There have been a few times in my life where I think "that is something I will tell my grandkids". And this weekend I had one of those experiences. An experience I will forever remember and treasure.
My Saturday evening was all planned out, and I had been looking forward to for a while. It was supposed to begin with a nice drive out to Strathmore, followed by a delightfully yummy dinner (I was promised asparagus and cheesecake!) made by the guys in my ward, followed by some fun times, and ending the night dancing the night away at the IRC "Welcome Back Week" dance back in Calgary. But, that is not what happened.
Instead, it decided to snow. A lot. Despite the weather, we decided to still make the trip, and still expected things to go as planned. They didn't. We didn't get to leave until late, and after extremely terrible roads -- I'm pretty sure I held my breath for the entire time we were driving -- which ended up being almost an hour! We finally made it to the Bishop's house and got to eat what was left (since we were about an hour late). And then Chantelle and I made our way downstairs to our favourite spot -- the massage chair! So many good moments in that chair. We ate our delicious cheesecake, laughed and laughed and laughed.
And then we found out that the highway was closed. Highway-1, which would get us home to Calgary was closed. Closed. We were stranded. No dance, no home. We quickly figured out where we could all stay (thank goodness for knowing other people that live in Strathmore!).
Since we were stuck, we spent time playing games, enjoying large amounts of sugar and more laughter. One word: spoons. You can picture it, right? Lots of screaming. Lots of laughter. Some blood was drawn. All in all a great time.
Then, it was off to Sarah's sister's house to sleep. We ooed and awed over her adorable nephew, watched "Two Weeks Notice", and had a pretty decent sleep. In the morning came CocoaPuffs and more cute kids.
Since our whole bishopric and nearly our whole ward was stranded in Strathmore, we had a sacrament meeting at the bishop's house -- in their home theatre. It was a pretty wonderful experience. It is so amazing to feel the spirit in those moments. After a short lesson on Provident Living (perfect for the occasion!), we had a testimony meeting. It was great to hear everyone's individual testimonies and the gratitude that was expressed. At this point in the day, we fully expected to be staying another night and I was so happy to be with good people, in a good home making the best of our situation.
Just before dinner and a great game of ping pong, we found out that they would be opening the highway before it got dark, so we'd be able to get home! What a crazy turn of events!
After a delicious lunch, and many more prayers we were on our way back home, full of gratitude and memories.
When I was younger, I always thought it would be fun to be snowed in somewhere or stranded. Now I know that if you have the right people, a big house, and lots of food it can be quite enjoyable!
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