New York/Ohio trip

Ben had a total of 3 weeks this summer that he got to spend doing whatever he wanted.  One of those weeks was Boston.  The week after we spent time relaxing at home and the 3rd week we met up with Ben's family in New York.  We did so much that I don't think I will be able to remember absolutely everything.  My absolute favorite things we did were visiting the Palmyra temple, Sacred Grove, and Hill Cumorah Pageant.  

 

 

We found ourselves in woods quite often. We visited the Morley Farm, the Quarry where stones were cut for the temple, the Sacred Grove, and of course disc golfing!  Ben, Blake, and Harold went disc golfing 3 times on this vacation!!!
 

Kirtland Temple

Brad was on the work crew for the Hill Cumorah Pageant.

The whole Gang at the Pageant

Hill Cumorah Visitor Center.

Ben, Blake, and Gwen were able to do baptisms at the Palmyra temple while Lori, Harold, and I did endowments.

We learned so much about church history and loved this vacation.  Thank you Brockbank family for letting us tag along!!!

BOSTON!

The last week of June we were able to visit my Aunt Carol and Uncle Bruce in Boston.  We enjoyed spending time with them and seeing the sites. 

 TUESDAY Activities -  Boston Temple, Buckman Tavern, Munroe Tavern,  Hancock - Clarke House, Lexington Green where the first shot of the Revolutionary War was shot, and the North Bridge where the "shot heard around the world" was shot

 WEDNESDAY Activities - Freedom Trail,  Swan Boats, Climbed to the top of the Bunker Hill Monument (All 294 steps),  and paid our first street performer ever

  THURSDAY Activities - Salem Witch Museum, The House of Seven Gables, Salem Trolley, and Oldest Chocolate Store in America

 FRIDAY Activities - Ben convinced my uncle to go disc golfing, delicious ice cream for lunch, Art exhibit, Games

SATURDAY Activities - Made puzzle with my aunt, Harbor Festival, Institute of Contemporary Art

SUNDAY Activities - Games and Relaxing

Finally!

Ben finally took his Step 1 boards exam!  He started studying for this test in January on top of all the studying he had to do already for med school.  As soon as school was out for the summer he was able to commit himself to 12 to 15 hours a day for over a month.  Ben and Dustin studied at our house everyday all day.  From my point of view it looked MISERABLE!  I'm so glad the test is finally over.  Now Ben just has to wait a month for the results.  Easy...right?  We're taking some vacations now that he is done so maybe that will help to keep Ben's mind off it!

 The pictures below are how I found Ben and Dustin many days when I came home from work.  They were nice enough to smile for me and let me take a picture even though neither of them wanted me to bother them!

Tomatoes and Peppers!

At the beginning of May Ben and I bought a tomato plant and a pepper plant.  We kind of cheated and bought plants that were already growing but boy have our plants grown!  Ben didn't want to get his hands dirty so I mixed our soil.  We mixed vermiculite, peat moss and compost and it seems to be doing a good job.

Me mixing and Ben watching.  Our plants the first day we planted  them!

   

Our plants now.  We have tons of peppers growing.  No tomatoes yet.

Half way there!

Ben has met his half-way mark in med school.  He's completed his first 2 years of med school and has 2 more years of rotations to do.  Currently he is studying like crazy for his boards that he will take June 22nd.  This test is a big deal.  It will determine what type of residency he will be able to do.  To celebrate making it half-way the Olson's had all of us over for a BBQ.  

This is the whole gang minus the Larsen's.  We missed them terribly!

The girls :)  Love them!

Future doctors!

2 LONG and WONDERFUL years!

Ben and I definitely aren't pro's at this whole being married thing but we've made it 2 years so far and are still very much in love!  Yay for us.  Our anniversary was in April.  Ben was studying like crazy and I wasn't feeling that great so we ordered take out at a Chinese place that we will never go back to again!  We enjoyed each others company and exchanged gifts. 









Ben got a jar full of "Riesens" why I love him.  When he proposed to me he wrote all the reasons he loved me on colorful hearts.  I filled a jar with Riesens and wrote on the hearts all the reasons I love Ben. 

Ben got me a fun game we had played with some friends a few months before.  It is the first and only trivia game I have ever liked!  It conveniently was a game which means Ben benefits from it too but I ate my fair share of Riesens from Ben's jar so we'll call it even!