Thanksgiving 2025

Thanksgiving was a little different this year. We postponed it until Sunday, November 30th when Kristen would be home. 

Amy flew home on Thursday (Thanksgiving Day). Misha picker her up from the airport and then they both drove here. Since we weren't doing any celebrating today, life was kind of normal as usual.

We picked up Kristen from the airport on Saturday (you can read all about that in a separate post) and we enjoyed having the sister missionaries join us for dinner on Sunday.

Creating a beautiful tablescape. Amy set the table and Kristen "folded" the napkins.

Sister Sotele from Utah and Sister Romeril from Raymond, Alberta (she knows Kristen's last companion, Sister Cutler).

Kristen was already working on getting over jet lag and normalizing her life, but I think she was glad to have the sisters here to chat with and reminisce on missionary life.

On Sunday and Monday, the girls pulled out the Christmas decorations. They decorated a bit, but petered out and left the Christmas tree decorating to me.

She's Home

Chris surprised Kristen with an upgraded seat on her long haul flight from Brisbane to San Francisco. Her traveling companions weren't so thrilled.

Kristen enjoyed the chance to stretch out and even slept a little. Before leaving, her mission president had given her (and the others) permission to watch "appropriate" movies. Kristen watched "The Sound of Music" and "Wicked". 

She arrived in San Francisco and realized that there was an earlier flight to Denver. She and Chris worked on getting her on that one. It was waitlist only. Perhaps because she had been upgraded on the flight before, but she was bumped to the top of the list. It wasn't until the last moment that she found out that she made the earlier flight though.

That meant that we had to leave for the airport even earlier. Amy and Misha came with their signs. 

Amy's sign: "I'm so glad when Kristen comes home" from the Primary song, "I'm so glad when Daddy comes home". It is a song we sang a lot as the girls grew up and Chris traveled.

Misha's sign from the first line of the song Sister Christian by Night Ranger: "Sister Kristen, oh you're time as has come..."

We found some parking easily and then settled in to wait. Kristen's flight had landed but it was taking time for the plane to make the final push into its gate.

Kristen texted us when she was getting on the trains to the main terminal. Chris watched the escalators from the trains and finally announced, "I see her!"

Amy and Misha encouraged me to move forward (we were standing behind a barrier so that we weren't in the main flow of traffic. "You get the first hug." Perks!

As Kristen stepped off the escalator and walked around to where we were standing, she dropped her bags and she and I just hugged. We were both crying. I finally handed her over to Chris (who had been filming) and they enjoyed a huge hug. Then Misha and finally Amy. It was tears all around.

We made our way to Baggage Claim to pick up her two bags, one of which had literally burst at the seams and was wrapped in plastic in tape.

Kristen had told us that she wanted her first stop to be Chick-fil-A. This is also where our previous stake president, Craig Copple, face-timed Kristen as we sat in the parking lot and released Kristen as a missionary. It was definitely a teary moment when she finally took off her name tag.

Even though she had dreamed of eating a chicken sandwich with lots of pickles, her stomach wasn't feeling so great and she took most of the sandwich home to eat later.

We arrived home to her "new" home. It was fun to show her the house in person. She had seen mostly pictures. It was pretty awesome when she walked downstairs and saw the piano we had bought as a surprise the week before. She immediately sat down and started to play.

Kristen was able to stay up until 10 pm as she enjoyed hanging out with her sisters. So good to have her home.

Denver Zoo Lights

Chris and I attended the CU Night at Denver Zoo Lights with Misha. As an alumnus of the University of Colorado, she was able to purchase sneak peek tickets at the zoo before the general public opening night of the Zoo Lights the next night.

With the number of people lined up at the entrance waiting to get in when we arrived, we thought it would be crowded, but the crowd thinned out quite quickly.

I think the last time we were at the zoo in Denver was in the mid 2000s.

We also came dressed in puffies and hats and scarves to stay warm, but it was a pretty temperate winter night in Colorado. We stayed quite warm.

We wandered through the zoo past millions of twinkle lights. saw the zoo train, the carousel, giraffes, and elephants. Most of the animals were bedded down for the night when we got there.

We walked around for a couple of hours before leaving and getting some dinner on 16th Street and then dropping Misha off at her apartment and Chris at a Hyatt where he would stay for work meetings for the next two days. I drove home and did my best to keep my eyes open and focused on the road. I was tired.

