Canada Mission Trip

June 24th we took off for Edmonton Canada to visit Lucas' mission! We arrived in Edmonton at 1am and the car rental budget said they would wait for us so we could get our car and when we got there nobody was there. Hertz agent was still here because he was waiting for a customer whose flight got delayed so Lucas ran over to him and he said he only had 1 car available and it was a Chrysler 300 and it would be $1,400 for the week. Our jaws dropped and we said uhh we can't do this. He offered we do it just for 1 day and then switch out for another car in downtown that would be cheaper. So we agreed to that but for 1 day was still $125 we got to the McMullins at 2:00am and Kent heard our car and let us in and greeted us. We went to the basement and pretty much passed out. Sunday we went to the Beaumont ward at 9am where Lucas served for 6 months and I got to meet some ward members. We stayed to see some people at the beginning of the 11am ward then we went to downtown to swap rental cars and the guy said he didn't have any he could swap out for the week. So we then called budget our original reservation and told them no one was there last night so we had to get a hertz, do you have our rental still? They said they had it and we could come get it. We then went to the Bearspaw ward @ 1:00pm that the McMullin's are in and there wasn't as many people as Lucas thought he would see because of the ward split.

 We then went to sister Woodruff's house for a late lunch. Her and her husband were senior missionaries when Lucas served but he recently passed away. We had a nice visit with her and her daughter and 2 granddaughters. She even made a strawberry rhubarb pie that was delicious. We then went back to the McMullins to eat dinner with them, but they ate somewhere else so they made us ribs and veggies. Kent showed Lucas how his tent is set up and gave us some camping gear, then we went to the Hardy's to get sleeping bags and ended up spending an hour or so there talking with them. They have the party house. Then we went to swap out the rental car and originally they said it was $350 for the week and we thought that includes insurance but apparently it didn't so our total was $745 for the week which we were upset about because we didn't have that in the budget. But it is what it is. 
We packed up our stuff and went to bed as we had an early morning to start heading to Jasper. We left the house around 5:30am and got to Milagne canyon at 9am we went to the 6th bridge to start our hike and there was no one on the trail until we got to the 5th bridge and there were more people as it was closer and easier access. We saw the river and trees and continued on the hike and the farther and farther we got the more touristy it was and people were in flip flops. We came across some beautiful waterfalls and the canyon part and then by bridge 2 there was a short walkway to the falls so that's where all the flip flops and non hiking clothes came from because they didn't have to hike from that parking lot to get there. We took lots of pictures and videos and then headed back to the car for Milagne lake. We got there and it was gorgeous and we decided to do the Canoe's for an hour. 
It was very peaceful and relaxing to be out on the water. It was $50 for the hour and were glad we did it there because the other lakes were way more money. We looked around the gift shop and got stickers, a magnet, and Lucas a personalized pocket knife. We took some pics and videos and then headed towards the town of Jasper and went to spirit island which was kind of spooky but cool. 
They have wedding ceremonies there so of course I was thinking about people having me do weddings there! So rad. We then ate pizza at a shop and then headed to Whistlers Campground. They warned us that bears had been spotted 3 days ago so keep all food & lotions in the car. Not scary at all. We got our tent setup, showered, and then passed out hard. So so tired. I was worried about not being able to fall asleep because it was still light out until 11pm so the tent was light inside too, but being exhausted made it easy to sleep.

