Visiting Mary Hogue

I wish I had a picture of us hanging out cloths together using her solar dryer..  She called me on my cell on my way out to her house in Benjamin, Utah and said that she was hanging out cloths.  Tomasi only heard one part of the conversation, "okay, Mary, we'll hang out cloths together then".  Tomasi said, "what does that mean, hang out cloths together?"   Laughing....I've not hung out cloths in years and so that phrase didn't click with the his vision..  ha

Mary is an awesome artist....does gorgeous gourd art.  I'm sure you'll be impressed by her gourds. go to
www.gourd-art.com  

TRAIN HOME

 Here is a photo of the colorado River with a lovely dam on it.  not the best of photos, but I like this dam.  I love traveling on the train and we always get "LOWER LEVEL" and we don't have folks passing through on the cars.  It's on the same level as the restrooms and where you get on and off.  below here is my bed that I told about.  a little blow up mattress that I got a little pump for and I slept well again.  I was tired after this trip!!! what you'll have to do is go to the beginning of my posts on ''OUR TRIP TO UTAH" and then go on up to this date.   I've not blogged for a while and so (as usual) some weird postings, but at least a record. 

Baby Blessing for Eva Day.

 We stayed at Isabella's house for almost a week and the last day there was Baby Eva's blessing day at Isabella's Ward house.   A beautiful day, but oh my, Tomasi was so very sick.......As soon as the blessing was over, I took him back to Bella's house.  There were many in the prayer Circle and Floyd gave Baby Eva Sarina a BEAUTIFUL blessing.  nope, I don't take pictures of that event in the Chapel.  Afterward there were about 50 folks that came to Bella's house for a pot luck party afterwards.  here are a few photos. Above here is Tory Montoya with Dan's youngest baby boy Daniel Finau Tukuafu the 2ed. (he was 5th son in our family and he said that he'd name his 5th son after him.  cute cute cute) Tory will be attending BYU-H in the fall.

 Here is cute Rascal Ezra Tukuafu (the 4th son)....remember the one that had to be in the Hospital with that horrible infection that got in his leg but just getting it pintured with a stick?   He's doing GREAT...and came and showed me SCAR.   LOOK NEXT ONE.

 Here's a pile of boy cousins on the back yard trampoline.

 cute picture of Dan and Laura and baby and sister Sarina.

 Here is Floyd's mom, Tila and white me.  (good grief)

 Dan and youngest.

 Isabella, baby Eva and meself. .....last night in Utah at Bells' house.

 Four brothers. from left to right.  Dan, Manu, Isi, and Semisi.  the other brother that lives in Utah Usually is Bob, he's  in Afghanistan and will be home soon.  yeah. After this party, Isabella called a "doc. in a box" place in Murry, Utah and Felila and Sarina and I took Tomasi there to find out what might be wrong.  hoooooooooooo boy.  He was coughing soo badly that for most of my stay in Bella's house, I slept downstairs so as not to hear him coughing and all that LOUD NOISE breathing.  Tomasi had phenomena, high blood pressure, pink eye and beginning diabetics.  GOOD GRIEF.  They gave him an antibody in the veins and while that was going on, the three of them played a game of scrabble.  When we got home, he immediately got better.   I've taken him to the doc here and blood pressure is still a little high, but gone the phenomena and cough....sweet snoring to my ears.....yeah.

Dan & Mayone Kinikini & Us.

 48 years ago, Mayone and I were dating cousins from Tonga.  Mayone married Dan one year to the day that we got married.  We've stayed in touch for all these years.  How I love this family.  Tomasi was not feeling well here, but we stayed for almost 5 hours.  It was just not long enough.  They had a pile of kids and moved back and forth to Tonga as we did, but not at the same time.  While visiting them, I saw this darling little sack of flour on the counter and it's called BLUE BIRD FLOUR and milled in Colorado. All the Native Americans use this for making their fry bread....but all I could see was the little blue bird on the flour made into a pocket of an apron.   I told her I'd make her one before we went back to Nauvoo.   She dumped out the flour in a container and gave me the little sack saying, "the blue bird of happiness".....and that is what my mother would have said.  You can tell that these two Tongans (both 71) are cousins yeah?

