B+C+B+C+B+C: Lookin' up.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Lookin' up.

I could do a lot of whining and moping right now. I have no friends. I have to use elevators everyday. Brian's working extra long hours. We're renters again. It's colder here. I have no routine. Our neighbors are all elderly. I miss my Cedar world.
But it's like that story with the Indian and the two different wolves - whichever one is fed, will grow. Or the pebble analogy - it's huge up close, but on the ground far away it's relatively inconsequential. If I'm not making any sense, ask my mom. Her pep talks....
So I'm trying to focus on the POSITIVES about living here in Bountiful now! And there are some definite positives. Let's discuss:
*Locationlocationlocation! I look out my window and what do I see? Costco. Lowe's. Paradise Bakery. Scoopology. Deseret Book. And more! So much retail within walking distance! I love leaving my car parked in the garage as much as possible.
*Relatives! I have a bunch here. They've all been AWESOME! We had an army show up on moving-in day. Tiffany had us over for dinner. We went to Mark's birthday party at Sally's. A couple second cousins want to babysit our kids. My grandma seems to really enjoy having us here and bringing food to us. They've all lived here forever, so it's great having locals to ask questions to.
*Trails! Legacy Parkway Trail is 11 miles long and just a mile from our place. I think there's more around here too, but that's the only one I've ran on so far. A high school track is nearby too. Maybe I'll get out of my rut and do some workouts there soon.
*Our ward seems nice. We tried to keep a low profile on Sunday, but it didn't work at all. We were greeted and probably will have callings soon. They seem very real and down to earth - not at all the stereotypical Utahanish ward.
*Airport! Just 15 minutes away! For the last 3 years, I've lived hours away from a major airport. So inconvenient. Not anymore! So... COME VISIT, PEOPLES!
*Our condo is nice! Lots of great little perks. Balcony, huge closets, large living room and laundry room, very secure building, spacious, hardwood floors, and - a JET TUB! The kids love it:

I could go on, but we're still surrounded by boxes needing unpacking. It's a slow process getting out of them. I have an "observations on moving" blog post drafted in my head right now, because this is the 6th time we've moved since we've been married. Five different cities. Who lives like that?!?! It's not my first choice of lifestyle at all, but things have always worked out for our little family. We've had countless little miracles. So I think it's obvious we're meant to be Bountifulites (Bountifulians?) right now.

9 comments:

gilliay said...: Love this. Nice editing. ;); March 8, 2011 at 7:19 PM
Cindy Clawson said...: Glad to hear you are looking for the positive. We will miss you! Sorry I bummed out on you last week. I meant to take your kids more or bring you food but Russell and I were the only well ones in our family last week and I didn't think you needed added sickness in the move. Hope you keep going with the adjusting!; March 8, 2011 at 9:00 PM
Unknown said...: Look at those happy babies sitting in a tub!
I'm glad that you are focusing on the positives. It is too easy to get caught up in the negatives and the "why me's/us".
I couldn't wait to get out of Vernal and then when we finally did, I cried the whole 4+ hour drive to our new home. It is hard, but it gets better! :); March 8, 2011 at 9:57 PM
the Gardners said...: Yeah for positives! It sounds like you have had an awesome start. We are jealous of your tub! ;-); March 9, 2011 at 1:44 AM
BBS said...: What a sweet positive post! You are looking at all the good things...love it. Beautiful photos of your children.; March 9, 2011 at 8:49 AM
summer said...: I hear you on working to see the positives. We too have an elevator, daddy working really, really late, and a place that is too small (wait - that wasn't on your list...your place sounds amazing!). Point - I know it's tricky to change to something so foreign. I still whine at times....sometimes I just need a good cry at how it's really tough. And then like you ---- there are some parts that are so great that I wonder why we would live any other way.

