Kalispell 5k

It was time for our second annual trip to Montana to run a 5k race. And of course to have a little get away, shop, eat and laugh. The bummer of the trip was that Barb got the flu the night before, but we did have a fun time with her replacement, Laurel Cahoon, Marilee's daughter.

It rained all the way to Kalispell, but the drive was so beautiful with the changing leaves. We got lots of great shopping done, got new tires on Marilee's car, and test drove a new car for me. We ate yummy food, stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, and even sat in the hot tub for a few minutes.

Marilee, Kaylynn, Dixie, Laurel

The race was called A Run Through History, and we ran from downtown Kalispell around a really pretty park and back up a hill to the finish. It felt like a long run, and I didn't eat the right thing - too much or too little or something. But I beat my time by 40 seconds. I finished in 29 minutes 16 seconds. I was 8th in my age group and the 25th woman to finish. Being done with a race is definitely the best part. I do have a love/hate relationship with running.

Before the race


My big finish - they even announced Kaylynn Nunn from Cardston, Alberta

After the race


A little bull riding at Wal-Mart, our last stop of the first day of shopping.

On the way home, I thought, what a great day... a car full of friends and groceries and new clothes, ran a race, a full moon, and to top it off we listened to Michael McLean on the way home... "If only you believe in yourself, you won't be scared"

The second bummer of the trip was that CostCo closes at 6 pm on Saturdays, and we got there at 6:15. Good thing we went back the next week to pick up the new-to-me car I bought (watch for a future post...)

My kids were watching for me out the window when I got home, not so much because they missed me, but because I knew I would be bringing home lots of new things and treats. Of course, I did deliver!!

I Hope They Call Me on a Mission...

Austin's parents finally got their mission call.

They been called to serve in the Nauvoo, Illinois Mission. They report to the MTC on March 12 and will serve for 18 months. It said their primary assignment will be in the Visitor's Center.

Grandpa read the letter (with the envelope on his head).

Sarah's family was on Skype and Les was on speaker phone.

They each got a separate letter with the mission call. Jill's joke was that Grandma got called to Kansas and Grandpa got called to Nauvoo. Then Jill's other funny comment, "I need a map." (you have to have watched Singles Ward to appreciate that joke).

Their comments when they opened their call:

"We are not leaving until March, now I have to find a job. I was ready to leave November 1.
Now we have to buy Christmas presents."

They really are excited to go to Nauvoo. It will be the perfect place for them. Six months seems like a long time to wait, but it will give them time to get their pioneer clothes ready.

We are moving into their house while they are gone so we can take care of their house and their animals, and we can keep saving money to buy our dream home and land with an arena.

Now I can start planning our trip to Nauvoo in 2013.

Summer Report

*Editor's Note: Obviously I started writing this a few weeks ago. Each event could have been its post, but we were too busy playing to write about it.


We have two more days of summer, and then time to start school again. We have loved having warm weather and a husband/father who has the summer off, too. We played hard.

Events of the summer (besides our trip to Utah/Idaho/Wyoming):

Girls Camp
We sent our daughter to girls camp for the first time. By the time Carly is done, we will have sent girls to camp for 15 years in a row. Austin got assigned/volunteered to be the priesthood. They camped in Beazer on Lee Creek and went to Police Lake to play. They had a fun time.
Jill only took 3 pictures and I tried to steal some, but they wouldn't work.

Basketball Camp
Jill and Hanna went to Champs Basketball Camp in Cardston.
(The two pictures I took were blurry.)

Swimming Lessons

Carly

Lucy

Jimmer Basketball Camp

Lots of kids from Cardston decided to go to Utah to a Jimmer Basketball Camp (for history: Jimmer Fredette is an AMAZING basketball player known for his shooting who played for BYU. Now he has been drafted to play in the NBA). At first we thought they were kind of crazy, but then we decided it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and things worked out for Jill to get a ride down with another family going to the camp, she stayed with my sisters, and then got a ride with the Bennetts back to meet us at West Yellowstone for Waite Family Fun Days. She had tons of fun and said she learned a lot. Jimmer was really only there every other day, and some of the time he was on the sidelines texting, but she did get to learn from him a few times.

