CONFESSION: I Love Brad Paisley

This photo was not taken by me... obviously.

Believe it or not, there was a time in my life that I absolutely positively HATED country music. I must have been going through a dark and evil stage of some kind... I think it's called adolescence or something like that. All I wanted to listen to was hip-hop, rap, and pop music. But finally after months of forcing me to listen to country music with her every morning on the school bus, one of my best friends since childhood, Chelsie, converted me. All of a sudden, I was obsessed with country music! 

Something great about being in Arizona is that there are tons of county music concerts compared to Hawaii. Because most of them are in Phoenix, I often debate whether or not going to the concert would be worth the drive. I was really close to going to ZBB but it was a school night with a test the next morning... not worth it. Then I almost went to FGL but it was a Christmas themed concert so I didn't know what to expect... not worth it. And then, I heard Brad Paisley was coming this summer. Yes it's in Phoenix in mid-July in an outdoor theater. Yes, it will probably be 95 degrees even after the sun goes down. And YES, it will be worth it. 

I've gone through phases of favorite artists: From Taylor Swift to Luke Bryan, Zac Brown Band to Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton to Florida Georgia Line. All of these artists have created amazing music with at least a song or two that have been my "favorite song" at some point in time. However, Brad Paisley is the one artist that I have always loved, for every single song I have ever heard, for every word, every line of his lyrics. If you're not a fan of Brad Paisley here are my top 3 Brad Paisley songs that will hopefully change your mind...

1.  Little Moments

2. Old Alabama

3. Then

4. Mud On The Tires 

I'm sorry picking three was too hard.

5. This Is Country Music 

That was the last one I promise....

Along with my top "three", there are two extra special songs to me that Brad Paisley covers. The first song, What A Friend We Have in Jesus, is an instrumental of one of my favorite songs from church. My great grandmother used to play it on our piano while I would sit next to her and sing. It really showcases Brad Paisleys amazing guitar skills. The second song is Farther Along. This song brings tears to my eyes every time I listen to it. Although it is originally a religious song, it is a great song about the trials and tribulations of life in general. This song is especially dear to me because it was a song that was special to my family while my little sister was struggling with leukemia.  Don't worry, she's fine now.

Clearly, I could go on and on for days about how much I love Brad Paisley but I think this will do for now. Maybe I'll talk more about him in another confession but I'll wrap this one up with a music video. Maybe listening to his music will help me shut up... Until next time!

My short as possible family introduction...

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But this picture of my family is instead worth a thousand QUESTIONS.  And trust me, do we get lotsa questions.

"So.... are you his mom?"

"Wait, so you guys AREN'T related?"

and my personal favorite question occurs when I answer the door...

"Is your Mom home?"

I'M IN CHARGE DAMMIT!!! Im just kidding. I don't expect anyone to understand....

We are anything but the "traditional" family.  I can't even imagine what people think of us when we walk around Costco together.  My best guess is that they think we're a strange group of friends... Or maybe a maybe a bunch of runaway kids from a group home. Whatever people think, it doesn't matter. Underneath our strange circumstances, we are truly like any other family.

A BRIEF BACKGROUND:
A lot has happened and changed since the seven of us united forces in April of 2013.  I say seven because at the start of our journey together, we also were watching over my boyfriends sister. Shortly thereafter we were unable to care for her for a variety of reasons and she now happily lives with another family member a few states over in Texas. Her time spent with us was short, but we love her dearly and miss her daily. 

Then, at the beginning of this month, the older two of the boys also moved with some of our close loving family in Washington. Having lived with them for a whole year, things are really different without them around. Although we're all still adjusting to the new quietness of the house, it's to have some time to BREATHE. Caring for four boys is not a simple task! I get to enjoy the little things in life that I have felt deprived of for the past year such a blogging, shaving my legs, doing homework in peace, and eating leftovers. Leftovers may not sound very appealing but when you cook for five boys every night, being able to eat leftovers instead of cooking is better than eating at a five-star restaurant! A bit of a hyperbole but you get the point... The boys are doing great in Washington too! To be honest, I'm a bit jealous of them. They're having a blast enjoying everything Seattle has to offer: fresh seafood, cooler weather, and a heck of a lot less cacti.

WHICH BRINGS US TO THE NOW:
Me and my three: Big Mac, Zed and K-Boy. I'm going to refrain from using their real names for a very important reason... I'm lazy. The shorter the better! An since their first names all start with the letter K it will eliminate any confusion as to who I'm talking about. But on a more serious note I want to protect their precious identities. I plan on sharing a lot of personal stories about my family and the more real-life information I can protect the better. That said, here's a little not so personal description of each.

Big Mac: Big because well, he's big! He's our man of the house, our protecter, our go-to guy, and my hunny bunny boo bear! LOL I don't actually call him that.. I'm just quite fond of him. We have been together since high school and he is one of the biggest inspirations in my life. I love him more than anything in this world.. EVEN CHOCOLATE. You'll hear lots more about him later...

Zed: The older of the two boys, Zed is truly a gentle giant. Not only is he big and tall for his age, but he has the biggest heart. Although he's extremely outgoing and sociable, he is very in touch with his inner emotions as well. He notices all the little things, asks lots of questions, and loves receiving hugs.