I know people in Bountiful - in fact some girls that helped with The Gifts of the Heart when we were in Provo at Grad School...I need to introduce you all :)

Good luck as you continue to move in and get adjusted...it will all happen as it should!; March 9, 2011 at 11:04 AM
Julie said...: k were totally coming to visit you in a couple weeks if your around and will have us! We for sure are going right by there on Sunday March 26th! My sister lives one exit away from you - ok well maybe two exits- something like that! :) THE HOUSLEY"S ARE COMING TO PARTY IT UP IN THE ELEVATOR HOUSE! :); March 9, 2011 at 3:08 PM
Brandon and Kim said...: We need to get together maybe meet at the childrens museum or something. You are welcome here anytime. Those babies are so cute. I know brianna is not a baby anymore but if you are like me I still see cici as a baby. Feel free to call anytime if you want to talk; March 10, 2011 at 7:22 PM
TandAA :) said...: I'm glad you are looking to the positives.... at least it's not Ogden. C'mon! J/k.
P.S. LOVE the pic of all 3 of them in the tub! Haha! So cute!; March 10, 2011 at 9:53 PM

Quotes I want to remember

"The Lord knows our bearing capacity, both as to coping and to comprehending, and He will not give us more to bear than we can manage at the moment, though to us it may seem otherwise. Just as no temptations will come to us from which we cannot escape or which we cannot bear, we will not be given more trials than we can sustain."
- Neal A. Maxwell

"It is a fundamental truth that the responsibilities of motherhood cannot be successfully delegated. No, not to day-care centers, not to schools, not to nurseries, not to babysitters. We become enamored with men's theories such as the idea of preschool training outside the home for young children. Not only does this put added pressure on the budget, but it places young children in an environment away from mother's influence."
-Ezra Taft Benson

“Perhaps there has never been a time when we had greater need to pray and to teach our family members to pray. Prayer is a defense against temptation. It is through earnest and heartfelt prayer that we can receive the needed blessings and the support required to make our way in this sometimes difficult and challenging journey we call mortality.”
-Thomas S. Monson

“Live the gospel as conspicuously as you can. Keep the covenants your children know you have made. And bear your testimony! Don’t just assume your children will somehow get the drift of your beliefs on their own.
-Jeffrey R. Holland

"We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. We cannot be casual in how we prepare them. Our challenge as parents and teachers is not to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith."
-Neil L. Andersen

"Certainly there are times when getting the family together to read the scriptures does not stack up as a spiritual experience worthy of a journal entry. But we must not be deterred. There are special times when the spirit of a son or daughter is just right and the power of these great scriptures goes down into their heart like fire. As we honor our Heavenly Father in our homes, He will honor our efforts."
-Neil L. Andersen

President Hinckley admonished both men and women to be nurturers. He said, ‘How much more beautiful would be the society in which we live if every father . . . and . . . mother regarded [their] children . . . as gifts from the God of heaven . . . and brought them up with true affection in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord.’ ”
-Susan W. Tanner

"Children are like trees. When they are young, their lives can be shaped and directed, usually with ever so little effort. Said the writer of Proverbs, 'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it' (22:6). That training finds its roots in the home. There will be little of help from other sources. Do not depend on government to help in this darkening situation. Barbara Bush, wife of former U.S. president George Bush, spoke wisely: 'Your success as a family, our success as society, depends not on what happens at the White House, but on what happens inside your house.' "
-Gordon B. Hinckley

“I give counsel to husbands and wives. Pray for the love which allows you to see the good in your companion. Pray for the love that makes weaknesses and mistakes seem small. Pray for the love to make your companion’s joy your own. Pray for the love to want to lessen the load and soften the sorrows of your companion.”
-Henry B. Eyring

“Reverent behavior is not a natural tendency for most children. It is a quality that is taught by parents and leaders through example and training. But remember, if reverence is rooted in love, so is the teaching of it. Harshness in our training begets resentment, not reverence.”
-Margaret S. Lifferth

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else."
- M. Russell Ballard

“As parents, we should remember that our lives may be the book from the family library which the children most treasure. Are our examples worthy of emulation? Do we live in such a way that a son or a daughter may say, ‘I want to follow my dad,’ or ‘I want to be like my mother’?”
-Thomas S. Monson

“Security for our families comes from learning self-control, avoiding the excesses of this world, and being temperate in all things.”
-Kent D. Watson

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Lookin' up.

9 comments:

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