Angela – Page 178 – Letters from Home

Snippets

We have some lovely grapes in the backyard which the kids have enjoyed eating.

Richard has a new lawn edger.

All of the kids are registered for school. Yes, this was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. I know it’s the right thing to do, but I’m not talking about it, so please don’t ask.

Most of the boxes are unpacked, but we don’t have many pictures hung.

My favorite parts of our house are the kitchen, mudroom, backyard, and the basement library.

We have had different neighbors stop by nearly every single night to bring us goodies to welcome us.

Daniel is part of a thriving scout troop and Deacon’s quorum.

When you walk out of Paige’s school, three temples are in view.

Yesterday Paige and I filled two five-gallon buckets with therapeutic weeds.

ALL people want to talk about here is education. They ask our name and then they ask the names of our children’s teachers. Pretty much. I think it’s a good sign that the community is so invested in their schools.

I discovered someone with whom I can quote Shakespeare.

The neighbors said that a general authority lived in this house 10 years ago.

Our closets are improving, thanks to help from my parents and Joe.

Life is much easier with good shopping nearby.

I love the evenings here.

I am very grateful to be here. The timing was perfect for our family.

Daniel starts school tomorrow. The rest of the kids begin on Monday.

If you wonder what we are doing, we are either playing in the backyard, playing with boxes and styrofoam, organizing, or eating goodies from the neighbors.

We celebrated our girl and our house

We enjoyed some family time to celebrate Paige’s Sweet 16. Everyone signed a book for Paige and she received many thoughtful gifts. We filled the house with people who love her. Aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, parents, and grandparents were all there to cheer as she reached this milestone.

For entertainment, we gave house tours and the girl cousins tried on Paige’s ballet costumes. The boy cousins played in the moving boxes.

Paige’s license will be delayed a bit because of our move, but at least somebody can drive around in our yard. These are some of Paige’s cousins. Too cute.

Uh, we’re yer new neighbors

I’m pretty sure we’ve made some interesting first impressions with the new neighbors.

But hopefully we improve with longer acquaintance.

Reflection

Moving is like birth and death, full of mourning and celebration, vulnerability and sentiment. Our life story has been replayed in the packing and unpacking of objects, pictures, and books. Our furniture has been on parade into and out of a moving truck. Our family has been watched as we made our exit from our desert home, neighbors lining the street to wave teary goodbyes. In our new neighborhood, we have been watched through the windows of curious neighbors and welcomed from driveways and across church pews.

I’ve handled objects I haven’t touched in years. My babies’ blankets, old photographs, and high school yearbooks tell pieces of our story. The textbooks from eleven years of homeschooling tell a bittersweet story from which I am walking away (gradually). My dusty violin case scolds me for the neglect I promised I would never allow. My Texas years, evidenced in seminary teacher manuals and church books remind me of another part of my life which I hope to awaken in our new place.

Our Texas years were times of expansion in ideas, friendships, and in family members. Our Arizona years were a time of retreat; they were a time for our family to focus on one another. I’m grateful for each home and every experience. I come back to Utah ready to watch our family grow into who we need to be here.

Have you ever adopted a theme song for an important time in your life? This has been my theme song during this past month of transition in our lives.

01 – Home

I’ll share photos soon.

Bye bye Ballerinas

Paige and I decided to make some goodbye gifts for the girls at ballet. Toenails and tutus are very important to these girls, so this is what we made. Thank goodness the fabric wasn’t packed. Twist ties and tulle and some pretty nail polish. Voila!

Meeeeeee

This summer I have been overly (I won’t say uncharacteristically) jittery and insecure. I could blame it on the move, aging, school, Pioneer Trek, the weather, introversion, and the fact that I have needed a haircut for a very long time.

This week I was driving a carload of kids to go shopping and it occurred to me that I felt “back” to the way I usually feel. It coincided with a haircut, but it wasn’t the haircut that did it. It was a combination of events, each of them freeing me from some source of worry.

It’s good to feel normal again. Well, as normal as I get.

Look out, Utah. Are you ready for this lady?

Projects

Mornings are the time for work in the garage and errands. Afternoons are the time for quiet projects.

Two of my recent projects are dish towel goodbye gifts and new fabric on the kitchen chairs. I enlisted the kids to help me with the chair disassembling, cutting, and cushion testing (Mark).

I pulled out my embroidery machine to do the towels and made this card with our new address and tucked it neatly into each towel. I can’t wait to deliver these. It will feel a little bit like Christmas.

Wrap-up

Mark jumped from this ledge over and over, landing in the sand in a heap. Our eventful summer continues to demand our biggest efforts and some adventurous spirit.

Last night was the first time in a month that we were all home together (in Arizona). Its normalcy was soothing, although it’s really not normal for all of us to be home together. We let the dishes sit in the sink and we watched the Olympics and forgot about bedtime.

We’ve learned some things this summer living in two different states, not the least of which is how to text. We’re high-tech, but until now, we haven’t seen the need to type with our thumbs. Who knew how comforting this little exchange could be?

Are you there?

Yes.

and,

Good morning, Beautiful!

(That was from Richard.) 😉

When we need a break, Richard and I list good things that we know will come and good things that we hope will come with our move. Proximity to family and the temple rank very high, of course, but I’ll just share some light-minded ones with you:

Restaurants!
BYU football tickets
grass
trees
fireworks
seasons
food storage items in grocery stores
fry sauce
parades
Utah peaches
that General Conference feeling as it plays in almost every home in the neighborhood
Western Family brand
KSL radio
the lights at Temple Square

Arizona will always be with us, just as Texas is. Yesterday I had my first Sonoran hot dog and that will be something I’ll work to replicate all the rest of my life.

Hey, Utahns, what other (positive) little things do we have to look forward to? And no teasing about the cold, please. I know that 15 years living in cauldron states leaves me ill-equipped to handle the cold. Comment! Comment! I need company during these last days in the desert.