This is the Peña life

We have decided to get back into blogging.  We just want to share with everyone the things in life that bring us joy.  Things like our beliefs, our family, our hobbies/interests, and much more!  The things that make the Peña life. A lot has happened since our last post on December 4, 2010.  I will condense the past 2 years on this post and will create more posts for certain events later down the road.

2011 was a roller coaster year.  We went through some very difficult challenges that definitely tested and challenged us to our core but we hung in there and gained more than we could ever have imagined.  This we know, is that God does love us and is mindful of each and every one of His children.  We have a greater faith in our Savior and in the Plan of Salvation. 

There were also some good things that happened in our lives.  I graduated from the University of Utah in the Spring of 2011 with a Bachelors in Economics.  It was good to be done and to get away from school for a bit because I will be back in a few years for a MBA.  After graduation I had no idea what I was going to do and one of the things that I was exploring was joining the Utah Army National Guard which I ended up doing.  I shipped off to basic training if Ft. Jackson, SC on September 8, 2011.  That was definitely one of those challenges for us.  Having served a mission and being gone two years away from home made it seem that being away from Melinda for 5 months would be cake!  Total opposite, it was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. 

I will share a more detailed post about my initial entry training experience into the Army in the future.  I completed my training in February of 2012 and returned home.  Shortly after returning home we were blessed with Melinda being pregnant.  We found out on April Fool's Day.  Of course no one believed us when we told them.  To date Melinda is about 31 weeks along and the due date for our little baby girl is December 12, 2012.  How cool would it be for her to be born on 12/12/12?! The next time you will have triple numbers like that will be in 89 years on January 1, 2101.  We are very excited for December to come and our blog will explode with baby pictures.

This is me at graduation.  Go Utes!

Melinda came out for my basic training graduation in Ft. Jackson, SC.  This is where we would have our main formations, in the company area.  3/60th Alpha Co. 2nd Platoon Dark Knights!

I chose to leave for basic training and then AIT when I did because it would give me the opportunity to come home for 17 days!  That was a much needed break.

Shortly after we found out that Melinda was pregnant. 

Its a girl!