Two Down - Seven to Go

We have survived two days.  We are getting to feel a little more comfortable.  Yesterday when we lined up to register we were so surprised to have Elwin and Shirley Davis in front of us.  They were part of the China Teachers Program the year we were in China.  Actually they were on the same flight from Vancouver to Beijing as we were when we went to China and both Elwin and Bob had a suitcase that didn't turn up for a while.  They were the only people we knew the first day.  We have been divided into districts and we are with four other couples so we are starting to know a few of the Senior couples.

Still no cheesecake.

I am dreading tomorrow.  We have to teach a lesson on the restoration to someone and we will be videoed and critiqued.

Every Tuesday evening there is a devotional.  Tonight Elder and Sister Bednar talked.  He taught about the difference between doctrine (truths), principles (guidelines)  and applications and stressed teaching doctrine.  The MTC choir sang a beautiful number.  There must have been 500 in the choir - perhaps even more.

Bob went to the IT office today and got the information to log into the secure internet and now we have Skype and also facebook (which we don't use anyway).

We had a few snow showers today.

Just for Margaret

This morning it was pouring rain when we entered the MTC and it has rained all day.  It wasn't such a daunting experience as I was expecting.  We can use computers and cell phones, although not around the young elders and sisters because they don't have the same privileges that we have. I think some sites such as face book and Skype are blocked.  We can come and go as we please as long as we turn up at our classes.
There is not a schedule for getting up in the morning.

There is a great variety of food, but I didn't see the cheesecake Edward told me about.  They did have donuts both at lunch and supper.

 Dresser and Closets

(Wall Reflected in the Mirror)

 We have a Desk

 The Ensuite

View from our Window

(a lot of construction around)

Lehi Weekend

Here it is - the night before we go into the MTC.  We left Lethbridge Thursday about one p.m.  The lines for customs and security were about one tenth the size they were the week before when we went to Portland so we had a long wait between flights, especially since our flight was late leaving Calgary.  We arrived in Salt Lake about seven p.m..  Darwin, Chloe and Owen picked us up.

On Saturday Darwin, Bob and the children went to the BYU football game where BYU won 55 to 7.

We had a quiet week-end which we wish could last longer.

Another Farewell

Well tonight is our last night in Lethbridge for a couple of years and we had another sad farewell.  The Mosers came in after school.  We went to LCI to watch Courtney play volleyball.  Here she is after an awesome serve.

After volleyball we headed to OSho for supper.

One Last Fling

 A year or so ago I decided that I would go to the Jane Austen conference that was planned for Portland.  However, when we had to leave Lethbridge early in November, I thought that I couldn't fit it in.  Bob kept saying that there was no reason not to go, so we left Thursday, October 28th to go to Portland.  We booked a direct flight from Calgary and it took about 5 hours from Lethbridge via Calgary to Portland.

We took the rapid transit (MAX) from the airport to close to our hotel, The Hilton Executive, and I couldn't help but compare it to the rapid transit in Nanjing.  The MAX was much less roomy and had inconvenient stairs inside each car

Views from our hotel room:

John, Maggie and Cat drove from Astoria to visit us and we went out for Japanese food.  The visit was all too short.

The theme of the conference was Northanger Abbey.  Although Northanger Abbey isn't my favorite JA book, the hero is my favorite JA hero.

The first session that I went to was called "Team Tilney Explains It All".  It was a panel of four ladies explaining why Henry was their favorite Austen hero.  There was also a man from England dressed like Henry Tilney who reinforced the panel's ideas with dialogue from Northanger Abbey.  It was very entertaining.  I didn't get a great picture of the actor, but here is a blurred version.

 There was a display of first editions of JA works.

Bob's sister and brother-in-law picked us up and we stayed with them and went to church with them and they dropped us at the airport on Monday morning.

The trees were still very colourful, even in the rain.  Here is a picture taken from Tom and Margaret's back yard.

 Our flight back home wasn't so great.  After we booked, the direct flight from Portland to Calgary was taken off, and we had to go through Vancouver, B.C.  Our flight was late leaving Portland and we missed our connection to Calgary, but luckily we got on the next flight and made our connection to Lethbridge.  It took an extra five hours without the direct flight between Portland and Calgary.

Goodbye

When we returned from China and decided we needed a Canadian header for our blog,  we chose a picture we took at Lawrence Beach in Nova Scotia. Little did we know that it was a harbinger for 2011 & 2012.  We have received a call to serve in the Halifax Temple for 23 months.  From November 8th to 18th we will be received training in the MTC and Provo Temple in Provo, Utah and from there will travel to Dartmouth.

This past week-end was busy.  After attending the Family History Conference on Friday evening and Saturday morning we traveled to Hanna to the home of my brother and sister-in-law, Ross and Paulette.  My other brother and sister and their spouses, Donald & Diane and Joan and Earl, as well as my Aunt Elsie and Earl's sister, Helen, joined us there for a delicious supper.  Bob and I stayed overnight.

Ross and Paulette Say Good-bye

It was a beautiful fall day when we drove to Hanna, but on Sunday morning we drove through the fog to Calgary and attended church in the Midnapore ward with Julie and Jeremy and family.

Sunday evening at Jeremy and Julie's house we were joined by Edward and his family.  We had a good time there, but parting was very sad for me.

Mickey

Kennedy and Erica

Bentley, Austen, Lincoln, & Jackson

Kennedy and Edward

Jeremy & Julie

Jacqueline

Miranda

There was snow coming down when we left Calgary, but it quit by the time we were half way home.  Although it is bright and sunny here, the warm fall weather has ended and it is cold outside.

Volleyball and Hockey

This week-end Taylor's volleyball team competed in a tournament at Wilson Junior High School.  We watched her play three games on Friday and one today.  In her last game she received the player of the game award probably because of her wicked serves.

 Courtney participated in a tournament at Winston Churchill High School.  We saw two of her games Friday and part of two games today.

 I learned a new word this week-end.  It is libero.  Courtney played libero during one of her games.  For anyone who doesn't know about this position, click on the following link:  http://www.volleyball.org/rules/libero.html

This morning we got up early and went to Coaldale to watch Carter play hockey.  It was a long game - two 28 minute periods and one 42 minute period.  Carter played defence the first period, forward the second period and goalie the third period.  He made many great saves while he was in goal.  He said he didn't find the period he was in goal very long.  Unfortunately, it was too early in the morning for me to remember my camera.