K-Boy: The youngest in our family. He's cute and little on the outside, but on the inside it's quite the opposite. He loves sports, playing outside, and video games, anything that poses a challenge. Although he's shy and keeps to himself around new people, he loves causing trouble to his big brothers. Did I mention he is a master Lego builder?

Our family and support system extend far beyond the four of us but being surrounded by these three every day is quite an interesting experience. Some days are good, some days are not so good, but every day leaves me with a lesson. Lessons on how to cook, how to care for a house, how to pay bills, how to do 4th grade math, and other kinda useful things like that. More importantly though, in my journey with these people I am learning how to love, how to set a good example, how to find balance in life, how to enjoy the little things and how to be successful no matter how odd the circumstance.  And that's what Bri Plus Three is all about.

Canyon Lake (Superstition, AZ)

Seldom are the times that I think "wow, Arizona is way cooler than Hawaii!" In fact, I don't think the thought has ever crossed my mind.  I miss little hometown of Kailua every single day. If you're a fellow islander you're probably thinking that Kailua is actually one of the bigger towns in Hawai'i. But if you're living in Tucson which is about 14 times bigger than Kailua, then yes, Kailua IS a little town. However I have always believed that every place is beautiful, special and unique.  

Many people who grew up in Hawaii live their whole lives saying, "Hawaii is the most beautiful place in the world and everywhere else sucks." I, on the other hand, believe that all places upon which God laid his powerful hand are equal in beauty. You just need to look do a little exploring.

One thing I love about Arizona that most people don't get to experience in Hawaii is road-tripping! It is surely a blessing to be surrounding by the crystal clear Pacific Ocean but it is an equally amazing blessing to be surrounded by miles and miles of wide open spaces. All you need is a tank full of gas, google maps, and a thirst for adventure, or in my case, a thirst for WATER. Living in the Sonoran desert has some really cool places, plants, and animals but the hot, dry days days aren't exactly the main attraction. Soooo this past Spring Break, me and my plus three (actually it was plus five at the time) embarked on the ultimate quest to find a body a water. About 120 miles north of Tucson is a serene desert oasis called Canyon Lake. It may not have a white sandy beach but it is surrounded by towering canyon walls, tucked into the mountains like a sparkling blue sapphire. Not a sight you get to see on the little island of O'ahu everyday! 

They say the grass is always greener on the other side and in a literal sense, that is truer than true about lush, green Hawai'i. But the cactuses are greener here! I encourage all of my fellow "dislocated islanders" to find your passion for adventure that is so familiar in Hawaii and use it at your temporary home on the continental U.S. You may be surprised at what hidden gems you find...

Until next time, 

Bri

Above is a photo that I took while at Canyon Lake. Like all pictures of good 'ol mother nature, it just doesn't do it justice! But it still looks pretty darn nice. 

HELLO BLOGGERS!

Welcome to Bri Plus Three, the third (and hopefully final) blog that I've had the joy of creating. In my recent past I've been exploring my creative side and trying my hand at blogging! I've learned a couple things thus far:

First, Bri rhymes with a lot of things

Really though, it does. Most of my friends know me by my hawaiian name... not Bri. And most of my family call me Brianna, again.. not Bri. So why call my blog "BRI" plus three? Well, because it rhymes of course! And we all know how much more legitimate things sound when they rhyme.  Not only that but Bri has become the name I sort of adopted since I moved to Arizona last year.  My hawaiian name is just too difficult for people. Even in Hawaii some people have mistakenly called me "Vanilla." I can't even imagine how baristas at Starbucks would butcher the spelling of my name on my Iced Coffee. Trust me guys, I drink a lot of iced coffee... and having my name being written and shouted incorrectly everyday would drive me nuts! In fact, even a name as simple as "Bri" tends to get totally distorted by those darn baristas...Take a look at this one:

I'm STILL trying to figure out what that says.... Anyways, you get my point. Bri is just easier. So Bri it is, and Bri it will be forevermore!!! Well... for this blog at least.

And second, being healthy is boring

I'm totally joking.  I am actually a firm believer that being healthy 24/7 doesn't have to be boring.  However, I DO think that trying to being healthy 24/7 and blogging about trying to being healthy 24/7 tends to lose it's flavor (no pun intended).  My last two blogs were both dedicated to my efforts to live a super duper healthy lifestyle. And while I do believe my old blog was helpful in motivating me with my goals, I found it hard to connect with and entertain people with pictures of chopped fruits and vegetables and recipes for gluten free breads...  There are just so many more important and interesting things that I could be sharing with others. I do plan on continuing my journey to exceptional health and fitness, but I think it will be outside of the blogosphere.

Which brings us here, to Bri Plus Three...

Bri plus three is all about anything and everything.. Not food prep, not workouts, not recipes. It's a little bit of everything. I have always been really easily inspired. And although I have never really honed in on clear mission for my life, I have always known that where ever life takes me, I want to be able to inspire people and I want to continue to be inspired by others. That's what I hope this blog can offer to anyone who comes across it. Because I've been so deeply involved with and inspired by my "plus three" and I hope I can transfer a little bit of that to others!

Hope you enjoy!