..sweet toy...

so kuni and ollie came over the other day and they had just gone to the toy store. ollie got some swords and what not (he's such a little boy) and kuni came home with this sweet toy. so basically it blows air (on the bottom you can open and close it to control the instream of the air) and there are these little weapons you put in the balls and they fight each other. it doesn't sound that entertaining but it's a heck of a lot of fun! i think kuni and i had more fun playing than ollie :)

...new do...

notice anything different? i would hope so 'cause i cut of like 12+ inches and put some browns and caramels in my hair. enjoy. i sure love it :)

...duck pond adventures...

does anyone know what this new hair-do i see on our lovely feathered friend is? i love it!so while rosie and aidyn were here we went to the duck pond down by the provo river. when leilani (rosie's oldest girl) was a baby, rosie used to take her here after their runs together along the trail. it was only appropriate to take a picture of miss ai and her...btw...it bothers me that there are sunspots on their chins...too bad their not smiling in the other pictures i have of them.the little cousins had a lot of fun feeding the ducks. yuri kept eating the bread. ha ha...such a takahashi. i love this picture of ollie. i think that he looks more and more like kuni. especially when he smiles. they're so fun to have around. after feeding the ducks we went to park that was just a little walk away.
yuri...it was so bright that day! she's so cute and getting so big. i love it.
i also was having a fantastic time (to say the least) at the park. most of the time when i swing now i get really bad motion sickness and feel nauseated but the day we went to feed the ducks i was feeling superb. i was having so much fun, i couldn't stop laughing because i was so happy! ha ha...i think rosie thought that i was on drugs or something.. you should try swinging if you haven't for a while. so much fun...after playing at the park for a while isa came and brought us ernie's for lunch! here everyone has food in their mouth and is not smiling...well they're trying to at least without playing the seafood game.on our way back the kids wanted to say bye to the ducks, so we did. i love this pic too. the three (aidyn, yuriya, and oliver) are all really close in age. i think all within eight months of each other. they're great friends and really love being together. i love being with them too!! i'm sad rosie and ai have left back to houston...

...proud to be an american...

last wednesday the fam bam drove up to the capitol theatre in salt lake city for mom's citizenship inauguration. it was an awesome event to participate in. i took the day off from work, rosie flew in from houston with aidyn, and we all gathered for the patriotic occassion. it was a bit rainy that day, but i sure loved it. after we stood in line for little while...
we enter the theatre and were seated. we did not become very prepared because we thought we would not be there for very long. little did we know. the kids did really well for sitting down for two hours. they shared treats and car and played games. they really helped each other out. here is sophie sharing her lollipop with Oliver due to a lack of snacks...some of the kiddos and rosie just cruisin. look how cute they all look. Ollie was cracking me up. he wouldn't even say anything to sophie, he would just open his mouth like this...more please? sister rosie and i. i think this is closer to when we first go there rather than later...here is mom with her citizenship certificate! it's so awesome!!

and most of the family. after waiting for two hours isa had to go to class right as the ceremony began. poor kid. he waited all that time and he had to drive back for school. hiro was also at school and papa was going to get the van for the little ones so they didn't have to walk

after we went to happy sumo to grub. it was tasty. everyone was so tired and the kiddos were a bit grumpy by the time we went to eat. ha ha...but it was a beautiful day! we are all so proud of you mom! we love you so much! and are so grateful for the hard work and sacrifice you have put in for us to have the best lives possible. congratulations on your new american citizenship!

...nan and the slc...

so leinan came to school with me last tuesday. it was funny. apparently we have thing for trees...we all know that i love plants, but i had no idea nan was so one with nature. here she is next to this tree of awkwardness... large tree across from the library downtown...here is one side...

...and here is the other. ha ha...my face is b-e-a-utiful in this picture. i'm really hugging that trunk.
also when we were up at school we bought treats from the bowling alley, sat on the lawn (one of my favorite past times), nan was shocked by the longboarders and bikers cruising down the hills (people could die, but they don't 'cause they are skilld apparently), thought about studying but went to chili's to eat instead, and nan being a creeper...then when we were picking up some hamburgers for rosie and aidyn before we picked them up from the airport this was what was in front of us.

I SEE YOU!! well i see you too...creepy...

...busy week...

it definitely has been a busy week to say the least. school is starting to pick up (p.s. school started last monday for the university of utah) and it indeed is keeping me busy. i like my classes so far. learning lots, studying lots and enjoying lots. i was not too excited to begin school but am so happy to be there. it's the nerd in me. i have no shame :)

monday i took bailey and ryan's engagement pictures, i'm just taking a minor break from going through them...hence why i am blogging in the middle of the night. i told her that i would have them done by tomorrow, 'cause it's almost been a week and it still has not been completed. working full-time and going to school full time...in salt lake city to say the least...requires a lot of discipline. i'm in a routine. a pretty good one, but it doesn't leave a whole lot of time for other things. even on the weekends i study...I guess i need to be a little more disciplined so i can play. i'm finally going to take vacation this coming week!! i'm so ecstatic to say the least! especially because rosie and aidyn with be here in two days. TWO DAYS!! woot!

I can't even recall much else that happened this week besides school and work...oh wait...my old roommate Karlie and I went to dinner and just caught up at pizza factory. while i was there i saw my friend Lauren Jespersen from jr. high. so random. but it was nice to see karlie karlie again and eat (which is always good) and hang out.

for some sort of enjoyment here is Yuri-bug and Sophie-bubbles making silly faces for me from when i was at ro and rach's house :) little kid funny faces are the best!

