Oh Canada

During the month of May I got the opportunity to go up and visit Alberta, Canada. It was absolutely beautiful! I flew into Edmonton and met up with Willie Hamilton, one of Dad's old missionaries. He showed me all around Alberta and I was super impressed. It was beautiful! 

One of the highlights! I was able to visit one of the families that my dad taught on his mission. Brother and Sister Lamarche were baptized when my dad was serving in their area several years ago. They went on to raise two children in the church, who were both sealed and have eternal families. It was a really neat experience! Here were four groups of individuals (myself, Willie, Bernerd and Wendy, and Treena (their daughter) and her family) who have all ben hanged for the better because of my dad's involvement in their lives. I consider myself the most blessed since I've had the most time with him. I am so grateful for the incredible example he set on his mission in Canada, in our home growing up, and on his mission in Las Vegas. I was able to see in a very real way the influence he has had, whether directly or indirectly, on so many people's lives. It was a true testimony builder. 

We went to Banff which was probably one of the prettiest cities that I have ever been to. I have to admit that I was impressed with the Canadian Rockies, and that is coming from a girl that grew up in the Rockies. 

Lake Louise was probably one of the prettiest, bluest lakes I have ever seen. The Fairmont was also an incredible sight to see. 

The Joys of Being an Aunt

Having finished at BYU and waiting for school to start in Logan, I was homeless during the month of May. Matt and Corie graciously offered their home to me for the month. I got free room and board for the small price of watching the girls while Corie finished up teaching her class at the community college. I believe I got the better end of the deal on that one. It was such a blast! Corie and Matt were incredible examples to me of raising a family within the gospel. There is such a sweet spirit in that home and I hope to emulate that in my own home one day. Carolyn and Claire were so fun and I'm grateful for the time that I got to spend with them. I'll never forget the hours spent at the park, putting together puzzles, splashing in the pool, and racing to find the scriptures to read before bed time. 

It was worth it

I can vividly remember each long night of studying in high school and going to bed thinking: "BYU you better be worth it!" Everything I did was to boost my GPA or pad my application. I was almost in shock when the letter came saying that I had been accepted. Now that my years in Provo have come to a close, I can honestly say that it was all worth it!

 

Best study buddy a girl could ask for! 

Thank goodness for roommates.

Classic mouth shot

She's been here through it all. She's the best! 

Bermuda, Bahama, Come on Pretty Mama

As a graduation celebration and kick off to Hannah's mission, Mom and Dad planned a trip for the four of us. True to Christensen fashion, we didn't know the destination. We left early Monday morning and got on the metro. Mom and Dad were allowing us to guess as many times as we wanted because they were confident that we wouldn't get it. They were right! They even took us to a departures screen and let us guess any destination and we still didn't guess it correctly. It wasn't until we started boarding the plane that we really found out where we were going. BERMUDA!

Sometimes I can't get over how small the world is. My parents decided that they wanted to go to Bermuda but were having difficulty finding a hotel or place for us to stay. Over conference weekend my parents went to Salt Lake and were staying with my grandpa. One of my grandpa's elders from New York randomly stopped by while my parents were there, only to find out that he lived in Bermuda and managed a resort there! He was able to book them a reservation and offered to pick us up from the airport! I learned that Bermuda is just a short ways off the east coast and is actually apart of the New York South mission, so my grandparents went there frequently. So fun!

It was a little bit chilly while we were there but we still got to do a ton of things! 

We took the bus to the Royal Naval Dockyard to tour around a little bit. This was the view from off the bus.

Bermuda was really interesting because it felt like you were in another country because they drive on the opposite side of the road and they have an accent but almost everything else is really similar. It was the perfect combination because I didn't feel too nervous about getting around and asking for directions but I also felt like I was really traveling 

This was off the top of the Naval Dock Yard. It was gorgeous! 

They had a glass blowing place and they made the coolest looking glass. I was mesmerized. 

These were panini sandwiches and the curry one was super nasty! 

Matching earrings!

The beach at our resort

Dad decided that it was essential that we go sailing and snorkeling.The sailing part was awesome and it was beautiful. Since it was overcast and a little bit chilly, there was almost no one else out on the water. 

Our captain took us to a little cove and let us hop in to snorkel for a little while. The water was FREEZING! I started hyperventilating and couldn't catch my breath for a really long time. Once my body calmed down and I stopped freaking out, I actually really enjoyed it. We didn't get to see too many fish but the coral was neat. I would love to go again during another time of the year. 

On our last day the weather cleared up and it was hot and blue skies. It was kind of a bummer but it was absolutely beautiful! This was the view from our porch. 

Grandpa's missionary and the resort manager of Cambridge Beaches, Clarence Hofheins. They were an awesome family!  

I'll come back one day!