Full Week

Halloween this year, Blake went with a group of friends trick or treating.  They all went as pirates.  It was a grand time.  It was 2 days later that he finally got to do the traditional candy dump and sort.

Just had to much going on.

We took Blake to Bryan Adams as an early Christmas gift.  Ammon and Cora had seen him on tour in Montreal and told us it was coming our way.  We got tickets and surprised Blake.  I hadn't planned on going.  It was too much money to buy 3 tickets, but Dave convinced me.  At that point there were no more seats by them, so I sat way up in a balcony by my self.  Halfway thro, Dave text me and said there were empty seats by them and no one had come.  I snuck down and enjoyed the rest of the concert with them.  It was really well done.  Always enjoy Bryan Adams.  I love how he took requests as part of the show from the audience.

Ammon and Cora flew back from Montreal and a couple days later Braydon made it back.  Everyone was finally back in Alberta Thursday.  Ammon and Cora drove down here Thursday night and Braydon and Leah came Friday by noon.  As soon as they got here, Dave took all the boys and went to do a move for a lady.  He kept telling them all that only Blake didn't have a choice in coming, and Braydon had literally just walked in the door, but he really enjoyed showing up with all the boys.  I think he was a little proud of his pose. :)  When they got back they all got in and helped with the shop.  It was cold and dark.  They were all great sports.  I sure at some point that Ammon and Braydon will stop coming, as we always put them to work. :/

Leah, Cora and I went wedding dress shopping.  I had no thought that we would actually find a dress.  I just knew we needed to start the process at some point.  But we DID!  And it is beautiful.  Seriously you could just see it on her face that this was the dress.  I always thought that was a myth.  But you could absolutely tell.  It was fun to be with my girls and finding a dress.  Cora did an amazing job of documenting all the action.  

There were dresses we didn't personally love.  Sure they are great for someone. 

Leah very grateful for her dress as we went a little over budget.

When we got home, Cora and I went out to help the boys.  I was told they were starving, so I came back in and Leah and I got the tacos ready.

Saturday we got up early to make it to the temple.  Blake drove down with us so he could at least hang out on the drive. Then went to the Gs and did homework.  Leah had been wanting to take out her endownments for months, but wanted to wait until Cora was back. It was a beautiful day.  Almost all of her aunts and uncles were there, all grandparents and Levi.  So many people came to be with her on this special day and she really appreciated them all coming and driving so early. 

Look at my cute family.  It was such a neat experience to be there all together and I got to sit with my 2 girls.  Very special.  Leah has a tendency to talk through movies, she had a few questions during the session, and after we were teasing her that she even talked through the temple 'movie'.  

After the temple, we had a snack and then Cora and the boys dressed up warm again and went back out and finished getting all the posts in for the shop.  Then Dave, Ammon and Braydon went back out again to clean the garage so I could park back inside again. We ate late but it was good.

Sunday right after church Braydon and Leah left to get back to Braydon's house.  They were having dinner with his family.  They had not seen the two of them together since they got engaged.  Ammon and Cora hung out with us for a few more day.  Blake had no school Monday.  We went for a walk and didn't do much. Cora made an excellent dinner.  Tuesday Cora thought it would be hilarious to decorate my house for Christmas while I was at work.  I was very surprised when I walked in.  It was so early.  They both thought it so funny.  I am grateful I don't have to carry boxes and set up, but seriously, so early.  And as Cora said, it's was a great prank because it is not like I am going to take it down and put it back up in 3 weeks.  Although tempted.  I am thinking, can I undecorate December 12th then?? 

Leah's engaged!

For me this story starts back a few years ago.  Just goes to show that the Lord truly has thing under control and in his timing. The very first time we met Ammon, Leah was quite smitten with this certain kid.  We weren't super happy about it.  There were things we just think didn't jel with the two of them.  Ammon kept telling her to get over him because she was going to marry his friend Braydon anyways.  The name sounded familiar and I later learned that Cora had been good friends with him before her mission, he had even picked her up from the airport when we flew home from Montreal.  At the time he had a month left of his mission and Ammon and Cora said they were going to set them up.  A month goes by, I hear Braydon is home and pretty much goes straight out to BC to work with them them all out there.  Ammon and Cora get engaged, then married. They are having lots of fun working with all the guys out there and from time to time I hear some story about Braydon, among other co-workers. 

