Happy 49th to Christopher

Wednesday was a busy day for Chris with work and chatting with his girls before he and I left for Monument.

We plan to celebrate his birthday more on Sunday afternoon.

I am so grateful to have Christopher in my life. He is an awesome dad, husband and friend...and handsome to boot! I think it was toddler Amy who used to say, "You're the bestest friend eber I had." We like to joke and say the same to each other now.

We love to spend time together, explore and have some fun adventures. Here's to many more!

Amy's Visit to Urgent Care

Amy has not been pain free since her surgery. In fact, the pain has been just as or more severe than before. On Wednesday when I was beginning my Pathways class, she kept calling and I felt so badly that I had to ask her to stop. I didn't realize that she was in distress.

Fortunately, Chris was able to help her. She was in a lot of pain. Chris found an Urgent Care that was in network that Amy could go to. He also called/texted with Candace (our sister-in-law) and asked if she could possibly meet Amy at the Urgent Care.

So grateful that Candace was able to drop everything to help Amy and hold her hand.

The doctor wasn't able to find any reason for the pain. Fortunately, he was able to give Amy some drugs that would help her manage the pain. 

Amy has an appointment with a gynecologist as well as a virtual visit with her surgeon here in Colorado before the end of the month. Prayers that they can help her find some answers.

Kristen's Birthday Call to Dad

Beyond being able to call her family on P-day, Kristen also gets to call her immediate family on their birthdays. 

Chris had a meeting cancel and mentioned to Kristen that he was free. She called while on her way home from the mission office.

She and her companion, Sister Goss, had to go and pick up a bicycle for Kristen because the Spanish sisters were rear ended and would need to share a car between the two companionships.

The School Struggle

I don't think December and graduation and being done with school can come fast enough for Amy. She posted this on our family chat the other day.

The heading says, "Let's go finish this degree, I guess."  The struggle is real!

Kristen's Mission Email - Week 17

Hi everyone!! 

Another week has flew by! Not much to report on my end but nevertheless here's the rundown... 

• Exchanges with Sister Williams!! 
• Redlands temple w/ Richard 
• Learning to like the work! 

I had an awesome exchange with my other STL (Sister Training Leader), Sister Williams. She's over the YSA ward in Rancho Cucamonga and a family ward in Upland. We live together so I already knew her pretty well. However, I always love exchanges. 

Seeing how someone else does missionary work is so enlightening and always motivates me to change some things I do OR makes me grateful for the way I do things. This exchange was definitely one that made me want to change and motivated me to be a better missionary. 

Sister Williams has such a love for sharing the gospel and her excitement is contagious. Plus we got Cafe Rio so dubs. We saw some cool miracles and taught some awesome people. 

Sister Williams and Sister Goss were companions before I got here and they taught a man named Richard! He was baptized last transfer. He's so precious and we got to go do baptisms for the first time at the Redlands temple with him this last week bright and early. 

I was happy to go even though I didn't get to teach him before. He's so joyful and the gospel has truly changed his life! He said he loved it!! 

This week has been slower but I think I've finally started to find more joy in sharing the gospel. It was a hard transition initially, getting over the awkward interactions and rejections. I thought I had figured it out after a few months, but a new transfer has brought lots of unknowns. 

On the mission, you do a lot of things whether you like it or not. But my dad always told me that I can do hard things and it's true! 

Philippians 4:13 says: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 

I know this work is strengthening me, and I can do it. Seeing the light of Christ change people and seeing God's hand in every aspect of your life is insane. The tough stuff is worth the reward. If there's something going on in your life that seems too daunting, too unfun, too hard, reach out to God. He wants us to do and be good and will provide a way if we do all we can. And remember...you can do hard things. 

Enjoy the cooler weather this week and feel free to reach out! 

Love you all, I'll be praying for you!! 

Sister Kline❤️

Amy in St. George

Amy had a long weekend with the bonus of a paid day off now that she is full-time. She spent the weekend with her old roommate Liz and Liz's little family.

Hallie joined Tanner and Liz earlier this year and I think Amy went mostly to play with the baby!

Amy and Liz went on walks with Hallie, made cookies, and just hung out together and enjoyed a relaxing weekend.

Missionaries for Dinner

We signed up to have the missionaries for dinner. The companionship changes pretty regularly from sisters to elders and back again.

We had the elders come for dinner, and I made an enchilada casserole which also happens to be Chris' favorite.

One of the missionaries had seconds and the other had thirds. At least they left enough for Chris to have one night of leftovers.

Recent Updates on the House

Our designer Jennifer sent us some pictures of the progress made in the past week. The house is pretty much framed in. 

Chris and I will be going down on Thursday to do a walk through to make sure things are where we planned for them to be. We also need to finalize our cabinets, flooring, stone and tile.

Misha Rocks the License Plate Game

Misha has completed the license plate game finding all 50 states three times now. I am still on my first time through waiting on the elusive "Rhode Island" plate.

Misha just finished for her third round and spotted all 50 plates this last round in ONE WEEK!

