happy 2009!

out w/ the old, and into the new year of 2009, and i'm jst so amp'd 'bout it all. i have only high hopes, so moving forward from here on out has 2 b brilliant. i spent my the holiday festivities w/ the ppl that i adore: my boo Paul & boys Shai-Styles (8) and Steel (5).

two wks off during the holidays was such a fun & relaxin' time. i had the boys with me for eight days, so a lot of outdoor activities not to mention, sleeping in and a whole lot of eating was such a treat. i did manage to see my oldest bro, julius & family, while they were visiting the greater san diego area & 4 da vry first time meet my niece, isabella. . .she's such a sweetheart. has my bro wrapp'd 4 sure. and his boys and mine were havin' a field day w/ eachother, in which the last time of them seeing one another was in '03 prior to my bro making the official move to hawaii.

so obviously now, i'm back at work and it's been hectic as usual. comin' back from a long holiday break, has us workin' 2 da bone in MIS/IT support, at least 4 da most part, not that i'm complainin' b/cuz these days we can't b 2 whiny 'bout our own situation. w/ the economic downturn and ev'ry1 strugglin' 2 pull it together w/ regard to layoffs, foreclosures, and the mere fact that we're in a recession, u try 2 make due w/ wat u have. so ev'ryday, i gr8ful 4 bein' able to have a job that provides me the stability and security i need to provide for myself and my boys.

'tis the year to be jolly

i am feeling rather 'jolly' since hallow's eve ended, and seeing how i've been thinking a lot 'bout this festive holiday season, w/ the added notion that although i won't have the luxury of fulfilling my holiday wishlist, at least i'll be with my immediate family and the people that i adore in this world. let's c, i'll have the opportunity to see moms since seeing her last summer, as well as meet my bro's daughter, isabella, for the first time and not to mention the rest of his family since attending his wedding in '06. so all in all, im forever greatful for family and the joy of what the holiday festivities bring. it's all so magnificent when you put it all in perspective.

i remember christmas in amerika samoa in which we would always have our family get-togethers' on the eve of christmas. daddio will bring a slue of junk foods: chips, cookies, and a variety of snacks along w/ sodas which for us was treat seeing how we weren't allowed to drink sodas. in anycase, myself, w/ moms, and sis would have to do all of the prep work and typically the family will all stay up till 10PM have a family spiritual thought & prayer and be intuned w/ eachother's company & conversation not to mention taking fotos until the midnight hour. at which time, each of us would have the honor of opening a gift and it would round robin around the room, until all the presents have been opened.
christmas morns were unlike anything else seeing how moms would have a wonderful spread for morning brunch. goodness, i miss those days. . .

lately, i've been thinking a whole lot 'bout traditions, and how i would love to instill that notion to my boys because it's important to treasure and reflect on it as they mature in age, especially during these festive times. now that i'm no longer married, i do believe that it is significant and that i should do all i can to priortize it in my own family traditions. so w/ that in mind, this year will be the first to embark in a holiday family tradition in which i will do my very best to include family and friends that are of worth to my personal life and we shall see how everything this year pans out. look out for the foto montage. . .

what's in a name?

i guess an intro is in order, seeing how this is my first official "blog-fest" of sorts and i'm actually excited by it all. can't ya see my almost koolaid smile?! well, it's true! because beforehand, 'bout two and a half years ago, i use to post random thoughts on my then personal site called "Julia's Domain" on yahoo. only recently did i decide to retire it entirely, the domain name & bandwidth, ie. . .long story short, i somehow landed in the pages of "blogger" mania and in a nutshell, it's great to have found a home for my future e-blogs-a-plenty. ya like that?! ha! of course, if you're still debating if you should continue to read anymore of my sweet nothings, than i promise you that you won't be disappointed because i've got the magic. . .stick?! well, not really. . .but you'll be my A. my new best "cyber-pal" & B. you're so way COOL. . .and smart, even!

okay, so before i start goin' on & on & on & on. . .oops, i meant to stop at on #2. . .'bout ME, two things: i prefer to type in small case, so only if i plan to emphasize a word or two, will i use caps -- bottomline, small caps is my thang. plus, it looks way HOTTER. don't ya agree?! and 2. please no hating on the blog, wo-/MAN! if ya feel the need to cut me were it hurts, than BRING IT, but elsewhere. . .ya dig?! other than that, COMM-ents, -pliments are always welcomeD!!! and, constructive criticism is appreciated as well. so show any kind of lovin', in whatever shape or form, and mind ya i did say "LOVE".

alrightie then, enough with the damn formalities, sheesh. . .so i'll begin by jabbin' 'bout. . .ME, of course! hehehehehe. . .whaaaAT?! ;D i'm a mom of two boys, uh duh. . .hence, the "mom of steel" & shai-styles, and let's not forget wifey to hubby B. [stay tuned for pics galore] and lately, working out incessantly is my thing now, next to family life. get this, i have 24-hr gym membership but slackin'. . .bigTIME, although, i've been optin' 2 play tennis instead. and so far, it's been exhiliarating! tryin' 2 get back down into a size 2 since movin' up to murrieta, ca & then back down to san diego, ca. and yeah, i'll say it. . .i blame the weight gain from wence moving out to pleasantville!!! teehee! but seriously folks, 2 yrs livin' in the suburbs and i gained you ready for this. . .20 plus pounds. . .it sorely SUCKS when nadda fits ya anymore. and i refuse 2 storage my smaller clothes, b/c i have it in my thick brain that eventually, it'll fit! lol yes ppl, i'm in DENIAL, even big sis, june, says it so too. but i'm driven 2 run, run, run. . .no matter how long or how fast, i'm determined to get back down to my widdle widdle-ol'self. . .younger sis, k8 is here visiting d'aygo from AmSam -- she too is trying to shed 'bout the same amount. . .so i got my workout partna-in-crime and i think i'll be set to reach my target goal weight of $1.05. . .[gulp]. . .uh, kiddin'. . .get a grip, ppl!

so i don't know if any of ya noticed, but i am in fact. . .SAMOAN! yeah, like how could ya, no pics of any kine. . .not that it matters, but i'd like ya ppl to get an idea of who this lil' suga [chick] ish. so make sure you come hungry & leave your slippas at the door so i can rap to ya sum tasty palusami. . .welcome anyone & everyone with open-arms, that's jst the way it is. we wear our hearts & pride on our sleeves, but believe me don't take us for a fool b/c we do damage, and in the literal sense too!
so in a nutshell, born & raised on my island of American Samoa aka AmSam. and yes, there still exists two Samoa's, located in the heart of the South Pacific ocean. . .two Samoa's, indeed. . .did i stutter?! this is true, so if ya don't believe me, then do some research on Google or visit your local library for an Atlas?! damn, do they still make those?! and no, i won't spend the next two or three paragraphs giving a free geography lesson on the matter, but jst know, that two islands of Samoa still exist. . .American Samoa & Samoa. . .so get it right, y'hurd?!

basically, left "home" at the tender & naive age of 17 to attend college. did a whole lot of growing up 'bout how the real world works, fell in love too many times to count, & somehow settled here in d'aygo. oh yes, i remember how i ended up here, but rather go into anymore of details, jst know this. . .that i still love & miss "home", terribly. and someday soon, i'll return to the islands along with the family. but until then, this here lil' suga is livin' life to it's full max here in sunnyville san diego, ca. life's been real good to us, a struggle at first, but all lessons learned nonetheless. . .and so it seems like the heavens have been watching over us all along, and for that i'm eternally thankful for all that i have, my life and my family.

and before i forget, the name is jst. . ."J"! blessings ;D