Cora and Ammon go to Regina and are gone for a few months, Leah almost dates this other guy and then they don't, I hear Braydon is dating someone and life goes on.  Come January last year and somehow Leah and Braydon final meet at a party.  I am still unsure if Ammon and Cora took him to Leah's house or if he was friends with someone else that went but none the less he was there. That night I got many text from Leah.  He was funny, easy to talk to, tall, and very good looking according to her, Lots of exclamation marks and caps in these texts. But that is the jist. 

Leah falls pretty fast.  Braydon I gathered had just gotten back from BC, had barely been around Edmonton since his mission and was ready to meet people. He went on lots of dates with lots of people and every time would either stop by Leah's or call her on the way home.  Leah says they didn't go on a date for a while, Braydon says they had a few.  He would pick her up and take her to a group movie or a party.  He thought they were going on dates, but he never said the word date officially so Leah thought they were just hanging out. She is getting a little frustrated, she wants to date this guy, is very interested and he is dating other girls, but still seeing her almost every night. February Ammon, Cora, Frank, and Braydon are on a project in Calgary when Cora calls and asks if the crew can crash at our house for the night and Sunday dinner.  I was very happy to have them.  Have always liked when my kids brought their friends home, but also very interested to meet this Braydon in person.

We enjoyed having Braydon and Frank here with everyone and they were both easy to get along with and lots of fun.  We didn't know if we were supposed to mention that we knew at this point he had taken Leah on a few dates or just pretend we didn't know.  When my mom asked them both if they were dating anyone, we were very interested in Braydon's answer.

I think it is the best way we could have meet him.  With out the first meeting pressure.  Just meeting a long time friend of Ammon and Cora's. And we really liked him.  Blake was in full support before they even started dating.  As they were leaving, I said that they were all welcome back any time, we enjoyed having them.  And Frank mentioned he was pretty sure that Braydon would be back.  It was only a few days after that that Leah and Braydon officially started dating. 

I always felt that Leah let people walk over her a bit, she was loyal to a fault and would put up with more than I thought she should.  I have loved watching her and Braydon together.  He treats her with so much love and care.  He does so many little sweet things for her.  They are so happy together and I love how she is with him. (Blake thought they were a little to cuddly and did not enjoy sitting in the back of the mini van in Halifax with them:)) We have hung out in Edmonton with him and he has come home many times with Leah. Around end of June Leah started talking about marrying him.  But they knew he was going away on this project and were waiting for that.  In Halifax we were pretty sure Braydon was going to talk to Dave.  After coming back from PEI, he text me and asked for Dave's number and could I keep him by his phone.  We were all very excited.  But also didn't know if he was just asking permission that night or also asking Leah that night.  We waited up a very long time and when she got back, she had a beautiful ring to show us.

He had taken her to a special place to him and she said yes.

So Leah is engaged to Braydon Barrett.  He is from Edmonton.  Served his mission in Halifax.  Is 25 and we really like him (honestly both our daughters chose so well)  Ammon was right, it just took some time.  Braydon works for Blackcard with Ammon and Cora.  He is hardworking, kind, so good to Leah, thoughtful and we are happy to have him around forever.

Congratulations Braydon and Leah!

Halifax 4 and final

Monday Ammon and Cora didn't have to work, so they were able to tag along with us.  We went to the Halifax Citadel. I thought it was just a hill top that we walked around, turns out it was a whole museum and fort we could walk around.  Looking at the weather before we went it said it was supposed to rain the entire time.  But Monday was a little misty and the rest of the trip was beautiful.  The fort was very neat to walk around.  They have a cannon that they fire every day except Christmas exactly at noon.  That way all of Halifax can keep time.  They only did half capacity and it was indeed heard far and wide. 

It was a very neat place.  We saw the school room and the cannon storage.  The gun powder barn was neat.  In the tailor shop Ammon and Cora had a duel. 

