My belly’s too big now for prone surfing, so I had to succomb to using Nate’s stand-up board. Although I am not converted yet (as so many people are), it is a great workout. It even works my abs, which seems like the impossible when prego. One time I paddled up the river in Haleiwa. It was so beautiful and peaceful. I have been able to catch some waves on it, too.

The Great Beginnings class (the Montessori-based preschool I teach on Wednesdays) is going well, although I am trying to figure out how to individually teach all the kids during classtime. Kezia is much more advanced than the other kids, maybe because she is the only girl, and I feel like she always gets left out of the individual teaching, so I am trying to figure out what to do. I have been thinking of making her a teacher helper to help teach the other kids.

Another Primary Program over and done with. Ahhhh….. Kezia did great. She sang a trio with 2 of her friends (Faith is like a little seed) and then she covered a speaking part for someone who was sick. The Bishop wanted Primary to run as usual afterward, instead of the typical “chill-out” movie session most wards do. Let me tell you, I have a firm belief in the importance of chill-out movie sessions after primary programs!!!!! It was soooo out of control!! Kezia had a new Sunbeam teacher who started that day and left in tears. Enough said.

My hula class is having a performance at the beginning of December. At first I wasn’t going to do it, when I heard all that was going to be involved in the preparation (sewing, making our own adornments, extra stress at the practices, etc.) but Nate convinced me I should still do it, and that he will help me. And although he’s helped as much as he can, I am still feeling a bit overwhelmed. However, by the end of the week, I should/have to have everything completed. Besides the added stress, I have really enjoyed dancing hula. Most people are older-grandmas already—and it’s nice to glean from their wisdom. You can smell the fragrance of the plumeria outside the gym where we dance, and as the teacher plays his ukulele and sings the Hawaiian songs while I hula surrounded by beautiful women in flowing skirts, I feel transported back to old Hawaii. Besides, it’s also a time for me. What more can I ask for?

Nate’s old mission companion and his wife were out here for a bit at the beginning of the month. It was a lot of fun to have them here, even though it was for a few days. We love company!!! We love visiting with people we don’t see that often, and we feel like we are on vacation too when people visit.

Nate and I were just talking the other day about how important quality education has been in our businesses. We spent a lot of time and $$ going to business seminars and buying courses and such to better our businesses, and we are able to see it pay off. Nate has been learning a ton about internet marketing by a guy named Armond Moran. I’ve mentioned before about Nate’s ability to learn things really quickly. Well, so many times at night he will tell me about a problem that just can’t be fixed with one of his websites, and then by lunch the next day he’s found some ingenious way to fix it.

Nate’s www.supsurfmag.com website has been bringing him some free perks, like a stand-up board and a surfboard transporter. Sweet. He put on this silly surfing game on a link at the top of the website if you wanna goof off for a bit.

He’s also excited about improving our real estate website, www.1866myezsale.com. He’s been turning into a web designer wiz. And we are happy we sold another condo this month.

Last night we went on parent-daughter dates. Nate went with Ivy to the pet store and then to the grocery store where she could get what she wanted for dinner (she chose the expensive sushi with slabs of salmon. Nate said she would not take any of his suggestions for something different) and Kezia and I headed off to the Fun Factory, where they have video games and such, and then went to a Korean BBQ to eat. It was so much fun for all of us. I learned kids are so much more fun when you can spend uninterrupted playtime with just one of them at a time.

Well, thanks for letting me write your eyes off (would that be the equivalent to “talk your ears off”?); I needed some serious zoning out, talk-about-myself time tonight. If you are wondering why, please review the last letter. ;)

Lots of love,

Heidi, Nate, Kezia, Ivy, and Wish-I-Had-A-Name

With Nate's brother, Brad and Kelli, flying the plane, dressed up for gymnastics

Ivy with Gage Erickson, Animal friends, Girls with Korbin Anderson

Me loving climbing again, Ivy, Kezia and Leila being silly, hiking at Big Trees with Nate's sister and fam, Ivy and cousin Leila being silly, Kezia,

Kezia getting ready to ride a 4-wheeler, my whole family, pregnant sisters in order of due date

Aloha!

