeness like they know our kids even though they don't get to see them often. I wish there was a YouTube and a Skype or Facetime when I was little!! I would have loved the convenience of that technology to talk to my grandma.

This video is just clips of Arielle and Alaka'i and although she may think she's the boss, we all know that's her daddy's job title. God first, family next. I am so thankful for the blessings I have.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a VERY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! 




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Ear infections and teething, oh how I hate thee! I forgot how truly terrible it was to watch the baby you love and protect go through the pain inflicted with teething. Arielle is cutting teeth here, so far only one is starting to break through although many are following. It feels gritty like sand paper buried in gum tissue and oh, the poor little darling, she is in pain. She's a tough little trooper though, still smiles and laughs and is actually quite a well behaved little 7 month old (she turns 7 months old tomorrow, yikes!). She's more fussy than normal and naps have become shorter yet she keeps on pushing, keeps on trying to crawl and wants to constantly cuddle her mama and dada. I love the cuddles even though I hate seeing her suffer through the teething process.

To add insult to injury, she's also got a double ear infection that came with a runny nose. She's been yanking at her ears and even her hair (sometimes ripping a handful of her wispy hair out).  After a day or so of her doing this, I thought that I'd take her to the pediatrician. Better to be safe than sorry!  I'm so glad I did because he gave me the antibiotics for her double ear infection and although her ears are still bothering her, she's feeling better since we went.

It's been 13 years since my Alaka'i was this age and I forgot how much pain the little ones go through when they teethe and have ear infections. Sadly Arielle is her mother and father's daughter and both my husband and I were prone to ear infections growing up. I can't believe that she's old enough to get teeth already!! Wasn't it just yesterday that I gave birth to her, held her in my arms and swore to protect her and love her until the end of time?  It seems like time is flying by at such a fast pace that milestones are happening sooner than they feel like they should be.  She's already wearing 12 months in her clothing. What's next? Walking? Yikes!!! Slow down, precious baby!! Mama wants to savor these moments just a little longer.

I know those of you who saw my post yesterday or follow me on Instagram or Twitter, have probably already seen photos of my baby girl Arielle Grace Ke'ohilani. These are the first photos of her that I haven't shared with anyone yet and they're probably the most precious photos I have of her because it shows those precious moments of her birth, some of which I didn't even get to fully witness because I was under anesthesia and on the operating table.  This is our birth story.

On Monday October 6th, I had a doctor appointment (4 days prior to my due date). I was big pregnant and we knew it was going to be another big baby for me. After all, my son Alaka'i was 10 lbs 4.8 oz at birth and they say the 2nd baby would be bigger so we were expecting 9 lbs or more. The doctor who actually performed my ultrasound told me that she was in position and ready to come but I was not in labor. They decided that I should be admitted to the hospital that day to be induced because she was locked in position and I was thinning and my body was getting ready to bring Arielle into the world. Well, we checked in Monday afternoon and they gave me all of the medication and I pushed and labored all night long. I woke up the next morning and was still in labor but not progressing the way that we had hoped. I was in labor for 3 days with Alaka'i so I wasn't all that surprised.


Towards the afternoon after still being on labor inducement medication, I started to really dilate and was at 9 cm but then it stayed at 9 cm for over 3 hours. The doctors kept checking me and I didn't dilate more and the resident doctor said that I was in major stress and so was the baby and that he wanted to call my main OB and have her come down and give me a C-section. Wait, what??? A C-Section? NO!!! That was not the delivery plan I had made. I had delivered a healthy 10+lb baby boy before, I could give birth to my daughter naturally. I didn't want to have surgery!!!  Needless to say that both he and my OB expressed the need for me to have a C-Section as baby Arielle's heart rate was dropping and she was showing signs of distress.  I sobbed, I worried, I panicked and my son Alaka'i was there by my side with my husband Andrew and my mom. We've never had a C-Section in our family, I've read horror stories about them.  Heck, one of my favorite YouTube mamas had died after a C-Section due to "complications of labor". I was freaking out, like really, desperately afraid.  My son cried with worry for me and the doctors told me it was time and I agreed. They whisked me away, prepped me and my husband came in and they started to cut me open. I will spare you the nasty details and photos as they are less important than the fact that a precious little girl, my precious little girl was about to be brought into the world.

The anesthesiologist had to give me a more potent pain medication because I could feel as my doctor cut into my flesh so there was a period of time where my eyes were closed, I could hear what was going on, but I was off in an imaginary world full of colors and randomness. It was wild. I heard my name being called and it was my husband Andrew saying that our baby was being born. Then he walked away and the anesthesiologist told me to look to my right and I could see her. In my haze, I turned my head and saw the nurses and doctors checking my screaming little pink darling baby.


I closed my eyes. I opened them and my husband was there with this fluffy, soft, pink, precious baby girl and tears in his eyes. She was so beautiful, so perfect. She was my little girl. Oh she looks like me and her daddy. Oh my precious baby. Arielle Grace Ke'ohilani came into this world on October 7th, 2014 at 9:42 pm weighing 11 lbs 5.7 ounces and 23.75 inches long. She was a big, healthy, pink, beautiful, loud little baby girl. I was instantly in love and have been with her since that day. Though she's changed significantly in her looks as these last nearly 7 months have passed, she is the most beautiful little darling in the world (I swear, I'm not biased or anything) Thank you Jesus for this beautiful girl, this healthy little baby girl and our little family that Andrew and I had that was growing. Gone were the days of being alone. Gone were the days of crying holding my baby boy feeling like a failure, feeling so alone. Gone were the days raising and parenting my little boy with no partner to help me, to teach him. Now we were a family. Alaka'i and I were not a lone pair anymore. We were a family with Andrew and now with Arielle.


"What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet;" Arielle Grace Ke'ohilani, my little girl. Arielle meaning Lion of God (Hebrew), Grace for God's grace (when Jesus died on the cross) and Ke'ohilani (Hawaiian meaning "heavenly harvest/harvest of heaven").  Like her brother, her name was carefully chosen and the meaning of her name in my life goes deeper than any words on a page can express.  She's such a precious little darling and I love her so!

We are a big family of Star Wars geeks, my husband more so than the rest of us. Let's just say, we own all the Star Wars films, have Star Wars comics, geek out on Star Wars merch, Andrew wore Darth Vader cuff links at our wedding and he got our son Alaka'i a pretty legit light saber, with sounds and everything, for Christmas (which you see Arielle holding in the photo). In honor of "May the Fourth Be With You" which is known as Star Wars Day and a reference to the phrase the Jedi use "May the Force Be With You, I decided to geek out and take a fun picture of Arielle as a little Leia-esque baby Jedi. I photoshopped a smoky black background to cover the carpet she was laying on to give it a little more drama. I also photoshopped Princess Amidala buns on Arielle's head for fun because, why not?

It's Monday, I am exhausted. Who's a fan of Monday's anyway? I hope you and all your Jedi, Ewok, Wookie (or whatever Star Wars race you prefer) families have a wonderful, or at least a silly Monday.

If any of you are interested in the light saber we got Alaka'i, this is where we got it: http://www.ultrasabers.com/ 

May the Fourth Be With You All!!

I have fallen off the face of the earth. The last 7 months has been consumed with precious time cuddling my little baby girl and soaking in all the moments and memories and with my day job that I've been able to convert to doing at home, I had so little time to devote to my website or photography.  Now I finally feel like I've achieved some sort of balance, am able to more efficiently juggle the balls of my life, and can confidently dive back into the ocean of the blogosphere which I so dearly missed.

I sat at my computer last night and perused all of the folders of photographs I've taken in the last year or more and couldn't figure out where to start so I decided to take a leap back in time to January 5, 2014 and the staycation honeymoon my husband Andrew and I went on. It was a literal dream. Come with me.... Let's hear the ocean waves roll in and hit the sandy shores while the cool tradewind breeze caresses our faces. Let's go. This post is photo heavy, but so worth it. If you want to see our hotel room or the beautiful oceans, sunrise and sunset of the North Shore, keep reading!

Here's a taste of what lies beyond the "Read More" button.