Kristen's Mission Emails - Week 74 * Signing Off

Well....I never thought this day would come! This is my last email home, and I'll be back in Colorado this Saturday!!😱😁 

This week was pretty fun! Here's the haps:

• Last MLC :( the coolest thing is about halfway thru my mission, I freaked out, thinking I wouldn't get to do all the things I hoped to on my mission (including participate in MLC) and God has found a way to include all those things in a plan far better than mine. I've loved being a part of the mission leadership and we've seen some mega miracles!! We set a goal for 50 baptisms, about double our average, and for the first time ever, we hit 55 baptisms in November, with one more week to go! I'm grateful to be here to see it all happening! God is hastening His work.🌊🌊 
• We did two back to back overnight exchanges which was fun! But I always remember why I don't like doing them so close to each other because I was pooped after! But we've been blessed with some super sisters and I got to drive around in the hills in the rain and then walk around in the heat and the sun. Best of both worlds!🚶‍♀️🚗 
• FINAL MUSIC DEVO!! I feel like a footballer retiring after their third Superbowl. I LOVE MUSIC. It brings the Spirit so powerfully and quickly. And I'm so grateful to know that God prepared me to plan these events and to serve in this way. I'm so proud of our choir and it went so well.🎶👩‍🎤 

This week has been made up of a lot of "lasts". I get a bit more excited and a lot more sad everyday. There were days along the way when all I wanted was to come home to what was familiar. But I wouldn't trade anything for the growth and things I've learned over the last 18 months.

I've met some of my best friends, held a koala of course, but most importantly, I know my Savior better.

Serving the Lord has been the greatest privilege, and I'm going to soak up these last few days of wearing my name so close to His on my chest. He truly makes weak things strong, because here I am. 

Consider this my love letter to Australia. Love my mission. Love my Savior. Love the people I've met. And I love the grace and mercy that got me to this point. 

See you all soon! 

Signing off.... 

Sister Kline

Cute Christmas Decoration

I would have loved to buy more Christmas decorations in the UK last week, but alas, I did not have room. I was bringing our hiking boots as well as some of Chris' extra jackets that he didn't need for the rest of his week there.

So, I will be happy with Rudy the Reindeer.

I would have loved some of these guys, but I will have to keep an eye out for them. I believe they are made in the UK.

She's Back in the Family...Chat

Chris and I thought it would be a good idea to get Kristen added back to our T-Mobile plan before the rush of Black Friday. Her number has been docked as a Google Voice number for the past year and a half so that she didn't lose her number.

The lady at T-Mobile, Renee, was really helpful and spent about 45 minutes with us getting things set up. As we left the store, I used Chris' phone to add Kristen back to our Messages Family Chat. Yay!

We are NOT sad to move off of the Facebook Messenger app for our family chat.

Decorating for Christmas Early

No one can say “bah humbug” to Amy anymore when it comes to decorating for Christmas. 

In the past, she has been adamant about not decorating or listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. With a few down days at work this past week, she put up her Christmas decorations and went to Hobby Lobby and Michaels to look for more decorations!

Kristen will be home on November 29th and wanted me to leave the decorating so that she can help. With all three girls home, I am sure we can get the tree and decorations up quickly. 

I would like to get a 9 ft Christmas tree for our main floor where we will have some decorations. Our normal Christmas tree will be set up in the basement family room. With the carpet in that area, it will make for a cozy Christmas morning.

Day 7 - Leaving London...Again

I woke up in London this morning. 

I had plenty of time before my flight but determined that leaving the hotel around 9:15 would be a good option. Unfortunately, I just missed the train from terminal 4 to terminal 2 and had to wait about 20 minutes for the next train. 

Again, there were long hallways, lifts (elevators), more walking and finally a lift up to level 5 where I could check in at United. The guy next to me at check-in and myself were greeted with, “Ah, you were on the Chicago flight yesterday.” Yes. We. Were. I checked in, made it through security, and walked at least another mile to the B Gates. 

I had skipped breakfast at the hotel figuring it would be better to eat in the Lounge after getting checked in. As it was, I only had about 20 minutes to quickly eat some yogurt and scrambled eggs before it was time to board. I had a great seat (though not by a window).

The flight home to Denver was about ten hours. I was so very grateful that my luggage arrived with me and that it was still light outside for driving to Monument. 

This was the first time that I had driven this route by myself. Sadly, I did miss one of my exits and had to go about ten minutes of my way to get back to the freeway. 

It is good to be home.

 

Day 6 - Still in London

Today did not turn out at all as I thought it would.

I set an alarm this morning and opted not to take a sleeping pill. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t need the alarm; I woke up at 4:45 am and didn’t go back to sleep. Always a good time to lay in bed and pray. 