Our Stay with Isabella and Floyd Johnson and fam.

folks, just tip your head and see cute Isabella modeling this apron I made for Mayone Kinikini. the bottom one is the reverse side. 

 I got to do more cooking here and here are some yummy sweetpotatoes and yam cooking in coconut milk.

 this little guy is who greeted us when we got to Bella's house.  SPIDERMAN SAM JOHNSON

 SWEET BABY EVA....sleeping in the auto swing.  (I wish I'd had one of these when I was raising my babies)

Isabella and I went to one of her friends baby shower.  I thought this was a clever idea and I loved making them too.  She knew she was having a girl and so had all her friend make a little clippie that she can put on a baby headband for her little dollie.  cute yeah?

church in Payson, Utah

 We went to our old Ward in Payson, Utah to hear Karen and Bob Spangler give their "farewell talks" before going on their 2ed mission.   Afterwards we went over to their house for brunch.   I then went over to Sandy Jesperson's house next door and ZOWIE, THESE WERE IN HER PLACE.  Her husband got the top one and she got the one in the garage that I'm standing by.  hoooooooooooooooo boy.  I should have got more pictures...but it was sunny and bright in Bob's garage and the food was good and so was the entertaining company.  they are now in Kirkland, Ohio. 

Wedding Reception

 There were some real pro's taking photos and so I didn't take hardly any.   Eleni and her sisters were pro. dancers and put on programs together.  I knew this would be a REAL EVENT and fun to see.   We sat with Eric and Carolyn Shumway.  Here a dancer is dancing special for them and folks come and put money on her and this goes to the newly weds.   the blankets and things in the background are also gifts for them.

 more of the same.....

 Here Jesse is dancing with his brothers and few others.  oh my...can't get good photos of this unless it's MOVING. ha.

oppps forgot to put this chaotic photo random in the other post.  ha ha.  who's hoo....but the happy couple are HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY.

Eleni Toluta'u and Jesse Tukuafu wedding day

 Here we have the wedding couple.  Jesse is our grandson and he married a SUPER DARLING WOMAN...and they've been going together for a few years now. 

 Here is Rose, Jesse's wonderful mom....and Eleni on the steps if the S.L.C. Temple.  these steps seem to be used only for photos....To go in this Temple, there are other doors that have been added

 Here's the "line up".

 Isabella's darling baby girlie (#53) Eva Sarina.  perfect, yeah?

 It was a sunny day, but in the afternoon it was COLD....so folks finding anyplace to sit or stand in the sun waiting for bride and groom to come out of the doors.  "Ofeina and her Uncle Tomasi here.   She lived with us for a time in Hawaii and is dear dear to me.

Here is Ofeina, Tomasi and Angelita and her husband Derek.

baby fishie quilt

After Women's conference, Tomasi and I drove back to Sarina's place and I made this little quilt for our #53ed grandchild.  I'd found Bob's baby quilt in my trunk and gave it to Mitzi for their new baby boy (#52 grand) and made another one for her but didn't get a photo of it.  This quilt, if I'd had time, I would have made it differently, but was in a rush and it still turned out cute.  I ran out of the material and with the scraps, put a little fishie blowing bubbles.......at the top.

Eleni's bridal shower

One of the days was attending a bridal shower for Eleni Toluta'u.   oh my WONDERFUL FOOD...and quite a few folks in the back yard.  I'm sorry I didn't take photos of all my 4 girlies that live in Utah as they were here.   I only got this one where beautiful Laura and darling Katherine were in the line getting some foods.  The entrance to the party was a "hat".  this was fun!!  but I wish I could have known earlier and brought one of my fun hats that I have at home.   I sat with Eleni's mother and she told me that she met me YEARS AGO when they first moved to Hawaii......they came up and visited us at our mountain home in Hawaii when we had a pile of kids and no electric power yet.  (we made it from the stream later) Bro. Toluta'u teaches Art at BYU-H and Shelia is a E.R. nurse at Kahuku Hospital. 

