Happy 52nd Anniversary, Mom & Dad!!

Mom and her missionary companion, Amy Brown

Dad and his older brother, Edward (Uncle Eddie)

November 1997

November 2006

June 2008

This whole day, I wish to dedicate to my mom and dad....music and everything! Today is my mom and dad's 52ND Wedding Anniversary!

A little history about them:

My dad, Robert John Hoopii, was born Feb. 3, 1929 in Kalawao, Molokai, HI. to Alexander Welau Hoopii and Mary Keakealani Kawai. Because his mom and dad had the infectious leprosy disease, he was taken from his parents pretty much at birth and put in a foster home, and was basically raised all his childhood life in foster families.

My mom, Elizabeth Puha, was born Nov. 27, 1928 in Olowalu, Maui, HI. to Adam Moke Puha and Helen Alani Tungloong.

Both my mom and dad were converts to the church. My mom, at a young age, along with some of her family members were taught by the missionaries, one by the name of Elder Sperry, while living in Olowalu. They were baptized, then a few years later, the rest of her siblings joined the church. My mom, along with her parents and maybe one or two other siblings stayed active in the church from then on. She even had the opportunity to serve a full-time mission in Japan. My dad on the other hand did not join the church until his adult life. Let me explain...

When they met?? This is the story I always remember. My dad's brother, Eddie, and my mom's cousin, Maria, were married. What a coincidence...brother and cousin. Anyway, my mom and dad were introduced and I think it was love at first sight for my dad. He was always a hard worker, worked hard even as a young boy, stayed at a job for a long time, learned quite well what hard work was all about. But he also had a talent for singing, and with the friends he had from work, working for the City and County of Honolulu, they liked to get together on weekends and drink, sing, and party. My mom was also a hard worker. She was a nurse living in Honolulu at the time. That's pretty much all she did...work and go to church probably. Since most of her family were on Maui, she would often visit her cousin, Maria, and for some reason...heeheehee, my dad was always there. My dad tried his hardest to win her over but she was a stubborn one and would always give him the cold shoulder. My mom was not attracted to my dad at all. Oh, my dad was also a boxer so sometimes he would get hurt and swollen from fights so my mom didn't think he was the greatest looking guy. But my dad, with his persistence and smooth ways, got my mom to go on a date with him. My dad worked real hard to get my mom to like him, and after a while he wooed her and won her over. He wanted to marry my mom, and my mom said that the only way she would marry him was if he joined the church. Guess what?? My dad loved her so much that he was willing to give up his vices. He met with the missionaries, got baptized, and about a week later, they were married...52 years ago...and the rest is history.

Since then, they've had six children...Robert "Lopaka" John Jr., Leila Uilani Moa, Taylor Halamapuana, Me - Luana Ululani Taukinukufili, Kaiana Kyle, and Kauhi Kell. For the most part, I think we've turned out pretty good. We've each had the opportunity to serve full-time missions. We also, now in our adult lives have been blessed to have our own families. We're not perfect but we try real hard...we've been reared well in the gospel, to know that even when we fall, we can pick ourselves up, and get back on track. What great knowledge we have of the gospel.

I am so grateful for the missionaries that found my mom's family! I hope to one day meet them and thank them. I'm grateful that my dad had the courage and strength to trust and have faith that his life would turn out so much better, not only to marry my mom, but to accept the gospel in his life. I know for sure that he knows that! And I'm grateful for the faith and obedience of my parents and their unwavering testimony of the true gospel on this earth. I will always be grateful to my dad, for his great example as a man who always honored his priesthood, and was never ashamed to share it with us, and for my mom who was always there by his side. I'll always remember my dad's persistence of waking us up at 2:00 am., each morning before he had to go to work, to have family prayer, and never letting us go to bed at night without having family prayer. I'll always remember scripture reading nights, family home evening nights, Sunday evening "singing" nights since we weren't allowed to watch t.v. on Sundays. It sure helped us get familiar with all the songs in the hymn book, let me tell you. I'll always remember priesthood blessings when we were sick, and blessings when we started a new year of school. I'll also remember blessings at times when we just needed them. I'll always remember my mom and dad staying after church once a month for their temple meetings. Then going to the temple almost every week. I'll always remember my mom and dad going to the temple as ordinance workers each week when they lived in Utah. I'll always remember helping my dad at the Bishop's Storehouse each week on Tuesday and Thursday, since he was the storehouse keeper. I'll always remember family outings at Ala Moana Beach Park or Magic Island, when my dad would run over to the park right after work and save us the best spot! Then having barbecues and spending the whole day at the beach. I'll always remember my dad being home from work, even before we'd leave for school. He did that for most of my life, so he was also Mr. Mom to me, alongside my mom who didn't have to work outside the home because my dad worked so hard to make it be. I'll always remember our yearly vacations to Maui to visit and help my grandma. I'll always remember the many times we were asked to sing at birthday parties, weddings, luaus, graduation parties, get-togethers, missionary farewells, missionary homecomings, sacrament meetings, funerals, firesides, Christmas parties. Wow...we did a lot of singing! We had a motto in our family.... "A family that sings together, stays together!"...I think it still pertains to us to this day. I'll always remember my dad's wonderful falsetto voice and my mom's beautiful alto voice. Thanks to them...it's where we've gotten our talent for music and singing in harmony. And last but certainly not least, my dad's two favorite scriptures...I think he and my mom shared the same favorite scriptures, and he would often quote it to us by heart: Proverbs 3: 5 & 6 - "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 22: 6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he shall not depart from it."

My mom and dad have truly lived these scriptures. What great examples!!

And now, in their "seasoned" lives, as they continue on their journey, my only hope and prayer is that my dad will get to enjoy my mom for as long as she will be with us. A few years ago, my mom was stricken with the dreadful Alzheimer's disease. It's been hard on me, as well I'm sure as the rest of my family. But it hasn't stopped my dad's loyalty and love to and for her. He has sacrificed so much in his life to dedicate his time and physical abilities, in his old age, to take care of her. She is bed-ridden now, so he takes care of her as she is now unable to take care of herself. But I'm sure his testimony of and love for the gospel and Savior goes on strong. Thank goodness for the knowledge we have that this life is only temporary, and that families can be together forever!

I, Luana Ululani Hoopii Taukinukufili, have "truly" been born of goodly parents. I am so grateful to my mom and dad for all that they have taught me, for their strength, wisdom, and love for me throughout the years, and for their love and concern for me and my family today. I'm grateful for the clear examples that they have set for me, and hope I can be at least half as strong and faithful a parent as they have been to me. I am thankful for their faith in the gospel, and deep-rooted testimonies that have constantly strengthened mine. I have been blessed in my life to have them as parents. I have also been blessed to have experienced life from and with them and I wouldn't ask for anything different.

I LOVE YOU, MOM & DAD!! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!