First it started out with us going to Lagoon Friday night. I work at Nuskin and they had a company party there so the park was only open to Nuskin employees and their families. It was pretty sweet because there were NO LINES!!! The longest we probably had to wait in line was 5-10 minutes. It wasn't bad at all. Infact, I was able to go on the ride "Wicked" 3 times in a row in a matter of 15 minutes. However, Michal won't go on rides with me so... we had to find someone else to join us. Michal and I both agreed that my cousin Natalie and her husband Kevin would be the perfect addition. I'm glad they were so eager to come and join us. It was nice to talk to someone in line while Michal waited for us at the exit of each ride. They were the perfect people to bring along. However, we did convince Michal to go on "the Bat" and "JetStar", the log ride, and the swinging boat and the scary haunted house rides. He was such a trooper... in return for being such a good sport and taking our pictures we went on his favorite ride... the CAROUSEL... Overall, it was a lot of fun... I hadn't been there since 9th grade Lagoon day (that's 10 years ago). So I was shocked to see the ferris wheel had taken its seats down and that the Magic Carpet was no longer there.
Anyways - here is my favorite picture that Michal took of us... It's on the ROCKET!
And here is proof that Michal went on some rides with me...
And of course - we have to put pictures up of Michal on his favorite ride!
Saturday was another Fun Filled day! My companion on my mission got married in the Salt Lake Temple.
Michal & I arrived early (meaning 10:10 when she said the sealing would start at 11:10) to see if she needed any help at all. FINALLY - at 11:05 she shows up - apparently the sealing started at 11:40 and she told people 11:10 so all the Tongan's would arrive on time. Nia asked me to be her Escort through the temple that day and it was really special for me and quite an experience. By being her escort, I was really able to feel the spirit and help her have a special day. We got to the Bride's Room in the temple and we went to go change her from her street clothes to her wedding dress. When we pulled the dress out of the bag Nia said to me, "sister, I hope that this dress fits." FITS???? I was so confused, I asked her where she bought it, and she replied "Online, so I haven't had the chance to try it on yet... and it's a size smaller than I normally wear so I REAAAAALLLLY hope it fits." I couldn't believe it, did she know that wedding dresses ALWAYS run small? Anyways, I thought that it was so brave of her, I could NEVER do something like that. We put the dress on and what do you know - it worked! However, the shoulders were too big (like all wedding dresses you try on)... so we had to attack that problem with safety pins. I did a HORRIBLE job, so after the sealing, my mom came down and fixed it and you couldn't even tell that it didn't fit in the shoulders! That's what Moms are for - right?
So after we get her all ready for her sealing, dressed and everything, I head upstairs to wait for her there. Since they were so late... they ended up moving her sealing room like 3 times. Finally at 12:00 she comes into the sealing room. I had the priviledge of sitting next to Nia and her Aunt at her sealing. I felt the spirit so strong. The sealer was very acquainted with Polynesian culture since he served a mission in Tonga and also was the president of the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii. He was very cute with Nia and Richard. However, I don't think that he knew that her parents had passed away recently because he kept referring to her Auntie (sitting in the mother chair next to Nia) as her Mom. That made everyone cry really hard. As well, he kept on talking about how those that had passed on before us were also present at this wedding. That again made everyone cry - but it was also special for Nia to know that her parents were at her wedding looking down upon her and very proud of what she had done. Also something interesting that I learned was that in Tongan culture it is not appropriate to show PDA in front of other family members. So after they were married instead of the sealer saying "you may now kiss the bride" he said "you may come this way and hug each other." But... I guess that's how they do it, and it was totally acceptable for the family! It was really neat to sit there and see how much support they each had from family and friends even though neither of their parents were there! Richard served in the Utah Ogden Mission so several people that he baptized were able to attend the ceremony as well. It was really special and quite a privilege to sit there next to her and just soak it all in. My parents were also able to attend, and I even caught my mom crying. I just hope that it was all she ever hoped for.
