Islander in Idaho

 So yah we went to Idaho.

Oh wait.

I live in Idaho.
Weird. I forgot!
We went to another part of Idaho.

Awhile back we headed up to Preston to visit Grandma Childers and attend my cousin's farewell.
Living in St. Louis we only were able to come home ONE time per year.
(SO glad that stage of life is over!)
That time was always Christmas.
Bad weather.
So because of that I haven't seen her for 4 loong years.
We talk on the phone though.
And I would save her messages for over  a year.
I just love to hear her accent.
She cracks me up.
And I looove to hear her laugh.
So anyway. Naomi has only been alive for 2 of those 4 absent years.
So this was the first time meeting her name sake.

Doris Titaua meet Naomi Titaua.

Titaua: (tee-tow-wuh)  that's ow is in "ouch"

It means white rose. Or white flower.

It's a name from Tahiti.

Because my Grandma is a person from Tahiti.

I relish in the stories Grandma tells us from Tahiti. Sometimes they are from her childhood, sometimes they are from my mom's childhood when they lived there and sometimes they are from when I was little and they lived there serving as the Temple president. They always come at random times, something that triggered her memory and I wish I had written them down. Here's to no more wishing and actually doing:

My li'l giant brother Joey  was searching Grandma's house for a Ukalele to play. He found several.  One however was different looking from the rest and sounded much better. Grandma told us it was from the people of the island of Ratatie.( I made that name up, I couldn't understand the name. I'll call her and fix this later.) The people of Ratatie handmade it for my grandma and grandpa when they heard they were coming to the island for a visit. At the time my Grandpa served as the first Temple President of the LDS Tahiti Temple.  They along with the mission President at the time and his wife traveled to the Island. My grandma told us as soon as they got off the boat onto the Island, ALL the people gathered round singing and hugging them(and kissing I'm sure if you know Tahitians) wrapped them in big sheet blankets and and laughed and loved them, showered them with gifts.  She said it was "Soo soo wonderful."  My grandparents are very loved on those islands.  And I love the Polynesian culture. That doesn't happen hear in America so much.  Anyway I love my grandma and the stories of her life. They are a treasure to me.

picture above: uncle Joe, my mom, Grandma and Grandpa.

below: my mom and friend.

The little lady old lady in the bluish dress is my great grandmother Sarah.

And the man next to her is my grandma's brother John.

Whoops those aren't my grandparents.  oh well they were in my grandparents photo album 

and they look  LITTLE familiar...

Oh here they are again:

Such neat experiences huh?

I found some with President Monson and David O. McKay too.

Too many neat pictures to post.

Here is my grandma below directing her choir.

And having more neat experiences..

I think that is President Faust blinking behind my grandma.

Another one of her choirs.

What kind of hat is grandma wearing? 

A bush?

Grandpa is hilarious in this picture!

 Welcoming party for their family.

My mom is so little! (bottom left in the awesome hat.)

I just included this picture of my mom because WHOA is that not Ashley or what?

Plus, my mom is knitting?

Well back to present day.

From Tahiti to Idaho.

My grandma is still laughing.

And writing music.

After I took her picture with Naomi, she wanted a picture with the boys too.

Cache is pretending to sleep, and trying to not smile while Grandma get him to break.

My grandma is a beautiful lady.

She is always laughing  and saying funny things all the while rolling all her R's.

She loves beautiful flowers.

And treasures pictures of everything, flowers people etc. (Maybe that's where I get it?)

She Loves and misses Grandpa so so much.

 Above:  Them in Tahiti when my grandpa was Mission President.

cute huh.

One time at BYU I was having some boy heartache... Ha! And drove up to Idaho for the weekend.

Grandma and Grandpa's home was the perfect loving refuge.

They talked and advised and put me at peace and just were so so good at loving me.

That weekend they shared a lot of stories with me.

I can recall my Grandpa telling me : From the first time I met grandma something told me, "That is your wife." And you know, she is the love of my life.

And grandma would say (in her accent.) "OH Grandpa, he is a beautiful man.  I always pray that I will be nicer to Grandpa."  Then she would add ("Sometime Grandpa get on my Nerve!") And then she would laugh and laugh.

Below: The last time at the Tahiti temple together.

Anyway, Grandma is an amazing cook, and never uses a recipe, but cooks dishes that she just makes up.

She can probably cook over 20 different things with just a cucumber.

I know, I've experienced it!

She looves Animals and they love her.

Even the scary cranky mean goose at her house that likes Grandma.

She was a dance (Tahitian dance) teacher.

She was on a "dance team" that danced at half time shows in basketball games  when I was little.

Ha!  They were good!

I love to hear her play the guitar or Ukelele and sing.

Her and grandpa would always sing: "As I have loved you." In English and then french.

That song is a perfect theme for their life.

Perfect.

When she writes music she doesn't just hear a tune, she hears a whole orchestra and choir.

While waving  her hands she'll say "And den her come the violin, and den the men La la LA! Dat would be SO SOOO nice don't you think Amie?"

I love love these paintings in her house.

Someone wanted to paint their family when they lived in the Islands.

They were loved!

This is my mother.

Uncle Joe and Aunt Raquel.

Aunt Pookie (Gisele)

And Grandpa and Grandma.

For my cousin's farewell that weekend, my grandma wrote a song:

You can hear and feel her absolute love for the Gospel and missionary work and people in all her music.

Here are my mom and her sisters annoyed at having to practice it!

Ha.

Here is Aunt Gisele and Jeffrey the soon to be missionary. (Chicago- Spanish speaking)

Grandpa would be so proud of you Jeffrey!

I was going to edit these next ones, but this post is taking too much time already.

We stayed at Aunt Raquel's newly remolded home.

Uncle Steve did all the remodeling himself.

It was  beautiful.

Uncle Steve sent Devin and I out for a ride.

We had fun.

And only got stuck twice.

Naomi found a kindred spirit in her naked cousin Jack.

They would disappear and come back both stripped down to diapers,  just dancin around.

It was a great trip.

That turned out to be a lot longer than I planned, and I left so much out!

Sheesh.