Lucy's Mission Call

During General Conference in October, Lucy decided to go on a mission so she quickly started her mission papers. She had everything ready except her medical appointments which she needed to get in Canada, so she did those when she came home for American Thanksgiving. When she went back, she met with her Bishop again and then the Stake President, although it took 2 weeks to get an appointment with him.

Her papers were submitted on December 10. I decided to go down to Utah to drive home with Lucy, partly since her car had broken down on her way back home after Thanksgiving. Partly we were hoping I would be there for the mission call. 

We know mission calls usually come on Tuesdays, so we were waiting for the message.

At 9:30 am she got a text that said her mission call was ready. Thank goodness.

Jeanette was gracious enough to host the mission call opening. She even fed all of my Utah County siblings dinner. Then Lucy's roommates came, and she opened her call. We did Facebook live and Instagram live so our family and friends everywhere could watch. First Facebook had no sound, so we had to start it again. Then she started reading her call. You could see when she got to the point where she could see where she was assigned to go because she took a big breath and smiled and read her assignment. But on Instagram live right at that moment, someone clicked share screen and interrupted the video so those watching couldn't hear where she was assigned to serve.

Puerto Rico San Juan Mission. Mexico MTC. Starting February 12.

She had debated finishing the school year or putting her 19th birthday as her availability date. She said she decided she wanted to just go now and also be back in time to start the school year in 2025. But she didn't try to sell her contract or defer school until she got her call. February 12 clearly answered the question that she wasn't going to the second semester. 

Puerto Rico seems like a great place for Lucy to serve - she gets to learn Spanish, be on a warm island, and it is a US territory so she won't have to get a visa or anything since she is already a US citizen.

We were grateful for all of the people that came or watched her mission call opening.

Austin's 50th Birthday

 Austin turned 50 on November 30.

We had an early birthday dinner while Lucy was still here and went to a stake dinner at the Keg.

On his birthday, we had a birthday breakfast. We invited some friends to come and have ice cream cake with us - Roger & Cheryl Lewis, Bob & Monica Wilson, and Grandpa & Grandma. We invited Rod & Jackie Olsen but they ended up not coming.

Then we did a FaceTime call with the girls and we each shared 10 things we love about Austin - so we go to 50.

My idea for his birthday was to plan a birthday trip with Jon and Kari Traveller, one of Austin's mission companions who also turns 50 soon. We ended up delaying the trip to later in 2024.

Fall 2023

Lucy visited Hanna in Cokeville

Kaden Lee came home from his mission to Chile

Austin and Kaylynn celebrated 27th Anniversary

High school rodeo

Carly dressed up as Hawaiian girls with her friends for the Sadies dance

Thanksgiving dinner at the Janisko's teepee

Two Halloween kids - Will and Carly

Carly was the Grade 9 Valedictorian

Carly, Kaylynn and Presley Butler hike to Bertha Falls in Waterton

 

Kaylynn's Cruise with the K-1 Crew

It's kind of amazing that I still get together with my college roommates - 28 years later. Our trip together was delayed because of Covid. But we finally found a date and planned a cruise. We all flew to Long Beach, California. They had all flown in earlier in the afternoon, so when I got there we went on a tour of an old ship and then had dinner.

We laughed and talked and laughed and talked. The next morning we had a few hours to hang out before we got an uber ride to the ship. Luckily some of our roommates are cruise experts and signed us up for the first time slot to load the ship. Our first stop on the ship was to eat lunch. Then we were smart to bring our swimsuits in our backpacks to go on the waterslides. We didn't get our suitcases delivered to our rooms until later in the afternoon, so there weren't very many people there.

The first night we went to an ice skating show, the second night was a broadway dance/song show, and the third night was a concert of a lady singing Whitney Houston songs. Then we did lots of eating. We ate dinner in the dining room and had such good food with the nicest server from the Phillipines. 

On Saturday it was just a day of cruising. We just hung out on the sun deck most of the day - people watching, talking, sleeping, reading and eating. 

Then the ship stopped in Ensenada, Mexico for the day. Cyd, our cruise expert, had arranged an excursion with an outside company (different than the ship excursions). First we went and had 90-minute massages with the cutest Mexican women. Then we went kayaking with a really fun guide who had learned English from watching cartoons. Then our driver took us to a grocery store so we could use the bathroom and buy some Mexico treats. Then we went to an authentic taco stand. So delicious. Then he took us back to the ship.

Our ship cruised all night back to Long Beach, and we left the ship at 7 am on Monday. We had several hours to kill before our flights, so we got an uber ride to a shopping outlet. We would take turns shopping and watching the suitcases. Then to the Long Beach Airport. I didn't get back to Great Falls until 10:30 pm so it was almost 2 am when I crawled back into my bed.

What a fun trip!!

Here is the Cruise Quote Wall:

Are you sick?

No, Cydnee

Are you sick?

It's Cydnee

Keri - had to interpret 

(Although Cyd is the cruise expert, the rest of us had done the pre-boarding check in, but Cyd hadn't. So the check-in lady was asking her if she was sick. Cyd that she was asking her name, and Cyd was correcting her that her full name was Cydnee, not Cyd. Then Keri told the lady it was her first cruise.)

Cyd- i’m going to see how many times I can say “ on my cruise last week”

Keri - Raisins on a salad don’t taste like raisins

Malin, i’m not picky like I’ll fill my water bottle up at the hotel bathroom sink

Ed (Kaylynn’s airplane seat mate)- number one cause of divorce: marriage

Are you coming Price dusters?

Keri- I don’t even know how to pucker my lips? How does Matt kiss me?

Cyd - can I try a bite ? (Pretty much every meal/snack, etc)

Malin, what time is it? My phone is always off a little

Malin, I’m just going to get one more oatmeal cookie

Hilary's report from home: AJ at fast & testimony meeting- I think Jesus is nice. I know that because I feel his love around me.

Then to Adam he said, I wish I could get baptized again - I want to swim more. My tongue gets to swim all the time.

Hilary - I watched a documentary on it….

Do you want me to have your ….butter, etc

Cyd - I have eating Fomo

Keri’s new friend- “she wants to be Persian” (Keri saw a sign that said private function and she went to check it out...twice. Then she figured out they were all Persian and they have a distinct look. Then she became obsessed with them and stalked them and stopped a lady to ask her about the group. The lady invited her to come to their private function that night. So Keri went and joined their dance party.

White middle aged woman WMAW