Mmmmmmmm...Chocolate

So, here are some of the things that I will NOT miss about Arizona:

1. The ice cream truck that isn't so much peddling Rocket pops.

2. Dust storms. Did you know that one of our dust clouds can be over a mile high and stretch in a single mass from Phoenix to Tucson (an hour and a half away)? I'm so smart.

3. The necessity to be bilingual to navigate through a south Phoenix Wal-mart. Wait a minute, I don't shop there. That one's not important.

4. 116 degrees. 'Nuf said.

5. Couches left on the side of the street.

6. Downtown light rail construction.

7. The nasty alien spiders that have landed their space pods around the entire perimeter of my house.

8. The carpet in my house. I know, I know. I'll get over it some day.

9. Not being able to get cold water out of the faucet during the summer.

10. No, this is not Jose Garcia's residence. I don't know this man, but apparently he never paid a bill in his life and used to have our number. I don't like solicitors.

Things I WILL miss about Arizona:

1. The science museum. Our super cool zoo. The children's museum. Great parks...yes there are several things listed here but I thought I'd mention it as a single thought since I'm convinced that there is significantly LESS to do with the kiddos in Utah.

2. Swimming in October.

3. Palm trees. It always feels like I'm on vacation.

4. The Arizona Mills. This is our great outlet mall that's about 15 minutes from my house. The Children's Place, Ann Taylor Loft, and a carousel all in one place!

5. My great house, minus the carpet...which I already mentioned. Did I mention I hate my carpet? Really, though, this has been the perfect little haven for us.

6. Los Favoritos and Basha's Chinese. I'm so gross.

7. Trader Joe's...more of you will understand this one.

8. Not being cold. I got into bed last night covered in goose bumps, and my feet immediately found their way over to Spencer's side of the bed. It's 110 degrees still!

9. My friends.

10. My friends.

11. My friends.

So the chocolate picture is what I enjoyed last night at Applebee's with about 15 of the cutest girls you will ever meet. This little Laveen bubble has been so much better because of them. We fieldtrip, playgroup, church, girls' night, and date night together. Those aren't really "verbs" but for the sake of illustrating how much I'll miss them, humor me. And as a side note, we all look fantastic in 80's attire. Some of them I'll see in Utah when they're knocking on my door because they can no longer stand their families that they've been visiting, others I might never see again. In any case, I've had SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun!

What a mess we've gotten ourselves into!

Well, back in July I thought this blogging thing was a fabulous idea, the plan being that I would have some time to detox and reflect at the end of the day. It has not happened exactly like that YET, though. Okay, so the picture of the peanut butter and jelly fiasco really has nothing to do with the "mess" to which I'm referring. It's really just for some comedic filler. It does, however, sum up in picture form just how I'm feeling about the last month. Yikes! The condensed version goes something like this...since the beginning of August we have spent a week in Utah trying to find a rental home, several days in Idaho at a Clawson family reunion, a few quick days at my parents' (just long enough to pawn off the little people), and then on to Seattle for a wedding/ real life grown up vacation...the kind with sit down restaurants and everything! No happy meal for you!

Life is fantastic, though, and I'm loving every hopelessly "non-boring" minute of it. We are truly blessed. We finally sold our Phoenix home and are now free to move forward with what we feel like is going to be THE plan. The rental that I mentioned is a solution that allows us to make a careful decision where we want to build/buy as well as giving the Utah market some time to settle down. It's truly where we feel like we need to be. My anal retentive brain, however, is having some trouble wrapping itself around being okay with living in squalor for the next several weeks while we set up shop. Such is life!

P.S. I love my kids!

Me, too! Me, too!

Well, never one to be excluded from the action, I have also decided to set sail on the blogging boat. Throw out the life preserver, pull port side, cyberspace will never be the same!