Stages of Life - Another Edition

Austin
-Austin is in the second year as the principal of Cardston High School. It is by far the hardest job he has ever had. Lots of factors contribute to the challenge of the job.
-He is enjoying is calling as second counselor in the stake presidency. It is much less stress and time than being a bishop. There are definitely parts of his calling as bishop that he misses. Stake presidency is much more scheduled time, not as many random phone calls and issues to solve. He only attends our ward about once a month, so he gets a lot of variety as they visit all the wards in our stake.
-Austin cannot just drive down our driveway normally when it is snowy or drifted. He has to bust through every drift. Twice this week he went off the driveway and nearly got stuck as he was just trying to bust through the drifts (I prefer to stay safely in the tracks that are already made). He also has an inner desire to spin cookies in icy parking lots. It just doesn't have the same effect in our 4-wheel drive Yukon. It is made to not slip on ice - so be nice to my car:)
-If there is something Austin doesn't want to eat or do, he says, "It's not on my top ten list."
-Since Austin started at the high school, he doesn't even ride a horse every week. Most of the time he rides once in the week, but not always. It is definitely something he misses.

Jill
-Jill just finished her first semester at Utah Valley University. She loved it and had fun. She hasn't necessarily bonded with her roommates, and her room roommate has been challenging, but I think it got better by the end of the semester and it is fine. Not amazing, but fine.
-She made some fantastic rodeo friends. She spent most weekends (after rodeo season was over) with her friend, Casey Ahlstrom and her family.
-Jill struggled at first with feeding herself. It is a challenge to figure out how to cook for one. She had a few cooking failures. She got sick of toast. She has become obsessed with Mexican food as that is where her people ate out almost every weekend.
-Jill goes to the gym to work out often. And then she does like to tell you about her workout, how much she lifted, and then how sore she is. Way to stay healthy!
-Jill did well in her classes, but she did get the first B+ of her life in public speaking.
-Jill does love to spend time on social media. She spends a lot of time in a day texting, snapchatting, instagraming, etc. When we went to college, we called home once a week. We talk or text Jill a lot of times in a day. She is the UVU Rodeo team media specialist and is really good at advertising and posting about the team and team members.
-We have loved having Jill home for 3 weeks. It seems complete when our whole family is here.

Hanna
-Hanna is almost halfway done her grade 11 year of high school. She took Math 30 and so she will take that diploma in a couple weeks. It is a hard class, but she has conquered it.
- She is on the varsity girls basketball team. Shelly Quinton is her coach, and she is so great. (The last couple years varsity coaching has been a little rough) Her team is really fun. Hanna's elbow did accidentally brake her teammate's nose the other day (Morgan Gibb).
-We are pretty sure that Hanna is gluten intolerant. She was really sick for almost a month and we kept going to the doctor, had 2 ultrasounds and 5 blood tests to try and figure out what was wrong. We finally went to a visit a naturopath lady, and she took pictures of Hanna's eyeballs and did muscle testing. She told us that her large intestine was in bad shape and gave her probiotoics to take. That week we had started her on a gluten-free, dairy-free and she was feeling significantly better. As we started talking to different people, we found out that there are several people that are also gluten intolerant. Hanna was sort of in denial at first because who wants to give all things bread and made with flour. She can eat a little bit and still feel okay. We are going to have to keep working to figure out some good alternatives.
-Hanna's favorite phrases are "get lit" and "it was litty." For example, it was a litty party or the activity was lit.
-Hanna keeps us laughing. Sometimes she says, "I am in a very bad mood," and we just kind of laugh at her. When certain other people say that, we believe it, but not really when Hanna says it.

Lucy
-Lucy is in a great stage of life: grade 7, Beehive class, girls basketball team, middle child, etc.
-Lucy likes school and is good friends with all of her teachers. She got nominated to be on the Hope Squad (a group of kids that are there to help other kids when they need someone to talk to).
-She loves being on the basketball team. Her coach is Kendall Hardy. They haven't actually won very many games yet, but all of their games have been really close. They have great potential. Lucy's face gets so red when she runs. She also does a foot stomp thing when she is guarding someone. She stomps her foot to let them know she means business.
-She is trying to figure out how to do her own hair. It is tricky because it is naturally curly. She has mastered the pony tail.
-Lucy danced with Reggie Olsen in the jive contest at school. They made it to the second round, which is good because they really only practiced one day.