Tuesday morning we packed up and headed to Asthabasca Falls which were beautiful and a lot of asians were there too and entertaining to watch. Then we stopped by  Tangle Falls snapped a quick pic, then headed towards the Colombia Icefields. We wanted to do the tour but it was $100 so we passed on that. Instead we split a burger & poutine at the little cafe and ate it  with a pretty view of the glacier. We then drove to the bottom of the glacier and walked uphill to see it and I wish we could of gotten closer to see the crevasse's but whatever. 
Next we went to do the hike Parker Ridge it was about a 2.5 hour hike total and it was soooo gorgeous once we got to the top. It had an incredible view, wasn't very busy, and it was our favorite "hike" of the trip. On the way down there was a big patch of snow and Lucas ran into it and took some pics in it too. Then we headed for Panther Falls and there wasn't a sign for it but our map said it was by bridal veil Falls. We saw the road sign for that one and stopped there and while we were looking at it we heard water from the left so we hiked towards the trees and a couple minutes later there was more Falls so we assumed these were the panther Falls. It was a huge drop off and a little sketchy but cool to find it. We then ended the day at Sunwapta Falls and again it was another pretty river/Falls. We then headed to David Thompson Resort for our 2nd night of camping. We ate dinner at their restaurant and we were the only ones there so fresh, hot, food and then ice cream after. We then got our tent setup and relaxed and planned for the next day. Wednesday we woke up early again and first went to see Abraham Lake which had easy access road to see. Then we went to do Siffluer Falls hike and there was NO ONE around and from the beginning it looked pretty rustic. Then it opened up to a bridge and a paved path to preserve the ecology and then about 5 minutes later you see the "you're entering backcountry now" I was a little nervous and was convinced we were going to see a bear. Since we didn't have a bear bell, I randomly would clap for short periods and talk extra loud to let the bears know we were here. The whole time I was just anxious to get to the Falls and then turn around and go back because I didn't want to see a bear in the wild. Finally made it to the Falls and they were pretty but I was ready to go back to where I knew we would be safe. Sure enough we made it back with no bear sightings.
 We headed towards a lake that started with a W and was before Peyto lake. Then we did Peyto lake and the water was UNREAL sooo bright blue. We ate our lunch there and enjoyed the view and then took some pics.

  Next was the infamous Lake Louise!! Holy cow was it PACKED. Sooo many people there. It's a gorgeous lake with a beautiful backdrop of the glaciers & mountains and the water is so still. We had our fair share of pictures there. We then asked some info people if the Lake Louise Gondola was better or the Banff Gondola and they said Lake Louise because you usually see Grizzly Bears.

 We headed to do that and on the way up towards the top we saw 2 momma grizzly bears and each had 2 cubs. They were far away but still cool to see. We got off at top and checked out the view which was incredible because you can see Lake Louise from the top too. As we're walking back to the lift, Lucas quickly says, "Oh my gosh Trell, look!" I look up and see 1 of the momma bears with her 2 cubs casually walking in front of us behind the fence they have surrounding the lift. Next thing we see, the Asians are running full force towards them with their selfie sticks. The workers are yelling at them stop, get back, they were all mad at them. We just watched them walk all the at around and off to the other side of the mountain. They were only about 50 feet away from us and they were just happy & doing their thing. Everyone was so mesmerized. We headed down the lift and about half way down my phone fell out of my pocket and it barely stayed on from falling off the lift. Heart definitely stopped for a second.

 After that fun excursion we then went to Morriane lake and google maps said it would take about 2 hours to get there so we're planning on that and then about 30 minutes later we were there so that was a really nice surprise! It was gorgeous and we got some fun video and pics there and that concluded our day of the lakes! We ate dinner at Boston Pizza and then checked into our AirBNB which was nice and cozy and caught up on emails and social media. Thursday we slept in a little longer which was very needed. We then went to Johnston Canyon and walked to the first water fall. Then we went to another lake that wasn't popular and got eaten alive by mosquitos. Then we went to the  Hot Springs Museum which was also free for Canada 150. That was cool to see the natural hot spring. Next we went and ate at this Canadian restaurant and I had some bomb Eggs Benedict. Then we looked in the Christmas shop for our ornament and got a mountainee. While we were there we called Sister Kimball Morris and her companions to see if we could take them out to lunch on Monday. Lucas said we were Luke & Melanie Johnson and we just moved into the Sherwood Park ward from Red Deer, but originally were from Mesa, AZ and wanted to take them out to lunch. Sister Hall asked if I knew Sister Morris and I said no, I don’t think I know her. She asked more questions and then finally hung up and we were excited that we didn’t blow our cover and it worked out with their schedule to take them out. After that we got a BeaverTail which is like indian frybread with toppings. 
We then headed for Calgary and on the drive there a rock hit our windshield and made a big crack. We called the rental company asking if our insurance covered it and they said yes but its still a $300 deductible. We were pretty ticked about that because thats pretty much the cost to actually replace it. I got in a weird, upset mood after that phone call and ticked the insurance wasn't good. We then arrived to the Comfort's house and it was beautiful. They took us down to their oldest sons room and he was excited to show us and it was decked out in Poke-mon stuff. We got cleaned up and into our church clothes so we could go to the temple. We ate dinner with their family and I got to know them better. 

