Where to begin? The last two months have been quite interesting, to say the least. We were planning on moving to Utah so Merrill could go to Weber State and for better job opportunities as we weren't finding any here in Portland. So, we sold all of our stuff and hoped that everything would be better in Utah. Then in the beginning of August, Merrill thought he would try one last shot at applying for apartment managing positions in Portland. That week, we got interviews and were offered 3 different positions. Thus, we decided we were staying in Portland. Now we've got a job that provides a rent credit of $750 and salary of $300/month. Merrill can keep going to school, and I can stay home with Eliana. This works out so much better for us, knowing that if we had gone to Utah, there was a slim chance of finding jobs, an apartment, and a way for Merrill to pay for school (out-of-state tuition; financial aid would not have covered everything). We know Heavenly Father answered our prayers. He really is mindful of what each of his children are going through and is looking our for us.
We love our new apartment! It's a 2 bd/1 ba. We were surprised at how big the apartments are, compared to what we've been living in the last 3 years. There is a grocery store right next door, and a park just south of us (Mt. Tabor). We're surrounded by a bunch of local restaurants and shops, some of which are pretty good.
We like our new ward, too. But it's really small, almost like a branch, because there is 77% inactivity. There's a lot of work to be done. Merrill and I gave talks our second week in the ward and the Bishop has already talked to us about past callings we've had. We're just anticipating the interviews to be this Sunday or next.
I haven't been able to post pictures for awhile, so here's some of Eliana. I'll get more up as they come.
My New Favorite Outfit:
