Utah Lessons Learned...

Less is More

When we set out for Ogden, our goal was to take as little as we could possibly get by on (aka fit in the back of the Jeep). Our living room furniture consisted of a couch, lawn chair, and a TV.....the kids slept on an air mattress and a pack-in-play crib.....and with the exception of a couple of framed pictures of the kids, our "decor" was lovingly created at the hand of a 4-year-old. I'm not going to say we didn't miss the extras of home; but it is amazing how little you REALLY need in the grand scheme of things. As I head out shopping this holiday season, it's something I plan to keep in mind.......just because it's on sale, doesn't mean we really need it!

Cowboy Boots are Always Cool

Enough said.

Life is More Fun When You Turn Off the TV

We've never been major TV addicts; we have a TV upstairs in the living room and one in the basement that rarely gets used. That being said, we had really fallen into a rut of getting home from work, eating dinner, and half-heartedly playing with the kids while we attempted to watch whatever was on the tube. As you can imagine, this generally resulted in frustration from all parties involved. While in Utah, we started heading out to the playground, taking nightly walks, and finding things to do that didn't involved the remote control. Not only were the kids happier (who doesn't like more attention?) Dain and I both found that we were more relaxed and sleeping much better!

Dain and I Have the Greatest Kids

I know I may be a little biased, but given the fact that I spent 99.9% of the last six months with my children.....I feel confident making this assertion. They never cease to amaze me! They are the most intelligent, beautiful, caring, charismatic people I know........sometimes I wonder how they could possibly be my offspring?!

Sometimes You've Gotta Stop and Enjoy the Moment

I'm still not convinced I'm cut out to be a stay-at-home for any extended amount of time, but being at home forced me to do something I haven't done in years: slow down. Don't get me wrong.....there is nothing remotely easy about staying home and taking care of your children. I had many days where I would be totally exhausted, then look at the clock and it was only noon! My Utah experience helped me let go of so many silly stressers that I'd let overtake my life.... my house doesn't always have to be spotless, the laundry can generally wait (unless we're out of clean socks), and it's okay to eat pj and j's for dinner every now and then. I'm still the overly organized, to-do list making person I've always been, but I think my husband would be the first to tell you that I'm a much more relaxed person these days :)

We Really Are Jayhawk Fanatics

You don't realize just how many red and blue articles of clothing you own until live in a state many people (gasp) don't even know what a Jayhawk is. The lady who led story time at the library made a comment that we must be big fans....only then did I think about that fact that my son had worn a Jayhawk football or basketball jersey almost Tuesday since we'd been in Ogden. On game days when I'd sport my KU shirts, I got a lot of curious looks from all the BYU and Utah clad shoppers at Walmart. Once a Jayhawk, always a Jayhawk, right? Rock chalk!

There's No Place Like Home

Alright, I swore to myself I wouldn't use that phrase (I don't even really like the Wizard of Oz)....but there's some truth to it! The mountains were beautiful....the weather was great....the people were kind........ I am truly thankful for the opportunity we had, but I can whole-hearted say that it's good to be home.