Symbolism? Nah..

  Had a crazy dream last night. all i remember was i was wearing gray converses in some dirty old locker room, and as i was tying them with my foot on the bench, I looked up and I saw someone standing there in a dark brown robe with a big hood and I could see his face. It was LJ, and he was smiling at me. I figure that part of my dream came from the scene from Zorro where Alejandro sees Zorro in the middle of the chaotic crowd right before Zorro makes his appearance. I just watched that sensational flick a couple nights ago. Anyway, so I saw LJ in the robe, and then I walked out into the gym from the locker room, and he was lecturing a bunch of my classmates and old friends. Who knows what he was lecturing them about, but I remember the whole speech rhymed. And then Trey's rugby coach came up to me after the lecture and told me I was welcome to be the assistant to the team...meaning I would travel with the team everywhere. LJ stood next to me, and with his approval, I agreed. Then LJ and I were hugging like there was no tomorrow because I hadn't seen him in two years, of course. The ocean was the next stop for LJ and me. We were swimming and it was extremely cloudy and grey outside, but we didn't have a care in the world. We were enjoying ourselves in the water, until a gigantic navy ship came and pretty much occupied the body of water where we were swimming. We weren't worried about being run over by the ship, but we were just annoyed that it was taking up our enjoyment territory. Suddenly the ship stood still, and the people on it and people on the shore were making small talk with us. I don't remember who they were or what they were saying, but I remember they were extremely friendly. The last part I remember was LJ holding me in the water and both of us were smiling. 

I could find symbolism in my dream and analyze it, but I'm just so stoked for LJ to get home, I don't even care. All I know and care about is that I was in the presence of my brother again. 

one day.

 I know you'll love this, kaylie jean.

Iloa'a e ke ola mau: Let me walk through paradise with you

   "Hey Lana! My mom and I are heading to the shore tomorrow to watch the sunrise. We would love to have you come.." This happened yesterday after lunch and church. Nelly McNaughton, a close friend to my brother and just returned from serving his mission, came and picked me up last night and we headed to Ocean City this morning. The sunrise ended up being in the fog and we couldn't see through it, but it was definitely worth it. Just to hear the ocean, put my feet in the sand, and be with some of my favorite people in the world was all worth a foggy sunrise. This was a tradition for their family, and now that everyone in their family is either married or in college, Nelson hadn't done it since he was little. So I was just glad and grateful they invited me to tag along. If I live close to the ocean when I have my own family, this will undoubtedly be one of our family traditions. Pack all the kiddies in the car with an enormous blanket, sweatshirts, pillows to sleep in the car with, and cinnamon rolls. Then when we arrive to the shore, we'll write our names in the sand and watch as the water captures our names, as my kids will capture the memory. Then we'll sit close together on our gigantic blanket as we watch the sun climb onto the horizon. I'm not sure why I have been doing this, but I've recently been thinking and recording in my mind things I want to do with my children in the future. I know, it's really strange. But it just makes me more excited to have my own family, and more grateful for my own family. This morning was undoubtedly one of the best ways to start off my day this whole summer. 

Oh, and Elder Leland James Sikahema comes home in five days. Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it. 

Philadelphia Freedom

   I never thought it'd be possible to attend a concert containing two musical geniuses. I certainly couldn't contain myself the whole night. Billy Joel and Elton John. The piano gods. The concert was held in Citizens Bank Park-The Phillies stadium. So when Elton started playing the train like chords and started with "I used to  be a Rolling Stone, you know..." the stadium caused as much pandemonium as the blessed day the Phillies won the World Series. I'm pretty sure that if Elton John was living during 1776 he would have been the first one to sign the Declaration of Independence. Even though he's from England, Philadelphia Freedom would have been the nation's anthem. The song conveyed absolute freedom. Everyone was on their feet when it began, and whether you were drunk out of your pants or completely healthy, you were belting the chorus. "Philadelphia Freedom, I love you...yes I do."

the past 2 weeks? absolutely sensational.

LJ will be in my presence exactly 7 days from this moment.

YC? through the roof.

went to a billy joel and elton john concert--

will write about it in the very near future.

lovin the way things are right now.

lovin and livin it up

:]

Blog vs. Journal?

Okay so a ton has been going on for the past couple days, yet at the same time, barely anything has happened. Explanation:

Thursday: I took a dive into the pool next door for the very first time this whole summer. Last year, I went in the day it opened...early April. It was freezing...the air, the water, and me. After a few hours at the neighbor's house, I came home and a rainstorm came almost instantly. It was perfect timing. My friend had been texting me how rough his life had been going, but he somehow found and ran towards the positive and happy wall rather the negative and unhappy wall most people run to a little too quickly. It was pretty random, but like I said, it was all perfect timing. The rain started falling, and the sun was beaming through the clouds towards all of our windows in the house and the whole scene related perfectly to those times in our lives. The rain will fall boisterously, and it may ruin some plans, but that doesn't mean we can't find the sun.