We then left for the temple which was about 45 minutes away. It was beautiful and in a great location on a hill. The session was full, I was so tired and completely dosed off for about 10 minutes, whoops. The celestial room was gorgeous and I prayed in there to feel Grandpa's spirit and love that I missed so dearly and sure enough I felt his love and presence and it was a great feeling to know he is doing well and that I can feel his presence stronger in the temple.

Friday we had a tasty breakfast with the Comforts and chatted some more, took a picture and then took off for Innisfail to see Mac (who was baptized before Lucas got to his area) 

He works at No Frills (which is a grocery store) and we found him in the store. He then took a lunch break to come talk to us. It was so rewarding to see how much he loved Lucas' and how he lit it when he saw him. He was also very sad to say goodbye to Lucas.  When then drove to Rocky Mountain House to see Hared who is deaf. 

On the drive I was reviewing my ASL terms and signs so I could sign a little bit to him. He also lit up and was soooo happy to see Lucas. It was cool and entertaining to see Lucas trying to sign to him and then half the time Hared would finger-spell to me what he was saying and I would tell Lucas. We took pictures and they arm wrestled and then left. We ate lunch at a Korean place called Cucina and it was delicious. Then we drove to Red Deer and on the way we stopped at some Canola Fields which were gorgeous I wish we had them in AZ. We got to the Walters house in Red Deer and she was excited to see us and catch up. She had her kids & their partners over and 1 granddaughter and it was a yummy dinner with good conversation. The house was pretty warm so we left to go look for Saskatoon berries in the nice weather. We drove to an area they told us to check and we didn’t have any luck. We asked an elderly couple who was on a walk if they knew where some might be and they were visitors so they said come to the house were staying at and they might know. We followed them there and that lady said they weren’t in season yet so they wouldn’t be around. We then went to the Moreno’s house unannounced and they were both out in the yard gardening and working on a lawn mower. 

Sister Moreno was surprised and took a bit to remember Lucas but brother Moreno remembered him. We talked with them a bit and then she invited us inside to eat something. I was nervous to try it because they are Filipino and they have different food, but she brought out a Banana Rice cake so it wasn’t too bad. She then invited us to come to lunch the next day at her daughter's house in Edmonton so I said yeah of course! We then got back to the Walters and talked with both of them until about midnight. Pretty late but they loved having someone else to talk too and catch up with.

Saturday was CANADA DAY! We slept in and it was very much needed. We had a great breakfast with the Walters and then headed out to the Morenos daughters house for lunch. I again was worried it was going to be exotic food but I got lucky and it was ribs, and soup, and noodles and an amazing orange juice. They were fun to talk with and bring up topics that would get brother Moreno laughing and saying “Ohh nooo”. We went back to the McMullin’s and unpacked everything and took a nap before the Hardy’s party. We over slept and were a little late but it wasn't a big deal. They had a bunch of people over to eat and hang out for Canada day, but it started raining so it kind of got cut short and a lot of people left or went inside.

 We went inside and talked with members, took some pictures, and then went on a tandem bike ride. We then went to downtown to watch the fireworks. It was hard to find a spot and ended up on a hill that we kept sliding down so we went to the bottom of it, and then we had a some good laughs from everyone coming down it slipping and falling. It was entertaining. The Fireworks started going at 11:00pm for about 20 minutes and it was a really good show. Most Canadians say their fireworks are nothing compared to the states, but since it was their 150 year anniversary they had double the budget so it was just as good as the states. And it was a great night celebrating Canada day in Canada!

