The whole weekend was a lot of fun, but it went by way too quickly! Friday night the ward we had left was having a stake ball. We arrived late, but before the very end. This particular ball we did not have the time to get ready for, so Jon was in his suit, and I was in one of my church dresses. We did some dancing, and catching up. Some of the people in Welly thought we had already left the country, another didn't realize we had been married yet! It was funny.
It reminded us of one of our first dates. We had gotten all dressed up (myself in a stunning red formal floor length "kiss me" dress) and Jon in his suit. We danced all night long, except when I let him off to dance with someone else. (I did have to be fair, there weren't many guys.) I did get the first, last, and many in between dances. Jon also prepared a lovely meal for me beforehand, which we had by candle light, to sweet background music. I loved that night.
Jon and I from the first dance. 13 July 2007.
Saturday, we roamed around town and meet up with more good friends we had not seen. Lunch was at Satay Kingdom - one of our favourite cheaper places to eat - with some of my past co-workers that still keep in touch. The lunch time dessert call was at the waterfront with ice cream from Kaffee Eis with my lovely fun dear friend and ex-flatmate. Dinner found us with another couple that had gotten married not too long before us. Dinner was at Nandos... yum...
For our roaming around on Saturday, we basically drove into town and parked at the Institute building and walked everywhere. Again memories.... That is where Jon and I first kissed and where we spent many hours practicing dance moves for the ball and a dance lesson I would be giving for Enrichment.
The Institute Building.
Even the church building on Sunday brought back memories. Jon and I first met there the first weekend that I went to church while being in New Zealand. It is where we spent many hours talking and some days we walked to town from church together.
On the way into town, we waved as we passed my old flat, where Jon proposed and where we spent many hours.... Off the Terrace, again we waved as we passed the building Jon used to live in. This was where we spent many hours as well and where we picked up the tradition of kissing in the elevator (don't worry - we only snog in the elevator if no one else is there...).
Funny story actually... We were going down from the 13th floor in this building and let me tell you, this elevator took forever to get anywhere... So we were leaning ON OPPOSITE sides of the elevator talking the whole way down. At the bottom, the door opened, and this elderly lady was waiting to get o the elevator. She looked at us and then said "The elevator is not the place for snogging." I was actually quite shocked as we had been on OPPOSITE sides of the elevator even when the door opened! Well I was having none of that, if we were going to get accused of snogging on the elevator, you can be assured the next time, we would be snogging! So here is my profound thank you to this elderly woman, who has started a nice little tradition. Our kids will hate you for it.
Another funny kissing story that involves another game... You know the whole "slug bug" game that we play? Well Jon's family always played this game with Mini's because there are a lot more Mini's here in NZ than Bug's. Anyway, Jon and I have adapted the game so that any time we see a Bug or a Mini we kiss. No hitting, because that is violent and not nice... and kissing is just fun. Well one day we were on the bus heading to the chapel, and were talking to another couple (older) who were in the church. We saw a Mini and kissed. This sister looked at us and then her husband and said "Should we be doing that too?" and then proceeded to kiss her husband. We then explained why, but it was amusing that she just jumped to kissing her husband because we had kissed for what appeared no reason at all.
Back to the other weekend though, Jason's setting apart was cool. I have never actually been around when a missionary is set apart. Apparently none are really alike, but it was nice to be included. Jason is now in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) and will be heading over to Aussie in a few weeks, I believe.
Random-ish offset to this blog... when I was little, I always heard that missionaries went to the MTC before they went off on their mission. But everyone says this and it always sounded like "Empty Sea" to me. For years growing up, I wondered why they sent these missionaries to some sea in the middle of nowhere before they went to proselyte and serve. I even vaguely wondered where it was from time to time. It just didn't make any sense. I don't think it even really dawned on me until I got to Utah! LOL. What can I say? I am blonde.
The 54 Bus to Churton Park. This is the bus that took me home to Churton Park and away from Jon while we were dating. Each night we spent in town, Jon would walk me to the bus stop and see me get on the bus before heading home himself. What a gentleman.
The Coffee Stop. My favourite hot chocolate in the city. The don't know my name there, but they know my order as soon as I walk up. Even after months of not being there.
Mostly this drive way sign amuses me....
2 comments:
I think elevators are great places for snogging.
I completely agree. I am forever in debt to the little old lady that gave us the idea - though I am sure she would be quite upset about giving us the idea in the first place!
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