A Little Peek...

Here is a little peek into my life since I left Alabama.  It has included... 

A dog who is  simultaneously ecstatic that I'm home, but also watches me longingly anytime I dare to do anything that doesn't involve giving her my undivided attention. 

Me eagerly waiting for any photo or story from my Alabama peeps...

And even better than texts....FACETIMES...even when little Lucie is feeling a little under the weather and wants nothing more than for me to read her books and sing her songs for an hour.

A trek to Taco Bell to honor and remember our friend, Andrew, on what would have been his 31st birthday.

Me being glued to my phone all day on Tuesday, so I did not miss any texts or calls from Adam.  He was recently transferred after spending 6 months in the same area, and he was feeling a little down that day. 

Me going through closets, the garage, and other long-lost places in our house to find things to donate, sell, or toss.   Even if we didn't end up moving, this will be a good exercise in decluttering the house!  I've been visiting DI regularly lately and these are books I'm trying to sell on Amazon.

In the meantime, I'm also listening to "Far from the Madding Crowd" on double speed.   I read it several years ago, but we are discussing it for book group (at our house) tonight and I felt like I needed to reread it.   To be totally honest, I've had a hard time getting into it--hence my need to listen to it on double-speed.   I love the writing, but am struggling with some frustrating aspects of the plot, which I already vaguely know, because I've read it before! 

Me deciding that I have not made enough pies the last few years (since kids moved out and I discovered I'm highly sensitive to gluten), so Pi(e) Day and book group made for the perfect excuse!  

 Oh, and I also bought tickets for Cami, Lucie, and Oliver to come visit next month. 😆  I was feeling deprived of my sweet grandbabies and also really wanted Ellie to meet Oliver before she heads off to her next semester of school that begins in April.  I am so stinking excited! 

Speaking of Ellie...she's off on a grand adventure right now and I am missing her (and praying for her) like crazy.  This trip was a bit outside of my comfort zone, but I am glad she gets this experience! 

Well, off I go to make a lemon meringue pie while I finish listening to my book!   Have a great weekend! 

PS. The lemon meringue pie was delicious and the crust was the best gluten free crust I’ve ever made!   😋 

Trip to the Mother Land!

 Once upon a time, when we young and freshly graduated from BYU, we decided to move to Baltimore for a cool job opportunity for Glen.  We had one toddler and were 32 weeks pregnant with our second  baby when we moved.    This picture was taken within a couple weeks of moving in. 

 We liked Baltimore okay and enjoyed living and exploring  there for a couple years, then ultimately decided that that was not the place we wanted to raise our family.   When an opportunity arose for a 2-year rotation at the DC office of the  company Glen was working for, we assumed that we'd live in DC for 2 years then be onto our "forever" home...wherever that might be....however, that plan didn't pan out, because we  liked DC way more than we expected and decided to stay.  We bought a house and ended up staying for nearly 20 years.  In the process we attracted every single one of my siblings (but one) to do a stint living in DC.   Three of my brothers and a sister still live there, not to mention countless friends.  
 

When we sold our house and moved away from Northern Virginia in 2019, we did it with sad, but hopeful hearts.  We knew we'd miss so many people that we'd grown to love over the years, but we also were excited to get a fresh start somewhere new and have the opportunity to make a difference in a new place.  

We enjoyed Pennsylvania, but it did not turn out like we expected.  We met many wonderful people there that hold a special place in our hearts, but Glen's job opportunity, though great for his career path, fizzled out more quickly than expected and we also got blindsided when COVID came and shut down the world.  I think we would have certainly struggled with COVID in Virginia as well, but being newbie homeschoolers in a place that shut down hardcore was not fun.   There were people we met that I never saw the unmasked faces of the entire time we lived there and awkward situations that never got to be resolved, because of how everything went down.  Overall we 100% know that we were supposed to live in PA for the two years we were there, but, with as shallow as our roots were,  it  honestly wasn't that hard to leave when a new opportunity arose.  Sadly, I don't believe anyone there misses us a bit.  

