Ba Humbug...

Today I was talking on the phone to my sister, in the background I could hear my little 3 year old niece singing Christmas Carols loudly. It was making us both laugh to listen to Olivia and her little versions of Jingle Bells so Olivia got on the phone to sing a private concert for me. "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to ride on a one fa na la bay." That little girl can bring a smile to anyone in a matter of seconds with her Innocent and genuine actions. It got me thinking how totally Ba Humbug I am around the Holiday Season.

For example we have a Christmas tree... that has been set up once in the last four years. I even tried to sell it at the yard sale last year because it was taking up too much precious space. In the beginning Inoke used to ask me all excited like if I was going to "decorate;" sadly over the years he has come to know me better... now he doesn't even bother to ask. I have the decorations all packed nicely in a box collecting dust in the back of the spare closet.

It goes further than just not decorating... I don't even bother to cook special meals at Thanksgiving or Christmas any more. It doesn't help that Inoke refuses to eat turkey... but still I have become so lax in this area. Last Thanksgiving we BBQ'd ribs and hamburgers. Yep, forget about the stuffing, cranberries, and pecan pie; A hamburger and some Doritos will hit the spot.

That is if we even spend the day together. The last two Christmas' Inoke pulled double shifts at work and I spent the day catching up on laundry. This morning someone asked me if I had plans for this Thursday... my response. Yep, Inoke is working and I am going to organize the kitchen. There is one good thing about my lack of holiday cheer, I don't have to worry about gaining ten pounds from eating all the leftovers for a week after the dinner.

I've never been huge into holidays... but lately I have realized that since I got married I have totally been slacking in this area. So in an effort to start new "family traditions" with Inoke I am making a new resolution to do better at trying to bring some sort of holiday cheer into the house without grumbling too much.

Fiji Nine

So overall we had a great trip. I miss waking up at 6am to Yaca and Juju asking for me to fix their hair or put on make up. I even got to see Inoke's Elementary School and his old house in Waila. It was fun to imagine him as a little kid running around barefoot in the school uniform. As usual trips to Fiji are few and far between. The last time I was over there was 2002. So we never seem to have enough time to see everything that I want to see or do everything that I planned to do. I do have lots of fond memories though, like sleeping outside on the porch under a mosquito net because it was sweltering hot in the house. I guess we will just have to take another trip back to see all the things on my list... the Hot Bread Kitchen is calling my name.

Random Pics

Fiji Eight

The night before we headed to Nadi to fly back to Hawaii everyone got together for a family dinner at the Raintree Lodge. I love that place, it is like being in the middle of the Rain Forest, but then you are still close to Suva. It was a beautiful evening, and it was really something to have the whole family together (except Finau). We took a Biutanaseva Family picture and having six of the seven kids there with their spouses was something to see.

Raintree Lodge

Fiji Seven

What is a trip to Fiji without taking all the nieces and nephews to Mc Donalds? Everyone but Nolani got up early one morning and we squeezed in the car to go eat Happy Meals. Yum. Juju was a little hesitant about eating the hash brown and egg mc muffin... but her brother Peni didn't hesitate to eat her share too. It was fun listening to them tell stories and play with the toys. That afternoon Inoke and I went to pick up Nolani from school and she so kindly reminded us that she too needed to eat Mc Donalds since she missed the breakfast run. Personally I would much rather have a $2 roti/curry parcel than a $6 happy meal... but then again I can eat Mc Donalds whenever I want to.

Mc Donalds