Leah wasn't feeling well Monday, after a while when we had seen everything we sat out on the benches and talked as the rest finished browsing.  We then went back to the temple and picked up Braydon.  Again we had missed lunch, on Friday along the boardwalk was a lot of little cool food stands.  We went back there to get something to eat, and Blake wanted a hoodie.  Apparently most things are closed on Monday.  Blake did get his hoodie and we had a lovely long stroll around the wharf.  The boys enjoyed climbing down every ladder on the pier that was available, Braydon did monkey bars under the pier, and we just walked and walked. So many times on this trip Dave and I would just look at one another and smile and say how awesome our family is.  They have truly grown up to be wonderful, fun, delightful, kind. good people.  And our girls have chosen kind, hardworking, loving, fun people to spend their lives with.  I felt so very very blessed this whole trip. After our long walk we were getting very hungry.  The place we were going to eat, that Braydon could eat with us, was also closed. He had heard that Mic Mac Bar and Grill was good.  We dropped him and Leah at the bnb so they could eat there and the rest of us went out to eat.  I had wanted Blake to try lobster and this place did not disappoint.  The boys got full lobster and steak.  They said it was very good.

After dinner, dropped off Ammon and Cora and back to go to sleep. 

Tuesday was our final day.  We had to leave about 2.  Slept in again.  Went to bnb and hung out with Ammon and Cora.  They also had a good sleep in.  With the hours they work and the overnights that Ammon had worked, they were catching up on sleep.  As we were getting ready, Braydon text Leah and said he was going to be done soon.  We waited for him and then went to this beautiful spot where again we just walked around. Again rocks and water for Blake, gorgeous fall colors and my family.  It was a perfect end to our trip.  This picture ended up being my favorite of the whole weekend. On our walk we heard the cannon from the citadel and now knew what it was.  Kinda neat how far you could hear it. 

We said good-bye to everyone and went to pick up a few snacks for the plane.  By the time we turned in the van and were checking in, Leah had joined us.  Arrived in Edmonton a few hours later than we had planned.  Plane was delayed 2 hours, but we made it home.  I would totally fly Swoop again. We dropped Leah at her place and then stayed a night in Edmonton.  Got up very early the next morning, dropped Blake off at school before noon and went home.  Dave was teasing Blake that he went to and from his holiday on a school bus. Ended up being a great time for Blake to miss some school, catch up was easy and quick.  I loved Nova Scotia.  If it was just the Nova Scotia mission still and not combined with Montreal, it is absolutely where I would want to serve some day with Dave. I would love to return for a visit again.

Halifax 3

Sunday church wasn't until 12:30.  We very much enjoyed a sleep in after our long day Saturday.  Braydon came and picked up Leah around 9, they went back to the Airbnb and hung out with every one there.  Dave, Blake and I leisurely got ready.  Blake did some seminary and then we went and picked up Cora and Ammon.  5 people don't fit in a 3 person truck and we weren't sure were the church was.

 After I wanted a nice family picture.  This is mostly what I got.   They all know I hate being in pictures and usually try to hide somehow.  Blake decided to help.

He some how got in charge of hanging on to Leah's phone and we found some lovely gems after. 

After church we did a quite snack and change at the bnb, we next went to a spot that Braydon had wanted to show us.  It was a really beautiful spot and meant a lot to him on his mission. 

Look at this cute couple.  Ammon and Cora are always fun to be around.  Any adventure they are up for. Ammon was disappointed he had not brought his swim suit, he wanted to go swimming in the ocean.  They finally got to a few days after we left.  Cora said it was cold, but they got used to it and had fun. I couldn't find them but we got a few pictures of Ammon carrying big rocks around.  Always in the background after we were looking at picture would just be Ammon walking with his big rock over his head.  It was so funny 

Next we headed out to Peggy's Cove.  I told the girls that Blake's favorite thing was rocks and water.  Cora said favorite things and I was like nope thing.  Rocks and water together, he can literally spend hours. Throwing rock into the water, just watching the water crash on the rocks, climbing in and out of the water onto rocks.  He is happy as can be. 

He stood here for so long.

More watching.

We stayed a very long time.  Didn't get to walk around the cute little fishing town like we had hoped because we were just loving the coastline and the waves.  It was so fun to climb around all those huge rocks.

We finally called it a day and went to the bnb were Cora made us curry.  We didn't  eat until after 9, but it was very good as always. After that we were pretty tired and went back to the hotel.  Each night on the way in we would get hot chocolate.  They had complimentary hot chocolate right by the door as we were coming and going.  It became our nightly treat.  Some would also get some in the morning also.  Ammon and Cora had us start bring them some when we would come pick them up as well