Good To Be Home

We have been back from our month long trip to Utah for about a week. We had so much fun! My mom flew here to NC on Monday, July 5. She came to help me fly back to Utah with the kids on July 6. She's such a nice mommy. Then Ben joined us on July 23. Anyway, we stayed with my parents for the first two weeks of our trip and for the last two weeks we stayed with Ben's parents. We went to the splash pad at Gateway, did lots of swimming and playing in the water in both back yards, went four wheeling, ate tons of Cafe Rio, drank way way way to much Dr. Pepper (that was me. . .the kids ate way too much junk food in general), went out with friends, went to the temple (!!), took family pictures, had the annual Bliss 24th of July BBQ, spent a day at the Drummond's annual campout, and everyone was thrilled to meet Malia (she rolled over for the first time while we were there!). It was good to see all of the family and some of our good friends. . .but I have to say. . .it was really nice to come home, get the kids back on a normal schedule and get back into our routines.

When we first moved to North Carolina, I quickly realized how I often took having my mom and Ben's mom around to help for granted. It was, for the most part, very easy living in Utah. We never had to worry about a babysitter, if we (more like if I) didn't want to cook dinner we just went to one of our parents house to eat, we could go to the temple as often as we wanted (and we tried to go once a month), I could go to the store without kids, and if I just needed a break I could call my mom and she'd come to my house or I could go to her house. She would help with the kids or I could let them run around out back and not have to worry so much about them. When we moved I had to figure everything out again. Now I have to take kids to the store or wait for Ben to be home or take Ben along (not his favorite activity). I went to the temple once last year because it takes about six hours round trip. I have to cook dinner. . .or order pizza (which we don't do often) or nobody eats. We have to plan babysitting carefully so as not to overload people too much. . .and I don't get breaks. These sound like complaints, but they really aren't. . .other than the frequency of my temple trips. I love living here. I love that I have had to figure things out for myself. I don't mind taking the kids to the store so much. It's not my favorite thing, but I've learned that sometimes it just has to be done, so I make the best of it. I feel like I am closer to the people in my ward because we have to rely on them more. Ben and I are closer because I turn to him for comfort, entertainment, a listening ear, and to relieve me from parenting duty at times. I liked living in Utah. I could move back there sometime. That time isn't now. I love living in NC and visiting Utah. It was strange really. When I got to Utah it just didn't feel like home. . .or that it would be home anytime soon. It is good to be back in our own house, in our own beds, doing our thing, day in and day out. It's just good to be home. :)