It’s time to play catch up with stories and pictures!

We have been working, playing, working at playing, playing at working.  Honestly, the biggest news is that we FINALLY got our taxes done.  Sad, but true.  It took this long to make sure I had all expenditures in the correct column.  Not fond of doing those taxes, but then again, who is?

So, with that great news, I thought I’d share a couple of experiences and a few pics this time around….

I went on a business outing with the on-line marketing team.  We went to the big city….woo hoo!  (That would be Honolulu….) After our meeting, our manager, Jeff wanted to take us to this lunch spot called the Mermaid Bar at Neiman Marcus.  No booze (that I know of), just a nifty spot to eat. 

Yeah, kinda like these gals.....

So, here we were – sitting in this fun little place when Jeff said “ah, here comes the models”.  I looked up, and yes, indeedy, there were two tall, wispy looking things floating their way thru the cafeteria.  I thought “huh, those are some pretty and incredibly thin young ladies – wonder if they are going to split a grape for lunch”.  It honestly hadn't dawned on me that they were actually…..models!  But it became apparent as they drifted over to our table that they were were women with a purpose.

I was absolutely fixated on this gorgeous suede crop top one of the gazelles was wearing.  She looked me in the eye and informed me that “today’s selection was taken from the Hoozawoozit Collection on the 3^rd floor and I would be able to find my way to it by ascending the escalator two floors and turning left”.  Then, and I’m not kidding here, in unison they stepped one step forward, swirled and took two more steps, swirled again and did this absolutely amazing dosey-do move,  finishing with hands on hip (still in unison) and a classy sassy smile.  I thought to myself “do I clap?”  Instead I offered a heart-felt “thank-you so much” and watched them float away.

Yeah, kinda like this skirt

Now I mention this interesting interlude to emphasize the next experience.  

I wanted to look all business-like for the earlier meeting, but with a pretty flair, of course, so I was wearing a beautiful silk wrap-around skirt made out of sari material (from India).  It’s quite the rage here, and I receive many the compliment on it. 

So, here I am in all my silky smoothness eating lunch at Neiman Marcus’s Mermaid Bar feeling all sorts of special.  Immediately after the mini floor show concluded, it was time to go. I stood up to leave when all of a sudden I felt…..a breeze…..on my upper thigh. It took a little while for it to sink in.  Yes, I was feeling oddly cool because the tie on my beautiful little wrap around skirt had come loose.  Oh, mind you, it was still on……mostly.  But it was listing to the left side at a sharp 45 degree angle giving me a lopsided low-rider/way past hip hugger effect.  In other words, Sister Jones was not dressed to mission standards, in front of God, patrons and – wouldn’t you know it – a former bishop. I mean, I have nightmares about these kind of things! The kindly (yet distinctly mortified) waiter quickly stepped in to assist me with my predicament, mostly by blocking this amazing scene from the rest of the paying customers. He may have had good intentions, but I suspect his assistance was to make sure that others didn’t confuse my flailing and twisting with the beautiful modeling that was presented just moments before.  

So, life lessons:

1. Trying to locate the long, silky smooth ties of a rapidly descending wrapskirt is near impossible to do when you’re panicking.
2. Double knots are sometimes the key to happiness.

The second experience I’d like to share happened yesterday. I knew that it was time to get Elder Jones out in the sun for some much needed light therapy. The weather seems to be turning and the water is not uncomfortably cold anymore. So we headed out to Sharks Cove, one of our favorite snorkeling spots. The tide was lower than we had ever seen, so I ended up having a grand time in the ‘protected pool’ area while Elder Jones headed off to the 'open water' area. Swimming around as the low tide contained the various selections of fish into concentrated groups enabled me to see lots and lots of different beauties.

Yeah, kinda like this fish

I was especially excited to see a translucent green pipefish – a very long, very thin fish. Then there was another, and another and they were far larger than I had ever seen before. I moved along to the side of one and discovered that it was longer than I was. Truly magnificent!

Suddenly, someone grabbed my fin. I turned to see Elder Jones. “Do you want to come out where the big fish are?” he asked. “It’s really calm out there.”

“Promise?” (I am not a confident snorkeler, so avoid big waves like the plague). He smiled and took my hand.

Yeah, kinda like.........oh, nevermind

For the next hour we really did swim with the fishes. There was a tremendous school of silvery fish that we joined. What a feeling, being surrounded by luminescent flashes of light and movement!

Because we were not in a contained area, the floor of the ocean dropped far down and there were definitely bigger fish, and more variety. 

There is such serenity in silently gliding along while viewing the glorious creations below the water – it feels like a whole different world. I could feel the currents and waves carrying me gently in different directions, and each new area had something new to behold. 

Because I was in unfamiliar waters, my comfort zone was to cling onto my husband’s hand (he let go once and meandered off - and paid for it by getting a slow motion beating while underwater when he finally returned.....obviously it didn't hurt, so, exacting my revenge, I PINCHED him instead).

So, back into my comfort zone - and holding onto that man's hand with both hands, we finished our tour of the ocean.  Wish I had an underwater camera, but here are a couple of on-line pics that showcases some of the marine life we saw.

It was a great day.  We smiled all the way home.  

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Hey, it's an adventure everyday.  Just a few pics to prove it!

Whale Watching

Touring a chocolate factory

Adorable daughters of some of our ward members

Cultural Night at BYU-H

Tonga!