About Me

“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” ― Calvin Coolidge

Me and my husband Trevor. 
Yes, he actually had coffee in his cup.
And, he's a die-hard Green Bay
Packers fan.  

My name is Kyong-Mi Dillard.  I'll have to stop right here, because I know if you don't know Korean, you're probably reading my name completely wrong.

Kyong rhymes with Young.  It's one syllable, like Kyung.  And then Mi is pronounced like, "Me," the opposite of you.  My husband calls me Kuuipo, which means Sweetheart in Hawaiian, but it is also an actual name in Hawaii.  My mom calls me Mimi.  My nieces and nephews from my family call me "Aunt Mimi" or just "Auntie."  My husband's kids call me "Auntie," though I am their step-mom (it's a Hawaii thing).  My husband's nieces and nephews from his Hanai (informal adoption) family call me Auntie K.

I'm a certified massage therapist in California.  I have been a massage therapist since 1997.  I enjoy the health and wellness industry.  I'm also an avid genealogist and love to hike.  I was born and raised in Southern California, first in Los Angeles County and then in Orange County.  I have also lived in Makaha Valley and Kalihi, Hawaii, on the island of O'ahu as well as Salem, Oregon.

I am married to Trevor.  Between us, we have 8 children (3 of my own, and 5 of his).  Mine are Sienna, Kalib, and Chris.  His are Mercy, Malie, Konane, Trevor, and Lucas.  I have a step-grandson named Stellan.  Our families are spread from Hawaii to the west coast of the Mainland to the the east coast of the Mainland. So, there's plenty of travel to be done to visit each other.

Trevor is my rock.  He makes my life interesting.  He's a warehouse worker for a major courier service and a delivery driver for an automotive distribution company.  We have been together since 2016, and married since 2021. Trevor is from O'ahu, Hawaii.  He is not specific on where he is from, but he just says, "Island wide," because he grew up all over the island.

We currently live in Huntington Beach, California.  We are caregivers to my mother who has failing health due to Alzheimer's Disease.  She was born in 1940, and so we are treating every day as her last.

Genealogy is my passion.  I love knowing how the world is connected.  My passion not only includes the dead ancestors but lost loved ones.  I've reunited so many people with their old friends, family members who didn't know about them, and even in my own family, just because of my passion for digging through records.

Other things I enjoy are going to thrift stores and looking for "something."  I never know what I'm looking for, but I'm always looking for something.  I just like browsing and if I see something cool, I want it.  I'm drawn to the old Christmas stuff, and I also love looking through their mugs.  I also enjoy crafting, but I don't have the space in my tiny apartment.  

Christmas time has always been a favorite holiday of mine.  I have especially enjoyed Christmas as an adult, playing Santa Claus for my children, taking my family to holiday shows, or just spending time with family and friends.  My mother-in-law, Jodie, got me my first Hawaiian ornament, and that has been our theme.  I love having a tropical Christmas.  The tropics make everything mo' betta.

My husband and I are not Christians.  We do celebrate the holiday for traditional reasons as well as it is part of our American culture.  We do not attend Christmas Mass, but I am not opposed to attending churches to see them sing Christmas music.  My favorite Christmas song is "Soli Deo Gloria."  I heard it for the first time in my 30s and I thought it sounded beautiful.

My favorite Christmas movie is "A Christmas Story" and "A Christmas Story Christmas."  

L-R on the couch:
Mike (my kids' father), my kids Sienna, Kalib, my mom Cha-Cha, and son Chris
L-R on the floor:
My son-in-law Rigo (Sienna's husband), me, and my husband Trevor