Then we moved to Utah.  Once again, we know we are where we are supposed to be right now.   I believe that Ellie needed to attend American Heritage School and it's felt like a gift to be close to my Mom while my Dad's health was declining so quickly and even more so now that he's gone.  Having said that though....Utah is kind of a wild place!   We knew Utah culture would be different than what we were used to, but I was unprepared for the complete lack of interest from people around us.  They're the nicest people in the world (literally), but don't seem super interested in getting to know us on a deeper level than just "Hey, we're nice.  See you next Sunday."    Granted, I admit that Glen and I are both pretty introverted and a little on the awkward side, so we don't make for the easiest people to get to know, but it has been a bit discouraging how little effort anyone has put into it.   Even my own efforts to reach out have fallen pretty flat.  The book group I started as a deliberate act to find some friends has resulted in a great small group of women who meet at my house monthly, chat about the book, then go on their merry ways.   They don't want refreshments, they don't want conversations that drag on into the evening, and they don't want to hang out outside of book group.   It's okay.    As I mentioned previously, I am pretty introverted and have low social needs, so I stopped taking it personally pretty quickly after moving here and now just accept that my close friends live in faraway places.   It's all good.  

So, why all the pontificating and recapping about our moving adventures and sorry social lives?   

I guess it's to bring me to the heart of the  reason for this blogpost.   Ellie and I flew back to Virginia right after her graduation and spent a week visiting family and friends!!!!    The visit was good for our souls and it felt so good to be somewhere where we felt known, loved, and missed!     

Here's a little recap of our time there: 

Speaking of book groups....these are my book group besties right here! I was sooooooo excited (like over the moon excited) when I found out that I was going to be in town while book group was meeting.  I even hurried up and  read the book during our travel time, so I could be a part of the discussion.  As always, the discussion was in-depth and interesting and I relished in conversations and friendships like I haven't had in 4 years.    Every single one of these women are intelligent and faithful and being there that night was one of the highlights of my trip.   Truly when I think of "my people" (outside of my family), these are them.  

One of the first people I called when I knew I was coming to town was Kelly!   She's been the best kind of friend you could ask for and I was delighted that she had a little sliver of time before heading out of town for Memorial Day weekend.   

Kim was also on my short list of people to visit and it was fun to go on a morning walk one day with her and Kelly.  They are both down-to-earth and good listeners.  I treasure my friendship with both of them and I was glad they had time for me.  

We also spent some of the time visiting with my brother, Peter, and his family.  They lead very busy lives, but I loved having a day to hang out and catch up with them.   The girl cousins were verrrrrrry excited to spend time with Ellie and it was fun to attend one of Davin's baseball games.   I was also able to go on a walk with McKenzie and take her on an outing to see another of my brother's families up in Maryland.  

I love that I still have young children in my life through my siblings.   I don't see them often enough, but we also  loved visiting with Matt's family while we were there.   Sadly we didn't get to see Matt, as he was on a business trip, but his kiddos are as fun and adorable as ever and we love his wife, Karey!  Just in case you're wondering how cute my 5-year-old niece Anna is...she's 104 cute...as compared to her cat which is only 2 cute.   😂

We also spent some time with our beloved homeschooling friends, the S family, the P family,  and the V.D. family.  These are friends that have been a wonderful support through our 11ish years of homeschooling and I can honestly say that I couldn't have done homeschooling without them.    They not only were practical support, being an integral part of a co-op that covered challenging topics for the kids, but they were also dear and supportive friends that felt the same call to pull their kids out of school.    It's not an easy club to be a part of, but it sure helps when you've got great people on your team!    Ellie was also very happy to spend some time with Joseph, Hannah, and Miriam!   

My sister, AnnaLisa, was out of town for a Memorial Day beach weekend with friends for a good portion of the time we were in Virginia, but I was grateful that she was able to set aside some time to explore DC with us before she left.   We introduced her to Magnolia Dessert Bar, traipsed around downtown with her (see more pics below), and, in general, just enjoyed spending the day with her.  

We also hit up the Hirshhorn Museum, which was full of funky artwork--including a room filled with phallic symbols (the room with mirrors and red and white objects), a room filled with random stream of consciousness quotes from the artist, and a giant spotted pumpkin.   Definitely not your typical art museum, but  fun to see some off-the-wall stuff!  

