Closing on Pelican Shores

Chris and I were cautiously optimistic after the inspection was complete. We still had one week to wait for our closing in Parker, CO on Tuesday morning and then Brian's closing in Loveland, CO on Wednesday morning. 

As soon as Brian was done, our agent, Krissy, texted us: SOLD & CLOSED!!!!!🎉🥳

We are done. And we are soooooo grateful and amazed with the miracles in our lives. Three weeks ago, we weren't having many showings.

Two weeks ago, we received Brian's full price CASH offer.

One week ago, the inspections were completed.

Today, two weeks from the offer, we are SOLD & CLOSED!!!!!🎉🥳.

Last Trips to Firestone

We drove to Firestone on Saturday to pack up the lawn mowers and garden tools. We had recently also purchased a snow blower; unfortunately it would not fit in the trailer as well as the mower. So, Chris would have to make a return trip on Sunday morning to have all of our stuff out of the house before closing on Tuesday.

We also had hair and massage appointments in Firestone on Saturday. Misha wanted to see the house one last time, so she met us after noon and helped with the final clean up. No yard work though. Hallelujah!

But our efforts have resulted in a darn nice looking yard.

Saying goodbye on the last trip Sunday morning.

So long turkeys!

Chris arranged with the new homeowner, Brian, to meet at the house on Saturday afternoon. Chris spent time showing him some of the features of the house—electronics, sprinklers, beach.

It took us most of the day and we arrived back in Monument around 7 pm.

On Sunday morning, Chris drove back to Firestone to pick up the snowblower. I felt like I was fighting a cold, so I stayed home and watched Stake Conference via Zoom, Chris listened as he drove.

Kristen's Mission Emails - Week 70

KITTENS & CHICKENS HELLOOOOOO!!! 

Yay for springtime, weirdest Halloween vibes ever, not that they really celebrate it here anyways...but at least they do stake trunk or treat, which is still weird cuz they don't call it boot or treat heheh 🥁🥁 Aussie jokes

This week was slay. Here's why:

• We had MLC and the mission is entering her glow up era. We're striving for 50 baptisms in November and let's just say, we need miracles. And a good friend of mine once said, "Obedience brings blessings. Exact obedience brings miracles." 
• The poor mission choir....they thought singing in Hebrew was hard enough!! But I rock up and say every song is a different language! It was an interesting practice but it'll be an unforgettable devotional! 
• I LOVE THE FLORES FAMILY (was the falcon family until I remembered how Latino last names work....my bad) they are so golden and every time I'm with them, I'm like, how can people be this willing to live the gospel? I'M SO GRATEFUL THEY'RE IN MY LIFE. Kamila (18) said she thinks she will serve a mission. We taught Karitza the word of wisdom and she mourned coffee for about 2 seconds until our members (shoutout the Ocampos) pull out Caro, a coffee substitute famous amongst latin members. He gave it to her and said, "Un regalo!" And just like that she gave it up. I see this family in white! She's a single mum and said something very profound. "This gospel is already fulfilling the lack of a father in my children's life." ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? And pray for Kelly, she got bit by a bad spider (classic Australia) I LOVE THE FLORES FAMILY!! 
• Ran exchanges in Playford with Sister Lazar (she used to be a nun) and we had a hoot of a time! It rained and rained and we went to visit a member and as soon as we pulled up, it rained more. I didn't wanna get out to be honest, but we did! And we asked her if she knew anyone who needs the gospel! And she said yes, go to this address, they met with missionaries in the Philippines! And I was like, what the, no one ever says yes to that! We rocked up and they weren't home, but we trust that when they are, they're getting dunked! 
• Held a baby kitten and a baby chicken

Ok, if y'all know me, you know I'm quick to joke. But on my mission, I've really tried to choose kindness over humor. NOW WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'm still hilarious. And I also fail at prioritizing kindness 90% of the time. But I've gotten to serve around so many positive souls. And it's infectious!! I want to be like them, and more importantly, my Savior!

D&C 108:7 Therefore, strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings. 

Positivity heals and uplifts and encourages. So, if you're like me, and you can either be funny or kind, please choose kind. There's a time for both, but kindness will never fail you.

Love you guys!! Gonna go buy some uggs today! 

Sister Kline

Grandma Ball in Utah

Grandma Ball came to visit Kevin and his family and Amy for the weekend. Amy got to spend some time on Saturday afternoon showing Grandma her new apartment and her work as well as introducing Grandma to the Swig—flavored sodas.

They all ended up at Kevin's where they had dinner, played games, and had fun.

Moving Couches

It was probably pretty interesting to watch Chris, Misha, and I move couches from the garage to the basement. We loaded each couch onto the ATV trailer. While Chris drove the ATV, Misha and I followed alongside the couch to make sure it didn't fall off.

We did that with both the brown love seat and the couch. 

The beige love seat we moved from the basement family room to my office (it was much lighter) but still a little awkward to get up the stairs. Definitely grateful for Misha's help.

