a true warrior

what if i were as sturdy a person as a warrior...
fearless, valiant, proud.

there's a story from the book of mormon that has always inspired me to be brave. the story of the 2,000 stripling warriors. "stripling" meaning "adolescent youth". boys. sons. ammonites willing to fight in place of their fathers to defend their people and freedom. though young and outnumbered in war, every single one of these boys survived even after injuries from battle. they were faithful and fearless because they knew their duty to stand up for what's right... and that was motivation enough to be their best and to be selfless.

please read Alma 53:18-21. especially verse 20. and this is why i decided to write this blog. because of the inspiration and power of verse 20.

"And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted."

not only did they have the physical strength and fearless mentality to be great warriors, but they were TRUE - to themselves, to God, to everyone - no matter where or when. end of discussion.

and this reminds me of my little brother. he spoke a lot about these boys and their example. he tried to live like them...physically, mentally and spiritually. in fact, all my brothers and sister have been amazing examples to me - being real modern stripling warriors - standing up for what they believe in and being true.

so...what if i were as sturdy a person as a true warrior? let me re-word this scripture to describe the person i'd like to become:

And she is a young woman, Kuulei is exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this is not all-she is a woman who is true at all times in whatsoever thing she is entrusted.

i'm so grateful for my family. beyond grateful. i love love love them. and i love the scriptures.

listening to

the new Kings of Leon album...

Click on the picture to go to their site and buy the album for only 7.99! :D That's what I DID!

i really love it. groovy. 

sing super loud smile super big dance around kine of enjoyment.

ps. it just so happens that my blog is named after another great album of theirs "Aha Shake Heartbreak". it just stuck with me.

Aloha 'Oe (Elder) Nehoa Akina

Hana, Nehoa, me: his mission farewell on Sunday. He spoke so well and lots of people came to support him. Great day. We'll miss him but I'm so excited for his 2 year church mission in Montana. :)

This is my note to him, written by Kiani on our mirror. "I'm not afraid to take a stand, everybody come take my hand" (Eminem lyrics) one of our favorite songs. See...Eminem is uplifting and truthful.

After the long day of cooking for the neighborhood that Nehoa invited to our house for his farewell.

Us girls with Nehoa at the airport. Seemed like he was just going on a little trip-coming back soon. But I won't see him for 2 years.

So i'm sure I'll have updates from his mission later. A lot will happen while he's gone...

Tomorrow as he enters the Missionary Training Center, begins day 1.

michael jordan

ok don't be too overwhelmed by my fascination with jordan. but i really do love him. he taught me a lot when i was younger just by how hard he worked and what he was able to overcome and accomplish. being raised in a sports-run family, i took the principles of the game and applied them in my life. it's great stuff :)

so for class i had to write a paper on a sports hero i have. here's the result...

It has got to be the most overused statement of all time, the ultimate cliché, yet believable in any case: Michael Jordan is my hero. There is no other professional athlete who has influenced and inspired me as much as the one and only. I pondered on whom I could choose to be my hero, my sports idol. There are many wonderful, hard-working athletes out there, however, Jordan has sprung the biggest basketball transformation in sports history.  The 1980s and 1990s saw the “greatest basketball player of all time”.

Honestly, when I was young watching the Chicago Bulls play on TV, I had no idea how amazing it truly was when Jordan would swish the fade-away jump shot or when he floated in the air, reversing the ball under the basket. In fact, I was only 2 years old in 1989 during his most famous moment, which has been named “The Shot” – the game winning field goal with 3 seconds left against the Cleveland Cavaliers. I did not experience most of his great winning streaks or his multiple Most Valuable Player awards. Yet I remember wishing that in every limousine I saw, he was riding in the back. I remember watching him in the mid-90s, marking my face with a red Chicago Bulls marker and paying close attention to the television. He led his team to victory again and again, and I knew he was a special person.

          

     Even at such a young age, I appreciated Jordan’s soaring skills. (Although it did help being raised in a very athletic family with my dad as a dedicated basketball coach and five intensely trained brothers.) Michael Jordan was quick and powerful. He had an edge on every other player on the court. His offensive game was explosive and memorable to say the least, but he also dominated defensively. Overall, he is the most decorated basketball player of all time with five regular-season MVPs, six Finals MVPs, and three All-Star MVPs. Additionally, he is a six-time NBA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, back-to-back slam dunk contest champion, and more.

I remember taking note on his low stance as a defender. I remember his clutch follow through on every shot. I remember his style and spunk, playing with such intensity. There’s something else I remember about Jordan but this time it has nothing to do with physical talent. He was incredibly strong mentally. Even though there was an unbearable amount of pressure on him, he had the capability to complete his game with nothing but the greatest effort. His mentality was to be a challenge to the opponent as well as a challenge to himself. He gave every game his every bit of energy and still kept a sense of humility. I admire him for being such a devoted, passionate, creative, optimistic, and influential basketball player. 

  

He was truthfully in my mind in junior high school and the excitement carried into high school as I played sports. 

Even now, I will always remember the heroic “Air Jordan” being an outstanding example to me, making me push myself in practice. He encouraged me to envision someone better, someone higher, someone smarter, someone I could work towards and become. As my hero, he still encourages me to challenge myself in everything I do, developing invincible characteristics.

"My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength." -MJ

party time halloween!

i love halloween because i think of parties with fun costumes and creative food :)

like how i want to make all these treats this year...

pumpkin quesadillas. omg. hahaha cool.

of course. classic. i love this.

mummy cupcakes! easy and....cute?

creepy brew! i love halloween drinks! and i love the idea of adding gummy candies to soda/lemonade/juice. especially the swamp theme here

cheese bats! so awesommmmm!

come to my party!

i'm dreaming of life

found this photographer on flickr...his travels are beautiful and now, he's in europe.

i'm loving the colors and the light fixture and the door opening to this view.

this is a dream life. standing at the edge of that balcony, wearing a long flowing dress, soaking in all the colors and the wet air.