Hau 'oli La Hanau (how-oh-lee lah hah-now-oo) !! I just finished talking with Sarah and today is her ninth birthday and so I wanted to begin by wishing her a very Happy Birthday! It sounds like she has had a great day, with lots of family love and support.

I didn't write last Sunday because there wasn't anything new to report or say. It had been a fairly typical week but today I have a couple of things to write about. Yippee!

Last Saturday we went with our friends Lynn and Peggy Rowell down to Hanauma Bay to go snorkeling. We had tried to go a few weeks ago but by the time we got there at 8:45 am, they had closed the park. Once the parking lot fills up, that is the end, so we ended up doing the "circle island tour" and drove up to Haleiwa where our friends had their first snorkeling experience. We were determined to not be turned away this week and so we left Laie at 6:30 am and were among the first to arrive. Dennis and I had not been there for many years and were surprised at the many improvements that have been made to the area. We had a fun morning with pretty good snorkeling. I even saw a few fish that I had not ever seen before. We had a good time. I hesitate to put in a couple of these pictures, for reasons which will be obvious but oh well, who cares?!

At the top of the hill leading down to Hanauma Bay

Searching for shade at Hanauma Bay

Talking to NM's on the beach

Give that woman a hat! And shirt. . .

Dinner after ticket-taking at the Island Buffet and a serenade

In front of temple

Our Springville neighbors, the Blonquists have a daughter, Maddie, serving a mission in Bermuda. Yvonne is putting together a 'Flat Stanley' type of book for her for Christmas and so we 'took' Maddie to the Laie Hawaii temple last week and also to the PCC. We hope she enjoyed her brief visit!






The big event of the week was last night. We attended our first Polynesian wedding reception! Mel and Masi were married in the morning at the temple and then the reception was in the evening at her home ward in Honolulu. Masi is Tongan and Mel is Samoan, so it was a full out party experience and we loved every minute of it. I think we were two out of seven Howlies there and there were around 500 people in attendance. They began the evening by introducing the wedding party and in they all walked. They gave a little bio on each bridesmaid and groomsman. There were eight bridesmaids and eight groomsmen so this took awhile. One bio was so funny. It was " so and so is 6ft.1 inch and weighs 230. He is a Red Raider forever." (That is the Kahuku football team). Then the bride and groom arrived and everyone stood and they go sit at a raised dais which has a Tongan mat underneath. There is no 'official' receiving line. Next, time for dinner - Poly style!

Where the bride and groom sit with the Maid of Honor and Best Man

Note second table of food

The food was very traditional - taro, tapioca root, fish, prawns with heads on, bananas cooked Samoan style (in a gelatinous coconut milk), beef, chicken, and this really awful stuff called 'squid luau.' Most of you know Dennis will eat anything, but even he cannot take this. But believe me, we were in the minority. Everyone was crazy over this nasty dish of grass, seaweed, onion, and squid all blenderized into some sloppy, green goop. But it was quite a spread!
After eating there was a program with dancing - Father/Daughter, Mother/Son, bridesmaids, groomsmen, children, mother, etc. I really enjoyed the traditional dances. They are beautiful to watch.I tried to get some pictures of Mel dancing. It was beautiful, but they were too far away. Then there was the cutting of the cakes, plural. At this point we left since it was getting late, but it was a great experience and I am so glad we were invited and able to attend.

Some of the cakes - there was also the brides cake, the grooms cake, and a general dessert cake

And a Church gym is still a church gym, worldwide!

Mr. and Mrs. Kauvaka

It is still stifling hot and humid here. We thought we could handle it better than last year but not so. 86 degrees with 86% humidity. Hopefully, the trade winds will return in another week. Our Church is once again on a reduced schedule. Since we can't get into the building for Branch Council, it is no problem. We just hold it in the parking lot. We call it "true tailgating."

And the Kingdom rolls forward! We love it!