Richard Yamashita

These are my brothers --- Steven in the green and Richard in the print.

Rick passed away today -- it was by his choice. He didn't want any more treatment. His kidneys were failing. His brother Peter and daughter Amber Rose flew into Hawaii yesterday -- they were with him until the end. He was not alone.

There was no unfinished business between my brother Rick and I. He was a happy go lucky let it roll right off your back kind of guy. I knew no matter what he always had my back. He never failed to tell me he loved me and he never called me by anything other than little sister. He taught me many different ways to use the word "Dude". He taught me to surf -- ok it was a disaster but he tried hard. He also took me kyaking out in a cove only to have a migrating blue whale surface with in 50 feet of us. The breach was breathtaking. When I remember Rick it will be with a smile. Life lived and ended on his terms. The hole in my heart is immense -- My pain is not for myself but for his children -- while they are grown adults it hurts me that they are in the pain that they are in.

Call your sibling(s) tell them you love them ---- don't think just do it.

update............

48 hours...............

Amber and Peter flew in today...............

Waiting for information.......................

This SUCKS!!!!!!!!!

Got this in an email:

Thanks Angie!!!

New Rules For 2008 by George Carlin:

New Rule : Stop giving me that pop-up ad for classmates.com! There's a reason you don't talk to people for 25 years. Because you don't particularly like them!? Besides, I already know what the captain of the football team is doing these days--mowing my lawn.

New Rule : Don't eat anything that's served to you out a window unless you're a seagull.. People are acting all shocked that a human finger was found in a bowl of Wendy's chili. Hey, it cost less than a dollar. What did you expect it to contain? Trout?

New Rule: Ladies, leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows: do you have two of them? Okay, we're done.

New Rule : There's no such thing as flavored water. There's a whole aisle of this crap at the supermarket, water, but without that watery taste. Sorry, but flavored water is called a soft drink. You want flavored water? Pour some scotch over ice and let it melt. That's your flavored water.

New Rule: The more complicated the Starbucks order, the bigger the asshole. If you walk into a Starbucks and order a 'decaf grande half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice, with one sweet-n'-Low, and one NutraSweet,' ooh, you're a huge asshole..

New Rule : I'm not the cashier! By the time I look up from sliding my card, entering my PIN number, pressing 'Enter,' verifying the amount, deciding no, I don't want cash back, and pressing 'Enter' again, the kid who is supposed to be ringing me up is standing there eating my Almond Joy.

New Rule : Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it doesn't make you spiritual. It's right above the crack of your ass. And it translates to 'beef with broccoli.' The last time you did anything spiritual, you were praying to God you weren't pregnant. You're not spiritual. You're just high.

New Rule : Competitive eating isn't a sport . It's one of the seven deadly sins. ESPN recently televised the U.S . Open of Competitive Eating, because watching those athletes at the poker table was just too damned exciting. What's next, competitive farting? Oh wait!? They're already doing that. It's called 'The Howard Stern Show.'

New Rule : I don't need a bigger mega M&Ms. If I'm extra hungry for M&Ms, I'll go nuts and eat two.

New Rule: No more gift registries. You know, it used to be just for weddings. Now it's for babies and new homes and graduations from rehab. Picking out the stuff you want and having other people buy it for you isn't gift giving, it's the white people version of looting.

New Rule: and this one is long overdue: No more bathroom attendants. After I zip up, some guy is offering me a towel and a mint like I just had sex with George Michael. I can't even tell if he's supposed to be there, or just some freak with a fetish. I don't want to be on your web cam, dude. I just want to wash my hands.

New Rule : When I ask how old your toddler is, I don't need to know in months. '27 Months.' 'He's two,' will do just fine. He's not a cheese. And I didn't really care in the first place.

New Rule: If you ever hope to be a credible adult and want a job that pays better than minimum wage, then for God's sake don't pierce or tattoo every available piece of flesh. If so, then plan your future around saying, 'Do you want fries with that?'

Santa Visit Part Two.....

tonight we are going to visit the jolly man again:) I'll be posting more photos later --- it has been a crazy few days. Things should slow down to warp speed by Monday ---

Please keep my brother Rick in your thoughts -- if you pray I'll take a couple of those for him also. It tears me up that I can't do anything to help. My siblings mean the world to me.

Christmas is in 12 days and I haven't even started!!!! Well, I have had a little talk with Santa. I hope to have my 2nd Christmas card done tonight:)

Cunningham OUT!!!

UPDATE: Santa didn't go so well, the kids were fine it was the Santa people and Santa himself. He was slouched over in his chair with his belt up to his arm pits -- I am pretty sure Santa was three sheets to the wind. We are going back to the Supermall tomorrow (Friday).

Santa Dear Santa!!!

I took the kiddos to see Santa Claus on Friday --- it was suppose to be a dry run. Whitlee decided she would rather just get her picture taken. I curled her hair, grabbed a shirt for her brother and out the door we went.

She is SO excited!!! Yes, I realized she is sporting 80's bangs work with me here she wanted curled and will be wearing a santa hat!!!















Brendan is such a GOOBER!!!




















Almost there.....





















The group in front of us literally right before they went had a "group" of friends show up and they let them cut --- someone was NOT happy!!





















This was taken right after the mad shot --- I told here that Santa saw the others cut -- and that something like that could put you on the naughty list.













I of course liked my shots better --- We will be doing more formal shots later this week.

I know I know I know!!!!

It must be an illness I am posting so quickly:)

Can you believe Christmas will be here so soon --- yeah.......YIKES!!!

That's all!!

Oh hey Mike I made spring rolls:) YUM

Still playing.........

OK, so I am still trying to figure out what I am doing with the design of the blog ------ so far I haven't been happy with anything --- Well, I did like the David Beckham template but well enough said!!!!

I wonder if there is Chicken Joe template ---- off to find out.

Are you FREAKING kidding me!!!!

It's DECEMBER ---- What?!?!?!?! December why that is the last month of the year......that would mean that 2007 is almost over -- When the heck did that happen??? What a year!!! Some stuff was great in fact, I'd say AWESOME but some I'd rather do without!!!

Saturday was our tree hacking day!!! Whitlee was SO excited I thought she would BURST!!! She kept saying "I wanna go MOW down a tree!!!!!" Man, it was COLD!!! We didn't wake up to snow BUT they had it up on the hills. We tromped through the trees trying to find our treesicle of the year. We found what Whitlee called "THE PERFECT TREE" then right after this picture was taken Jeff tried to literally kill me by beating the Christmas spirit into me!!!!

He cut down the tree ONTO me!!!! Steve just watched laughing freaking laughing.....ok, it only hit me in the shoulder but still. When I told Jeff "ha ha you didn't kill me" he responded with "Rats, foiled again!!!" WHAT ------ he swears that he was just kidding -- yea suuuuuuuure he was:)

Don't you LOVE Matthew's head in the photo!!! He was trying to jump into the shot!!! Man, I love this kid.

We had a GREAT yet cold time. Since, Brendan was(and is) grounded I dropped Jeff and Brendan off at home. Whitlee and I joined the Latta clan at the local IHOP for some carb overload.............Guess who we saw.......... THE REAL SANTA CLAUS!!!! Yes, folk the real Santa was a IHOP for some pancakes!!!!! Whitlee asked him and he said he was the real one!!! Here is proof!!!!

The was such a sport!!! He actually sat and took photos with the kids and answered every single one of their questions.

I just LOVE this shot of Brendan!! He takes my breath away.....