Misha Tickets to the Wicked Movie

When Misha first heard that the stage play of Wicked was being made into a movie, she was thrilled. When tickets came on sale earlier this week for the opening night on November 21st, she was quick to snag up tickets for her and her friend Olivia.

I am sure that Chris and I will want to see it as well, but I don't think we need to be in the theater opening night.

Morning Soak in The Hot Tub

I don't think Chris and I have ever used our hot tub during the day times hours, but after our 11-mile hike yesterday and a beautiful but cooler morning today, it seemed like the perfect time to enjoy the hot tub and the view.

We need to do this more often.

Hiking to Ouzel Lake...Again

Chris and I love the hikes in Wild Basin. Earlier this year we hiked from Allenspark to Cascade Falls and then Ouzel Falls. The falls were powerful and running high with the spring fun off. It was chilly, we had some snow on the trail to traverse, and we got rained on.

June 1, 2024

October 12, 2024

Today, we arrived at the ranger station and didn't even have to show our national park pass; no rangers present. We had left the house around 7:30 am and arrived there just before 9 am. Us and a lot of other people too!

I think there were at least a dozen of us driving the 3 miles to the parking lot along a dusty road. We were all hoping to snag a parking spot close to the trail head.

I wish that we could have stopped at a bridge with the sun's rays bathing over the road in the dustiness. It would have been an awesome shot, but the cars behind us probably wouldn't have cared that I wanted an amazing picture. You'll have to try and imagine it.

We did get a parking spot and quickly got ready to hit the trail. It had been in the 40s when we left the house but was almost 60° at the trailhead. Unfortunately, I dressed in long pants that were more suitable to the 40° temps.

We hiked for a bit and then both Chris and I peeled off our jackets. I rolled my pants up so I could cool off a bit. Probably not my best look, but when you have hot flashes, you don't always care about fashion! The trail was moderately busy and after we passed by Cascade Falls and continued on the 0.9 miles to Ouzel Falls, the traffic decreased substantially. 

We continued on from Ouzel Falls toward Ouzel Lake. The last time we made this 10 mile out and back hike, it was during Covid, and the sky was hazy from wildfire smoke. Today, the sky was not a bit hazy.

There was still a bit of fall color remaining, but it would have been tremendous a couple of weeks ago.

We had to go off trail a bit because we (I) decided we should continue another 1.5 miles to Bluebird Lake. I was breaking in new boots (again) and realized after about a half a mile (once we met up with the trail again) that it probably wasn't wise to continue on.

Chris was happy to turn back as well. This would make our total distance a respectable 11 miles and 1,700 feet of elevation gain. 

We found a spot on our way back down the mountain to stop for lunch. It was nice to rest for a bit, take some ibuprofen, and enjoy a mild and sunshiney day.

Chinese Massage In Loveland

On a whim, Chris suggested we find a place for a Thai massage on our date night on Friday. We both started looking and he was able to find a Chinese massage place in Loveland that was reasonably priced, open until at 11 pm, and had availability for both of us at 7:30 pm.

We enjoyed dinner at Chick-fil-A in Loveland, joked about Chris dressing the part of a Target employee, and drove around Loveland a bit until it was time for our massage.

We first had foot massages and then went into private rooms where we then had a full body massage as well. I enjoy our current massage therapist's style more, but this was definitely a fun treat.

Chris Working in Austin

Chris spent the bulk of the past two weeks working in Austin. He came home for the weekend which was definitely a treat for me.

This past week, all people in the building where Chris' team was working had to exit, descending 12 flights of stairs, for some kind of fire drill.

They had dinner one night at a restaurant in Austin called Space Cowboy that offered a unique dining experience with steak, tapas-style dishes, and robot servers.

More Fall Colors at Pelican Shores

I'm not exactly sure what type of tree the orange-leafed tree is in the picture, but I love it. It is also turning faster than most of the other trees in our yard, so I had to snap a quick picture of it.

I posted the burning bush about three weeks ago. For some reason, this particular bush is changing color much faster than the other burning bushes in the yard, but it is pretty stunning.

Sister Kristen at the Temple

I love when Kristen gets tagged in a photo on Facebook and I get to see some of her amazing experiences during the week.

Her roommate/companion, Sister Fullmer, posted a picture of their missionary foursome "attending the Redlands, CA temple with other sister missionaries and their "friend" Richard, who was just baptized!! Today was Richard's first time attending the temple for baptisms, and it was truly a special experience."

Kristen Mission Email - Week 16

HAGGAI 2:6 FR

Hello people!! 

It's been an eventful week of change and adjustment, but overall, it's been good! 

Here's the haps: 

• The coolest miracle
• My new comp/transfers Upland!!
• Pam (the sweetest woman alive) 
• General Conference!
• Earthquake🤩

On our last night together, Sister Pennington and I had a lesson with our friend Khayreesha! It was going to be when I would say goodbye—and I was pretty bummed because she's come so far and I really do love her already. However, about 10 mins before our appointment, we pull up to another visit to see someone. 

We get a text in the car and Khayreesha canceled and told us she wasn't at home. We were sad because now I wouldn't get to see her anymore. We got out of the car to do our visit like normal and guess who we see walking down the street with her dog. IT WAS KHAYREESHA!!