AnnaLisa also brought us to the Hillwood Estate and Gardens--a place we'd never been before.  It was the home of Marjorie Meriweather Post (heir to the Post Cereal fortune) and it was quite grand.  I loved touring the gardens and seeing a glimpse at her myriad of collections and how organized she kept them.   You can have quite the array of interests when you're the heir to a giant fortune!  

I attended church on Sunday, but knew I wouldn't get enough time to talk with people there, so I put it out on the ward email group to meet me at Nottoway Park on Sunday afternoon.   We kept it super casual and it was so fun to have some uninterrupted time to visit with some more friends.   I enjoyed the conversations I had, even if it did  make me really miss being somewhere where people know and love us.   

The first few days I was in town, I used Tim's apartment as a homebase.   He introduced me to Big Buns and the new Amazon Fresh Grocery Store and I brought him to Taco Bamba!   Tim's a pretty quiet guy, so it was fun to have a good excuse to hang out with him for  a few days!   

One of the activities we added into our schedule last minute was a trip to the Marine Corps Band Memorial Day concert at Wolf Trap!    We'd been several times over the years we'd lived there and it was a great place to see more long-lost friends.   The music was fantastic, the night beautiful (only a little rainy), and the company excellent.  

I had met with Mary early in our trip (another person on my short list of people to visit), but never got a picture, so I was grateful to see her at the concert again and at least get a quick snapshot together.   Adam and her son are good friends!  

When Ellie wasn't hanging out with me, she was having her own fun with her own friends {collage created by her}.  Most of her friends also had plans for Memorial Day weekend, but she spent as much  time as she could with Kelsey, Emilia, and others.  

 

Okay, so this next photo collage wasn't actually taken in  Virginia, but it did occur shortly after returning home from Virginia and involved more Virginia friends, so I'm including it here in this blogpost.  Cami's sister-in-law is expecting a baby next month, so she had a baby shower that included a lot of people we know and love from Virginia as well!     We are excited for Ashley and loved the opportunity to see more dear friends! 💖

On the same vein, here's another Virginia face we know and love and saw at Walmart last week....Elder Perkins!   Of course, he hasn't been known as "Elder" in several years, but he was one of our very favorite missionaries (and he had a special bond with Ellie back in the day) and it was a delight to see him again!   

So....there you have it.   I do have friends.   They're wonderful, thoughtful, caring, and amazing and mostly live across the country from me.    That's okay.   I can visit.  

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A Weekend in March

My life with my kids all grown up is decidedly not very exciting, however I feel like it's still fun to look back at the happenings of our lives, whatever stage we happened to be in.   Here's a look at the first weekend in March at our house along with a little life update at the end....

FRIDAY:  I very much look forward to Facetiming with Lucie and Cami as often as they have time for it.   Lucie is very interactive on the phone and it makes me incredibly happy to be able to have conversations with her and feel a connection, despite living across the country from each other.  This screenshot was from a silly moment when  Lucie and I were showing off our sunglasses to each other.   

SATURDAY:  We took a 5 mile hike into Provo Canyon, while Ellie and Emma spent the morning together in Provo.  There was a strong headwind, which made it verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry cold!   Denali hurt her foot and had to be carried for a few minutes, then we let her off leash and she had no trouble the rest of the way back to the car.  She is definitely a bit of a diva!

SATURDAY:   I'm getting more and more done with winter by the day, so I put up my spring decor, so at least I can pretend spring is almost here when I'm inside the house.   

A glimpse of my new Easter wreath, which I will keep indoors for another couple weeks in hopes that it doesn't get snowed on...

SATURDAY:  Made and printed a flier for the RS Birthday celebration this week.  At the point of writing this post (before it happens), I am feeling quite stressed about it! 

UPDATE:  It was the activity that has taken the most time and effort and is the one that the fewest people have attended.  Execution went smoothly, but it still sort of feels like a bust. 

Got half-way through a book before realizing that I read it several years ago.  That rating on Goodreads was my rating from 15-years ago and I didn't like it any better this time around.   It was the 8th book I've read in 2023. 

