When Agnes goes to work full time, her husband stays at home and is Mister Mom.

He cooks, he cleans, he takes care of their 2-year-old daughter.

"I just decided I wanted to work," said Agnes, who didn't want her last name used. "He's happy with the arrangement."

Life is especially looking up now for Agnes, 34, her 45-year-old husband and her daughter. They just moved in to their first single-family home in Wai'anae and are working at furnishing it and making it theirs.

"Life is what you make of it," Agnes said. "We choose to have that don't-give-up spirit."

It wasn't always like that for her. Right now, she's working her way out of a deep depression she sunk into after her 8-month-old died. He was born with congenital problems and had a tumor in his heart. Every time she talks about him, she starts to cry.

"It's not supposed to happen this way," Agnes said. "He was supposed to outlive me. We take good care of our daughter."

Now she's throwing herself into making the best life she can for her daughter. If someone adopts her, she'd love a toy and a hot holiday meal or a gift card to a grocery store like Sack-n-Save. A bicycle for her daughter would really make the holiday special. Her daughter wears a size 4 or 5 toddler.

"Her favorite color is pink and purple," Agnes said.