Alamogordo, NM

 I took so long to post these pictures I can't even remember much about them!

We had a great few days in Alamogordo, NM.  We visited the oldest Zoo in the Southwest...it was pretty quiet and we really enjoyed it!

 We also made it to the Space Museum.  It was VERY cool.  Here is Holdyn balancing a gyro-sphere (I think that is what it is called) as it spins.....and balances on the tip of her pencil.

 These pictures are out of whack, but we visited both places on the same day. Above is the kiddo's on a lion at the Zoo.

Ben, Holdyn and Kimber posing at the Space Museum!

We had a great few days with Ben off!  White Sands was AMAZING!  I think the girls' favorite part was the indoor pool at the hotel.  It was really fun to take a little vacation with the family!

One of the main reasons we headed south was that Ben had an interview at the hospital in Silver City, NM.  Since I print this blog yearly this information is mostly for my family records.  Ben originally Matched to the Roswell, NM program in Rural Medicine.  The Rural programs in New Mexico are under UNM and they require the first year of your residency to be at the University of New Mexico Hospital, here in Albuquerque.  On the first day of Ben's orientation, they called the Roswell Residents aside and informed them that the Roswell Program had closed, due to problems with the administration at the hospital.  They reassured us that UNM would help us find another position...not the way we wanted our first few days of Ben's intern year to begin!  The stress began.  UNM quickly fell in love with Ben and his work ethic.  They guaranteed him a position here in the University's program.  (He was also offered positions in Pediatrics and the Surgery department...but his love lies with Rural Family Medicine.)  

They continued to search alongside with Ben for programs that were rural, that we might be able to transfer to.  Ben visited the Santa Fe Program....things went great, they were excited to have someone who actually wants to do Rural Medicine!  Unfortunately,  Santa Fe did not have enough patients to support adding another Resident (They were going to make a new spot for Ben, but at the end of the year, their numbers wouldn't support it.) So we had begun to adjust to the fact that we were probably going to be staying here in Albuquerque.  We even started looking for homes to purchase and were getting serious about one when Ben talked to the Program Director at UNM.  She informed him that Silver City is opening up a rural medicine program and they came to UNM and specifically asked for Ben.  We began to toss the idea around.  It was timed just right, because Ben had his annual time off and we were able to go and visit and Ben spent the day with the Directors of the Hospital there.  We LOVED it there!  It is a beautiful little town set in the green of the Gila mountains and rolling hills.  Ben will be the first resident and possibly the only resident there next year and will get all of the attention and procedures he desires!  Last week two of the most influential men (one Dr. and one director) who have been involved with establishing successful Rural medicine programs throughout New Mexico and  Texas invited Ben to have dinner with them and discuss the new program! 

Now, we play the waiting game again!  Ben finishes up his first year the end of June and will begin the first of July.  The Silver City program is set to have it's accreditation by the first of June!  We have a letter of intent for Ben to begin working there, BUT, cannot have a signed contract until they have their accreditation.  Things look great and on track, but they just won't have the final contract signed until the first of June, and we will relocate there the end of June/first of July!

Seems like every time we make a plan, Heavenly Father steers us a different way.  It is good to know we are in good hands!  We always feel we are where we are supposed to be, when we are supposed to be there!