...boyz II men...

this past thursday boyz II men came to the scera shell in good ol' orem, utah. of all places, my home town :) and to see them for only ten dollars was one of the best things that could have ever taken place. needless to say it was AMAZING and i couldn't have been happier. music seriously is my safehaven, not only that but to be there with the cousins/family was so much fun! here are some photos of this memorable event...the akanas, buns, and myself waiting in line...we got there a little after six. natalie and josie were one of the first standing in line, we were somewhere in the middle. after we had waited in line and got our spots we went and got food at cafe rio. mmmmm...here are the akana girls, i can't believe how grown up chels and brand are getting! before the concert had started...Dust, Dane, Leo, Leinani, and myself...i was awkwardly sitting on Nani's lap (if you couldn't already tell by the picture)
My friends Charlene and Milly were also there. I know these girlies from work. They are hilarious! Both from the East coast and definitely half the east coast swagger.
This is Miss Maybelline. She's from one of my favorite states...TEXAS! This girl is crazy! ha ha...i love it. I also know her from work. That rose that she's holding was handed to her by boyz II men...incredible! ha ha...
there were so many people there. i saw people that i hadn't seen in a really long time. i also think that boyz II men was really overwhelmed by the support they had from orem, utah. who would of thought?

...wedding season...

i can't keep up with all the weddings that have happened in the past few weeks. the neighbor boys always make fun of me because instead of hanging out with them, i go to weddings. last time i went over there to drop off left over wedding cake, one of them asked me..."true or false? you've been to nine weddings in the past two weeks." ha ha...it hasn't been that many, but probably nine in the past month. regardless i love them and most importantly i love the people in them. it makes me cry when i see the daddy daughter dance. ask mom. she usually cries with me. here is a picture of mom and papasan...at the most recent wedding...

although i will admit that there is one thing that i don't like about weddings. and i don't know if it just because i don't really feel the need to be married, but i'm not the fondest of the bouquet toss although most of the time i get called out...it's so junk...

...rosie's girls...

are getting so big. also that shirt that aidyn (left) is wearing someone gave to me...ha ha...like that would really fit me...really? leilani (middle) is so tall and so smart, watch out world! and miss mia (right) isn't such a little kid anymore, i'm not sure what is going on with her eye...bug bite maybe?

sidenote: rosie and ai are coming september 9th :)

...i can't believe i forgot to post this...

so some of the frousins and i got together and had frousin night! ash ditched us for a work party, so she is absent from the pictures. but it was some good times composed of cafe rio pork barbacoa burritos (mmmmm...), tattoos, toe nails, and the movie "what happens in vegas" at the dollar theatre (thanks deina for paying for all of us...high rolla!)
deina's house also had all these horse flies (i believe that is what they are called) flying in her house. deina caught a bunch...sick...they were HUGE!
life doesn't get much better than this :)

...breif updates...

it's been a few weeks since i've blogged but here are some quick updates...

marshall and karlie are married...but this is a picture of just karlie and i at the wedding reception. they both looked so happy! it was fantastic :) but i am sad that i no longer have a bunk bed buddy...

kim n kamai are also married...also can't believe it, but am so excited for them! yay!!

isa and aiko are still dating...
i hadn't been to my apartment for weeks...but last time i was there we locked out our roommate carly...kristen sat on the door...
aubry pretended to not know what was going on...(p.s. our apartment is pretty cute...)and i just laid on the couch laughing...Kuni and Oliver left for Houston on monday afternoon to go and visit Rosie and Elle took a train at three in the morning to head out to New York. They've moved, and once again i'm sad. I cried myself to work that morning even though i'm super stoked for them and their new adventures, it's definitely bittersweet to not have them around. Here is the most recent as well as the most photogenic picture of the Cleverly-Takahashi fam bam. "Glistening" Kuni, Grumpy Ollie, and Grinning Eleanor...
At Ols was happy to take a picture with me shortly thereafter... We sure miss y'all!! Hopefully i'll see you soon...in nyc that is :)

...number 19...

remember how a while ago there was post of things to do prior to reaching the age of 21? well during that post i posed a question whether or not there are fireflies in utah, the conclusion: there is one. but just one. here is the proof. isn't it amazing?! for the first time in my life i saw a real firefly light up in my backyard! why it was there? i have no idea. why there was only one? i have no idea. did it make my ridiculous happy? yes. and then i caught the firefly...

I look like a little girl in this picture. ha ha...but it was so exciting! once again, props to Sabs for being the bomb dot com and reminding me to stay young even though i'm starting to get old :)

...bridal shower happiness...

meet karlie wathen... she is my roomie. my favorite of them all. she is getting married in 18 days and i can't even fathom it but i am SOOO excited!! her bridal shower was this past saturday and it was nice and quaint. here is a picture of Elisha, Me, Aubs, Karlie, and Kristen at the shower after we had "dressed" her in her gown. i have got to admit that this is by far the best bridal shower dress that i have ever seen. just look at that toilet paper train flowing in the wind. i mean really--it doesn't get any better than that!
karlie being a creeper. ha ha...i've decided that it's one of our favorite traits. all i had to say was "karlie be a creeper" and this is the result. i'm just really glad that she has fluff coming out of her ears as she hides behind her flowers. that's my girl karlie karlie. happy bridal shower!!

oh also...i'm going to have to say that because the bridal showers with the Aunties are pretty...what's the word...scandalous...i was expecting this one to be as well. ha ha...not even close...this was probably the most questionable of all the gifts...so funny...

it's a thong! at least that's what the note said...