We will keep the three couches for now, but I think we have finally decided to sell the room kitchen table. We've held onto it for years, but it just doesn't really have a good space here.

Snowblower

Welcome to the family snowblower. People tell us we are going to need it living here in Monument. Hopefully it is something that I can easily use (it is pretty heavy).

We bought it from a family in Firestone that were moving to South Carolina and would not need it anymore. 

Home Inspection

It is probably a good thing Chris and I were away for the weekend and tried to keep our minds off of patiently waiting until the home inspection of our Firestone house on Wednesday.

I noted on our house cameras that the inspector arrived around 9 am. A sewer inspector came around 10 am. The sewer inspector left after about 45 minutes, but the inspector stayed until after 2 pm!

For a house that is eleven years old, we knew there would be issues. 

We received the inspection report and the request for fixes on Thursday morning. As we talked with Krissy, she said we needed to call a bunch of different people to get quotes. We were now on a time crunch and there was no way we could get contractors out for quotes and then fixes within the next week time frame. I asked, "Could we just offer a lump amount to fix things and let Brian worry about the fixes he wants to make?" Krissy said we certainly could.

We offered a concession amount and Brian countered back with an additional $5000. After discussion with Krissy where we basically agreed that arguing over $5000 wasn't worth the chance of losing the deal, we agreed and Brian will receive a concession refund check at closing. 

Hooray!

Chris and I will go to the title office in Parker on Tuesday morning before he leaves for the airport to sign our portion of the contract. Brian will sign in Loveland on Wednesday. The lock in date for accepting the contract passed on Thursday, and now unless Brian wants to forfeit a hefty down payment, things are a go. 

It is so amazing that this all happened days after listing both homes to rent. THE. VERY. LAST. MINUTE!

We are grateful and acknowledge that God is in the details of our lives.

Fall Weekend Getaway - Day 5

Time to go home. We didn’t plan for an early start. 

Today was much cooler and there were even random snowflakes falling as we packed up our car. 

We started back to Monument back through Independence Pass. There is a cool hike about 30 minutes from Aspen called the Grottos which, in the spring, must be amazing with abundant water in the falls.

After that short stop we continued over the pass making a quick stop at another ghost town called Independence.

On the other side of Independence Pass, closer to Buena Vista, we stopped at Twin Lakes for a 4-mile round trip hike toward an abandoned resort called Inter-Laken at the end point. It was windy and we bundled up to make the hike. 

We decided to wait and eat lunch in the car to avoid the coolness from the wind. From there, we headed home to Monument.

Fall Weekend Getaway - Day 4

We shared the dining room for breakfast with a few more couples. 

We looked on the Church Tools App to find that church was held at a building in Aspen at 10:00 am. It took us about 15 minutes to drive to church from Snowmass to Aspen. Once we arrived though, there weren’t many cars in the parking lot and we quickly learned that those cars that were in the lot were all filled with visitors wondering where all the regular members were. We tried.

Before returning to our room to change we stopped by the airport and watched the planes land and take off. 

We had a shuttle reservation at 1 pm to visit Maroon Bells Scenic Area. It took us a little time to change out of church clothes, pack a lunch, and get everything organized for our visit and hike to Maroon Bells.

Maroon Bells is a lake surrounded by maroon-colored mountains with a hike to Crater Lake. It is a very popular area, and unless you arrive before 8 am, you are required to take a shuttle bus to the lake. The shuttle cost $16 per person. Once we arrived at the Aspen Highlands parking area to take our shuttle, we were dismayed to find they wanted us to pay an additional $45 to park. Outrageous! We drove about a half a mile away and parked in the church parking lot and walked to the shuttle pick up. Since we were early, we waited in the standby lane for the 12:45 pm shuttle. There was plenty of room for all of the standby people on the bus; we were glad we were on early enough that we actually got seats for the ten-mile drive. 

The sun was shining and the day was beautiful. Chris and I sat on a bench overlooking Maroon Lake and the Maroon Bells and ate our lunch and did a little people watching. Some of the clothing and shoe choices were interesting! 

After lunch we set off for Crater Lake. We left a substantial amount of tourists behind around the lake, but still had a few to pass on our hike to the lake. 

We learned that there is a 12-mile hike that you can take from Maroon Bells to Crested Butte. If you do, then you need to make arrangements for a shuttle to pick you up on the Crested Butte side for the 15-mile ride to town. Apparently, they charge $50 per person. Though the fee is a bit much, the hike sounds intriguing. A ranger said that going in July or August to see the amazing wildflowers is the best time to go. 

After returning to the shuttle bus parking lot, we caught one of the last shuttles of the day back to Aspen. From there, the bus dropped us off a short distance from the church parking lot.

It was Sunday afternoon and time to talk to Kristen. We chatted with her for a bit at the shuttle bus stop and even stopped by the airport to chat with her before heading back to the Snowmass through a short canyon where we knew we would lose service.

After dinner, we enjoyed the hot tubs again. For a short time, three other people were soaking as well.

Kristen's Mission Emails - Week 69

Hey people!

Just a quick update on my end... 