Friday: Dain spent the night. We woke up at noon. We were aching to finger paint. No paint in the house. No paint next door. No finger painting happened. So we made jewelry instead. We then spent a little over an hour singing-nay, belting...wailing songs in spanish. I still am to figure out why half of her ipod is foreign. That's when we decided to make a soundtrack for our lives. Landon suggested to make a list of top 100 songs of all time. We'll see what happens. Dain, mama and I ate enchiladas and drank homemade limeade as we watched the Tribute to our Beloved Michael Jackson that mama recorded last week. I came really close to tears more than once. Barely did anything yesterday...but the day was what summer's all about. Sleeping in, creating things, singing while laying dog tired, limeade, and watching the king of pop.

Today: I went to sleep around 2ish this morning...no solid explanation. My best excuse is probably still trying to get used to the switch in time differences from Utah. Anyway, I woke up at 4:30 this morning to take Charlie out and head down to the Washington D.C. temple for volunteer work with my ward to help clean the grounds. We couldn't have picked a more perfect day when it comes to weather. Everything was absoultely beautiful. When we were done, I went into the visitor's center to see their new universe exhibit. It had pictures of stars and galaxies along with scriptures describing God's creations. I was the first one to leave a comment in their "comment book" saying how much I enjoyed the exhibit.  

I apologize if I used this entry as a journal, for it's probably not as interesting as what goes on in other entries, if interesting at all. But I felt that I had to somehow record what's happened over the course of these past few days, and I don't really have a journal. Oh, and by the way...thanks to Dain Broadbent who introduced me to the incredible song "Postcards from Far Away" by Coldplay...I've finally mastered it on the piano within these couple of days. I hope you all love it as much as I do, because frankly, I can't get enough.

it doesnt get better than this!!

1. Just got home from efy.

2. On a high.

3. that rhymed.

4. have a million and one goals set

5. trying to figure out how to achieve them 

6. finally have a legit tanline because i went to the beach yesterday

7. miss having all of my brothers home

8. feel like a child right now..which is a fantastic feeling

9. loving a huge list of songs right now

10. noticed ive used the word fantastic several times within the last couple of days

11. dang it, summer is so fantastic.

London doesn't know what's comin

It's official. There are now two Elder Sikahemas serving in two capital cities of the world at this very moment. One in Hong Kong, China, the other in London, England. Our family and friends said a sweet goodbye to Elder Leonard Trey Sikahema yesterday at the airport as he anxiously walked through the sliding doors. In all honesty, I didn't shed a tear once yesterday. I feel that there has been so much hype in the departure of Elder Sikahema, that I was just ready for him to leave and start living the two years he's been preparing for his whole life. He had to go.

 

I'm not going to get into the preparation he's had for the past nineteen years of his life, and I don't even want to reminisce the good times I've had with Trey. It's not that I don't want to conjure special memories with him because I miss him, but because I feel that what's happening now and what's happened in the past couple of days is more significant than the life I've lived with Trey. The night before Elder Sikahema left, my uncle Leonard (Treybo's namesake) brought my  great grandpa's guitar and played a couple songs. The first one he played was "Edelweiss" which I realized is one of the prettiest songs to be sung and played on the planet. He then played and sang a song in Tongan that expressed the wonderful and tragic life of the prophet Joseph Smith. There's something about listening to a song sung in the language of your people. It's gratifying. It's humbling. It's beautiful.

 

When I woke up July 2, I felt elated. There was such a miniscule size of ache in me, and I couldn't help but love to see Trey dressed in his brand new suit  in which I hope to see tattered and close to ruined when he returns home honorably. Saying goodbye to Elder Sikahema was a completely different feel compared to Elder Leland J. Sikahema and Landon. I wasn't ready to let go of them. I needed them to stay  home and watch after me when I was scared and helpless. But for Trey, I'm more grown up. I knew how ready he was, and there's people in London aching for him to bring them the gospel. I practically felt the ache for them. That's why I barely miss him. I just wish I could see his face as he arrives in Atlanta to meet his companions, and the zeal they must have as they board the airplane to London, England. They're warriors.

 

So here's to you, Elder Leonard Trey Sikahema, as you embark on a journey where you are the keystone to changing lives. London doesn't know what's coming. I love you, and go dominate.