In case you are still in suspense . . .

Ben accepted a job at . . .

The Kellogg School of Management

at Northwestern University

 in Chicago, IL (well, technically Evanston, IL, but you get the picture)!!!

Sorry it took me so long to come out and say it.  I think I was in denial for a little while, or got tired of explaining it, or took a long time trying to get over the dream life of Hanover, New Hampshire.  I think the big adjustment for me was mentally recognizing that, instead of choosing a major destination, we are making one more pit stop on the way to the real destination.  I feel like I've finished a really long novel and suddenly the ending came and it said, "to be continued . . ." because we STILL don't know where we're going to live and buy a house!  But, we know where we're going at the end of June.  And it's Chicago.

Ben and Jenn's Red Rock Adventure

Look at us!  On an airplane ALL BY OURSELVES!!!

We hardly knew what to do with ourselves, as you can see.

Where were we headed?  Does it really matter?  We were alone - just the two of us!  Free as birds!  And someone else was paying for it!

This is where we stayed.  Cable Mountain Lodge, right outside Zion National Park in southern Utah.

BYU invited us to a finance conference they were hosting.  We were really proud of them for putting on such a lovely event . . . and we were glad they decided to invite us!  For the conference, Ben went to seminars from 8-12 (while I sat in the hotel room ALL BY MYSELF), and then the rest of the day was reserved for adventures!  

BYU provided all of the meals, and the food was phenomenal!  It was fun to meet all of the BYU finance people (+ many wives), as well as the finance professors and "partners" from other universities who attended the conference.  

I enjoyed this dinner with the red bandanna napkins and the bluegrass band.

Audience members got to help with the music.  I gotta have more cowbell!

Many virgin daiquiris were served.  And in case you were wondering, wine was also available -- for those who have not yet embraced the honor code.

And now, for the adventures!

All harnessed up for canyoneering!

slot canyons

On the brink of dropping to my death, or so I thought.

Going straight down -- I was pretty freaked out by the idea of falling straight backward.

Ben, making it look easy

On Belay!

Squeezing through some slot canyons

Hiking in the Narrows

So beautiful - and the water was so refreshing

See our cool water shoes and neoprene socks?

We needed them for most of the hike - it was slippery!

Angels Landing hike.  This sign kind of freaked me out.  I imagined myself plummeting to my death many times during the hike.

But the views were spectacular.

Toward the top, these chains were the only thing keeping us from slipping into oblivion. 

And see that peak behind me?  That is Angels Landing.  We didn't quite make it to the top.  We decided that we wanted to make it home alive!  I seriously thought we were going to die.  So glad we didn't!

Because we had these boys to return to!  They were waiting for us at JoDee's house in CT.  A HUGE thank you to JoDee and Brandon for being the parents of five kids 6 and under!  The boys had a great time (and Sam survived without too many tears).

Apparently Henry and Olivia really bonded.

BFFs forever!  Henry made sure to tell her that he hasn't yet decided who he is going to marry.  There are at least 5 girls who have asked to be on the list!