Spring Backyard Campout

 April 24, 2020

Cardston, Alberta, Canada

Since every possible thing in our life had been cancelled, we had to get creative. Austin decided that we were going to have a campout in our backyard. We set up the tent and built a fire. Lucy said she didn't want to sleep out there and I gave her a speech about how she needed to sleep out with us. Then partway through the night, Austin and I were so uncomfortable on our cots. Like old people, it was hurting so bad to sleep on those cots without an air mattress. So we both ended up inside in the middle of the night. Lucy will probably never let me live down the speech I gave her.

Hanna's Mission Call

Hanna had all of her online missionary requirements done before she left at Christmas. She got back to school and met with her Bishop and Stake President. Everything was ready except hitting "submit." She had to wait until April 9 to submit since August 1 was her availability date.

Then came the corona virus. Co-vid 19. Global pandemic. Thousands of missionaries were sent home if they were not serving in their home country. Her friends came home from the Philippines, Africa, South America, etc. Then the church gave missionaries until April 30 to decide if they wanted to delay a year to serve, or get a new assignment in their home country. New missionaries could also choose to wait a year or go now knowing they would need to be flexible in where they went.

Plus Hanna starting hanging out with Tate Cranney.

Should she still go?

Prayers. Advice from Dad. Advice from her Bishop.

Her mission call came. She didn't want to tell everyone.

She sat in her car by herself reading the call while Jill and Larsen and the rest of our family were on FaceTime.

"You are assigned to labor in the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East Mission and will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish language. Please report to the México Missionary Training Center on Tuesday, August 4, 2020, after being set apart by your stake president. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months. Please note that circumstances in the country of your assigned mission may require that you begin with a temporary assignment in your home country. You will receive further instruction if this becomes necessary."

Okay. Now what? Should she still go? She prayed. We prayed. Then Heidi Cranney was in Logan that day and so Hanna was talking to her about it. She told her that she should go, that missions are so good for you. Hanna said, but I really like Tate. Heidi said that Tate is not ready to get married. Hanna needs to go, even for the sake of her future family. And Tate needs more time to decide what he wants in life.

That was the answer Hanna needed to hear. She committed to go. We called a quick Zoom meeting for Hanna to tell her aunts and uncles and grandparents. Then she was ready to post it online, and she needed to do it right now, during prime time social media hours (according to Hanna).

"After an amazing freshman year at Utah State, I have decided to serve mission! I have been assigned to the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East mission! I am beyond excited to be serving my Savior and the people of the Dominican Republic! @ Logan, Utah"

It's a mission call from the Lord just for Hanna. She is excited for the adventure of an island. She is excited to learn Spanish, even though she is practically fluent from her one semester of high school Spanish. She is excited for it to be warm.

When Hanna was opening her call, Jill said that she could see a few people that she would teach. Hanna said that during general conference a few weeks before that, she kept picturing little black kids, but they weren't black. Then the night before her mission call came, she had a dream with the same little kids. Island kids.

Another tender mercy is that our neighbour, Ethan Bevans, got called to Argentina and he is starting the same day at the Mexico MTC. There is also a boy from Stirling, Orrin Smith, who is going to the exact same mission on the exact same day. (Update as of July 2020, they are doing at-home MTC, so they aren't going to the Mexico MTC together). But she is still hopeful that when she goes to the Dominican Republic, at least she will have someone to travel with.

Easter

The Easter Bunny found us even during a pandemic.

We had a zoom Nunn church and then for the first time we had a Waite siblings zoom church. It was a good Sunday!

 

Lucy's Grade 9 Basketball Season

Lucy's grade 9 basketball team was full of ups and downs.

Neil and Hali Leishman were the coaches of the 11 girls. We were so grateful for them giving their time, as he is our bishop and a rancher, and Hali started teaching full-time this year, and she is in Young Womens.

The first two games of the regular season didn't go very good. Then they beat Barnwell. Next they played so well at their tournaments. They ended up 2nd in Magrath, and they were the champions at Chinook, Medicine Hat, Father Van Tiegen, and Red Deer.

Lucy got player of the game after she caught fire in the championship against Raymond at the Father Van Tiegen tournament in Lethbridge. 

The Cardston cougars beat Raymond and Magrath the second time they played them during league.

That takes us to the divisional play-offs.

Lucy's team was not on their game. They didn't play well at all, which was so disappointing after such a great season. We lost to Magrath. Lucy hardly got to play. She cried on the way home, saying that she played so much better for Coach Erica Burt last year. Kind of heart breaking for my little girl. But she is a good player. And the good news is that Erica Burt is the JV coach. Lucy will have to keep working hard as she heads into her high school years.

The next day they had to play Raymond, and it wasn't great either.

They didn't even get to go to zones to play. It was heartbreaking, actually. 

Next year...

Dana Schaffer took the girls to cheer the boys on at their zone tournament.

Lucy Flies to St. George

Hanna was dreaming of a great adventure for her spring break. 

She thought about coming home, but Austin told her to go south where it is warmer.

Then she had the idea to fly Lucy down to hang out with her.

It was all going good until the night before, and then Lucy wasn't so sure she wanted to fly alone. Austin drove her to Great Falls. "This is the scariest thing I have ever done."

But she did it and all went well.

Hanna picked her up at the Las Vegas airport.

Hanna and Lucy stayed with Shayna (Olsen) Milne, our friend from Cardston. She was such a great hostess.

 The next day they met Jill and Larsen and went to Zion National Park. They had a beautiful day hiking to Angel's Landing.

Lucy and Larsen waited at the last landing while Jill and Hanna went to the top.

Diana happened to be in Zion also for the weekend, so they stopped to say hi.

Saturday night - Lucy calls. Please don't make me fly back. Let me find a ride.

Austin: You can do it. You'll do great.

Hanna text to Kaylynn: Call Lucy when Austin is not listening.

I actually thought about it overnight and thought through the options. The next morning we knew she had to do it. Do hard things. Nunns don't quit. You can do it. 

Tears.

Hanna was nice for a minute, and then she told her to get over it and she wasn't going to spend her last day with her crying. Then they went on an adventure. Then later Hanna text and said, "I'm pretty amazing. Although I have no sympathy."

The airport on Monday was much less busy, and Lucy conquered. She sat by a nice couple from Raymond on her way home. Carly and I drove to Great Falls to pick her up. We got to watch her land.

Lucy's adventure wore her out.

We were having a lovely drive home, and we were about 5 miles from the border, and there appeared a deer in the middle of the road. I tried to stop, but I hit it. We were okay, and thank goodness for insurance.

On the day the girls were hiking Angel's Landing in sunny southern Utah, Austin, Carly and I drove to visit Joe and Joan in Saskatchewan. Always an adventure.