Change is happening!

It has been an eventful summer for us this far.  It started with a trip to Idaho to visit the fam.  We had a lot of fun and really didn't want to come back to NM and the heat.  We have really come to not so much enjoy the heat here.  We are lucky its not as hot here as it is in Phoenix but its still HOT.

We stopped first in Draper to visit the historic park there.  Nate's ancestors helped settle Draper. That is where we realized Easton had never been in grass and didn't know if he liked it or not.

 I may be biased but my kiddos are adorable.

We then stayed in Salt Lake one night  and went to Temple Square for a bit.  We visited with one of my bestest friends for a bit and she fed us lunch and we betrothed Lilly and one of her boys (cause I'm sure that will work out). I got to have dinner and adult conversation with another one of my bestest friends and we laughed and vented about life's challenges (it was fantastic). We went to Warm River and Mesa Falls and West Yellowstone while we were there.  We wanted to go into the park but there wasn't enough time during this visit.  We went to Earthquake lake and the kids were fascinated by its history.  And we spent lots of time visiting with family. It was an all around great trip and the kids didn't want to leave their cousins or grandparents or the grass of Idaho.  Carter even told grandpa that next time we are there, that he needs to teach him how to fish. So cute!

 The elusive picture of me.  I am so not photogenic.

The Brown Grand kids

Shortly after getting back home, Nate was called for an interview (via Skype) at East Idaho Tech College in Idaho Falls. So while he did that, I took the kids to a brand new splash park (the first in Las Cruces) to play.  The kids loved it. Easton has always loved the water and he couldn't get enough of the park until he was knocked over by a bigger kid by accident.  After that he was done and just wanted to be held.  Anwho, the interview went well and so then we just had to wait and see (that is the worst part, its torture).

 Water baby

The next few days were spent preparing Carter to have surgery.  About a month before our Idaho trip, I had taken the kids for well child exams and Carter was found to be broken. He failed his eye exam with flying colors so he got glasses, he can only wear high-top shoes because his ankles are bowing in and need the extra support and he had a inguinal hernia.

The first two were pretty easily fixed but there was some drama surrounding the hernia.  The referral was originally made to a surgeon who didn't take our insurance and then his doctor retired without warning and so we had keep contacting her poor nurse to get a different referral and then there were no pediatric surgeons in Las Cruces and we were going to have to take him to Albuquerque for the outpatient procedure (3 1/2 hour drive 1 way) and then scouring Las Cruces for a general surgeon that would do the surgery on a 4 yr old and then going to the consultation and whatnot and then finally getting it all done.  It was a lot of stress, but we figured it all out and he is good to go now.  He was scared going into it but he was a trooper and didn't even cry when they wheeled him in that big ole bed away from us and into surgery.  I don't want to have to do that again.

 A little nervous

 We teased him that he looked like big bird.  He was so cute in his little gown and hat but it made me sad.  He kept saying he looked like a doctor.

While we were waiting for Carter to get into recovery, Nate received a phone call from EITC asking that he talk to the president of the college.  So he talked with him the next day and by the end of the day was offered a new job.   We are so excited to be moving back to Idaho.  After this whole ordeal with Carter it will be so nice to have some family support around for a change.  We have really missed being close to family.  I think we were a little spoiled when we were in Tulsa (thanks Dad & Callie).  So we are moving AGAIN! Hopefully this will be the last time for a long time.  We are so excited but I will be sad to move away from our ward.  We have made some great friends here and Las Cruces will always be a special place for us.  I will miss my primary kids and the wonderful people that I served with.  We are grateful for this opportunity though.  We know that prayers are answered and are excited for new adventures.