Carly
-Carly grew fast like Jill did. She is taller than most of her friends. She wears the same size of clothes as Lucy.
-Her 4th grade teacher is Michelle Quinton, who we love. She is in the Cardston Elementary Senior Choir with Mrs. Burwell as the director. Mrs. Burwell had a brain tumor this summer, so we are lucky that she is still able to direct the choir.
-Carly is in her third year of violin lessons with Melanie Bryant. She isn't loving lessons and has asked if she can quit. There is a Westwind Orchestra that I told her she could join next year instead of lessons. She actually getting pretty good. We all voted that her song was the best one at her Christmas recital. She definitely had the most emotion.
-Carly loves to pester Jill. Still.Knee pits.
-Carly has an inquisitive mind. Any time anyone is telling a story about their day, she says, "what is ...." if she doesn't know what a word means. She also adds her own analysis after someone tells a story or opinion.
-Mom, I can take it. I'm 9 years old. Is Elf on the Shelf real?

Kaylynn
I guess I will add my own analysis of myself this time.
-I love my job at Sims Accounting. I love that I work school hours so we all go to town together and all come home together after school. My job is the perfect mix of working on my own with some social interaction.  I call myself an Accounting Technician.
-I got called as the 2nd counselor in the Relief Society presidency, with Colynda Duce as the president, Connie Quinton as first counselor, and Josie Bevans is the secretary. I am over education and music. I liked teaching Sunbeams, but I do love serving in Relief Society.
-I am turning into my mom in that my body comes awake between 5:30 and 6 am, and then most nights I get pretty tired by 9:30 or 10 pm.
-I would also like to order a new digestive system. I have come to a pretty good place in figuring out what I can and can't eat. I can't anything with oil with is much more than you would first think (not only fried foods, but anything with nuts, and almost everything processed has oil: most cereals, most ice cream, spaghetti sauce, crackers, almost all candy, etc. I don't eat very many baked goods that someone else made because I don't know what it is them. Luckily I can eat butter and margarine. I also have a new thing that I cannot eat hardly any fresh vegetables. Also, I can't wear any clothes that have even the slightest squeeze on my stomach or else I am in a lot of pain.

Random

Austin and I went to the Canadian Finals Rodeo with our quality friends in November. 

Austin coached a quality girl in basketball a lot of years ago named Jaicee Kuressa. She got married and had a darling, chunky little boy named Jay. He only lived about 10 months because of a bad heart. To honor him the day he died, she asked everyone to perform service for someone else. We went to the cemetery and raked pine cones. It seemed like a good idea, but we picked the coldest, windy day ever. We were still glad to honor Jaicee!

Here is Jaicee and Baby Jay.

I served in the nursery with these quality kids for 1 1/2 years and then I moved up with them to Sunbeams and taught them for 9 months before I got called to Relief Society.  Here are my cute kids:
Peter Parker, a visitor, Eliza Wendorff, Laykin Olsen, Jorgie Sommerfeldt, and Justus Seeley with my team teacher, Lorraine Pontarollo.

This is Hanna's quality friend, Taylor Barfuss. They have liked each other since the start of grade 10. The first time he held her hand was at the fireworks on Canada Day. Then by the time school started, the flame dimmed, but they are liking each other again.  He has planned some pretty fun dates that haven't completely panned out. Like one night he brought chips and drinks and a blanket and they were going to go star gazing, but it was cloudy and there were no stars. Then he came over during Christmas break and played games with our family, and he had brought some floating lanterns to light outside with Hanna, but it was -30 outside and they didn't work and they were both frozen in less than 2 minutes. He also left secret admirer notes on her car and in her locker. Austin does give the poor kid a hard time at school. It's rough having your dad as the high school principal.

Julia Lee got called to serve a mission in Charlotte, North Carolina mission. This is the day of her mission farewell. She gave a great talk. She entered the MTC on November 15. When she got her mission call in July, she wasn't sure she still wanted to go. She thought maybe she just go back to school. She opened it at Grandma Nunn's, and she texted me and said she was opening her call, but she wasn't sure she was still going. So I went over there, and there was an awkward feeling in the air. I said, "Let's pretend you are going since you don't really know." So everyone was excited, and we videoed it. Then Julia struggled for a few days battling over the decision. Austin sent her a link to a BYU devotional about women and education. She knew then that she had something to learn on her mission, and she decided to go. She will be an awesome missionary!