So the sealing went SUPER long - normally it's 20 minutes or so... but he went for like 35 minutes so by the time they got out of the temple it was 1:15. Next thing that shocked me was that nia didn't get a photographer. Man, I would have been freaking out at this point, but she was so laid back and didn't care. She was just happy to be married. So my mom, michal, & I played photographer at her wedding! Here are some of our favorite pictures of them...
I love this picture because it shows her personality!
I had to include a picture of me!
This is Nia's neice who was named after her and plays a very special role in her life.
Her Auntie (her mother's sister)
However, the wedding wasn't the end, there was still the reception. Nia told me to arrive an hour late (tongan style)... so we did - and it still didn't begin until 5:45 (45 minutes later)... It was a huge party and festival - a DJ - food to feed a whole Stake (but there were only about 50-75 people there)... and so many interesting dishes that I have NEVER tried before. Let me TRY to explain the food...
This is Nia & Richard at the Head Table. Nia tried to get me to sit up there on her side, but I wanted to sit with my family... plus, I don't know how much of the food that I could have actually eaten. Below is a picture that EVERYONE on the head table (6 people) are supposed to eat...
This was the food - for about 15-20 people - and there were 2 tables of food. They just kept on bringing more and more and more out. Seriously it could have fed a whole stake (of white people of course)...
Here is my before and after picture plate:
BEFORE:
You can see chop sui, lu pulu, tarot, oyster, lobster, potato salad, pork, and all sorts of tongan fruit.
AFTER:
The Lobster/crab salad was good - I just couldn't finish it. The Tarot is the same consistency as a potato, but it is SO heavy, so I only had about 3 bites. I obviously ate the roll. Had a hard time even trying the oyster. Didn't even think about touching a shrimp with eyes on it. LOVED the lui pulu (meat wrapped in tarot leaves) and the purple punch tasted like an easter egg (brach's easter eggs) so I favored the red punch instead. Michal on the other hand had THREE plates full of food and loved all of it. He wished that we could have taken some home (which was offered to us)... but we didn't have anywhere to keep it cool overnight, so Michal was sad for about 2 minutes.
The Shrimp still have it's eyes!
This is someone that Nia taught in Pennsylvania that was baptized a few years after originally meeting Sister Sapoi. It was super sweet of her to come out to the wedding reception!
I was just grateful that her friends that she went to High School with were sitting across the table from us, they were able to explain all the cool traditions and customs (and translate it all for us too) that occurred throughout the night. It was quite a new experience!
All in all - I learned SO MANY VALUABLE things that day.
* I learned how important family is. Family is the most important unit and without Nia's family none of this would have been possible. The whole reception was a surprise for her, and that's what family is for to make you feel like a princess on your wedding day!
* I gained SUCH a stronger testimony about the Plan of Salvation and I am so grateful that I am sealed to my family so that I can be with them forever. I'm glad that I married Michal for time AND eternity.
* I learned that bad things happen to good people, but what determines your true character is how you react to these situations happening to you. I mean this in two ways. 1) Nia was so kind and so sincere about all that had been given to here and it was so hard for her to lose both of her parents before her wedding, but she really had a testimony - and so great blessings followed. 2) I had a horrible week. Work was tough with trying to get so many things done in such a short amount of time (since we only worked 3 1/2 days this week)... and I received this AWFUL phone call about "he said, she said" that just broke my heart and put me in tears for a long time afterwards. And things weren't going my way. I learned this weekend, that this is sometimes the refiners fire and how we are tested. If we can make it through hard times, and keep our cool and our chins high... the Lord in the end - ALWAYS blesses us. He lets us know that he is well pleased and happy with all the decisions we have made and accomplishments in our life. He knows the truth - he knows who is right and who is wrong... and he loves them both! Even when we are right and no one else believes us - He is there and he believes us... and even when someone makes a wrong offense towards us - he loves them too and we should as well otherwise we are held accountable for it. The only thing that HE wants for us is to make us happy and he always, always is able to accomplish that! And, that is what I am truly grateful for!
* I learned how important it is to have good friends...
* and lastly, I learned, that sometimes no matter how much you diet... sometimes it's just hard to keep it - especially at a TONGAN feast!
