Being Called to the Stake

Okay, so no one's going to tie me to a post and burn me, but my sweat might take out the flames at this point even so -- I've been asked to sing in a quartet for our Stake's conference tonight.

I received an urgent email yesterday from our ward's choir director saying that the soprano voice meant for this had suddenly fallen ill and if I could please please please fill in it'd be wonderful.

I like singing if we're being honest here. I plan on singing to every child I rear because I believe it will help me get through every day a little happier. The only part of singing I don't like is the public part; the one where there's a microphone especially makes me want to hurl. Don't misunderstand, I know that everyone will be so dear and kind about the whole thing tonight. I will receive compliments on overload because that's what Mormons do -- they lift each other and make you feel good about being you. It still makes my feet cold though (which is Mythbusters proven, so yeah).

I've been practicing with Glen because he's better at knowing notes. I just follow the girl next to me, but in this case, there's no other girl singing my part. This has got to be a mistake, amiright?! But here we are a few hours until the thing starts and I'm rumbly in my tumbly and it's not time for something sweet, Pooh... it's time for a bathroom break.

This isn't a big deal if I think about it logically. Most people don't even go to the adult session of stake conference. The men will set up all the chairs going way into the cultural hall, but we all know those are just going to be used for Sunday's session. And like I said before, everyone's going to be super nice about it.

So what is there to worry about?

Wish me luck.

...Lemme just go see that porcelain bowl one last time.

Mormon Monday: Having Fun, Part 1

This is the video I mentioned we made in my last post. Our friend was making a video compilation of a bunch of videos friends made for his wife's birthday and we made this for her! It was fun and a really great way to spend time together. So much of our "together" time right now is being spent campaigning or grading quizzes or sleeping or driving across the island that we don't get to do normal, fun stuff like this. And if I wasn't a member, I'd probably be thinking to myself what a Mormon does for fun because they can't dance, right?

In high school my best friend and I were Mormons; all of our friends knew it, it wasn't a big deal. We didn't drink or do drugs and everyone knew it. This one night in particular, we were at a friend of a friend's house celebrating our friend's birthday party. It was extremely fun and you know why? Jolie (my best friend) and I didn't have inhibitions, no need to drink them out of us.
We set up shop in the garage because it was equipped with couches and Brisk cans all over the floor. We sat down and began our talk show for the night -- this is where the cans come in, they were our microphones. We were extremely bad at the English accents, but no one seemed to mind (or remember). Everyone thought we were just as drunk as the next person, which may have not been the best example, but we were teenagers without testimonies. We were seriously having the best time over anyone, I guarantee it. Everyone else was moaning about some stupid drama here and there, but we were just in our huge dreamland in the one-car garage busting guts all over the place. We got yelled at several times for being too loud and for drinking the Brisk when we were specifically asked not to. Trouble is, we don't drink tea as Mormons and we were probably contracting infectious diseases from the real culprits, so who's got it worse buddy? It was the best party I had ever attended and remains my favorite memory of high school.

The point is, Mormons have fun, just not a lot of the same fun as everyone else. We make dumb videos and go on hikes and play sports every week; and if you grew up with/in a devout Mormon family, you probably still play Settler's of Catan every Monday week night out of habit.

We love having fun. Come to any activity and it's sure to be a hilariously-wholesome, good time with major treat action. It must be that we just have more time to bake and cook and craft because we don't clutter our nights with drinking, not sure though. We wake up and get on our knees, not in front of the toilet for sickness (besides that whole pregnancy deal), but to consecrate our day and dealings to the Master of heaven and earth. We are the way we are because of Him and I love it.

Aloha

Eating and Other Things.

We have a lot of awesome friends that are leaving us this summer.

It's really sad, but also great that they graduated or whatever ;)

One just left today (June 6)

We went with them [Brent, Janelle, and baby Trooper] to Nico's last weekend.

I have talked about this place before... with much adoration.

Let me just emphasize again the magnitude of the tastiness coming off of that French man's grill.

I love Nico's.

[Furikake ahi plate lunch; Us at Pier 38; Glen: gleefully full of tasty food]

Can you believe that we are standing by a pier?

It is delightful to look out at a pier's waters and not have my mind immediately drawn to 

what scenarios of scientific wonders that led the water to be such murky disgust.

Hawaii is good for that: clear, vibrant hues of blue, beautiful sea.

                                                                                       

The school put on The Hobbit and Gollum was pretty good at being weird.

He even had the little shoots of hair coming out of the top of his head; styling for sure.

We found that sand sculpture on Temple Beach.

It had boogers coming out of it's nose.

Good thing AJ wasn't there or else he would have stepped on it with his big feet :P

[BYUH: The Hobbit; Temple Beach: Rapa Nui sand sculpture; 

Aloha Stadium Swapmeet: Us, rice bag shorts]

We went to the swapmeet  and I got a scalloped-shape suntan because of the neck of my shirt.

Those shorts right there, made out of rice bags.

They are also $30. ha ha. That's hilarious.

So, we are going to try to make them instead of buying them from a swapmeet con-artist.

And by "we," I mean my Mother-in-law; thank goodness :)

[Relay for Life Service Project: First Aid Booth]

We volunteered at the first-aid booth for the Relay for Life in Hau'ula (a neighboring town).

It rained, we laughed, walked, and learned how to suture from Dr. Arch.

He also taught us how to tie a square knot with one hand.

I feel really good about it.

AND we got a free shirt.

We have gotten six free t-shirts since being here... I think they made too many a while back and are just trying to empty out their inventory.

It's wonderful.

It was really cool when they turned off the generators and it went super dark.

Everyone who had lost someone close lit a luminary for that person and they surrounded the track that we were walking on to raise money and awareness for cancer victims.

I read several of them and it was really sad to see so many of them have little messages to their family members on them.

One of them looked like it could have been written by a kindergartner for their Dad. 

And even though I did not know that little child and we never met to my knowledge, I was glad we were there serving him.

                                                                                       

You may ask yourself on occasion, what do those Mormons do for fun?

Well, let me tell you what a "regular" night is like here at BYUH on-campus, married housing (TVA)

We stay up late at night talking about the moon on the balcony with the pleasant roar of a Vitamix shredding up all of the fruit, ice, and ice cream it can muster (which is an amazing amount).

And, so the neighboring building can get in on the conversation, we make tin can phones and hurtle them across the courtyard between the two balconies.

It is quite a party.

[Top 2: TVA party; Bottom 2: BYUH Science Dpt.] 

So, Venus came and went.

Too bad the North Shore is notorious for clouds and rain on the most random of occasions.

Especially when the occasion only comes every like 100 years!

The telescope stayed under that awning all day. All lonely and cold.

There was a 15 second period where the clouds parted and that looking glass was hurried out to see the speck on the sun.

And then, hope was gone again.

Oh well, I'll just be dead next time that happens. But whatever.

[BYUH Aloha Center: Student Art]

That woman's hand is amazing.

It looks better than mine and it's made out of clay.

I guess we're all kind of made out of clay though.

So, it's all relative really.

It's finals week again... that's usually a good indication that I'll be blogging.

When I can't focus, I blog until I'm bored of listening to my thoughts.

That is now.

We come home next week :)