Facebook Year Review

December 30

Time to move St. George #babyitscoldoutside #lotsofsnow #-26c #-15f #goodthingwepostponedtherodeo

November 3

Winter in the great White North:
First, it was really nice of mother nature to wait to begin this storm until trick-or-treating was over on Halloween.
Hanna Nunn has no fear of winter driving and is a good driver. I do still offer up a little prayer when I send her off in the truck to take the kids to school.
Carly Nunn is not a fan of driving through snowdrifts . Last night when we got home and Hanna was driving and Carly got out to take down the rope across the cattleguard, and she said she would just walk up the driveway (she didn't trust Hanna - although Austin had taken the scenic route out our driveway the morning).

Our Yukon's transmission went out and so the car can only go about 40, but Austin is still driving it until we get a new car.
I have to admit I am happy to be stuck at home all day today and tomorrow - we decided not to go to the ranch or the rodeo this weekend.
Happy winter!

Jill Nunn is with Hanna Nunn and 2 others.

October 22, 2017 · 

Just your average Camericans trying to get the best of both worlds - universal health care & guns. #starsandmapleleaves

 

July 11, 2017

20 years ago today we celebrated the life of Austin's youngest brother Leighton 

who was killed in a car accident. As I was listening to the audio of his funeral today,

 there were 4 lessons that his wrestling coach/church leader learned from Leighton

#1 set goals

#2 once you set your mind to something, pursue it with every fiber of your being

#3 take time for others

#4 Be not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ

#2 once you set your mind to something, pursue it with every fiber of your being
#3 take time for others
$4 be not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ
#emotionalweek #thereislifeafterdeath #angelswatchingoverus

Kaylynn Waite Nunn

April 16, 2017 · 

"Isaiah, are you ready to leave on your big trip?"
"Not yet. We aren't leaving now. I'm going to Vanuatu."
"I know. I'm going to miss you."
"Will you cry?"
#Sunbeamsarethebest #smallestkidwithbiggestvocabulary
#ofcourseiwillcry

Christmas 2017

I love all of the pre-Christmas excitement: concerts, dinners, parties, nativity, etc. When we all walk out of school and work for Christmas break, it is a CELEBRATION!

We had 4 days of party with the Lees and Grandpa & Grandma Nunn. First day we went to the temple (youth - baptisms & the adults did a session). 

The girls all slept under the tree that night.

I love having Christmas Eve on a Sunday. We just had Sacrament Meeting with a Christmas program. I did sing with the ward choir. Austin was even home and made waffles for breakfast for us. We were snowed in because the snow had blown in the night covering our driveway. Thank goodness for Brad Sommerfeldt who came with his tractor.

Then we celebrated the rest of the day in Taber. We played games and had dinner. We played a new game that Jeanette gave us (Telestrations - where you draw a picture and the person next to you tries to guess what it is. Then the next person draws what that person thought the picture was, etc. Grandma Nunn kept us laughing as she thought one of the drawings was a square dance caller and one was a typewriter. Not quite as common in this generation). 

We did see Rudolph's red nose in the back field after dinner. Then we had a Christmas program. Carter was in charge this year. He had 2 songs listed on the program, and then the program said, "Ask if anyone wants to do something." Carly played "First Noel" on her violin (she had played at our ward party and her violin recital, too). She is rocking her violin playing. 

The unexpected highlight of the program was that Jill, Hanna & Kaela sang "Hallelujah" while Taylor played the piano.  Jill and Hanna singing in front of people is not in their normal idea of things to do. They each sang a solo verse and then the chorus together. It was so AWESOME! Jill told me she was facing a fear. We loved it.

Christmas Eve night is my least favorite part of Christmas. We are usually so tired as we put the finishing touches on Christmas. I second guess all of the gifts and wonder if it is too much or too little or equal. I wonder if Austin thinks I did a good job. I wish I had more wrapping done before that time. Luckily it all turns out just great by Christmas night.

I thought the girls might sleep in a little, but I was wrong. All of the girls slept  in Jill & Hanna's room downstairs. We heard someone go to the bathroom at 6:30 am, and then a couple minutes later we heard a whistle. It was Carly at the top of the stairs just checking to see if we were awake yet. 

The Christmas gift opening began! Santa brought Jill a hat box, Hanna & Lucy got new cowgirl belts, and Carly got a drone (a remote control airplane thing that takes pictures, too). I gave Austin hair trimmer for horses and a massager. He gave me new running shoes. I loved all of the gifts that the girls gave us and each other.  Several months ago, I decided we were having hundred dollar Christmas.  We would only spend $100 on each person. I stayed pretty close to the goal. 

Carly was determined to stay in the limit so her wish list including things like silly putty and a blank canvas to paint on. She did write a letter to Santa and asked for a ukelele or wood carving tools. When she opened her drone, she said, "This is even better than a ukelele."  Good answer!

