September Come and almost GONE!

September has certainly kept us busy! School and sports were certainly expected, but alot more came along UNEXPECTEDLY....here's what the Kaufana fam has been up to this past month.

Annual Family Camp: Every year we campout on Labor Day; my parents, siblings and all our kids up at Rockport! Totally fun stuff! Especially when BYU beat #3 ranked OU! :)

FOOTBALL: Every Saturday morning, you'll find us rootin' on Alafoki's Granger Mighty Mites Team and Bobo's Gremlins. I love little league football! Ala's team is undefeated so far...3-0!! :)

BYU COUGARS: We BLEED Blue! Our schedules always work AROUND every game! It's top priority. Sadly, our Cougs lost pathetically this past weekend to FSU movin' our rankings from #7 to #19...geez! Still LOVE my COUGS! BIRTHDAYS: My sis Brenda turned 18 and my bro Hyrum hit the BIG 3-0!! He's still single ladies and quite a catch!! *winks* Fun celebrations were held for these two!

MOVING: We moved ONCE AGAIN! Worked out a deal with Joe & Lomes to finish up the basement...my pops has been a MAJOR HELP in getting this project done! We're almost there. Joe and Lomes will have one floor and we got the other...so far so good...we LOVE it here!

HOSPITAL STAYS: Ala was up at Primary Childrens for a week...poor guys asthma got the best of him and he had to get his oxygen level back up to speed! He's well and ready for more football this week! Also, my momma was rushed to Jordan Valley at the SAME TIME Ala was in...poor lady had a ruptured appendix, syst and issues with her ovaries (too many kids...LOL!) so some major surgery was done and she spent that same week in the hospital. She's now home and resting.

This is Ala leaving the doctor's office on an ambulance up to Primary Childrens'...we sure didn't know his asthma was that bad! Poor guy!

This is the day we got to bring Ala home. He wanted to tour the hospital a bit since he didn't get around much. Alafoki found Spiderman at Primary Childrens and above this pic is a display of Steve Youngs achievements...we thought it was pretty cool!

BABY: Two more days and baby #4 will be here! It's a planned C-Section...and we're totally excited and anxious to welcome him here on Friday morning! My pops will be naming baby and hasn't given us a clue saying he has to SEE the baby first to know what his name will be. Silly guy! People keep sayin' my lil' Drew will be the baby no more and has been ROBBED of his babyhood at 16 months, but I think he's ready for a lil' friend to join him!

Tummy hurts on 1st Day of School...it's butterflies from being nervous! Right?

My kids started at the American Prepatory Academy a new school for them this year. This meant new location, with uniforms and new kids which has made them nervous all summer. Monday, Aug. 31st was their first day...Ala seemed fine and excited, but Beanie on the other hand had been extra nervous the night before and so that morning told me she wasn't ready and her stomach hurt. She had no fever and I asked her if it was the pains she had when she was in the hospital last month, she said it wasn't so, I reassured her that she just had had butterflies in her tummy from being so nervous. We had breakfast, then Justin gave them a father's blessings for the first day of school. After Beanie had hers, she hugged us and told us she'd be okay.

Driving to school, I looked at her and she had a worried look again, I asked her how she was and she told me her tummy was still hurting. I walked her to her class and she was hesitant to let go of my hand, but I continued to reassure her and promised to pick her up after school. She took a deep breath and gave me that brave look and walked into her class.

Just as I got to work, my phone rang and it was the school secretary telling me that she had Beanie with her who had just thrown up all over her uniform and it was continuing. I knew Beanie had to be so embarassed and as a mother I felt embarassed and felt so bad for my lil' girl! Turned out she kept throwin' up and we figured she ate something bad 'cause it lasted the rest of the day. Here I thought it was just butterflies! What a way to start your first day!

She was ready to go, good as new the 2nd day...and we had no stomach problems at all which made me happy 'cause I don't think I'd be able to tell if it was butterflies again or what? GEEZ! My poor Beanie!

~VEEYAH~

Music to my ears!

He did it!! Alafoki did it!!

My son weighed in at .........*drumroll please* .......................

A WHOPPING 95 LBS!!

He had so much support there...his whole team cheering him on along with 2 other guys who came in just as close. They ALL made it! Ala's running that ball this year people!! I believe he's the only 5th grader playing with the 6th & 7th grade boys....on the Mighty Mites team!! WOOHOO!! It'll be much tougher this season, but a good challenge!! I'm so proud of him!! We're heading to Chuck-A-Rama for lunch today and my boy is gonna STUFF his face! Totally something he's been waiting for! YIPPEE!!

~VEEYAH~

It's DO or DIE!

Ok, so maybe my title is a bit exaggerated...but this is a day we've been kinda dreading...or maybe so! My son started his 3rd year of little league football this year. He’s always wanted to run the ball, but you have to meet a certain weight requirement in order to do so. The first two years, he has missed that weight limit by a few pounds or more and ended up being one of the smaller linemen. Still, I think he’s been AWESOME at that lineman position and rocked the bigger guys anyway! This year, he was determined to run that ball…and since summer started Ala has made a goal to meet the weight limit of 100lbs. Yes, he’s only 10 years old, but I like to think he’s big boned and solid which makes him heavier.

