Alright, which one of you was it?

Some time this morning between the time I left to take Dan to seminary at 5:30am and the time that Paul left for work at 7:45am, someone planted an orange tree in our yard. I don't even have an inkling who it could have been.

I keep going outside to look at it and I can't help smiling.

What a lovely way to start the day.

Back to School

I can't believe that we are already into the new school year but here we are.

Terrible picture taken by mom at the last minute.

This year Gloria is in 4th grade, Sara is 6th grade and Dan is in 9th grade. They have all had a good first couple of days. Dan had a little bit of a crisis on day 1 when we couldn't find his ID but that all worked itself out. Everyone seems happy and I am happy to get back to a routine. Dan is going to try out for the golf team, if golf is not an option, cross country is his back up.

Here in Arizona, K thru 8th is in one building, I've never seen that before, and then the high school is separate. Even though I don't agree with some of the thinking that happens here in AZ, I have found that the way they approach education is very progressive and inclusive.

They work with homeschoolers to help them be successful. If you are unhappy with the schools you belong to (perhaps there isn't a strong band program) there is a window of opportunity each year for you to switch your kids to a school that will work better for your family. There are also many, many charter schools so that your kid who is a wiz at science will get a curriculum heavy on science. I think it's really innovative.

Most, if not all the places we've lived before, the rules and policies have been put in place for the benefit of teachers and administrators and they seem to be all about keeping both children and parents under control. Here, I feel like it is all about what is best for your kids and your family. I feel more freedom and in-turn I feel much more supportive and want to be more involved.

5 Surprises About Living in Surprise

1~We live just 10 miles or so from Luke air Force Base and the fighter jets fly right over our neighborhood all day. I love it. They sound loud and powerful and I feel patriotic and safe when I hear them.

2~I knew we'd love the pool but I didn't know how much. I remember how much we used the pool in Riverside but those are childhood memories, so I wasn't sure how correct they were. Dan and Sara were already good swimmers but it has been particularly satisfying to see Gloria improve.

3~I didn't know how scared the swimming pool would make me. It is more stressful than I expected to have non-swimming children in my house. I am constantly checking the lock on the door, asking where the child is, looking out at the pool, fully preparing myself for something horrifying. I just didn't expect it.

Robin and Paul were just 2 and 3 when we took them to Lake Powell the first time. We made them wear ski vests 24 hours a day. I have considered making that a rule at the Rodgers' house. It is the end of the season and I can get several of those vests right now. What do you think?

4~I have loved the convenience of sending the kids down the street to the grocery store. The convenience comes just short of having another driver in the house. I love having so much shopping right around the corner.

5~Betsy is our sweet dog. She had a full half acre to run and hunt and play in while we lived in Lindale. Here, there is much less space and I was worried that she would be bored and then get into trouble. Not only has she adapted well, she loves going running or skateboarding with Dan.

Overall we are settling in, getting ready for school to start in just a couple of weeks. Because we moved here when school had just gotten out, and the neighborhood has fewer children than we expected, the kids have only had me and each other as entertainment and frankly, we've spent waaaaay too much time together this summer. We are all looking forward to school starting.

Surprise!

So here we are in Surprise, Arizona. We are really happy to have our family reunited and relieved to get back into a routine, instead of constantly putting out fires.

The house is great. What do I like best?

• It was designed really well and with a lot more storage than we were expecting, so it has been pretty easy to move in.
• The pool, of course. I love that the kids play for hours and hours and then crash into bed and are asleep before I can get up there to say good night. LOVE!
• The house is perfect for entertaining. Lots of comfortable rooms and seating areas for visiting. Saturday our *first visitors, the Billings, came to see us and I loved that some kids were outside in the pool, others were playing video games in the family room and the adults were in the living room enjoying a great conversation.
• Green space has been desgined into this housing development. When I look out my window I don't see a sea of rooftops instead there are trees and flowers. It makes me so happy.
• It is close to everything. The grocery store is 5 minutes away. Target is 2 minutes away. The schools and church are both walking distance.
• There is a beautiful walking path (that green space again) that snakes all throughout the housing development. I can't wait for Betsy to get here so we can take her for walks.

I feel like our kids have taken the brunt of the inconvenience of this move. Their activities have been cancelled and rescheduled and canceled again because i would need to take car of something for the sale of the house or getting ready for the move. I am pleased that we will really be able to focus on them this summer. It is already shaping up to be busy and full of really good things. Swimming lessons for the girls and golf for Dan. We'll keep you updated.

*Our first guests were actually Roger and his friend during Spring Training but I don't want to count that since I wan't here and he was forced to feed himself and sleep on the floor.