We are surely blessed!

We had Christmas dinner and played another game at Grandma Nunn's. We definitely eat a lot during the holidays. On Boxing Day, it was cold (-31 C  or -23 F). We had some turkey sandwiches, played a game where you have to put this plastic thing in your mouth and then read cards and have your team try to guess what you are saying. That is where I draw the line. There is no way I was putting that thing in my mouth. #gag  It is funny. Then we attempted a few minutes of sledding on our hill. It was fun until we couldn't feel our feet anymore.

I love the Christmas season, and I am kind of sad when it is over. Luckily we still have almost 2 weeks until school starts again.

Another successful December birthday

We all know that having a birthday 5 days before Christmas is not my favorite thing. But my family and friends passed the test!

I actually took the day off work. I had a massage appointment, and then Jill and I braved the snowy roads to go to Babb, Montana to pick up our packages. Then we went out to lunch at Little Mexico and finished a little Christmas shopping in Cardston. We went to hear Carly sing at her elementary program. Austin grilled steaks for our dinner (even though it was -20C outside).

None of my gifts were even wrapped in Christmas paper. That is the true test.

My quality friend, Barb Salmon, gave me these trays of goodness for my birthday cake!

Basketball season

Hanna was so excited for basketball season this year. Shelly Quinton agreed to coach varsity girls basketball. She coached Hanna's grade 9 team, and she is so good. Hanna's team is fun. Not super tall, but they are fast.

Her first tournament was in Calgary at SAIT. We weren't able to go and watch her, but they were the tournament champions. They had a couple really close games, but they always pulled ahead at the end.  Hanna still wasn't feeling fantastic, so she said she didn't play a ton.

Her next tournament was at home for the Cougar Classic. They lost their second game to Magrath, so they ended up in 3rd place in the tournament.  On Saturday, Austin was supervising a couple games at the junior high, and I went to take him some food, and Jill was standing there. We were so surprised. She told us she was going to watch the NFR with the Ahlstroms, but they ended up not having a bed for her so she decided to just come home, but she didn't tell us. My parents knew, my sisters knew, and Austin's parents knew, but we didn't know. What a fantastic surprise! She came home a week earlier than we expected.

The Cardston varsity boys did win their tournament, so the whole school wanted to be in the celebration picture!

Lucy's team went to their first tournament in Letbridge, and they won their first 2 games but lost in the championship game to Raymond. They were excited to get 2nd place in the tournament.

Hanna's team also had a tournament in Lethbridge the same weekend. Luckily the games were in schools very close together, and they didn't overlap so we got to watch all the games. 

Hanna's team won the tournament. They are fun to watch. Hanna was feeling a little better, so she played more.

Austin Turns 44

On the day Austin turned 44 (November 30), Lucy had a basketball game, Austin had a parent meeting for all of the basketball teams, we had a stake presidency Christmas dinner to go to, and then Carly had an elementary choir concert that we went to.

So we observed Austin's birthday the week before while Jill was home.

We had sticky buns, bacon & chocolate milk for breakfast.

We had steak, twice-baked potatoes, salad and cheesecake for dinner.

He opened his gifts: a team roping rope (from me and Jill), a pullover jacket (from Hanna, Lucy

& Carly) and gloves and "The Last Lecture" book from his parents.

Carly also had a scavenger hunt around our house that she has been working on for weeks. She had printed pictures of her and Austin and had notes at each stop that talked about what she loves about her dad.

Lucy had also made him a coupon book (including a note to remind him that she was his favorite daughter).

Jill Came Home

Jill got a week off of school for US Thanksgiving!

She drove home in her new white truck with Jamie Berry and Taylor Lewis.  Parents worry on their kid's first solo drive from Utah to Canada.  They did it!

While she was home, we went to Cochrane to watch a very cold football game in the snow. 

Enjoyed Sunday naps. Jill went to dinner in Lethbridge with Bailey Cahoon and also got her haircut. We celebrated Austin's birthday. We watched Lucy's basketball game. We celebrated US Thanksgiving dinner with our neighbors, Shane & Tressie Smith. We put up our Christmas tree. Jill and I drove to Waterton to see where the fires had burned and ate lunch at the Twin Butte restaurant. Jill played in the Alumni basketball tournament, which included a game against the current girls varsity team (including Hanna). We also had a Southern Circuit Rodeo in Cardston. Jill won the open goats and got 2nd in breakaway.

It's good to know some things never change!

For their last game against the varsity team, these girls dug out some classic uniforms from the past. Although they looked good, the varsity girls did beat them!