Ending of 2021

It has been super cold. We mostly have just hung out at home this week in between Christmas and New Year's - including movies, naps, staying up late, etc.

On New Year's Eve, the wind wasn't blowing and the sky was blue so we went on a drive to Waterton. It was pretty but so cold.

Lucy and Carly went to friend's houses for New Year's Eve parties.

We are also so close on our countdown to Hanna coming home.

Bring on 2022.

Christmas 2021

Since Hanna is coming home 2 weeks after Christmas, Jill couldn't come all the way to Canada twice, so we decided to meet in the middle in Idaho Falls at my parent's house for Christmas.

Austin sat on Santa's lap (Carly) to tell what he wished for Christmas.

We joined the Johns to do a painting tutorial with Elder Brandon John on Facetime. We were going to do a snowman painting on Christmas, but we decided to join the Johns instead and Julie had picked a Mary and Joseph painting. We weren't too successful at animals and people, but it was fun and we had lots of good laughs.

Also on Christmas Eve we finished up a little shopping after we got our covid tests at Walgreens. Grandpa and Grandma gave Lucy and Carly gift cards for Christmas, so they took them shopping and to lunch at Pizza Pie Cafe. They said it was pretty good. It is a buffet, but Lucy and Carly said they only ate pizza because you had to talk to someone to get pasta. They found a couple of cute shirts to buy with their gift cards.

For Christmas Eve dinner, we had appetizer night. Each person made an appetizer to share. We had a good spread!

Then we had a Christmas Eve program where we sang a couple songs and each shared a thought or story and watched the nativity "The Christ Child." We didn't act out the nativity this year since we have no little kids. But we did give the kids matching pajamas, including some for Jill's baby.

On Christmas morning, we got to do a video call with Hanna while we opened presents. I loved all of the thoughtful gifts. Each gift has a story. We got a mini high chair from my parents since we are going to need some grandparent house things. Austin wrote on his Christmas list that he wanted "Peace Love Happiness" so Carly created and ordered a pillow that says Peace Love Happiness.

*Sidenote on Carly vs Lucy Christmas shopping. Carly had been thinking and making lists for weeks. I had to take her to Lethbridge to the orthodontist in November, and we shopped until she was finished, except the pillow she ordered a few days later. She also asks me every couple days during December if I have everything I need wrapped. She wrapped all of our gifts except what is for her.

Lucy, on the other hand, says she doesn't like to plan. She just likes to walk through the store and see what jumps out at her. And the closer to Christmas the better. 

But both methods end in success!

On Christmas Day, we had waffles, berries and bacon for breakfast. Then we had naps and just hung out and played games. Then we had ham and potatoes for lunch. Then Diana got to Idaho, and we all went to Johns for dinner and games - lots of laughs.

We went back to grandma's to open tree gifts with Hanna again.

On Sunday, the first plan was to go to church with the grandparents and then head home, but the roads were snowy so we decided to just head home. But then part of I-15 was closed because of blowing snow. So we started on a backroad through Island Park, but we only got about 2 miles from my parent's house before we saw that those roads were closed too.

So we went  back and listened to 3 Sacrament Meetings: Marin William's homecoming, Maddie Barfuss's homecoming, and Leavitt Ward's Christmas Sacrament Meeting. Then we had lunch and all had a Sunday nap. When I woke up, the Idaho side of I-15 was open, and then the Montana side opened shortly after that. So we left Idaho Falls at 3 pm and Austin drove us safely through every type of road condition, and we got home just after midnight.

It was fun to be with Jill and Larsen, and to be with my parents and see two of my sisters.

My parents aren't young chicks anymore, but they are still doing pretty good. We do laugh at my dad's OBSESSION with saving electricity. Their house is so cold because they only keep their furnace at 67 in the day and 66 at night. Brrr. And he is also obsessed with turning off lights. Every meal he would get up during the meal or go around right before he sat down and turn off the lights in the other rooms, even the kitchen which is right next to the kitchen table, and where we would be back again in 10 minutes after we ate. He pulled out to head to church and pulled back in because the outdoor light was still on. Funny guy.

Merry Christmas!

 

 

Leavitt Christmas Drive-in

 Sometimes I volunteer for things and then wonder what I was thinking - like when I had the idea to have a Leavitt Christmas Drive-in. Because of all of the restrictions, we still can't have a regular indoor ward party, so I suggested we come to the church parking lot, have a nativity, sing a couple songs together and have Santa Claus come. We also had everyone drive by the kitchen door and get a doughnut and hot chocolate before they parked.  

Austin Turns 48 and Kaylynn Turns 46

We started Austin's birthday celebration early when we went to Calgary early in November to buy Austin a new cowboy hat and to go out to dinner.  He ended up with two hats, a black felt hat and a straw hat. We went to Olive Garden for dinner. On his actual birthday, we had birthday breakfast and ice cream cake and opened presents.

For my birthday, Austin cooked breakfast, I worked for a couple hours and then we went to Lethbridge and did a little bit of shopping before we went out to dinner at The Keg - such delicious steak and a birthday dessert - Billy Minor pie - (that I didn't dare eat not knowing if it had oil in it).

Austin bought me roses and gave me a new temple bag. Carly gave me a Christmas decoration to go with my new Christmas theme - buffalo plaid. Lucy gave me an Old Testament journal addition. Buck & Martha gave me sock, string cheese, & bath soap. Barb Salmon gave me a blue throw blanket, Marilee Cahoon gave me a dish towel, Shauna Smith gave me a bag of rolls, and Tammy Sommerfeldt gave me some brownies. Jill had given me Christmas decorations a few weeks ago, which instigated me starting our new Christmas theme. I loved all of the texts, emails and Facebook messages also. 

Plus it was a bonus that we got to talk to Hanna.

Hermana Nunn

 Hanna's life in 2021 was as a missionary in the Canada Toronto Mission. She had lots of companions, lots of transfer, lots of covid restrictions and lockdowns, lots of service (food banks, homeless shelters, etc), lots of English classes (teaching Spanish speakers), lots of online lesson, lots of praying, studying & coming to know her Savior, Jesus Christ.

We loved getting to talk to her every Monday. We were often on video calls with her for 3 to 5 hours on Mondays, especially when they were locked down.

She never did stop wishing that the borders would open so she could go to the Dominican Republic, her original mission call. When she reached her one-year mark, she knew she would spend the rest of her mission in Toronto, and she was okay with that. 

She got to serve with so many missionaries from southern Alberta, and lots from Cardston. Two of her companions also went to Cardston High School, Megan Hornberger and Julianna Miller. There was always missionaries she knew from home in her districts and zones.

She served in the four Spanish wards in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA as the locals call it) - Brampton, Black Creek, downtown Toronto, and Churhville YSA. Then she got transferred to Leamington, which is a small branch in an area that is the tomato capital of Canada.  So many greenhouses. They found a group of Latino migrant workers, and they would go and have Bible study with them on Sunday nights. Then she was transferred to London where she served in the Spanish branch.

She had companions she loved, companions she grew to love, and challenging companions. She had baptisms and a lot of friends committed to baptism that fell through. She came to love so many people.

(I made a separate blog and blogbook of all of her mission letters - if you ever want to learn more)

We love Hermana Nunn!