A Love Story....

My girls might be embarrassed to think of their parents story as a Love Story, but it is! Ken and I met in the Philippines, when my last year of high school I moved there, and that is where our story begins. Despite all odds, we made our home in Utah, and were married a year after high school. We were young, but I think we've done well!

Here we are on our wedding day....we both worked in SLC that year, but then an interesting thing happens....


And a year later, this one arrived, we couldn't have been happier. We name her Keilani Marie. We move to a little basement apartment in Provo Utah. Ken works at a car dealership, he loves cars, so this is the perfect job for him.


Year #2: This year, we move to my parents house in Orem, we are the "responsible" ones taking care of their home while they are in South Africa. But my brother and all his friends are "roommates" with us. I try going back to school, it works for a little bit...lol. P.S. Does anyone else see something above my head in the blue picture, or am I the only one that finds things where there is nothing?




Year #3 We move out, yeah! Back down to Provo in a little townhome this time. We are in a car accident. Keilani is buckled safely in her car seat in the back of the car. Ken and I are safe as well, but we are pulled from the car, and taken in ambulances to the hospital. That was a lifechanging experience.


Year #4 Natasha has arrived! We're really quite happy, making goals and dreaming big plans for our future. She was our Christmas baby, born a few days before Christmas, and we got to take her home Christmas Eve, one of the most beautiful moments of our lives.



Year #5 I remember this Summer I work for the Census, also Hampton Inn as a night auditor, both fun jobs.



Year # 6 Now we have 3 girls, as Vivian joins the family.



Year #7 We live in an apartment in Orem near UVSC, I become the Primary President in a little branch.



Year #8 We're back up near my parents house. We put the kids in a charter school, here they are in their uniforms that school year.



Year # 9 Kalel has arrived, what a great year this has been for me to experience motherhood all over again being the mother of a boy.





Year # 10 Happy 10th Anniversary. I remember for this Anniversary we did a Movie Marathon. I'll have to ask Ken what movies we watched, but when we came home, my sister had helped set up a little surprise for Ken, and I had to take pictures of course! Here's also pictures of what happened that year




Year #11 Our caboose has arrived, and his name is Anthony Zane Tearii Applegate, we adore him to pieces!


Year # 12 Ken graduates from school! I've been working at Archivers and LOVE that job!



Year #13 We move to Lehi, which Ken LOVES! I end up working for Jet Blue and find the perfect job for me, I get to work from home, and travel when I want to, couldn't ask for more, okay, maybe a better paycheck, lol! But I love the benefits. Ken works in his field of health education. Life is only getting better and better!



Year #14 Ah, we moved from Lehi, we are literally full circle and renting the home which my parents bought when we came back from the Philippines. This is a good thing for us, we hope. The kids will start school this fall, and maybe even I will try to go back too!


Ken, it's been a great life together, and I look forward to so much more. I hope we are given many great opportunities in our future, and teach our children many wonderful things. I am so glad we found each other way back almost 16 years ago in the school halls of the International School of Manila. What an amazing adventure it's been! Love always, Clarice...

15 year high school reunions....

So, I had my 15 year high school reunion. It was supposed to be a dance, but we're all morons, and no one danced. Sorry, if I had some rhythm (had to look up how to spell that word, lol) I would have been up there dancing, but I don't. I wasn't worried about it all, until the day of, then I got nervous wondering why I should go.

This is the class I went to school with all through elementary, middle school and then Provo High School. I didn't get to graduate there, since my last year of school was when I went to the Phillippines and met Ken at the International School of Manila.

The part I found the funniest, is some people didn't recognize me. I mean, how many other Polynesian girls went there? Okay, a few, but I thought I would do a comparison and contrast to see how I've changed.

Here's me my freshman year:



Here's a picture I took that night when I got home, lol!




Apparently, the lack of bangs threw everyone off. It wouldn't be the extra hmmmm.....hmmmm pounds, would it? I also look whiter, apparently I don't get enough sun. And if I tried bangs now, how would I keep them from doing the frizz thing it did for me all through my teen years? Anyways, thoughts to ponder....

I was going to read him the book...

Ever have this happen?


Well, I swear, I told him 5 more minutes, after all, Dancing with the Stars would be over in 5 minutes. I turned around 2 minutes later to find this:


Oh well, at least I had already read him 2 books before this one was to be read, but still....just a reminder how fast those minutes can go, and if we don't catch them, they are gone!

By the way, did you know he says pink is his favorite color? I know! He likes to shock us that's for sure!

What I have in common with Oprah...

Remember this magazine?



It came out this January. I hadn't really watched Oprah in awhile, so hadn't noticed her weight gain. I picked up this magazine the other day at the library and I remember Oprah saying, in the year 2008, all of her magazine covers only showed her pictures from the waist up. She was making sure not to have any full body pictures. I don't know why she bothered, everyone saw her every day on tv anyways, lol.

But I could totally understand her problem with pictures of herself. I know the last few years, I'd see a picture of myself and think, "Oh, I look fine enough in that one" But the others...I'd just delete. I was conveniently avoiding the fact that the last few years I've gained 20-30 lbs. This is AFTER a decade of bearing children and gaining weight. The previous weight gain was justified, after all having children is for a higher purpose. But there's nothing GRAND about continuing to gain weight AFTER the children.

So, any advice for the woman who has NEVER dieted a day in her life? But of course I'm not going to go on a diet. I'm going to, "make a life change", as Ken likes to say it. I've ruled out HCG because there's no way I can not eat anything, lol. I like the idea of Weight Watchers, because you can still eat the foods you like, just in moderation. Also, the weekly meetings that keep you on the track. Ken thinks I could just do it myself with his help, and I wish that were true, but we both know I need a little outside push and shove! Who's up for the first shove?

I have another BLOG!

I spent the day yesterday putting together our Book Group blog, and just wanted to share it here:

CLICK RIGHT HERE

Feel free to comment on any of the books YOU have read.....We also have set up a Group on Goodreads, so follow the link on there if you want to join.

I go up to Lehi once a month, the last Thursday of the month for our Book Group Discussion, so if you live down here, feel free to carpool with me.

And if you're from the old PL neighborhood, PLEASE come join us in the online discussion if you can't make the book group nights! Email me if you want more info on who's house it's going to be at each month.

The blog is open to all of our friends and family to comment. The meetings to whoever can make it Thursday nights, lol!

Save it under your favorites, share a link to it on your blog, subscribe, participate! It's for everyone!