Author: Angela

I write so my family will always have letters from home.

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.

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.

Oceanside

Here we sit restfully right by the sea,

Some of us building, digging and finding,

and some of us reading and thinking.

There are a lot of smiles.

Onlookers abound,

Grandpa is beaming.

If we could hear these crabs talk, I’m sure they’d be screaming.

(This is not supposed to be a poem, but I couldn’t help myself.)

The bikers are out in great number,

While a wave dashes all their hard work back to sea.

A pirate was seen on the grounds of the temple!

We paused and enjoyed the peace we found there.

The tide pools were teeming with critters and squishies.

The ocean seems to gulp down the sun in just minutes.

Richard makes everything better. Amen.

Good night and thanks for reading our blog.

A List

Mark and Timothy’s room

This week…

we sold our house.

we signed 6,000 documents.

we endured our third week in a different state than Richard.

we reupholstered the kitchen chairs.

we watered our new flowers and watched them die anyway.

Richard got his first paycheck from his new job.

we took down many things from the walls. One little friend came over and told us our house sure looked plain.

we have some family visiting us!

Next week…

we hope the buyers still want our house.

we will be with Richard!

My presidency

I’ve been a Young Women president for almost 11 months. I’ve had a full schedule and great counselors and a spunky, awesome secretary to keep me in line.

Emily is my first counselor. She is a great leader for Paige and she is so dependable and cute. She loves Paige and that means a lot to me. Emily can do anything, all while holding a baby and chasing a toddler.

Here is Susan, who just happens to be married to Bishop B. She takes such good care of the Beehives and oh, do they love her. She hosts craft parties for holidays and the girls love to spend time with her. I do, too.

This is Jen, (Lucille’s niece) our secretary who has served with 4 presidents. She keeps me laughing and the girls love her. I do, too.

 

Here is Cindy, our camp director. She pretty much saved the day when she accepted the calling at the last minute and she did an incredible job.

I love the lessons from Jasmine and Liz. They are wonderful teachers because they live what they teach and they have a great relationship with the girls.

Serving in Young Women is a nice capstone for my Arizona experience. I’ve served in the Primary, Relief Society, Cub Scouts, and music in our ward. The Young Women organization is a new frontier for me and such a joy. Oh, how I love those girls and these ladies!

(I didn’t take any of these photos. Some are from Cindy; others are from Jen and one unknown. I took the profiles and Jasmine made them into silhouettes with Photoshop.)