Luckily Jill's green shorts help you know which one is her.

Cardston Heritage Days

Parade watchers

Austin and Rick Olsen driving the Cardston Ag Society wagon.

Austin

Kaden, Lucy, Taylor, Hanna

Hanna, the pioneer

Grandpa Buck fulfilled a dream by leading his team of oxen in the parade. Hanna was also in her glory to walk along poking the oxen dressed as a pioneer. Hanna loves to dress up and play pioneer.



Hanna rode a wild pony during the rodeo.

Horse Camp

Austin and Buck put on a week-long horse camp at the Agridome. There were a few kids who had never ridden a horse before, so it was a slow and take-it-easy kind of horse camp. But everyone had tons of fun. Austin is just a great teacher, no matter what he is teaching.

Stake Relief Society Hike to Waterton

The cool ladies from Leavitt Ward at Crandell Lake.
(Janice Walburger, me, Dixie Bevans, Karen Bevans, Marilee Cahoon, Juddy Olsen)

Waterton Hike

It is a major accomplishment to get Buck and Austin to recreate. But we finally found a day that we could all go on a hike in Waterton. We hiked to Bertha Falls. Beautiful. Fun. Loved it.

Leavitt Ladies Horse Ride
I took Jill with me this time on our second annual Leavitt Ladies horse ride. We went to the community pasture again, but this time we rode up to Pole Haven. We were on top of the world and could see all of Mountain View and over to Leavitt. We stopped and had lunch at the little ski cabin. I rode Lena and Jill rode Cheno. Another super fun day. Little did we know that two of the ladies on our ride were going to be called to be the Primary President and the Relief Society President a couple days after our ride.

Trip to the ranch
We joined Austin on a trip to the ranch. We played with miniature donkeys and helped cook and swat flies and more flies while Austin helped Joe sort horses. We are bringing this miniature donkey home for you, Barb Salmon.

Trip to Edmonton
For our last summer fling, we went with Austin to Edmonton. While he was in conferences all day, we were tourists. The first day we went to Fort Edmonton. It is a historic center that shows Edmonton from the 1840s, 1885, 1905 and 1920. There was so much to see and learn.

We had to pay money for Carly to get led around a circle on a pony.

After a fun day, we went to have dinner with Austin's Aunt Annie and Uncle Ted. Thanks for the great burgers!

The second day we went to West Edmonton Mall, one of the biggest malls in the world. We shopped for a few minutes, and spent the rest of the day in the water park going down slides and playing in the wave pool. Austin joined us after his conference.

That concludes the Nunn Summer Report.

Come jog with me

I decided to bring you with me on my morning jog/hike since it is so pretty.

First, I walk out the door and the horses neigh and neigh at me.


So I let them out into the big pasture.


Then I start my jog. I look down my driveway and can see the cemetery.


This bird comes and talks to us whenever we walk, ride our bikes, or ride our horses up and down the driveway. I wonder what he is telling us.


I run down the driveway, turn right, and then hike up a big hill. This is the view of the town of Cardston. It is too small to see, but the Cardston Temple is in this picture.

This is the view of the farm where we are living right now. We rent a little house and we rent from our neighbors, Robert and Lorraine Hull.

This is the view I see when I turn to the south. Chief Mountain. It is part of the mountains of Glacier National Park and Waterton National Park.

Our dog, Roxie, and the neighbor's black dog, Riley, come on my jog with me every morning.

I know I am at the top of the hill when I get to this pole. It holds the signals for lots of cell phone and internet companies. At night the red lights come on and we can see "our pole" for miles when we are coming back to Cardston.


Now it is time to hike back down the hill and run back home. To make it truly authentic, we should be listening to Jill's or Hanna's ipod.