Blessings

Ben graduated from Medical school! We flew back to Oregon for graduation, and took Carynn with us, a very dissapointed Reina and Vaughn stayed with my parents. It was so great to see some of our friends again. It felt like we'd been gone for so long.

Our beautiful new niece, Emma Rae, Jonathan and Stephanie's baby was born!

And our other niece, lovely Rae'lynn, was baptised!

The Wetzel Fam reunion was a hit!






And I can't BELIEVE I don't have pictures, but we spent an amazing two months in Utah living with my parents (THANK YOU!!), hanging out with my sisters, brother and sister-in-law, and also with my niece and nephew! It was so amazing. We also had another fabulous family reunion at my parents house tucked in there. I only have one picture of the open house at the Ochre Mountain Temple where we got to take the kids, Sharlie, and Tyler and Maddie (I miss you all!!). We also had a really special morning at the Provo temple. We got to perform some baptisms with Tyler, Thomas and Adrienne, Ben and I, and Dad. It was Tyler's first time, and it was really special to be there together! I can't believe how grown up Tyler and Maddie are getting.

We have had so many blessings!! And I didn't even mention getting approved for this house, having to move only twice (to Utah and then Colorado), and having Ben's parents visit us for a week, and going to the Boise temple. Phew. We are happy and well, and I know everyone is anxious to see pictures of the house, so I'll be doing that soon. We love you all and miss all of you in Oregon!!

Here are a few pictures of Garden of the God's in the Springs and the Boise temple.

Rocky Mountain High...

As I have been looking on our pictures since we moved from beautiful Oregon, I'm a little disappointed. There is a pathetically small amount. So, though I'm a firm believer that a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll just have to say more than I show. Bummer.

We are so happy here. I'm convinced that just having all this extra space is doing wonders for us all. We found a house and have been renting it while we were waiting for the bank to approve our offer. Thursday, while visiting this cool park called Garden of the Gods, we got the happy news from our realtor that our offer was accepted and started working on the house that afternoon. It was a short sale, which means just shy of bankrupcy (how in the heck do I spell that?), so the house needs some work. Everything inside and out needs paint. The carpets are really stained and worn, the linoleum is old, the basement smelled like cat, the deck needed to be finished, and the yard is in desperate need of TLC. Just to start. And yet we feel like we're in heaven....

Everyone has their own room (except Ben--he's quick to point that out), and we have so much space. We have almost a quarter acre yard. Right now the yard needs so much work that the kids spend more time in the front riding their bikes down our driveway. Did I mention we are the last house on a cul-d-sac? I would recommend it.

We had great thunder stormes nearly every day in July. But sunny, warm, hot, and cool days all mixed in. They say if you don't like the weather, wait a few hours for it to change.

We already have Zoo passes and are really enjoying the great zoo here. The parks are nothing like Oregon though. Lots of rocks, every park has a sand box, not many trees, sometimes grass, and no shade. I also don't like the library as much as Portland ones. Oh well.

Ben really enjoys work, and he is working with a really great group. The chief resident and his wife had all the residents over for a fourth of july BBQ, and I really think Ben got lucky. They are all so very nice. We had a great time.

Here are a few pictures.