Housekeeping

All of the work and energy and money and thought and stress and worry and hope of the last 6 months finally culminated this week as Pauly checked into the MTC and we closed the sale of the house. It has been an extremely emotional week but as those two things finally came to pass and Paul arrived safely in Cambodia, an enormous amount of weight was taken off my shoulders. I really feel like a new woman. I feel great and am ready to get this move done. Geesh! Sometimes I feel like we've been pulling this band-aid off one hair at a time since November.

I have so much on my mind this morning. Everything I am thinking about could have it's own post but I'm not sure if or when I will be able to post over the next two weeks so I am just going to do a little purge.

The Chickens~ I miss the chickens. We gave them away about two weeks ago. Don't get me wrong, they were never pets but I liked the movement in the chicken yard when I look out the window. I liked that when dinner was prepared I could send them the ends of the carrots, the potato peels, the apple cores and nothing went to waste. I miss the eggs whenever we wanted them. I miss the work it made for our children. Outside of our children and Paul's careers, the chickens have been one of the most rewarding and enjoyable endeavors of our marriage. I will be glad when we can do that again.

The House~ The house is sold. The folks who bought it have a big family and are so excited to move in and have chickens and a grow a garden and cook in the huge kitchen. They think Paul's egg boxes are ingenious. They are right, of course. It feels good leaving the house to people who will appreciate it.

Dan~ Daniel had his farewell party last weekend and went to an end of the year dance on Friday. For his party they hooked three XBoxes together and killed zombies for hours and hours. Honestly, these are the easiest parties to give because I don't have to do anything besides make A LOT of food.

For the dance the theme was '80's characters'. He dressed as Luigi from Mario Bros. He had fun. I promised him $1 for every girl he asked to dance. He made $20.

Dan's band concert was this week too. This is just a Jr. high band, I am always suprised at how good they are. Here's a taste.

The Girls~ The girls have been making nonstop friendship bracelets since their cousin Maude posted this tutorial. Gloria sang When Will My Life Begin, from Tangled at her school talent show. She did a great job. This is one girl who is not afraid of the spotlight.

In other little girl news, Sara is wearing her first grownup 'heels' today to church and we ordered bedding for the girls' new room this week.

Paul~ Paul is in Cambodia. He sent me this picture of a woman weaving silk. I hope he brings me some. I love that he will be landing in Phoenix just two hours before we get there two weeks from today.

Thank you~ Thanks to everyone for the encouraging notes and kind words as we sent our boy off on his mission. It has meant a lot to us.

And Me~ I love my new iPhone. My favorite thing? Depositing a check into my checking account while I sat on a bench at the park; that and Tiny Wings. What a incredible time we live get to live in! Also, I got my haircut.

Isn't it cute? I haven't had it this short since we lived in SLC. The girls are getting their summer cuts this week. Well, I guess that is all for now. Have a great couple of weeks.

Why I Love Daylight Savings Time

So did you know I love Daylight Savings Time? Well I do. I know. I know. Lots of people don't like the adjustment. It throws off their body clocks for a week or so. They have to fight to get kids in bed. They lose that hour of sleep. It is one more thing they have to think about. Yes, yes, I've heard all of it, but I still love it.

I'm not exactly sure how to express what I love about it except to say that I like that everyone is doing something at the same time. Acting at the same time. And it is a benign act, nobody is being forced to go to church or eat something or go through a medical procedure. We all just show up to school, the grocery store, the soccer game, etc. an hour earlier or later, depending on the season.

Everyone, at the same time. I find strength in that. There is a special kind of strength and energy in a situation when everyone has a similar objective. I feel that same energy in a huge stadiums, whether I am at a concert or a football game or gathered with other LDS to hear the prophet speak; where the purpose and focus are the same for everyone involved.

It can be happy and fun. It is why I loved being in plays and choirs, or listening to a great band or orchestra. It is why I can't ever get enough of things like this:

or this or this.

It can be noble and honorable. It is why I loved being apart of the military community. People sacrificing and working unbelievably hard for the safety and peace of people they don't even know. You can't imagine the mixture of feelings before a deployment. The pride and fear and duty and excitement and tradition, during a casing ceremony as a division of men prepare to go into harm's way, is almost tangible. At once selfish and selfless, every soldier and family members' hearts and minds are in the same place.

It can be comforting and compassionate. It is why I love being a part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. People committed to the concepts taught by Jesus Christ in the New Testament, trying to do what is right and finding ways to serve those around them. Extremely organized and wanting to do good, Mormons are especially good in a crisis. It is a beautiful thing to watch members of a ward rally around a family in need. And it is unspeakably moving when yours is the family being served.