Chris got up when I did at 6:30. He was going to work out after making sure I found my way to the station. We said goodbye and I quickly discerned that the Elizabeth train line to the airport was on boarding platform 5. I listened to the guy next to me when he suggested I don’t take the current Elizabeth train and wait 4 minutes for the direct train to Terminal 2 of the airport. 

I followed Chris’ instructions to walk the long halls until I reached the lifts (elevators) to Departure and Check-in on level 5 in the main terminal. I located the check-in desks for United and was happy to relinquish my bags to their care through to Chicago and on to Denver. 

I followed the signs through the airport through security and then up escalators, down escalators, down long halls, and up stairs until I finally reached the United Polaris Lounge. Chris determined that my flight was late landing. Now that I sit here on the tarmac waiting for take off—an hour late—the captain just came on the intercom to let us know that a maintenance light came on just as we were about to taxi. 

They are going to have it looked at. Booo. Maintenance took a couple of hours to discern the problem, install the part, test the part, discover that there was another faulty part, and fixed that. 

It was late enough, that we would have to make an extra stop in Boston for the crew to be replaced. From there we would continue on to Chicago where I would change planes to Denver. Not ideal and I would be driving home around midnight. 

We began to taxi and a strong exhaust smell filled the cabin. United finally decided to cancel our flight. We were all bused back to the terminal where we would pick up our bags, stay at the Hilton hotel at Terminal 4 (dinner and breakfast included), and be rebooked on the next flight home on Tuesday. Fortunately, that meant a non-stop flight to Denver for me leaving at 11:35 am. 

I retrieved my luggage, found my way to the Hilton, and settled in. At least I had all of my luggage. I went down for dinner at a buffet that was set up specifically for our flight. It wasn’t great, but oh well. 

I chatted with Chris when he finished working for the day. It was around 9:30 pm and we were an hour apart. Kind of weird to both be in London and not together.

Day 5 - Buxton Then Back to London

Fortunately we were able to sleep in today. And much to our surprise, we saw blue sky. 

The hotel in Buxton and pink hydrangeas.

Chris and I were heading back to London today. Chris originally needed to be back in London for a meet and greet dinner in the evening, but his co-worker decided not to attend meaning Chris did not need to attend either. 

We explored in Buxton by the Crescent (Buxton Crescent was built in the 1780s by the fifth Duke of Devonshire as the centerpiece of his Georgian Spa development.)

There were small craft markets in the Gardens (a Greenhouse next to the Opera House). I bought a package of Christmas cards. If I didn’t have to worry about getting things home, I might have bought a few more Christmas decorations. 

The Crescent used to house famous baths. Today, it was full of shops and a hotel. 

We made a quick stop at the Palace Hotel to check it out and then returned to the hotel to start back to Manchester. 

We did make a slight detour to Winnats Pass again today, after all the sun was shining. It was beautiful and the sky was filled with about a dozen paragliders. We made a quick drive through the pass, found a place to turn around among all of the parked cars lining the way, and continued back through the pass and onto Manchester.

It would have been so much nicer to hike to Mam Tor today. It is likely still windy at the top of the hill, but…no rain! We only had to make one stop on the way to Manchester to fill the gas tank. 

Chris is pretty much a pro at driving on the left side of the road! Our road to the Sixt car return in Manchester was pretty slick without delay.

Since it was Sunday, we left our car at the car return and dropped the keys in the bin. The walk to the train station wasn’t too far and we were quickly boarded on our train back to London. 

As we neared Manchester, Chris had AirPods in and didn’t hear all of the announcements for the stop prior to ours. The name of it was Milton Keyes, but Chris thought I was the crazy one when I asked “Milk and Beans?” Apparently that is the nickname for the stop and Chris laughed when he finally heard the announcer using the nickname interchangeably. 

We left the train with our luggage in tow to catch our next train; it was out of the same station we took the Eurostar to Paris from years ago as a family. Chris had meetings in the morning close to Sheffield (a suburb of London), so we stayed in a Hyatt on that side of London. It just happened to be in the Olympic village surrounded by venues, a shopping mall, restaurants, and hotels. 

After checking in (Chris scored an upgrade because he now has Globalist status at Hyatt), we walked around a bit and then enjoyed dinner at Gordon Ramsey’s "Bread House". 

Look at Chris’ fish and chips! I had baked cod. 

Since Chris was going to be in meetings from 8:30 am to 9:30 pm on Monday, I opted to just go home a day early. Chris was able to change my flight without any problem. 

