Things I've Noticed this week...

There are a few things I have noticed about life as well as living here in Mesa. First, even though it gets really hot here, it is really pretty here. We have lived in Phoenix before, but where we are in Mesa (North East corner) is really pretty. There is so much wildlife around us. There are birds everywhere...quail that run around the neighborhood as well as other birds. There are geckos everywhere, too! Here is a picture of Dallen after church today, catching six while he was trying to obey and change out of his church clothes! The kids found a "blind snake" in the pool today (that was exciting). It was really little and almost looks like an earthworm, but squirms a little faster :). This is a boys playground! It has been good for our boys.

I have noticed that we REALLY like having a pool again. Even the dogs like it. Today, Shep was throwing his ball into the pool, jumping in to get it, just to do it all over again. Now, that was funny to watch. Poor dog has to play catch with himself because no one will go out there to play with him ;) The boys are constantly in it and play so well with each other while they are out there.

I have noticed that I miss having a calling. I realized today that one thing I miss about having a church calling is that when you have a calling you are asked to think of others and about Christ a little more than if you don't have a calling. I miss that connection with God and others. I have been working hard to learn people's names!
I have noticed that this new ward already feels like home because SO many people look like people we already know. Today, we were waiting for Sacrament Meeting to start and Dallen leans over and said "Mom, that looks like Brother Webster from our old ward". Sure enough, it does and then we learn his real name (it's not Brother Webster) and people are easier to remember because we feel like we already know them. Our Bishop reminds us of Bishop Seamons and Ashton's Scout leader looks like a more outgoing John Stucki! Our Gospel Doctrine teacher looks and talks like our Dentist and even has the same first name and who also is a Dentist! It's just been crazy. Then today, I learned that I know someone in our ward that I literally haven't seen for 20 years! We met her husband and really liked him (he brought us homemade salsa that he made...YUM!) and then we were looking on the ward directory and saw that his wife's name was Thelissa. I said, that's funny, I knew a Thelissa my Freshman year at BYU. I said, "wouldn't that be funny if that was the same Thelissa?". After the meeting I went to check it out, and sure enough it was the same Thelissa!!! She was roommates with my cousin, Kim and she and Kim and Emmaline seriously saved my sanity because I had been struggling at BYU and the second semester they let me follow them around and be with them. I really loved being around all of them. Anyway, here we are again 20 years later!
I have also noticed that it is not a coinsidence that we had to move here at the end of May. Last Sunday, we were told that Alec and Calvin could go on the Pioneer Trek that this Stake was having this last week and we looked at Alec and Calvin and they said "no!" and we said "yes"...so they were good and only complained a little and went on this trek in a brand new stake and knew no one except for the few people they had met last Sunday. We geared them up as best we could and sent them on their way. Friday night, Calvin was sent home because he had become so dehydrated that he was throwing up really bad and they had to give him an I.V. and it still wasn't helping. I was worried that he was having a bad experience, but when he came home, he could't say enough good about the whole thing, and believe me, Calvin would complain if it wasn't good! He said it was way more spiritual than the trek that we did in Wyoming and that it was so hard. They literally would pull their carts and then camp for the night in a bed roll under the stars. Calvin said it was amazing to see all the stars like that. Then he said that they had experiences where the men were taken away for the military and actually given training to be in the military. Then they were raided by Indians, they had "Angels" help them (people dressed in white), they had to bury their babies along the way, and then saw them later dressed in white as if they had passed on. Then Alec came home the next day and expressed the same observation of the Trek. Alec made a comment...he said, "yeah, in Utah everyone acted like, well, like me, and here they all have testimonies and share their testimony". I thought that was really interesting. We laughed that he realized he acted different, but for him to notice that it was the norm there to act that way and it wasn't the norm here really impressed me and made me thankful that they were able to have that opportunity. They got to know kids and I am glad they will know someone when they start school this next year.

I have noticed that even though we really miss our friends and comfortable life in St. George, we have already grown spiritually in more ways in the 10 days that we have been here than we could have in the 10 days we would have been in St. George. We have all been stretched and tried and continue to learn more about ourselves and our relationship to our Heavenly Father every day.

Scott has worked one whole week, now, and I find his stories of his experiences to be interesting. I think the most interesting things I find is that something will happen at work and the Scott comes home and tells me that he never realized that he would have to be doing these things. It makes me laugh because you would think that if someone picks a profession, they at least know a little bit about what they would have to be doing or come in contact with, but most of it never occured to Scott and when the interesting parts of the job come up, he is almost taken back and it makes me laugh. He is still okay with it all and every day is different, which is really good for him. School is going good and we are just grateful for how it has all worked out.

Anyway, last but not least, I have noticed that Ashton makes the best brownies...which I am going to enjoy right now :). Recipe is on the side bar :)