I Suspect Winter Might Be Over

 What a Winter! It started out with a bitter cold that just wouldn't go away and now it seems that Spring just might be here. Yippee!!

At the barn, Snoopy is shedding his winter coat like crazy. Everything I wear out there gets a nice coating of white horse hair. In my yard, the buds have started:

 Even the daylilies have some serious growth started.

 We're still getting moisture, thank goodness, but it's in the form of rain in the valley and snow in the mountains. Our area is at 97% of normal water totals for the year, and will probably pass that. Of course, I say that's due to the special church fast we had last month....

Decisions Determine Destiny Handout

Here's the cutest YW lesson handout I've made so far:

They are made with toilet paper rolls!! (I had to save up for a while.) :)

I put gum inside. The girls liked them a lot, and I hope it helps them remember the lesson, because it was an important one.

Oahu Wrap-Up

Here are a few more random photos to finish up our trip to Hawaii:

The temple.

Feral cats.

 Surfers.

 A few views from Diamond Head. Here's the interior of the crater:

 A great view of Waikiki Beach:

 Interesting native birds:

 And probably the most scenic lighthouse on the islands:

 We loved our trip to the islands!

Doing My Thang

Bruce and I commandeered the mini van one morning and drove up the coast to see what we could see. Unbeknownst to me he took a few pictures with his phone, of me- taking pictures.  

Here I am,

Shooting this:

Here I am again,

Shooting this:

What a beautiful place!

Waikiki At Sunset

We all drove into Waikiki one night, just for fun. We got there right as the sun was setting. (See header above.) Everything stops in Hawaii when the sun goes down. People just stop and stare, they hug, they kiss or they frantically snap pictures.

We ate at Duke's on the beach, then joined the masses of Japanese shoppers spending money as fast as they could. Best discovery on the night: The Honolulu Cookie Company. Best. Cookies. Ever. And they give free samples!

Aulani

For the last few days of our Hawaii trip, we went over to the island of Oahu to Disney's Aulani resort! I never thought I'd get to stay there! It was a really beautiful place.

 These cute Mickey towels were waiting on our beds when we checked in. (See the Hidden Mickeys on the quilt?)

 Even nicer, our California Disney contacts sent us all this amazing Disney treat!

 I made quick work of the gift shop. You can't see the other big bag hiding behind this one. :)

Aulani is a kid's paradise. The pool and beach are perfect for family fun. There is a tube water slide and a lazy river that we loved. Bruce played on the beach a lot.

 He also went golfing.

 Aulani is not as "Mickey-fied" as I thought it would be. In fact, you don't see any Disney characters except in the gift shop. They do, however, have a special soundtrack for the elevators- Disney songs sung in Hawaiian. Think: Be My Guest or Just Can't Wait To Be King- in Hawaiian. Cool stuff.

Maui- What's Not To Love?

Some other fun moments from Maui:

We went to the local ward:

The guys bought these hats and wore them to dinner that night. Then Bruce started wearing his all the time and I had to tell him to stop.

We ate here. Several times. :)

This accommodating native posed for me!

Bruce and his signature pose:

The blowhole on the north part of the island:

Beautiful, tropical, so-not-like-Utah nature:

Valentine Mason Jars

Happy Valentines Day! I hope you and your significant other have a wonderful day. I saw a cute idea on Pinterest that fit all of my crafting criteria: quick, uncomplicated and cute!

Step 1: Spray paint mason jars with matte off-white spray paint. (Looks like I need another coat on my jars- especially on the "shoulders"!)

 Step 2: Decorate jars with ribbon, baker's twine and washi tape.

Step 3: Fill with flowers!

I'm planning on changing out the colors of trim for other holidays- perfect!!

Excuse Me, But Where Are Your Clothes?

We were spoiled and pampered on our Hawaii trip. All of the ladies went to the spa one day for a good soaking and a massage.

This particular spa had a series of 5 pools, representing 5 Hawaiian islands. Each pool had it's own concoction of salts, oils and scents. (None of these are my pictures, by the way.)

 In between each pool, you had to get a fire hose spray down. Some ladies at the spa (not us!) chose to wander around and soak in their birthday suits. It was a little disconcerting at first, but then it turned comical. The human body is funny looking. Enough said!

After my massage, I visited the sauna and steam rooms- my favorite part of any spa. Then I soaked for a while in this pool:

 That small whirlpool looks like a hot tub, but really it's a cold tub. A little Japanese lady strolled into that pool and let out a Japanese-style yelp. I guess she and I don't see the logic in cold baths at all.

A Whale Of A Tale

Our original plan was to go scuba diving while we were on Maui. That didn't work out because they were in the middle of a storm system that was creating big surf and churning up sand on the ocean floor. Not ideal for seeing fishes. Instead, we went on a whale watching tour!

We saw so many whales!

A mom and baby whale even came right up to the boat. Pretty neat stuff.

We saw lots of whale tails:

And whale arms, also known as fins:

And I caught this jumper! This is not entirely in focus, but when you don't know that something like this is going to happen, you really can't prepare yourself.

We had a great time watching whales!