BYU WOMEN'S CONFERENCE

 Tomasi and I went to Michelle and Isi Tukuafu's house for 3 days.....It was super wonderful for Isabella to loan us her little Van to go here and there when we needed to.   But the TRAFFIC at BYU at these events is horrendious.....and so Michelle took me to where she catches the bus in Spanish Fork.   I ran to the bus and only had a $20.00 bill on me.  the Bus driver said, "just pay double when you get back on next time"....I laughed at some of the signs on the bus....and really, quite entertaining.  Beautiful day.  Great buses there.

 FOLKS....17,000 PLUS WOMEN HERE.   ZOWIE.

 Soooooooooooo in my first line to a class, I stood next to a young woman that was talking on her cell phone and I heard her say, "hey, there's a sister Tukuafu next to me, I gotta go".   She then said to me, "I'm a Tukuafu too!!".   We were both going to the same class and walked and talked and learned much.   Her husband's folks are from Vava'u, Tonga.   Surely we're related....but don't have all the connections.  but of 17,000 women, I am standing in a line with another "Tukuafu woman". 

 I couldn't resist taking this photo of "art".....EYEBALL ART.  ha ha.

there's a bridge that we can walk across and I thought I'd take one of the "Y".  I loved walking all over campus and I'm so grateful that Felila took me on long walks and Sarina got me walking all over  the Parks we went to.  yep, prepared me for Women's Conference.  I soooooooooo love attending this conference.  and Yes, I ran into other friends and found new ones too. 

Stayed with Maureen and Dan Thulin

Here is a vase that was in the "fishie bathroom".  it is made from found sea glass and if you look closely, a fish hook as well.  Maureen and Dan have a great deal going on for Christmas.  They ONLY GIVE ONE GIFT person (they had 7 children) and they MUST BE HOME MADE.  Dan taught high school art and Maureen is her own kind of artist.  I just thought this was VERY CLEVER. 

We had a little party from folks that used to live in PARK WARD in Payson, Utah over at Lavern & Ron Crump's House.  A beautiful home out in the country.   She had a fantastic set up for their chickens and I took a photo, but it disappeared in ether space.   We had a sweet talking BBQ time with them.  We so love our friends from Park Ward.  Afterwards we followed  Maureen and Dan to their new home in Payson, Ut.  What a beautiful home and so taistfully decorated.   She was R.S. Pres when we lived in Payson and I've loved her from the "get go!".  She's from England and has soooooooooooo many stories to tell, she should write a book of her life!!! Here she showed me her most treasured possession. It is a porceline vase that her Dad got many years ago being a merchant marine.....she had packed it well before going on their last mission.....stored it....and FINALLY were able to get these things out of storage.  It was at the bottom of the things and all broken up.  Her son put it all back together again.   just click on any of these photos and you can see it up close. 

a few days with Sarina Tukuafu Brown

We went to stay a few days with Sarina and her darling 4 boys.  the first thing they wanted to do is play with their granddaddy.   He was making paper airplanes and then one of them said, "can you make a helicopter?

 One WONDERFUL overcast day Sarina and two youngest boys went to the THANKSGIVING POINT TULIP FESTIVAL.  I TOTALLY LOVED THIS. This silly tulip is a upside down one.

 When we got back.....Sarina and her daddy played scrabble and we have a young fellow here that in in "training". 

 More tulips from the festival.

 Here is Beautiful Sarina.  We took a picnic lunch and sat by this HUGE manmade water fall.  

 and KOI FISH....wayyyyyyyy fun to feed with leftover bread from our lunch. 

 As we were leaving and this is a BIG PARK.....she shows her boys "the water droplets on the leaves". 

 boys and tulips.

 arn't these amazing?

 I couldn't pass up getting a photo of this barnwood birdhouse.  surely a happy bird lives inside....

 more silly upside down tulips

and PINK PINE CONES.....and all this with my cell phone.   I'm going to get even a better cell phone camera next time. yep yep.