Exciting News!

Well I have some really exciting news to share! This morning I got a call from Utah Valley Regional Medical Center offering me a job in the newborn ICU! I interviewed for the job on June 21st and called them a week later. They told me I didn't get the job because they could only hire so many new graduates because of the residency program I'd have to do. They only offer that a couple times a year and it was full. I was so bummed because that was my IDEAL job. So I kept looking for jobs and every place turned me down. It really stunk! Then last week I got a voicemail from Human Resources saying they had more openings and that since I already had my license they could start me in the next residency program a month early! I was shocked and so excited! What a tender mercy from the Lord! I called them back and told them I was interested. HR said they were going to check my references and get back to me. Then this morning I got the call and have been bouncing off the walls ever since! I start August 15th, I can't wait! There's no doubt that the Lord had his hand in this and I'm just so grateful!

Family Reunion in Estes Park

Every other year my family has the opportunity to attend the Monson reunions! The Monson's are my grandma Elmont's family. She's one of eleven kids, then all her siblings have kids, plus their kids have kids, and even some of their kids have kids! You get the picture, it's huge! And it is so fun! It's the type of reunion where hardly anyone knows anyone's name, and by the end we're all best friends! It's a blast and since we do it every other year so much changes and lots of new members are added to the family! Steve wasn't able to go this year because of school, and I was hoping to have a job by then but oh well. It worked out that I was able to go and I'm so grateful I went. My great grandma Monson is 97 years old and we all think it's the last time we'll be able to have her at the reunion. She was the one that started it all so it's always a special treat when we think it's the last time (which has been probably the last three reunions) and then she surprises us all!

 Since our family is so large we have to hold the reunion where it can accommodate everyone. This year we were able to do it at the YMCA lodge in Estes Park, Colorado. 

The drive there was absolutely beautiful! These guys were just hanging out off the side of the road. They were huge!

Playing horse shoes

The last night we were there we had a meeting with all the adults. After the meeting we walked outside and right outside our door were two HUGE elk just sitting there grazing. I think they were pretty used to having people around. Everyone was taking pictures and getting pretty close and it was like it didn't even phase them! They just kept on eatin! Sorry it was so dark outside so the pictures aren't too great...

 Grandma Monson is so funny! She collects goofy glasses and has too many to count. She's already picked out which pair of glasses she wants to be buried in haha and she always wears a pin that says I LOVE KEN. It's so cute! My grandpa died 13 years ago and she's worn it ever since.

 Some of us crazy cousins!

So this picture I love because Dumb and Dumber is one of my favorite movies and these are the steps of the hotel that they stay at! We had to drive by and take a picture just because we were so close!

The reunion only went from Monday to Thursday afternoon so we had the rest of the week left to go to Basalt, Colorado. This is were my Grandpa Elmont grew up and his brother still has a cabin there that we were able to stay at. It was tiny and super rustic but fun to go to. We all ended up sleeping in the bunk house that my great uncle made just right next door to it. It was so small and it was hilarious trying to fit all nine of us in there for the night! Fun memories that's for sure!

 Sleeping in the bunk house!

Side of the cabin, I don't know why i didn't take a picture of the whole thing... oh well.

 Harry Potter with some of the cousins and my family

 Our last day we took a tram up to this little amusement park sort of thing call the Cavern. It was like a tiny tiny Lagoon and was a lot of fun. 

This was the "Swing" It swung you our over the edge so you were swinging out over the canyon! It looked pretty fun!

 Kait was so brave to go! So proud of her.

After the park we packed up and headed home! It was so fun to be able to spend time with the family and to be in beautiful Colorado.

Mom's Birthday and the 4th of July!

My mom's birthday is the 2nd of July so we celebrated by taking the boat out! Most of my siblings were out of town for one reason or another so out of the ten of us only my mom, dad, Kait, and Alli were able to come. It actually worked out better that way because then we were able to have Steve's cousin Heather and her family come with us and Makay! 

 Heather and her cute family, minus baby Coy

 Birthday girl and Coy. Happy Birthday Momma!

 Hahaha look at that face! This was kait's first time on the freeboard and she was determined to stand up on it. She did it!

 Same with Alli bug!

For the fourth we went to my cousin Emilie's in Lehi for a BBQ and fireworks with all the extended Elmont family. I love the holidays! I love having all the family together and making fun memories. This year we had the neighbors across the street light off what was considered last year to be an "illegal" firework off the top of a ladder. Well...the ladder tipped over and the firework shot right at us! It was crazy! We tried to get all the little kids to run and hide but my little cousin Noah ended up getting burned on his chin. Poor guy! It was a blessing that no one else was hurt. 

 Uncle Brandon and my little bro Choy (Jason). You can tell he's excited to get started!

 Some of my cute little cousins!

 Me and Emilie

 Kimball and Candace

 My grandpa is hilarious! All of you who have met him can agree!

 

Lake Powell with the Nelsons

We were able to make it to Lake Powell this year with Steve's family. I was so excited because Lake Powell is one of my ultimate favorite summer vacations, and it was over my birthday so it was a blast! Steve's family and cousins were so sweet and surprised me with my favorite cake and a scavenger hunt. I felt like a little kid! It was such a fun day and a great little vacation.

 Every time we got in the boat Zoe would fall right to sleep and stay asleep the whole time!

 Hiking up hole in the rock. This is where the pioneers blasted through the rock and brought their wagons down. It was nuts! There's no way they could have done that without the Lord's help!

This is a track in the rock made by the handcarts and wagons.

All my treasures after the scavenger hunt!