We weren't even close to her home and here she was and here we were right at the perfect time!! We were able to teach her and say goodbye right there on the sidewalk. God really has a plan for each of us and I'm so grateful that He is aware of me, her, and you. 

When transfers came the next morning, I cried a lot. I got a wee bit attached to my trainer 😁 Saying goodbye was so bittersweet because I feel like I'd just gotten the hang of the area and being a missionary. 

I think a running theme of my mission may be that once I'm comfortable, something will change. No growth in the comfort zone😭 But, I will still get to see Sister Pennington at zone conference and maybe some of Sister Goss' departing missionary activities. 

Speaking of, Sister Goss is so sweet and loves this work so much. I think that even though we will only have one transfer together (she goes home in November), we're going to work hard and teach lots of people!

Upland is a cute little town on the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley and our area is SO MUCH smaller than my last one. It's definitely an adjustment, but at least one of us knows what she's doing since Sis Goss has been here for 2 transfers already. 

ALSO, for all my Longmont people, Sister Maddie Fullmer (Longs Peak Ward) is my new roommate!!! We are also STL fairies (both our comps are Sister Training leaders and we dip when they have meetings or assignments and do quick exchanges together), so we will spend lots of time together this transfer (small world)💗 

We are teaching a sweet grandma named Pam right now and she is so precious and willing to learn. This lady KNOWS the Bible but has opened her heart to the idea of the Book of Mormon. She even defended the church to some of her "friends" who were roasting her for meeting with missionaries.

I can't wait to see her progress!! General Conference is like a sweet treat for missionaries. Basically everyone gives you revelation and says nice things about you and it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside (aka the Spirit). What's not to love? 

I'll out myself here, but I don't know if I've ever watched every single session while quietly taking notes before. AND IT WAS AWESOME!! I'm so glad I get two more conferences on the mission! I'm curious to know what you got from conference, and if you didn't get a chance to watch it, some of my favorites to review are below: 

• Nourish the Roots and the Branches Will Grow (Dieter F. Uchtdorf) 
• The Joy of Our Redemption (Kristin M. Yee) 
• Live Up to Your Privileges (Emily Belle Freeman) 

Okay finally, but kind of silly, I experienced my biggest earthquake yet! There was a loud crash in the middle of the night which woke everyone up and then there were some small shakes after. I said "Oh. Cool," and went back to bed because so what if the earth is shaking? Turns out it was a 4.7 mag quake only 7.5 MILES AWAY!!! 

Oh also, Haggai 2:6 is, "For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;" Ha. Get it? 

It has been a pretty crazy week with lots of new things and unknowns, but this next week will only get better. It's amazing to me how much General Conference focused on following God's will for us because that's what we pray for everyday as missionaries!!

I like to use the NIV version of Isaiah 55:9 which in essence says, "..For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my plans than your plans." God has a plan for you. He is aware of you. 

If something isn't happening the way you planned, realign your will with our Heavenly Father's. Sometimes we don't know why things do or don't happen, but D&C 122:7 says it best: "know thou...that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." His plan will always be better than we could manage. 

I love you all! Thanks for your continual support and love. Feel free to reach out 💗! 

 Sister Kline

Amy's New Phone!

With the sale of her car, Amy took some of the funds and purchased a new phone.

Is it any surprise that her fingernails match! Amy said that her nails aren't pink, but cream instead, however, they seem to pick up the brilliant pink of her phone.

Lemons

The lemons on my lemon tree are about ready to pick. The plant has been outside all summer, which is a great time for it to grow and be nourished by maximum sunshine.

Sunnyvale Framing

Christine, our project manager on our new house, sent us pictures of the framing that the workers had begun. It made Chris and I excited to see the progress in person.

We decided to drive to Denver on Saturday afternoon while listening to the last of the afternoon session of General Conference.

Originally, we had planned to stop at REI to look at some new hiking boots for me. Misha took the bus to meet us there. We had also planned to drive to Monument on Sunday afternoon to check out our house.

It seemed logical, since we were already in Denver, that we drive on to Monument on Saturday instead so that we were driving to Denver two days in a row.

We asked Misha if she wanted to join us and she didn't have much going and was happy to be along for the ride. 

Indeed, it was exciting to drive up to our house and see the framing in process. The last progress we saw were the poured foundation walls without even having the basement floor poured.

The basement floor was poured, the basement walls were up, the garage was framed, and some of the main floor was framed. Exciting.

Many of the interior walls were snapped with chalk lines, so we were able to somewhat visualize rooms and closets and doorways as they will be.

View walking into the front door:

The garage:

View from the garage:

Trusses are on site:

Basement:

As far as not having our home in Firestone sold, I think I would be extra anxious if I didn't keep getting the impressions, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart," and "God is in the details." I am hanging onto those thoughts with as firmly a grasp as I can manage!

Cleaning Around the House

I decided to finally tackle two projects that I knew needed to be done. Polishing the exterior door handle sets and working on cleaning the oven. Neither were making the best impression if people looked at them during a showing.

Before:

After:

Oven:

The oven could use a little more work, but it looks 10x better than it did if potential buyers are opening the oven door.