Sunday we woke up around 8 AM or so and we attended the St. Albert Branch. There weren't many people there that Lucas recognized which was a bummer but its all good. After sacrament meeting we went to Mission Hill to look over the city of St. Albert. It was a sight to see. Soon following we drove around Londonderry which is a more poor part of the city! We drove by the Eskimo Stadium, Old Recall Place, Chinatown, Little Italy, it was fun to see those places. We then attended sacrament meeting in the derry. Lucas said this ward had a lot of interesting people and people who need help. So he warned me that Fast and Testimony meeting today would be interesting. Doug Massey (man with Down syndrome) went up first and said, Happy Canada Day multiple times, I guess it was pretty normal of him to do that. Then someone recited poetry dramatically while looking up to the heavens, then another lady wore the same, black jeans, leather jacket and sunglasses from when Lucas was serving there. One lady asked for everyone to pray for her, and another man was pretty intense and funny. Lucas got up there and bore his testimony and it was like a breath of fresh air. He got all choked up and it was a tender moment. Following church we changed some clothes and then went down to Beaumont for dinner with the Lawrasons. It was amazing as always and the company was great too. We found out that Scott now has diabetes so that was interesting to see how he has been dealing with that. We will catch up with them sometime soon as they come down to mesa, somewhat regularly. After dinner we checked out the town of Beaumont and my old area in Ellerslie. We took a little walk around a lake and then went back to the McMullins to then crash.

Monday we woke up slow and then went to the Sihk Temple otherwise called the Gudwara Temple. I think they thought we were distracting others because they seemed somewhat awkward about us coming. But we looked at the Guru Book that was tucked in a large bed and then left. We looked at the old Mission office and it changed up a bit but not too much. Soon after we went to the river where we just relaxed and took some pics. We also found out that our cracked windshield was going to be fixed by Geico, hallelujah! We then headed over to Sherwood Park to surprise Sis. Kimball Morris who used to help shoot videos with me. We got to a donair place very early and good thing cause a huge baseball team made orders as we got in. About a half hour later the sister missionaries came and Kimball was shocked and was emotional. It was good to surprise her and make her day a little bit brighter by seeing someone who she knew :) I had my first Donair and it was rally good I liked the sauce they put on it a lot. On the way over to West Edmonton Mall Lucas was pulled over for speeding and he was mad. it was so weird because it was a Peace office and he was just on his feet with a gun, and then they would run out into the road and put their hand out to tell you to stop and pull over. It was the weirdest thing. We made it to WEM and looked for Canada 150 shirts but they were all sold out so we bought some online. We saw galaxy land, a hockey game, the themed hotels, the water park and the sea lions. It was quick version of the mall but we saw plenty and didn’t buy anything so I guess that was a success. We then saw the tiny Edmonton Temple and it looked as beautiful as ever. Soon following we went over the McMullians and we went to Kent’s parents for dinner. We had a nice meal and then went back to the McMullins. We chatted around the living room for an hour or two and then took some pictures and said goodbye. It was such a great time spending time in Canada and spending it with people Lucas loved dearly and I am so glad we got this trip in before school, kids, and life starts, it was nice to just be carefree and do whatever we want there.  

We woke up very early on the fourth of July. We dropped our car off at the airport and made our way to the plane just fine. We had a flight which was about 40 minutes and then we landed in Calgary. By the time we went through customs and got to our gate it was time for boarding. We were upgraded to first class on Air Canada it was SWEET! So I didn’t take a nap instead I watched a movie on the plane and enjoyed my breakfast and my hot towel. It was the first time I have ever been in first class so that made the trip going home a lot better and I don't know how I'll ever go back to economy. We came back around 10 AM and Nanna and Tava picked us up and Nanna even had scones & fruit for us because she thought we would be hungry. She is the cutest. It was nice to come back home! Dad finished the backboard and did some other random things around the house. We got home and he was still working on it actually so that was a nice surprise to come back too. That night we went to Mom & Dad's for a Fourth of July pool party and BBQ. The Huggans and Packards were there and we swam, caught up, and ate waaaay too much. We are happy to be home and back on a schedule for 2 weeks.