Kristen’s 8:00 am in Australia was our 9:30 pm in London. We chatted with her before drifting off to sleep. If you haven’t read her email corresponding with the date of this post, go check that out. She had an amazing experience with a baptism for a family of four just two weeks before she completes her mission. It was a life-changing experience for her and the family. She found “her people.”

Kristen's Mission Emails - Week 73

I want to dedicate this email to a very special family who has changed my life. 

In my farewell talk, I told the story of a man who felt he had people he made promises to—to find and teach the gospel to them in this life. Once he did, he sent a simple response home: "I found my friend."

I'm happy to say the same. I found my friends.

Yesterday was the most special day of my mission, as all 4 of the Flores family entered the waters of baptism. I could go on and on about all this family has taught me, because they are some of the most humble people I know. But I felt an overwhelming love like never before as I got up to sing at their baptism. 

And I cried. And cried. The whole time. I was embarrassed because it was quite literally the worst I've ever sung in front of people. But I just couldn't contain it. And when I came to sit back down, almost everyone was crying with me.

November 16 will forever be a sacred day for Sister Kline. If I had found nobody else, taught nobody else on my mission, but this family, it would have been worth it. 

I rejoice with Ammon in saying: "Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name." (Alma 26:35) 

My mission president, Rhys Standley, leaned forward as the service started and whispered, "What a way to finish!" And I couldn't agree more. The gospel changes the lives of those willing to change. I've seen it in these short few months of teaching Kary, Kamila, Kelly, and Sebastian.

Love you all,

Sister Kline

Day 5 - Adventures in Winnats Pass

With the promise of just cold and clouds instead of wind and rain, we ventured out after breakfast. 

Chris wanted to explore more of Winnats Pass, but the promise of no wind and rain DID NOT last. We had started our climb through Winnats Pass (we toted hiking boots all the way to London so we had to wear them at least once), passing sheep, and climbing to the ridge, only to find the ridge continued on.

We had read about Mam Tor "Mother Hill" in our research, and what do you know, we were almost to the trail head as we topped the ridge.

"Mam Tor is 2 km north-west of Castleton in the Peak District, Derbyshire, where it stands between the White Peak and Dark Peak. The summit of Mam Tor is ringed by the remains of the ditch and rampart of a once-great Iron Age hillfort, but it is also famous for its large landslide in the 1970s."

We continued on in the rain. As we climbed higher, the rain and wind increased. Good thing we were wearing gloves, rain jackets, and scarves. Mam Tor was socked in with clouds, so we didn’t get much of a view. And it was cold.

We decided to make our descent following a different path. I’m not sure it was the best route as I slipped and fell in mud twice! Chris slipped a time or two but managed to stay upright. 

Good thing as he was wearing his wool coat. I was grateful when we arrived back at the rental car. I had a plastic bag in the trunk from my hiking boots and I sat on it the rest of the day with my wet and muddy pants. 

We made a stop in Castleton, though with the continued wind and rain, we opted not to hike to Peveril Castle. There were a few cute shops in Castleton and a bakery for some treats. 

We had originally made reservations to visit Chatsworth House Gardens and Christmas Market on Friday afternoon, but due to the storm, we received notification of a cancellation and were able to reschedule for Saturday. The rain was much less crazy, but it was still misting on us throughout the evening. Having a rain jacket that was big enough to fit over my fleece vest and puffy jacket helped me to stay warm for most of the day. At least on my top half. Having landed in a puddle and mud, my pants were rather soaked on my right side. 

We found our way to Chatsworth House and got into the queue for parking. It was crazy busy and apparently one of their parking areas for 600 cars was covered in water and inaccessible. We were lucky to get a parking spot that was fairly close to the Christmas Market. 

The Christmas Market was a proper market instead of like the ones in Manchester. Chris and I perused the booths, enjoyed the band of Santas, and did a little Christmas shopping. We had timed tickets to view the gardens. 

Before entering the gardens, Chris bought a cheese, ham, and pesto crepe along with a very hot hot chocolate for us to eat as we walked in. The crepe was so good I asked if he would go back and get another one for us to share. 

The gardens themselves were underwhelming. I was thinking that trees would be decked out in Christmas lights, but mostly they used laser lights aimed at the trees. The estate house featured a light show, but I wouldn’t recommend the gardens.

There was another ticket option that allowed you to walk through parts of the house, but we had opted not to do that. The Christmas Market closed at 6 pm, so once we finished touring the gardens, we drove back to our hotel in Buxton. We parked at the hotel and walked into town for a late dinner. Chris had a pizza and I ate a garden vegetable dish.