• T-minus 40 days until I'm eating a #1 from Chick-fil-a with extra pickles 😭😁 
• Oh and transfers stayed the same!! Exactly what I hoped for because these lakes are awesome.

I don't have much to say other than God is good ALL THE TIME!! Prayers got answered this week and I just want to remind you:

"Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come." -Jeffrey Holland

Patience has been the hardest thing to learn on my mission. Sometimes you just want things and you want them now! But I've seen how the Lord knows where we're going, and yet He needs us where we are for now. 

Try and figure out what you're supposed to be learning, and I have a funny feeling that in the process of figuring it out, those blessings will come your way.

Much love,

Sister Kline💗

Fall Weekend Getaway - Day 3

We didn’t have to be up so early this morning, but still we were two of only a few people in the dining room for breakfast. 

We drove back to Aspen this morning and took the Castle Creek Rd. Chris picked the American Lake Trail for our hike today. 

Within the first 1.25 miles, we hiked up 1,000 feet of elevation. Whew. Good thing we could take a lot of stops. We hiked 4 miles to American Lake. 

For a short time, we were the only people at the end of the lake. A noisy group soon joined us, but they left after 15 minutes as they were only wearing short sleeves and shorts. It was definitely too chilly for summer wear.

There were two birds that joined us for lunch and literally dive bombed us trying to snag some food. 

I like hiking down a mountainside. It is so much easier. 

Further up the canyon, we stopped at the Ashcroft Ghost Town. 

With the discovery of silver, the town quickly grew and then died away not long after once the silver in the area was depleted. 

For dinner, we ordered takeout so that Chris could watch the BYU vs UofU football game.

Fall Weekend Getaway - Day 2

We got up early to leave for a hot spring resort about an hour away. Since it was so early, Chris and I were two of three people in the hotel restaurant at 7 am. Couldn't beat the early morning view though.

We drove from Snowmass around the mountain toward Carbondale and up the McClure Pass road to a small hot spring resort called Avalanche Ranch. You could stay there overnight in a cabin or come as a day visitor to the hot springs.

We arrived around 9:30 and soaked until 1 pm. Very nice. Most of the guests were adults, but there was one family visiting with three kids. 

After leaving the hot springs, we drove to Redstone to find a place for lunch.

We drove over the McClure Pass a couple of years ago in the winter, so it was nice to be able to see it in a different season. We stopped along the way to take pictures and explore byways. 

As we started our drive back to Snowmass, we made a quick stop at Hays Creek Falls and then Penny Hot Springs. 

This hot spring is in the Crystal River right next to the highway. You had to walk a short distance down to the river and then were free to sit in the river and move rocks to trap the hot water or let in cold river water as needed.

We had read that this was a clothing optional hot spring, but all visitors were clothed as we stopped to take pics for my travel website.

We stopped in Basalt to check out the town and area. Chris started driving on Frying Pan Road toward Ruedi Reservoir. We were intrigued by the pumpkins we saw all over the canyon as we drove the 20 miles to the reservoir.

We had hoped that if we stayed on Frying Pan Road we might end up back in Aspen, unfortunately it would take us far away to Leadville. 

We turned around and drove back to Basalt and enjoyed dinner at The Tipsy Trout with a lovely place to sit outside on the back deck along the river. Very nice.

Fall Weekend Getaway - Day 1

Happy birthday to Christopher! 

We left for a long weekend getaway in Aspen Snowmass shortly after my Pathways class ended on Thursday afternoon. 

We drove to Snowmass via Buena Vista and then over Independence Pass. I am sure that if we had traveled two weeks ago, the color along the way would have been outstanding. For the middle of October though, the color in some places was still pretty stellar. 

We stopped at a pullover at the top of Independence Pass and the Continental Divide. The views were beautiful but it was chill-y. 

We drove through Aspen first and stopped at a City Market to get some groceries for the weekend. If you have never been to the area, Aspen comes by its name honestly because of the abundance of aspen trees. 

We planned to stay at the Viceroy in Snowmass Village just 12 miles from Aspen. Aspen Snowmass includes 4 mountains and ski resorts in the Elk Mountains of the Maroon Bells Snowmass Scenic Area. The 4 ski resorts are: Aspen, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass, and Buttermilk.

Chris and I were visiting in the off season. Summer events were over and the fall foliage tourists were mostly done. The area would shut down at the end of October and would reopen to winter snow and ski tourists just before Thanksgiving.

As it was, Viceroy was one of very few hotels still open in Snowmass Village. Chris used points and booked a room which included $100 daily credit toward breakfast. You would think that would cover breakfast for the four days we were staying, but pricing was crazy high.

When we arrived, our room was upgraded to a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment. It was huge. Very nice. I don’t think there were too many people even staying for the weekend.

There were only a few restaurants open a short walk from the hotel. We just walked over, but bundled up to do so. Daly Diner was probably the most reasonably priced place we would find all weekend.

After dinner, we explored the outdoor pool area and enjoyed a soak in the hot tubs. No one outside but us.