we might not be cool as a cucumber over here, but indeed we are ALL still alive, breathing, kicking... all of it. i'm aware that i dropped a small bomb, then left everyone hanging. so let me catch you up.
everyone is here in utah! after my last post the kids and i flew out here, big kids started school, and AJ and i went back to SF to pack up our life there. we literally packed every single day, all day and it took 2 days. with sheppy with us, we then drove back to utah and continued the house hunt.
basically nothing great has happened... YET! but i will say that we have a house under contract and we should close on october 23rd. send us all your good ju-ju, cause we're done being nomads. we're living in downtown slc right now in a super cool building, but it's still not home.
>>> trying to protect his grilled cheese. never have i laughed so hard in my life than when that chicken hopped up on the table and gave sam a mini heart attack.
we went to the new house yesterday to show the kids for the first time and they were out in the backyard in minutes and playing in the playhouse (yes, there's a dreamy little playhouse in the back), and i thought "well geez, this could be life. how boring and wonderful."
i feel like after leaving manhattan life went from 100mph to 50mph. it felt nice! i didn't realize the hustle we were constantly feeling. then we moved from SF to SLC and i feel like it went from 50 to 25. there are fewer stresses and life just seems to be slower. i don't know if it's all in my head (wouldn't be surprised. i've become quite lazy since living here... lol) or if that's really the case. but don't tell me if it's otherwise.
since we've been here, so many things have happened that leave me laughing inside thinking "omg, my kids are becoming utahns..." let me explain.
the day i introduced fry sauce, remie exclaimed (between spoonfuls), "MOM, I LOVE THIS STUFF."
when we went to peach days in brigham city (a small farming town), and they saw the parade, they about lost their minds. apparently senior citizens singing disney tunes are more entertaining than i thought! oh maybe it was because they were throwing salt water taffy... that would make more sense...
>>> she got taffy in those cheeks.
>>> peach days. no joke, the BEST picture we got of everyone.
then when i took them to the deli counter and they saw "frog eye salad" and asked to try it, of course i said YES! like who hasn't tried it and who doesn't love it? do people eat that anywhere else in the world? or just utah? let's share that salad like we share selfies, THAT would really bless the world. but they loved it. they said it was "the best salad they ever tried." #truth that is an accurate statement.
>>> watching a utah thunderstorm roll through.
>> view from the roof. not many skyscrapers, but still pretty.
oh, don't even get me started on that time when i took them to "thirst." i thought it was a dessert place (cause daily desserts are a thing for us now), but turns out it's one of these "dirty-soda" places.... you know, like you don't just order a "clean" diet coke, you order a "dirty" diet coke with coconut, grape, lime, tigers blood and pina colada flavoring. because why not? so yeah i took them there, they ordered the "lux luthor", (what the heck is a lux luthor???) and after drinking like half both kids are writhing in pain from the sugar overload. after that i decided to dial back the "utah novelties" lest they become obese by christmas.
see what i mean?? utah is such a quirky place, but it provides so many laughs for our family that i don't think we're leaving anytime soon. oh and also, i'm done moving for like 57 years. so once we're in the house, we're there. like i'm gonna die there. put me right below the playhouse. then the grandkids can walk all over me, just like their parents did... little punks.
and cause you're all so amazing and always asking about sheppy. let me just tell you: he is a little champion. so big, so smiley, laughs sometimes, and even keeps that little heart in check. his history (which the doctor at stanford gave to me and is LITERALLY the size of a harry potter book) has been sent to primary childrens and he'll be seen there from now on. but his heart continues to stay in check, even when sam scares the crap outta him (i mean that literally). i'm so impressed with this child.
>> big guy on his big day. don't even know what those other faces are doing. don't ask me to explain any of their behaviors. it's a mystery to all of us.
>>> nothing like a summer wedding. only cost me a box of tic tacs to get this picture.
butttttt hopefully next time we talk, i'll be writing you from the living room of my 1920's home in the SLC hills. but if not, and i'm still writing you from my rental apartment, don't be surprised. cause we all know our life is so unpredictable it's dumb.
love you all. come visit us! we might even take you up to the moun'ains.
xx
