Back to Life and A House Update

We are getting closer! It was very nice for me to not be in Iowa for the last 6 weeks- to not even have the option of driving by the house and seeing the progress (or lack thereof) on it. Jason sent me frequent updates, and that was enough for me. We had a few FaceTime sessions with the electrician and the faucet guy, and I loved getting tours of the house as the rooms slowly began to take shape.

Now we are back and anxious as ever to get into the house! We were last told that we'd be closing on August 9th, but it seems that would take a miracle to pull off. Leah's first day of first grade is August 15th, and I would just love for her to get to walk to school on her first day.

We have selected paint colors, fixtures, bought our first washer and dryer, and met our soon-to-be neighbors. There is still a lot of work to be done, but by and large, we aren't the ones doing it. All we can do is continue to wait.

While we're waiting, and knowing that we're getting closer to the end, I'm trying really hard to find joy in apartment living while I can. 

There is a small but perfectly nice pool at our apartment complex. It has been a fun way to spend the hot afternoons.

I love that we only pay a fraction of the utilities that are required of us when running a house.  I like being able to keep our whole apartment so clean with so little effort. I like having so much of our stuff boxed up. It has been a good reminder of how much we really need to get by. Not much. However, it's the space, not so much the stuff that I find myself missing most of all. And a garage. Boy, I am counting down the days until I can bring groceries into the house without loading up and climbing 18 stairs to my kitchen again. 

We ran into some of our new neighbors last week and were invited to a neighborhood BBQ for the Ankeny Days fireworks display.  

We got to meet about a dozen or so of the families that are surrounding us, including a few that we already knew of from Leah's few weeks here in kindergarten.  There are so many kids the age of each of our kids. I'm especially excited about our back-door neighbors, whose 4-year old boy will be in the same preschool class as Adam, and the nearby family whose mom is a teacher at the elementary school. They will make great walking buddies for Leah on the days the other 4 of us don't make it out the door in time.

There is a labor and delivery nurse who works at the hospital I'll be delivering at in October. We got great information about landscaping, dance companies, pair colors and nearby churches (many people here attend whichever church is closest to the neighborhood).  

There is a pretty even mix of working and SAHMs, and I did observe that no one has more than 3 kids. 

The more kids we have, I suppose, the less common our family size will be. I feel like we need to be extra clean, polite, and kind so we don't end up being labeled 'that huge family with the crazy kids and the screaming mom'.  And really, our family is not even that big...

But we loved our first introduction to the neighborhood. It continues to feel like the right place for us to be- if we could just get there already!

(The pictures that aren't of the house are of our trip to the Ankeny Days fair and just life.)

Week 6- The Final Fun

Our last week in Utah was just like the ones before it- packed with fun! We started off with a weekend visit from Grandma Morales and Emily. The kids loved playing with the dogs and splashing through a creek near Auntie Sarah's house. And I loved the adult conversation while Uncle Matt wrestled with the kids- they sure have missed their Daddy!

The next day we met up at the dinosaur museum, which was a nice cool alternative to playing out in the 100 degree heat. 

We met up with the aunties for dinner in Provo, followed by a generous soak in the splash pad, ice cream cones and a ride on the carousel. 

It was so nice to see them again, and we went home exhausted- some more so than others.

The next morning we were back to Thanksgiving Point, this time at the Children's Garden. 

There was so much to explore.

The grown-ups also went to Thanksgiving Point to see the Utah Symphony and some fireworks. I loved these larger-than-life bronze sculptures of Christ.

And before we knew it, it was time to celebrate Independence Day!  We braved the crowds in Provo at the Freedom Festival. 

 Thanks to our sweet Indiana friends that have moved there we had great seats with no fuss at all.

Emma reminded me so much of Leah at this age-not about to smile until she fully understood what was going on around her.

Adam, as usual, loved it all and wanted to make friends with everyone around him.

This picture makes me think not much has changed with Leah... 

My parade-loving dad went with us and was even brave enough to take the kids on the 'berry-go-round' at the festival. I love using pregnancy and picture-taking as an excuse to not have to go on those rides anymore. 

We spent the afternoon in the pool at my parents house 

and that night at my sister's house, setting off fireworks, eating tasty food and visiting into the night.

If Jason had been there, the night would have been perfect. Still, we had a great time celebrating the Fourth.

The last few days of our trip were filled with more visits with friends, a shopping trip or two and lots of playing with cousins.

A few days before we left, Leah commended to me that "It's almost like you and Daddy are divorced.... you know, because he's in Iowa and we're here."  I replied quite emphatically that divorced people don't like each other and Daddy and I like being together very much, then listed off all of the ways that we stayed close during our time apart- nightly phone calls, daily texting conversations, letters in the mail, updating the blog AND a surprise visit in the middle of our trip... but by then she had moved on.  Clearly, it was just time to get our family back to some semblance of normal.

When it was time to pile into the car to make the two-day trek home, we were all ready! We made the trip rather uneventfully, thanks to my mom's amazing driving skills and the kids eagerness to get back to their daddy.  Before we knew it, we were back to life in Iowa again.  So glad to be back with Jason, but also so grateful for the wonderful time we had in Utah this summer!  I'm grateful to my parents for putting up with our noise and messes and for my siblings, in-laws, and friends that made so many efforts to visit with us and help us make so many wonderful memories.  It was a perfect summer vacation. 

Week 5!

I can't believe it's almost time to go home. Just as I suspected all along, there has been plenty to keep us all busy and happy while we've been in Utah. What I wasn't expecting was just how content the kids would be to do very low-key activities. No need for trips to the amusement park or water park or even the museum- they continue to amuse themselves with cousins visits, splash park days and discovering the fun and games at Grandma's house.

It's tradition to pull out my wedding dress and try it on. Leah looked radiant in it, I had to find solace in the fact that it fit the last time we were here (when I wasn't pregnant).

We took a trip to Temple Square and loved seeing the beautiful temple where Jason and I were married.

The kids were all so anxious to go inside the temple, and were pretty disappointed when the found out they need to be a bit older to go inside.

This is the bench where Jason and I decided we were going to get married.... He proposed nearby a few weeks later (the gates were already closed for the night so we couldn't get to the bench).

There is a beautiful statue of Jesus Christ at Temple Square that we love to visit-

As well as the tabernacle, where we enjoyed listening to the hymns and Bach played on the 21,000 pipe organ.

We had German puff pancakes with our friends Bea and her kids one morning- 

And I had a quick visit with my sweet friend Rachael who was out visiting from Indiana.

Visiting friends has been one of my most favorite parts about being in Utah. I think that part of the reason that I am in no real hurry to head back to Iowa is because I have no good friends there yet (granted, we did only live there for 7 weeks before we took off for this nearly 7-week adventure).  There are people I'm excited to get to know better, sure, and I realize that it takes time and effort to make real friends, but here I've had several opportunities to visit with many of my best friends of all, and it has been wonderful.

On Friday night Leah and I had a special date to see my little sister Allison perform in a scholarship pageant. She was just as adorable as could be, and Leah was completely enchanted by all of the beautiful dresses.

Saturday was the mermaid swimming party (coordinated by sweet cousin Sarah).

Swimming in the backyard has been another favorite highlight of our time here.  And now, before we know it, another week has flown by! Only one week left before we start the trek back east.