Miracles really do happen!!

I was hired on as a full time ultrasound technologist at the St. Luke's Wood River Hospital in Ketchum, Idaho!! My start date was November 9th, my sister Stephanie's birthday, what a great day =0) Joe and I were able to find a nice condo to rent in Hailey, just 11 miles south of Ketchum. We moved into it that weekend with the fantastic help of my mom, Joe's mom and brother Phil, and a guy from the Elder's Quorum Presidency, Bro. Pettingill. They saved us from doing SOOO much by ourselves. We owe them a lot.

The hospital: looks like a resort!! No joke, I was a little turned off when we drove up to it for my interview. But during my tour and interview, Kandis Pederson-Romero (the manager and previous US tech) won me over, along with the super friendly Radiologists (who knew they existed, right?!! ;0) ), Joe and I left feeling really great about it. Now that I have been there for a few weeks, I can honestly say I LOVE IT! I love the friendliness of the employees, doctors, patients...seriously, Joe and I talked about how nice everyone is in this area...I hope that Joe finds employment close by when he graduates so we can stay here.

The condo: is so much nicer than we had wanted or needed. But then again, I have been told that's to be expected with this neighborhood. But we LOVE it and are enjoying the open space. We REALLY miss our old apartment in the ol' Catholic Church, it was so cozy and simple, and cheap!! Almost half of what we are paying now. But this new place has a patio, garage, gorgeous appliances, a dishwasher and disposal (Joe and I feel like we are in heaven not having to hand wash everything), a bigger tub in the master bathroom (not the huge ones), 2 bedrooms and 1 study...front loading washer and dryer....Oh, and a gas fireplace!! We have only used it twice...but it's kind of fun. Our cat Silky is loving the space and spastic moments of running around back and forth through the hallway and living room. She is out of control, but we love her anyways.

The Ward: is so small!! We belong to the Hailey 2nd ward, in the Carey Stake. The chapel size reminds me of Chesterfield, and the number of members too. This could be fun! I enjoyed the close knit ward in Chesterfield. We are excited about getting to know the ward better. At Twin Falls and Pleasant Grove, people were constantly moving in and out, therefore changing things around. We added to that chaos. SO this will be a nice change, we hope! Our first Sunday we went to the Boise Temple Dedication (Joe's first dedication. It was such a wonderful experience. I really enjoyed Elder Bednar's talk. Pres. Monson was so personal and fun. Joe has never seen him like that). So last Sunday was our first Sunday meeting the members, and that was Thanksgiving weekend. We will see if the numbers change after the holiday.

The graduation: is set for December 14th!! And yes, I am going to walk. I figure it took me 5 1/2 yrs of working strictly towards ultrasound, and since I graduated from high school in 1999 that I have been trying to figure out my career...it is worth the walk. I am hoping for a smaller group since it is in December. WAHOO!! So exciting!! I have one more comprehensive final, and I am done, at least regarding school. I still have to take two more national exams for abdomen and OB/GYN...but I am done with school, what a relief...

The landscape: is such a nice change to the flat, barren lands of Twin Falls. We love the trees, the hills, and the wildlife. Joe drives me to work when he can, and we often see herds of elk on the drive. The people here seem to take their time and enjoy life. That is something we have to get used to...10 miles below the speed limit isn't such a bad thing, right?

Over all, we are beyond excited for this new change for us!! Joe does have to commute to Twin Falls which is 69 miles south of Hailey. This semester he has one class a week. Next semester he has twodays of classes a week. Then the summer he has 40 hrs of clinicals a week for 8 weeks at Twin Falls. In the fall he has 20 hrs of clinicals a week at Gooding (45 mins from Hailey) and 2 days of classes a week at Twin Falls. Then in the spring he will have 40 hours of clinicals a week at Ketchum, where I work. He has been so supportive of this move for me in my career. He quit the job at C3 in Twin Falls, and has committed himself to be a "stay at home hubby" and a full time student. He has been wonderful with keeping things clean and cooking dinners. He even packs me a lunch and makes my breakfast shake. WHAT A KEEPER!! I am grateful for him.

I am grateful for miracles, that a new graduate like me can be employed 40 hrs a week, Monday-Friday, 4 days a week, no oncall (unless it's an big emergency that can't wait), and usually no holidays...Seriously, how blessed am I? And Kandis graduated from Weber's program and was trained at Twin Falls too, so she knows where I am at and is so patient with me.

Heavenly Father is good to us. He is good to all of us. Sometimes it seems like things will NEVER fall into place...but just with my experiences in my life, things eventually do. And they end up better than I could have hoped for. Meanwhile, I tend to complain, moan and groan...But He is always faithful. There is this song that I love and I can't find the name or the lyrics...but it comes to my  mind every now and then. It starts out as, "Gentle healer, my deliverer..." and it talks about Him being the giver of gifts. I like that, He is the keeper of the covenant, He will alway be there...