Catching Up

We are a little behind on this blog (just a little - almost two months!)  We have been busy but just seems the more behind we get, the harder it is to catch up.  Also we are not good at remembering to take pictures.  We are enjoying our time here and it is going fast.  We are thankful to have this opportunity to serve.  Elder Garrett seems to stay very busy just helping people and keeping things going here in the branch. He has had a couple of phone calls in the middle of the night for help.  He doesn't seem to mind, in fact he tells people to call him anytime.  He is blessed with a great ability to counsel with people.  We have gotten some in-actives to come back.  A couple of weeks ago we had four stake visitors and we had a total of 46 in attendance. That is up from 17 the first week we were here.  Our attendance really fluctuates because so many people here work on Sunday.  We have three nurses in our branch, three that work at the prison and two that work at the airport and that always entails Sunday shifts.

It is still cold here and of course there is still lots of snow.  It isn't snowing quite so much but we had three straight days of snow last week.  Actually it really helped to make things look better because all the piles of snow were looking pretty nasty.  What amazes us is that it will snow all day and the sun will be shining!  They say there are two seasons here - summer and winter.  Elder Garrett says there is summer - winter - and beyond winter!!  I think he is correct.  The first day of spring last week was actually winter - part ll or beyond winter!! We still haven't been above freezing since October 21st.  The most amazing thing is that since the weather has warmed up the snow is melting even though it is  not above freezing yet.  Today we watched a steady stream of water coming off the building and the temperature was around 25.  So people have resorted to wearing jackets instead of the big heavy parkas.  They tell us that summer around here is beautiful - we are waiting and waiting and waiting!!!

This is all the Garrett grandchildren taken after Christmas at out eight year old granddaughter Amzie's baptism.  We were able to face time for the baptism.  It was just like we were there.

This is the sign entering the ice road to the small little town of Dettah across the lake.  When we first got here there was a sign entering the lake saying the road was closed.  We thought that was pretty funny until we found out there is actually a road in the winter!  It takes less than ten minutes to get there.  If you drive around the lake it takes about thirty minutes.

We were amazed at the ice road.  We thought it might be a little scary but it is about six lanes wide and pretty awesome!  This is in the middle of the lake.

Driving toward the little town of Dettah.

In the middle of the Great Slave Lake

The snow is worn off of this part of the ice road and you can actually see down in the water.  The ice is about six feet thick.  Pretty amazing!!

There are even speed limit signs on the ice road!

 

Going back to town on ice road.

House Boats on Great Slave Lake.  We showed pictures of these house boats on the lake when we first came.  We thought it was funny that now you can see cars around them.  I guess in the summer they park them some-where on land!

House Boats.

The pine trees were beautiful covered with snow.  I kept forgetting to take a picture.  This was taken the first day it warmed up and was an overcast day.  It started melting really quickly from the trees.  I hope to get one of those gorgeous pictures next year!!

Houses in Winter

Winter street. The main roads stay pretty clear.  All the neighborhood streets are packed with snow.

We were driving the ice road early afternoon as the sun was starting to go down. We observed this phenomenon we haven't seen before.  This is called a sun dog or double sun.  It appears in the north when it seems the sky is being filled with more particles of moisture and is usually a sure sign of in impending change in the weather, usually not good.  Of course all of it so far has not been what we call "too good."  It was beautiful though!!

Beautiful Sun Dog

We have a new High Councilor over the Yellowknife Branch.  Bro.  Durham was released.  This is Bro. & Sis. Gorbohn.  They visited us on February 9th and 10th.  We had dinner with them on Saturday and then they spoke in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday.  We always love to have visitors from the Stake.  One reason is that we always have them speak on Sunday because there are not too many to speak in this small branch.  We will miss Bro. Durham who has always been so helpful but are finding out that all of the stake people are just as helpful.  I mentioned a couple of things that I couldn't find here.  The Gorbohns went on a cruise just after their trip here and while in Florida Sis Gorbohn purchased these things and had them sent to me.  WE LOVE OUR STAKE VISITORS!!!  They definitely are fulfilling their call to the Yellowknife branch!

Brother and Sister Milnes. Sis. Milnes is the Relief Society president.  She is a very sweet lady and I am enjoying working with her in Relief Society.  They and their children had dinner with us when Bro. & Sister Gorbohn  were visiting.  She brought the main dish and I did salad and desert.  What fun!!!

Tanner and Kristen Milnes

Melanie is a single girl in our branch.  She is dating Leo who is not a member.  We have had them for dinner twice so far and had discussions with him.  He is such a nice young man.  We will be having elders coming for six months and we will have them start teaching him. 

Elder Garrett with Melanie and Leo

The youth visited the nursing home here on February 13th.  I made cookies and wrapped them individually in little baggies with a ribbon around them (forgot to take pictures.)  The youth had a great time visiting and came back here for cookies and milk afterwards (forgot to take pictures again!)  We all had a good time.  We have seven amazing youth!!

I have been doing the bulletin board in the Relief Society Room.  I didn't think about taking the picture in January.  I prided myself on not having to buy anything for the board.  I found all the things in the Relief Society closet or ribbon that I already had.  The bows are recycled from Christmas!