For me sometimes living away from family and friends that i've known for years can be tough. It'll be nine years since we left Utah, but living on the east for the past nine years (if you count the two years living in North Carolina) has been a challenging, but growing experience. I just count my blessings for living in three states before moving to Jersey because when you're raised in Texas, (strive to) live your live as a christian in Utah, and become super southernized in North Carolina, moving up to a fast paced area like Jersey can be a challenge. Luckily I passed all the tests, and so far we have grown to adjust, and tolerate all the differences that life here can bring. And most of them have been good, challenging differences! I surprise myself at how well I have tolerated living in Jersey. Don't get me wrong because I love the East Coast but sometimes living in Jersey can be a bit lonely when everyone is sooooooo busy (hence all the road trips we've taken as a family.) One thing I am most grateful for are the friends and family that I do have out west, Texas, and North Carolina that I can call upon whenever I need a little pick me up. I am also extremely grateful for a place where my girls can be able to get away from here, and venture out to familiar territory and get reacquainted with blasts from the past. Almost nine years have past since we moved from Utah, and for the first time since then my middle daughter Lexie made it back for spring break for some much needed quality time with her sister as well as other family members. Besides getting reacquainted with family, and cousins she's never met, one of the highlights of her trip was attending General conference. She had never stepped foot inside the new conference center since it was built. Luckily Jon, and Sierra went inside when sisters from the Relief Societies in our stake were chosen to sing in the choir for conference. I was so excited to have had the opportunity to do that in the spring of 2004.
I really appreciate everything that my in-laws have done for my girls and am thankful for all the friends that I have out west, and for those who took the time to see both my girls, because even Utah folk can be busy! One being our landlord Melvin Thayne who is a whopping 92 years of age! He was the greatest, most generous landlord, and friend that we've ever had, and we miss him so much. He was especially happy when I spoke with him to let him know my girls were going to see him. He lost his wife Emma (who was an amazing poet) last December, and so having the girls over cheered him up even more! I was so happy that the girls took the time out to visit their "unofficial grandpa", and these pictures they took with him put a huge smile on my face.
My heart is just filled with so much gratitude knowing that our family can always have a place to go back to even if it's just for a while that we can call "home."
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