Why Payson?

In June we bought a house in Payson, UT. Initially, I approached Trevor with the suggestion that we purchase something in Provo. We could live in it for a couple of years and then it could be a rental property once Trevor is done with school. Seemed like a good plan to me. Once we started browsing the real estate market Trevor suggested looking at homes -especially since you could get a lot more "bang for your buck" outside of Provo. I decided to go along with his suggestion. With the help of our amazing realtor, Steve Bond, we found a home (that wasn't even on the market yet) which we both loved.

"Why Payson?" So many people would ask.

We had no answer other than, "it just feels like the right thing to do." We were prayerful in our decision and felt like the Lord allowed us and even guided us to be here.

We had no idea what a blessing it would be for us to be here.

Previously we had been living in a small studio apartment (which I loved), but there is no way that it could have accommodated any of our family members. Because we lived in our house, with lots of extra space, our family was able to come and be with us during the biggest trial we've faced in our lives. Instead of being in a hotel or cramming into our little apartment, since we had rooms to spare, family could stay with us. We had space to gather, to eat, to cry, to laugh, and even play games together. Having our family by our sides was an incredible comfort and need that we could not have managed without.

Trevor's dad, Jim, declaring my mom, Lois, the winner of the game

We all had food in our mouths so I added mustaches to conceal the unflattery

 The love of our neighbors has been amazing. We, of course, had wonderful friends in our church in Provo, and I am sure they would have looked after us too. But the friends and neighbors here in Payson have been such a blessing. They have reached out to us and served us in so many ways. Whether it was meals, looking after our yard, helping with Luke's funeral, or simply being by our side. Our friends couldn't have been more perfect for us at this time in our life.

Our neighbor and friend, Clay, bringing us Trevor pizza

The back deck has been a place that we could sit together and talk as we enjoyed the endless beautiful sunsets.

Trevor, his mom, Barb, and my step-dad, Chris

I am grateful to have neighbors that pound on my door almost every morning to get me out of bed and to the gym. I am grateful to have friends that help with mine and their crazy projects and adventures of backyard plays, turning church cultural halls into Candy Land, painting 2 dozen pumpkins for Thanksgiving decorations, and painting the entire interior of our homes.

Wish I had a picture of us doing Zumba! But this Candy Land pic will do.

What a blessing it is to be here. What a blessing it is to have these wonderful people in my life. I love my friends, I love our home, I love that our loving Heavenly Father guided us to be here at this time in our lives.