About the end of June, Ala weighed 114lbs and told Justin and I that he had his mind set to lose the weight and run that ball. If you know this kid, he loves and I mean LOVES his sweets! I wasn’t sure if he could do it, but I was sure going to support him. I was surprised to see him day in and day out, eating healthy…just fruits and yogurt, or a bowl of cheerios for breakfast….drinking nothing but spring water (he told me purified water helps you sweat more than the regular tap water…not sure where that info came from)…and then for lunch was grilled chicken breast or turkey with broccoli (no sauces, just spices) or a sandwich w/ whole wheat bread…then small snacks like a banana, grapes or strawberries in the evening. He has worked out every morning at the gym in addition to his football practices in the evening and I am so AMAZED at his determination and it shows! (Here's one pic of him half way through this weight loss)

(Ala & his dad and cousins posin' with some of his most favorite Cougar football players, Reno and Fahu. This was taken at this summer's BYU football camp early July.)

So, today is the weigh in, August 12th…Do or Die Day!! This day has been circled big on the calendar and drilled in my mind! I’ve been nervous all day thinking about his weigh in tonight!! Now about 6 weeks later he’s weighed in at 100lbs-101lbs these last 2-3 days. It’s NERVE WRECKING! This morning he weighed 100 ½ lbs…GEEZ! Lookin’ at his face this morning, he just looks so determined yet a bit stressed about this weigh in. He’s worked SO HARD and he totally deserves this!! I, as his momma, well, any mom would agree I’m sure, but, I’m just as nervous…I’m sitting here at work and I can’t focus…so I started typing these feelings out, hoping it’ll relief some of this anxiety! Heck, I think this baby is feelin ‘the nerves too ‘cause he hasn’t stopped movin’ all day, which isn’t normal for us! I know my hubby is feelin’ the nerves as well ‘cause I called him and he took Alafoki to the sauna to sweat it out…(never thought about that…takin’ your kid to a sauna?? DEAR OH DEAR!)…then I talked to my son and he said he’s only going to drink water for today and nothin’ else! Should a kid have to go through this? I don’t think so! In fact, there were many times I tried to get my son to eat more these past weeks because I’m not used to this skinny Ala I’m seeing which makes me sad…but at the same time I can see how much he wants this…and I want it for him too! I have to say I’m so proud of him for his determination…AND (this is me thinking positive) once he weighs in UNDER 100lbs tonight, I told my son I’m taking him straight to Chuck-A-Rama…his FAVE! Hey, all he has to do is make this weigh in…and then he can’t weigh whatever he wants!! LOL!!

*keep your fingers, toes and eyes crossed people*

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ALA!!

-VEEYAH-

It's GONE! It's GONE! It's ALL GONE!!

This is my lil' FETI LUV BUCKET just this past Sunday. We were at our Fonua family fireside and daddy snuck outside with Drew and got a bit camera happy...this is only ONE of like 30 pics off his blackberry!! LOL!! Notice that full head of hair...again, this was just a few days ago!

Drew's signature mark has been his crazy hair!! It's just WHACKO...and he has some good hair days and many bad ones too!! But I love it!! Whenever Drew is tired, he lays down with one hand on his head rubbin' his soft hair and it puts him right to sleep! (Had to cut daddy out of this pic or he'd kill me! LOL!)We loved to sport the HAWK on him at times!! FUN STUFF!!

Justin kept saying he was going to cut Drew's hair, but I asked him not to. Not yet!! I wasn't ready...I loved his hair!! Come this past Monday...I went to work and about 10am I get this call from my sister Diana..."Vee, you're not gonna be happy!!" I shrieked...wondering what was going on...then she tells me, "Justin cut Drewby's hair!" I was speechless, instant watery eyes, automatic anger and hurt. Honestly, I wish she hadn't called me at work...it certainly wasn't a way to start my day out...but I knew her intent, 'cause she knew I didn't want his hair cut!! Next thing I get is an email from my hubby with this picture!! His email says, "Hi Mommy! Look at me...I'm a big boy now!" More tears...this just wasn't something I was expecting.

Justin called me on the phone and of course I gave major attitude, short answers and kept the call quick...(I'm such a witch!) He knew I was upset. I think the whole matter of it was that he looks older now and I wasn't ready to face that. I'm havin' another baby in about 7 weeks, and I guess sometimes I feel like lil' Drew is being robbed of his babyhood. Another email with this picture came through and a message like, "Now I'm sound asleep! Love you mommy" He just looked so different!! I couldn't wait to get home and see my baby!! That day wasn't a good one at work and it just seemed to drag!! More tears throughout the day. I was determined to give my hubby the silent treatement forever and ever!! I know, I'm making this a bigger deal than it really is! =\When I got home I found lil' Drew happy and playing with his favorite toys...a water bottle and a wooden spoon...LOL!! This boy has tons of toys to play with, but for some odd reason, he likes plain things like this! ANYWAY, I grabbed him, hugged him and we looked in the mirror together...he loves to look in the mirror and I wondered if he'd recognize himself! Sure enough he did as he smiled and kissed himself in the mirror like he usually does...then he kissed his momma! That's all I needed!!

We went outside to play for a bit and I took this picture of Drew and Ala. Now I really think these two look alike with the new haircut! I've had a hard time trying to get used to this look...it's been a couple more days now and it's growing on me! It kinda breaks my heart 'cause he really looks like a big boy now....but his hugs and snuggles with his momma tell me that he is still my baby!! I love my FETI!!

Oh and Justin is doing ok too...his meany wife's silent treatment only lasted about 15 minutes when she got home that day. LOL!

-VEEYAH-