My, it's been a couple of months...I guess the biggest news is that we are expecting a baby in February. The girls are really excited and love to give the baby "squishies", or hugs, and kisses. Ivy says, "After my birthday, the baby comes out." Last week as I was leaving to go to a doctor's appointment, Kezia asked if I was coming home with the baby. I had to disappoint her with another 5 months of waiting. Speaking of Kezia, her 4 year birthday is next Tuesday! She is quite excited and wants to make sure we serve ice cream in a cup. Ivy is being potty-trained... We'll see how long my patience lasts this time around...

Nate is doing well. We have a studio attached to our condo. Our tenants just moved out and we decided to take advantage of the extra room, so Nate moved his office over. It has been GREAT!!! Nate has the privacy and quietness he needs, the kids and I can be noisier, we can reclaim our bedroom now, which used to be his office, and Nate comes home from work now, which I think makes a difference--work isn't always calling. Although for him, he loves what he does. He can work over 12 hours a day and enjoys it, so that's good. Of course, that doesn't happen all the time, but I am glad he likes what he does. It's a good thing too, because there is a lot to do with several businesses going on, our top ones being the real estate and www.supsurfmag.com. Nate is just finishing up an e-book on how to stand-up paddle surf to add to his website. Nate surfed his first contest in July. He didn't advance, but it was still fun.

I am doing well, too. I am happy to have my bedroom back. I am enjoying this time when the girls entertain each other so well. It is a lot easier than having a child too young to interact with other kids. I guess somewhere in my heart it's too easy, cause here I go again. This pregnancy has been real cruisy-- only a couple days of prego yuckiness. The only thing is I feel much bigger than how I should be at this point, but oh well. Oh yea, and my larger-than-life belly button decided to poke out the first month instead of the last month. Fun. The first two weeks of August I taught Kezia and some of her friends how to swim. I really enjoyed teaching them. I love teaching people swimming and surfing. I guess it is something in the water. Speaking of surfing, I have been trying out Nate's stand up board, since I know I cannot lay on my stomach for much longer. The last week I paddled far out from shore and from one bay to the next, and the whole way, except for parts that were too deep, I could clearly see the coral and reef below. It was beautiful. I have also been swimming in the ocean. Swimming in the ocean has much more pleasant surprises than swimming in the public pool (ew! A floating hairball!) It's cool to see fish swim by right near you.

We were on the mainland for 3 weeks between June and July. We had a wonderful time. Erica, Nate's sister, kindly watched our girls while Nate and I went to a great business meeting in Dallas, Texas. Then we stayed with his sister and her family for a couple of days, which included a gorgeous hike in Big Trees national park where we got to experience the grandeur of the redwood trees. We also got to tease our love for rock climbing! Then we went to Utah to visit family and friends and to go to the last of the extended Hicken family reunions. We got to reconnect with friends we haven't seen in a while. It was a great trip with a big surprise: All my sisters are pregnant as well! Although we all knew about Tauna and Janae, Kerri and Cheri and I revealed our news when we were all together. We were all really surprised. (No, it was not planned ;) Erica, Nate's sister is due the same time I am as well. Must be something in the air.

Well, that's about it. Kezia said something funny tonight. We decided to spend the night at Nate's parents' house while they were out of town. As we got to the door, Kezia said, "Mom, let's say a prayer." I asked why and she said, "So the door will open." I suggested we try the KEY first, and she said, "Ok, maybe that will work." She was pretty happy when it did.

On Sunday, a brushfire started in the mountains between Waialua and Wahiawa (where we live). The fires jumped from one spot to another, creating huge cyclones of black smoke that danced around the pineapple fields. These pictures were taken just down the road from our place on Tuesday. All the firetrucks had to pass by our building. The first 15 were exciting...I am still recovering from a headache from the last 1091. Today is Wednesday and it seems like the worst is over. It appears they are just putting out the hot spots now.

Brushfire near our condo