Check out this amazing video shot by our friend, the ever talented Devin Graham. It features another good friend of ours, Jase, and his amazing new skate line, Jaseboards. While we all wait patiently for the official launch of the Jaseboards site, you can enter to win not 1 but 2 free Jaseboards here!

Enter by Tuesday, March 1, at 5:00pm Hawaii Standard Time to win 2 free Jaseboards!

Sorry for my absurdly long absence! I miss you! While I was traveling on the mainland, I contracted Influenza A + some wicked secondary infection and have been on my back ever since. Fingers crossed I’m on the mend and that life (and blogging) as we know it will be back to normal soon!

xx!
N

click here to open post Feb 15, 2011 | posted in Baby Gavin | 16 comments

Oh Baby,

Do you know what you have given me?

New eyes, new hands, a whole new heart.

You have given me a whole.new.life.

You gave your very life that I might find my own, and I pray every day that you did not go in vain. I fight every day, that your legacy may live on forever in me. That somehow, I might continue what you started during your short and powerful jaunt to this mortal world. Though I know that I am not worthy of a scrap of who you are. Not worthy to be the mother to one so pure, so wise, so great. My humility in reference to you as my son? It knows no bounds.

Gavin, thank you for loving me. Thank you for teaching me. Your life, your death, has taught me more about the Atonement of Jesus Christ than 30 years of formal spiritual education. You have taken what was only conceptual, and you’ve sewn it’s reality, it’s pure and miraculous TRUTH and testimony, to the very walls of my soul, and there are no sufficient words of gratitude for a thing like that.

Never was there a love more fierce than ours; I love you with my every fiber. . .

I love you with my all.

Forever,

Mommy

One more thing. . .tonight, Baby B makes his way into this world. I hope that the two of you are friends and that you gave each other high fives and bear hugs before you said goodbye. Keep your eye on him for his momma and I. She’s a beautiful person; you would have loved her a lot.

click here to open post Feb 10, 2011 | posted in Personal | 5 comments

Tonight.

Tonight, I was falling asleep to the sound of rain, until I was awakened by the sound of a crying bed wetter. Then I listened to the sound of the shower while super dad changed the sheets. After that, I listened to the sound of tucking-in and so much love I could taste it, and I suddenly felt complete and so very blessed to be a part of my glorious family.

Now, I’m back to listening to the rain and drifting off to deep and beautiful sleep.

Sweetest dreams.

N

click here to open post Feb 09, 2011 | posted in Inspire, Personal | 22 comments

The other day wasn’t my favorite. No description necessary. It just wasn’t my favorite day. Period. Everything felt hard. Everything felt impossible. Everything felt heavy. Everything felt insurmountable.

I went for a run, and I talked to God. I asked why suddenly everything felt so “off.” I asked why things that only days before had felt organized and under control now felt impossible. My capacity to maintain momentum and lasting change felt impossible. My ability to appropriately navigate grief and pain felt impossible. Life itself, felt impossible. As I was having these thoughts, I methodically rounded a corner and headed up a hill. I’d run this hill a million and one times; it’s a standard part of my regular course. On this particular day, as I rounded that corner, I didn’t break stride as I leaned into the incline. If anything, my pace increased.

And I heard a voice, from deep within my heart, as loud as thunder: “But you’re good at impossible. Look, you’re doing the impossible right this very instant.” And it was true. In that very instant, I was accomplishing the absolute impossible. Only months before, I could hardly walk this very stretch, yet here I was, sprinting effortlessly to the top.

I felt a lump of deep and abiding love and gratitude well up in my throat.

“That which you persist in doing becomes easy . . . not that the nature of the thing has changed, but your power and ability to do has increased.” H.J. Grant

Every day since, when I approach that hill, I open throttle. It’s my reminder that I am capable of anything and that “each day comes to me with both hands full of possibilities” (Helen Keller). I simply have to reach out and take them.

Natalie Norton