Thanksgiving 2010 in Hawaii

The Uncle Dean Tano Family Thanksgiving!

Here we are in Hawaii living far far away from my family. Although, we are not all alone we do have B.J. and her kids here which is really nice!
While it's a huge adjustment for me, and my family it has also been a wonderful blessing. We have been able to spend a lot of time with Rocky's side of the family on his dad's side who mostly all of them live in Hawaii.
For this Thanksgiving we were invited to come to Uncle Dean's and Auntie Carol's house. There we were greeted by a handful of smiling beautiful cousins: Bryce and his wife Na'i along with their beautiful girl Aubry who is close to the same age as MaeLee but a little bit younger. Mika and her new husband of one year, Justin. Emi, who I remember as just a little girl the last time I saw her and now she is leaving for a mission to Thailand! Mayumi who was wonderful to talk to. And the baby of the family Jarom who was not quite a baby anymore! When I saw him last he was running around in diapers, and now he was playing with my baby in diapers! Funny how life works out. Jarom was so sweet he got his Wii out of a box, blew off the dust because he said he never plays with it, and set it up for our boys. Last was a few of their family friends which one caught our eye for Melissa Kinlacheeny(B.J.'s sister) to date, Ken Anderson. He kinda resembles Keanu Reeves.
Funny story that one. Rocky is always trying to set up all the single people we know. But unfortunately Rocky while the best of intentions doesn't exactly have the best taste in men....hahaha! So he recently had Melissa on a blind-date with another guy he met on the street (not really, but ... you know Rocky) and after the second date Melissa stated to me so sweetly, "Chelsea, please for the next blind date of Rocky's can you please! make sure it has your stamp of approval?!" Haha! Yes Melissa yes I will do just that. I talked to Ken that Thanksgiving and found him to be very easy to talk to and yes,...he was also a bonus of looking great! Come on people, the personality is of course important but we have to be interested in the physical department as well! And sure enough Ken and Melissa did go on a date! Next date pending...

I had some wonderful conversations with Rocky's Auntie Carol, and cousins. They were amazing to our family and made us feel right at ease the entire time! I really loved his Auntie Carol, she was really funny and every time I was around her she made me smile from ear to ear. Not only that but she was constantly giving me compliments which made me blush. I was really really scared and at the same time I am trying to overcome my pre-wired feelings of a haunting past. But I am finding this experience here in Hawaii with Rocky's family to be everything I always hoped and dreamed it could be! I prepare myself everytime to undo the past and move on with a bright, bright future!
I love for my kids to know their Tano side! It is a blessing that I could have only dreamed of.
And one of the even greater blessings is getting to publicly hug and kiss my husband whom I adore and not having one bad feeling about our union in the least. It is actually encouraged! My heart is full, and seeing my husbands eyes light up when we are around the Tano family is more than I could of ever asked for.

That was the company...now on to the food.

This is Rocky's plate. Mine was a bit well...not so much the same. I was so thankful to have a beautiful home to have Thanksgiving in with amazing people, but I still am not use to the food.
I got very choked up when I took a roll. I could only take one bite then my eyes filled with tears and I had to set it down. I missed my Grandma's Rolls. I missed my family back on the mainland and I missed my mom's Thanksgiving dinner. But I was more so grateful to be with my true family Rocky, Tysho, Lincoln and MaeLee.

I did make Frybread and Tortillas for Rocky's family! They were so funny! They were cheering and thanking me over and over for the frybread. Auntie Carol even put some honeydew melon in a tortilla and told me she loved it.

Thanksgiving 2010 I am grateful to know and love Rocky's family here in Hawaii and more grateful that they give me love and kindness back.

After we left Uncle Dean's house we came home talked online to my family via the video chat online. Which of course Wyatt and Alma had us laughing so hard. Then came in my dad with probably the funniest thing I've ever heard him say. We laughed for about an hour straight,..then said our good-byes, and off we went to our second dinner at Deanne and Rusty's house.

Auntie Nogi, her daughter Deanne who is Rocky's cousin are probably my most favorite people along with their family on this island. I love them!
They feel like my long lost family from another time. I truly feel my heart mend with them as my new in-laws.

I will continue with another blog about this wonderful family later.
Until then this was a long day, but a wonderful day. Of course we were sent home with tons of leftovers from both homes.


Happy Thanksgiving for our Tano Family 2010.