To Infinity and Beyond...Our Story of Becoming a Family.

Wow, here we are on this historic night in our nation's history, electing the first African-American president, (who I have to say is originally from our state and graduated three years behind me from the same high school) and I felt I should reflect back on the last three weeks and some new 'firsts" in Tori's life.


Jolon's mom has been here visiting us since October 14th. She couldn't wait too much longer to meet Miss Tori! Tori was a great helper getting ready for Grandma Pam's visit. She had the dust cloth moving over everything, including the dogs!We have been very busy with the first visit by Grandma Pam from Australia. It took a little bit of time for Tori to get used to her being here, but now she is quite comfortable. Of course the daily wrapped present of either an Aussie stuffed toy, or book, or little bag helped get over the initial uncertainty.

We had fun celebrating Mommy's 50th birthday, which doesn't seem possible, but was made easier by having Tori around. We played spritz the cold water on Tori's face while eating dinner at Outback for the occasion. Tori squealed with delight.

That weekend was a very busy one. That Sunday we went out to Kapolei to the pumpkin patch at Aloun Farms. It was a first for Daddy, Mommy, and Grandma, too. A lot of the pumpkins had been harvested, but there were still a few on the vines, and we got to pick out our own for the house. It has been fun teaching Tori new words for the holiday and she can just about say pumpkin. She loved going up and over the rows of vines in the patch.

The next weekend on the 24th, we ventured over to Maui. We thought it would be a good way to celebrate Mommy's birthday and Tutu's birthday which is Halloween, and also Grandma's visit. We thought it might be fun to take the SuperFerry so that we could also take our van and all of Tori's stuff, like her playpen to sleep in. The ferry is beautiful and VERY well run. We were very impressed. It is a beautiful three hour trip, but if you are prone to seasickness like Mommy, not so fun. She spent the ride over on the deck with the cold wind blowing in her face. She didn't feed the fish, but she didn't feel too good. However the ride back was spectacular and she was not queasy at all. It was just wonderful seeing the islands from a different perspective. It was also great taking our own car and not having to worry about how much we could take or what the suitcases weighed.

We had a great time strolling along Front St. in Lahaina, riding the Sugar Cane Train, and visiting the Surfing Goat Dairy on the slopes of Haleakala. All of these were firsts for Tori. She loved all of it, especially the train and feeding the goats. Of course it wouldn't be a vacation, even a mini one like this, without some time in the pool. Tori continues to love the water and it was her first time in a big in-ground pool. To our surprise and relief, she had a healthy fear of it and wouldn't venture from the steps unless we were holding her. Smart girl.

We had a wonderful time on Maui and look forward to more neighbor island trips. We love the photo of Tori with the Grandmas, and Mommy loves the photo of Tori on the ferry coming home. She looks so sweet and happy.Tori's first Halloween. What fun! We decorated our house with ghosts and witches and spider webs. Outside on the lanai we had a 4 ft. blow-up Frankenstein. Tori absolutely loved it. She had to go out every night and give it a hug. She liked to pretend she was a ghost and say, "Ahhhhhh...woooooo.....BOO!" Since we had brought home a couple of pumpkins from the farm, we also had to carve them. Since it is so humid here, we couldn't carve them until the 30th. What a great time we had on the floor scooping out the "guts." Tori thought it would be fun to throw the stringy mess up in the air and see where it landed. Right on top of her and Mommy and Kiwi. It's such an awesome thing to experience and see these traditional activities through her eyes. We love starting our own traditions with her.

Grandma Pam made Tori an adorable pumpkin outfit to wear trick-or-treating. We went to Kahala Mall so we could celebrate dinner afterwards for Tutu's 83rd birthday. We tried not to make a big deal of the costume so Tori would think it was just different clothes. We had tried it on her a few days earlier and we didn't think she would wear the cute hat. Well when we got to the mall, she not only decided to wear the hat for two hours, she also insisted on wearing her sunglasses...indoors...at night. As her godmother,. Aunty Aulani said, "a pumpkin with attitude." Tori was very serious about this trick-or-treating; she insisted on walking to all the stores herself, never cracked a smile, held on to her pail of treats, and said "xie xie" (thank you) after she received each treat. People, even ones with kids her age, commented on her seriousness and of course cuteness. She finally took off the hat and glasses for dinner, and was very happy to turn the treats over as long as she could have her pail. It was a great memory maker.

We have had a wonderful time having Grandma Pam visit and experiencing so many "firsts." As we inch/speed closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas, we are excited by what these holidays mean and helping Tori learn about them and love them as much as we do. Please remember to check back to the blog. Jaydee is going to try and post more frequently.

Tori turns 21 months on Thursday and it will be 6 months since we became a forever family. It is incredible to believe we have been parents for half a year! Thank you so much for all your love and support.