It is about working separately and together. It is how I feel when I am driving my children to school. Doing the same dance as hundreds of other families in our community every morning; A careful dance of traffic laws, social rules and bell schedules. Acting separately but working with the same goal of educated children and contributing members of society, parents pack lunches and sign papers and give quick kisses and last minute words of encouragement.

I find a power and hope and community in all of those things.

Robin called me last week:

Robin: Mom, I just realized that Arizona doesn't have Daylight Saving Time and I thought that was really going to bug you.

Me: I knew that and it does but I am trying not to think about it too much. I think I'm just going to write a long boring blog post about it.

Last week and another list

Goodness! What a week! I got home Sunday night just in time to get the last few little things out of our main living area and to be ready for the painters on Monday morning.

While at home we were relegated to the bedrooms with no access to the kitchen. I'm not sure why but I wasn't expecting that. Anyway, it is done. The house is all put back together and it looks great. We are showing it again starting today and are hopeful it will sell quickly.

So now that the house is ready to go and we've simplified even more, I am working on my list of things I want to do before we leave. It's a lot to think about.

Paul's mission list

Clothing

Luggage

Temple

Verbs

Piano

Thank yous to friends and neighbors

notes

cookies/cinnamon rolls

Decor and organization for the new house

Throw pillows

Pain girls' bedroom furniture

Bedding for the girls' room

Frame pictures

Samoan mat

Bull fight poster

I've wanted these for a laundry room since I saw them on Mindi's blog. I am going to try and recreate them.

Continue to get rid of stuff on Craig's List

Trip to NYC

Clothes, I am planning lots of black, with great scarves. Good plan?

Planned projects (while I still get wholesale)

Knitting

buy lots of sock yarn

Quilts

buy fabric and dye

Weaving

measure the warp for three four different projects

Farewell parties for the kids

Slumber party / royal wedding

Video games

My Weekend

Fair blue skies for miles

Longed-for landscape and faces

I am home again

A Good Sunday

We were so worried about our little Branch when we considered this move. Although we knew they would be just fine without us, we have grown to love these people we have worked with and served with these past 4 years. Part of us felt like we were abandoning them.

Yesterday our stake announced huge boundary changes. The changes were great. The Lindale Branch was swallowed up into the Tyler 2nd ward. I feel so good leaving know that my dear friends will have help to continue their work in this area.

Looking forward, Paul found a great house for us. It has an easy commute for him, great schools for the kids and a swimming pool with a diving board for me. Sadly, it has a green living room but they have already given us permission to paint it. There is a question about who has dibs on this house so keep your fingers crossed for us.

What a good day!

It's Official!

We are going to move to Phoenix! I realize it isn't a fairytale house in Normandy or a glamorous apartment in Paris but we are really REALLY excited.

Paul came home in early November and asked what I thought about moving to Phoenix; less than two months later we are going. Paul will head out in a few weeks and we will follow when the house sells.

I have spent a lot of time in the past few weeks looking at houses and reading up on Phoenix and all the stuff there is to do there.

Here are some Phoenix Fun Facts just for you:

• The Phoenix area was inhabited anciently by a large people who built a sophisticated aqueduct system and pueblos but then vanished without any sign of where or why they left.

• Phoenix was founded by this guy in the 1850's. His name was Jack Swilling. He and a hired team built 135 miles of canals to irrigate the valley.

• The name Phoenix was proposed because the planned city would grow from the ruins of a former civilization.

• This is what the Phoenix looked like in 1885. In 1874 the town was broken up into lots and put up for sale. The entire town was worth $500.00

• As of last November, Phoenix ranked 7th in the nation for percentages of foreclosures. Sad.

• From where we want to live, here are the stats (according to Google Maps).

To San Diego = 320 miles / 5 hours and 18 mins travel time (we hear this road is pretty cop free until we get to California, so we may be able to shave a little time off this one.)

To the Target Distribution Center = 31 miles / 40 mins (45 in traffic)

To St. George = 406 miles (7 hours 27 mins)

To Robin = 619 miles (11 hours)

To the Billings = 152miles (2hours 40 minutes)

• Phoenix takes up a larger geographical area than Lost Angeles. I'm not sure why that is important but that was noted on almost every site I looked at.

• There is a great hunting dog training school for Betsy.

• The University of Arizona will play Utah every year.

• All the old people look really happy and carefree, at least they are in all the pictures I see.

• The thing that really made the decision for us, and that we are happiest about is that we will be so much closer to family; in fact we will be less than an hour away from Ronni and Becky. I feel like our kids have been kinda gypped not living near cousins so this will be a fun change for them.

Phoenix is going to be great!!