This year the Branch Summer Party at Ence's summer home in Pine Valley
was the Saturday before we left for BYU Education Week and we were excited we didn't miss it!
Over 100 branch members, neighbors and friends drove the 35-40 minutes to the cooler mountain valley
where Jay and Janice open their home to us for this annual brief retreat from the St. George heat.
Jay and Janice Ence
She has been my visiting teacher since we moved to St. George 13 years ago and I adore her!
The theme this year was a Hawaiian luau,
with Hawaiian catered food and the Relief Society sisters provided assigned homemade banana
(I made one of these), strawberry and pineapple/coconut cakes.
The committee chairs asked me if I knew of any Hawaiian entertainment and I said I sure did!
Susi Lafaele is the Events Chairman at the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce where I volunteer.
She is even more accurately the backbone and the heart and soul of the Chamber.
Her aunties taught her how to hula.
When I asked her to come and perform at our party, she most graciously accepted
and she brought with her her nieces, who, I found out later, are taking hula lessons and she is paying for them.
She doesn't want the culture lost.
She danced some hulas . . .
(She was so graceful and always, with a big smile on her face)
. . . and they danced, . . .
. . . with some numbers using poi balls.
They were a hit with the crowd; I had so many compliments to pass on to them on Sunday at church.
It was another successful branch outing and we appreciate the Ences and their warm hospitality!
August 21, we were hurrying to leave for BYU Education Week,
when the solar eclipse was at max, 76 % in St. George,
around 11:30 am.
We tried to look up in the overcast sky and didn't see it very well, but here is how it looked in totality in Oregon.
And here is how it looked over the Salt Lake Temple.
Awesome!
Next up - BYU Education Week!
Looks like a fun party!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun party! The hula is such a beautiful and graceful dance! I always get a little emotional when I hear the lovely Hawaiian music and see the hula performed - visions of mom doing the hula flood my mind! I am so glad that your idea for the entertainment worked our so well!
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a really fun party! Your Hawaiian friend is darling and so are her nieces. I love that they are taking hula lessons and were able to be the entertainment at the party. The eclipse was pretty neat...great photos you found to include in your post!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great party - such a fun theme!
ReplyDelete