Spicy Pineapple, 2015

Givar, winter, 2015

Bradford is 51, Suzanna is 50, Laci is 17, Lilly is 11, Lora is 10 and Lesia is 9

narrated by Laci

This winter has been cold in so many ways. My boyfriend, Patrick, had recently broke up with me. He said that he wanted to meet other people. Everyone knows that what he really meant was that he wanted to woohoo without the guilt. 

My little sisters all of a sudden seem so different. I think I am beginning to feel the age gap more. They have their own friends and interests and they no longer want to hang out with their big sister. Some days I wish my mom, my real mom, was around so I wouldn't feel like an outsider. 

Mama, my mom Suzanna, and daddy don't make me feel like that at all. I love mama with all my heart, I do. It's just that I know that I'm not hers. She says that I am hers and that even though I didn't grow inside her, I grew in her heart. She also understands...I think, my feelings about my mom. She was the one who helped me make the digital scrapbook of my mom's photos and helped me to do some genealogy research about my mom's side of my family. I plan on submitting my family tree and report as my senior project.

Mama even encouraged me to apply to Pierce University last fall. Money isn't an issue anymore, well, at least it's not as big of an issue. I still need to figure out how to pay for graduate school, but mama and daddy said that my trust fund should gain enough interest that I shouldn't have to worry too much. I was worried of course. I had to take the SPATs and then send in my application. My cousin Veronika is sure to get in, she's super smart, but I have to work hard at everything. I love science, but my grades don't show it. My teacher Mrs. Pentagnani says she doesn't understand and thinks that I may have testing anxiety. 

I would love to get into Pierce University, then Veronika and I could be roommates like we always said. I don't have my hopes up though. Instead I listen as Veronika talks about her dreams and her new art and how great the art faculty is. 

I nod and smile and pretend not to be crying on the inside.

I've gotten better at hiding my feelings about university, just my parrot, Ms. Bird 3.0 knows how I really feel.

Even then, I have to be careful since that darn bird likes to repeat things. Ugh!

I still remember when she went around hawking "Abel is so dreamy!" I wanted to wring her neck and get Ms. Bird 4.0

For Christmas, mama and daddy took the family to Kono Kay for a vacation. They had been talking about a family vacation for years and with the lottery win, we are able to go. My parents are weird. You would think that after winning so much money, we'd go on lots of vacations, but we haven't. We haven't even gotten new clothes, except for school clothes. They don't want the money to go to our heads. That makes sense I guess.

I helped them to find the resort by looking online. There was a special deal going on since it was brand new. The reviews in the chat room were really good. Thankfully,the resort was beautiful. Daddy said the check-in was smooth and that booking the excursions was easy.

We didn't do a lot. We mostly hung out at the beach,

my sisters dug in the sand, looking for treasures such as gold. I think they found a few pieces of beach glass and maybe a shell. 

But they kept digging and digging. I didn't mind, it gave me time to work on my tan and think.

When they were not digging for gold, they were working on building the "bestest" sandcastle ever,

which they refused to let me help with. I don't get it. What did I do to them?

Mama and daddy were all romantic,

which I think is cute. It's reassuring to know that your parents love each other and that they're not afraid to show affection in front of us kids. I'm glad that they go away by themselves to reconnect and stuff. Daddy says that it's important for couples to have time away from thier kids so that they can remain a strong family unit.

Daddy also says time away from your spouse is important and it keeps you sane.

I wouldn't mind having alone time in the spa like mama did. 

Instead I spent a lot of time watching the girls on the beach and 

trying to figure out the strange greeting here. 

Lilly had to end up teaching it to me. She's a genius in my opinion. She can see something once and know exactly how it's done. Her grades are stellar too. She's really into dancing now, she wants to be a ballerina. I think she would be better in a modern dance company, but I don't say anything.

We hung out a lot as a family as well. 

We took a helicopter tour of the island.

It was a lot of fun, but during the tour, the pilot had to swerve by a bunch of trees and we all got sick.

Poor daddy vomited as soon as we landed.

After then we stayed on land for the remainder of the vacation.

Daddy shopped for souvenirs for Uncle James.

I met a guy my age, he was interesting and mama wanted to know if we exchanged numbers.

We didn't, I don't think I'm ready for a relationship again. Especially after Patrick and going to college soon.

The girls took a hulu dancing class.

Of course, Lilly was the best, 

but mama cheered for them all.

We then ate some spicy pineapple dish 

before watching the fire dancing demonstration.

That night daddy took a hulu dancing lesson, 

mama shopped for trinkets for Uncle Jesse and our cousins

and I watched the nightly fire show with my sisters.

News flash, it's so much better at night. I don't understand why they even have daytime shows. 

I took the girls back to the resort while mama and daddy stayed and had island cocktails. 

When we got back home, I volunteered to check the mail while everyone ran to the TV or the computer. It was so cold, especially after coming from the beach.

Inside the box was a big envelope and it was from Pierce University. 

I tried not to get excited, but big envelopes from colleges only mean acceptances.

I ripped it open once I got inside and started screaming. 

I was accepted! I was going to go to Pierce University in the fall! And even better, I got two scholarships! The Sim Scholar grant which meant I also got a laptop and the Tsang Footwork grant! I'm going to Pierce University!

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When I was checking the stats for my teens, I noticed that Laci just barely got into Pierce University which was a big surprise. She had improved her grades to an A- and earned a SPAT score of 26. You need a SPAT score of 20 to get into Pierce University.