How we ended up in Marshall, Minnesota

Okay, so I am REALLY behind with the blog and a huge slacker! Since I last posted a lot has happened. Right after graduation (April 6, 2012) Chris and I were full time job searchers. We were applying to anything and everything (well the areas that applied to our degrees). We had quite a few interviews but nothing too promising. We made a trip out to Twin Falls, Idaho for one of Chris's interviews. That obviously didn't turn out after the fact  the that we had already fell in love with the area, but oh well.
On the way back to Rexburg, Idaho we went through Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. Talk about NOTHING and WIND!
It was a neat place to go and see though. Here are some pictures seeing that I was so much of a slacker that I didn't even put pictures on facebook.

While at the park we went through Indian Tunnel since that was the only one we could go in seeing we didn't have flash lights to go into the other caves.


The end of April came with no promise of work. So we packed up all of our belongings, loaded up in a budget truck and headed for Washington to stay with our families until we were able to find work. It was a sad day leaving Rexburg, Idaho. We grew to love the place, it was our home. We had so many amazing friends there, but it comes a time when it is time to move on, and so move on we did. While we were in Snohomish, Washington the job search continued. We arrived in Snohomish the beginning of May and ended up staying there a month. While in Washington I helped my Dad with his business in building fences and whatever other jobs he had to earn some money along with working at my Mom's work at the Extension Office. Chris also helped his Mom with her business as well. We kept applying for work and had many phone interviews. In the middle of May I was flown to Marshall, Minnesota to interview with Ralco Nutrition as a formulation specialist. May 19th we adopted our bobtail cat Merlin who just turned 2 in July 2012. I then received a job offer from Ralco Nutrition right at a time when Chris was getting ready to fly to Louisiana for an interview.

 Here is a picture of when we first got Merlin. 

We accepted the job offer May 29th after much prayer. I would have to say it was the hardest decision I have ever had to make. We had never even heard of Marshall, Minnesota, it was so far away, and we didn't know what would happen as far as Chris finding work. But our Heavenly Father knew what was best, so we went in the direction we were supposed to go. We loaded up the Budget truck again on June 11th, and June 12th we were off to Marshall, Minnesota with Kia in tow, and Chris, fishes, Merlin and I in the front seat of the truck. We went through Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and finally arrived in Minnesota. The trip went well, just never ending. Merlin even did pretty good with the ride seeing that we had only had him 3 weeks. We ended up taking him out of the crate half way through the trip because I felt so bad leaving him in there all the time. He just sat on the passengers lap and slept. We was such a good traveler. We arrived in Marshall on June 14th and I had my first day at Ralco Nutrition on June 18th.

In August Chris got a job offer from The Schwan Food Company as a buyer and accepted. He had his first day on August 13th. The cool thing is that Ralco Nutrition is surrounded by Schwan's and Chris's work is like 3 minutes away from where I work. Pretty cool! Heavenly Father was sure watching over us!

So that is a good summation of how we ended up in Marshall, Minnesota.