Also....Ellie, Emma, and Glen met at a theater to watch the new AntMan.   I opted to stay home and get some things crossed off my list. 

Also...Spencer is in Virginia visiting old friends for a few days, so we are on triple dog duty, which means I have had a triple shadow following me around all weekend!   Kiwi will be very very happy when he gets home.  

SUNDAY:    Glen smoked chicken for dinner and I may have gotten a little carried away with the sides.... #fastsundayproblems

Besides the smoked chicken, we had lemon brussels sprouts, kale salad, mashed cauliflower, and a low-carb zucchini/cheese bread.  Ellie made some flourless peanut butter cookies made with coconut sugar.  It was exceedingly delicious! 

ALSO SUNDAY:  Got a text from a good friend (Jen B.), who said she'd just gotten this text from her friend in Oregon, where Adam and his companion had just had dinner.  It made me smile! 

MONDAY MORNING:   It's not really the weekend anymore, but I couldn't resist throwing on one more picture from our morning walk, which  left me with snow on my nose and eyelashes.  I literally cried  a few minutes after this picture was taken when I saw a friend's post about the  cherry blossoms in Virginia.  #notoneofmyfavoritethings

  I'll be honest, my perspective on life has been pretty down and discouraged lately.  I am quite tired of the winter, I still haven't found closure with the stressful incident that happened with my calling (ie she still won't talk to me), I'm worried about being in transition again with Glen's job, and I haven't felt like I've fit in somewhere for a very long time (basically since leaving Virginia).  I know my life is very blessed and I really am trying to embrace the good, but I miss feeling known/liked/wanted.   

Here's rooting for brighter {and warmer} days ahead!  

BOOK REVIEW: "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking"

10/3/17--"Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain

If you are an introvert, love an introvert, or work with an introvert, then this book should be required reading for you.    We live in a society that values the extrovert ideal and often introverts get the short-end of the stick when it comes to being allowed to be themselves.     I especially enjoyed the explanation of temperament vs. personality and the intricate play of biology, experiences, and environment that come together to shape each of our individual personalities.  It makes sense that people are complicated and I appreciated the fact that she didn't try to swoop all introverts into one easy box. I was also fascinated by the cultural differences of introversion and extraversion.  Americans and Europeans seem to have grasped onto the idea that extraversion > introversion, while the Asian view is opposite.   More than anything, I enjoyed the insights on how to let an introvert shine in their own way.  From the way we set up workplaces and classrooms, we can be aware that there are 1/3-1/2 of the people who will benefit from having their own space to work and think creatively. If I had to sum up  the main point of the book, I would say that just because someone is quiet, doesn't necessarily mean that they don't have anything to say.   Look out for the introverts, respect the space they need, help them to stretch when they need to stretch, and, together, we can change the world!

Want a good summary without reading it?  Watch this video of the author doing a TED talk on the subject!

Book Review "Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less"

8/30/17--"Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less" by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

The title makes it sound pretty intriguing, right?   Well, you're right.  It is intriguing.  Basically the premise of the book is that American culture has made work and rest completely separate entities and that rest is only something to be done when the work is done (if it ever is).  The author asserts that this idea is a recent one in history and especially rampant here in America where overwork is praised and rest is devalued and labeled as laziness.  He argues that when we make our rest more deliberate and build it into our days, that we actually increase creativity and productivity, as well as help us to more mentally healthy.   It was a revolutionary and new way of thinking for me and I've been trying to build some of his ideas into our homeschooling days.   It made me feel for Glen, though, because he has a horrible work-life balance right now and seems to struggle to break out of the expectations he feels are being placed on him by the corporate world, none of which involve rest of any sort.  In order to please his higher ups that he feels that it is expected to work crazy-long hours.  What I'd really like is for the whole world to read this book and embrace its tenets.    I think we'd all be happier and healthier if we did!

Here's us adding some deliberate rest to our day.  

Hikes and walks are considered restful, because they're good for our bodies and allow our minds to have a break from our work. 

I've been trying to work a good walk into our schedule every day.