Where I Live

Chris tagged me last week to list five things I like about where I live. Not an easy thing for me right now as I am not loving Utah at the moment. I think vacations do that to you. Tease you with what could be and then you come home to what is. But the more I thought about it the appreciative I became. Read on if you think you can handle some sentimentality...

I love the sunsets here in Utah. Summer nights where the kids are playing outside and the sky looks like it is on fire against those gorgeous Wasatch Mountains. I don't ski, I don't love camping, we don't own four-wheelers. Sometimes I wonder, what are we doing here?! But when it's light at 9:00 p.m. and my kids are running and giggling all over the neighborhood I am happy.

I love that we live close enough to my mom and dad to walk over to say hello. Or call and say "I'm taking the kids to the Copper Mine and they wanted Grandpa to come." And grandpa does! That Greg gets to go to grandma preschool every week. We live 40 minutes from Dan's family too - so we get to see them also as well which we love! I love the fun parties with his big family.

I love that I grew up a 10 minute walk since I was 7 with my best friend, Kjersten and here she is living a 10 minute drive from me. I never had a sister so I made her mine. Doesn't she look like Jennie Garth from 90210? She has the most beautiful family. She is a teacher, a mom, amazingly crafty and creative and the most devoted friend I could ever laugh or cry with. (We've done both lots!)

I hope these girls don't get mad - I wish I had a picture of all of the girls on my block. I am the "Old Mom in the Neighborhood" at my undisclosed age but they never make me feel that way. They are beautiful, talented, funny and smart. They are amazing mothers. They are fashionistas. They are such fun friends. I love the "who wants to go to a movie" emails, book club, our annual neighborhood block and Christmas parties, how all our kids flock outside to play together, how we help each other. I love the friends that I have made here. I love that I graduated from here. I apologize to my parents for that taking so long! I was a little unfocused. But once I decided to go back I LOVED college and I loved going to the U. I'm proud that I have a Bachelors degree. I had planned to go back to California to get a job and then met Dan a week before I graduated. What could a few months hurt to see what could happen with this cute guy? Well, here I am...

I love my little family. As much as I wish we lived somewhere that was a little more, hop, skip and a jump to something other than Boise or Vegas, I would be foolish to wish that I was anywhere without these other four. I am really trying to be more optimistic and have a heart full of gratitude for what I have no matter where I live!

I am tagging Kjersten, Katherine at FritzieMarie, and Mrs. B!