Life in Arizona

Blogging.

Kinda falling by the way side.  Is that how that saying goes?  Who knows.  Anyways, for obvious reason this blog is being a bit neglected.  It has seasons like everything else I guess.  Seasons when I'm on here a lot...typing out thoughts.  And seasons like now...where I feel like the main reason it exists is to document my kids...for family...and also for myself to look back on.

I was thinking that it would be awesome to print out all my blog entries for the last however many years...7?  I think seven years.  Crazy man.  That would take like 6 ink cartridges but still...it would be fun to have.  Sorta like a journal that my kids and grandkids can look at when I'm all old and crusty.  ;)  Ha!

Anyways.  Things are busy...of course.  We just had a lovely bout of the stomach flu...AGAIN.  Seriously...this last 6 months in Arizona has just about done us in.  We have had 2 rounds of the stomach flu...at least 4 colds...croup, rashes...you name it.  Crazy.  And the whole five years we lived in San Francisco?  Maybe a few colds?  Yeah.  I guess we were due.  Hopefully we will have a nice long spell of good health...but I'm not counting on it ha!

And life in Arizona is....HOT.  HOT HOTTTTTTTTT!  In the last last two weeks I'm pretty sure we haven't had a day where it's been cooler then 110 degrees.  Seriously?  Blows my mind.  I mean...I like heat.  90 degrees I can manage.  But 113? 114? 116?  Yeah.  That's nuts.  Our house is set at 80 degrees during the day because I don't want to go broke paying for AC.  We all wear shorts and tank tops and we're fine.  And if you want the house to feel cooler?  Stand outside for 5 minutes and walk back in!  Suddenly the house feels blissfully cold....for a few minutes at least.  :)

We are going to SLO in July and I actually had to go buy a sweatshirt for Ellie and some pants.  She hasn't known anything else but heat and the poor thing is probably going to freeze in mid-70's weather.  I'm glad somebody gifted us some footie pj's.  She definitely doesn't use them here but they will come in handy for SLO for sure.  :)

We have also found a church...praise the LORD!  Seriously...it only took us 6 months haha.  We have been going to a couple of different churches while here...consistently but they just didn't feel quite right.  I had resolved myself to just be content and thankful for the freedom to GO to church and was about to settle when a girl I met told me about the church SHE went to.  Sounded kinda like our cup of tea.  We decided that after visiting this new church we would decide between the three and commit for a year...mostly for Jack's sake.  He was starting to get separation anxiety from going to different toddler classes at different churches...and he usually just runs away from us and doesn't look back when we drop him off at Sunday school.  Anyways, we went and it was RIGHT.  The children's program is awesome and purposeful.  Jack willingly goes and is happy there.  The preaching is right on and relevant.  They take Communion every Sunday (not a deal breaker but we appreciate the focus placed on the Sacrament).  Yeah...it's just good.  And I am SO thankful to have found it.

I've also met some friends.  Hey now!  I mean...not bossom friends or anything ;).  Is it even possible to meet a new "bossom friend" when you are a mom of little's?  I kinda feel like it's hard.  When you can't even finish a thought without having to tell your kids to stop doing something...seems hard to really connect with someone ha!  I was telling Jason that I used to think I was the "funny athletic" one in the group.  Like that was my "social identity".  Now I'm basically neither of those.  I usually feel far from witty...and I haven't exercised in over a year soooo....who AM I???  ha!  I'm a mama.  I'm a follower of Jesus.  I'm a wife.  And I'm still funny.  Sometimes.  And one day I will be athletic again.  I think I'm just learning to socialize and interact as a mom.  And maybe if I make a close friend and have a girls night out I can bring out the "funny crazy Anna"...when I'm not so distracted and preoccupied with making sure that my 2 year old doesn't sit on my 2 month olds face.  Priorities you know?!?  Either way there have been some kind mamas who have reached out to me and made this place feel a little more like home.  Very thankful for that.

Overall I don't hate it here.  Ha!  That's good right?!?  I mean...we moved from San Francisco.  One of the most beautiful cities in the USA.  I truly loved our life in S.F.  It was unique, and trendy, and hip.  I mean seriously, we had the best food, the best coffee...the best of many things right at our fingertips.  I loved public trans, I loved the spring, fall, and winter (the cold freezing summers...not so much).  Even though our place was the size of a hamster cage...I loved our home.  This part of Arizona is dry...and flat...and well, this area in general is the farthest thing from trendy.  It has every chain store you can imagine...literally.  I'm sure there are some unique small businesses here but they are hard to find.  And yet...I could live here long term...I think.  ;)  I mean...being so far from family sucks.  And honestly if we could find sustainable jobs in SLO I think we would move back to be close to family...but this is where God has us for now.  And I'm okay with it.  Assuming all things pan out...Jason's job and general life here.  So we will see.  I always tell Jason that I could live anywhere as long as I have my people around me.  My family...and some good friends.  We lived in a dry ugly city in the desert of Chile but we loved it because of the people we met.  People are what matter the most.  When I'm old and grey I'm not going to think back on the place I lived...but the relationships I made while there.  So, we are hoping to make some good friends and enjoy our time here....however long that might be...one year...or twenty years.  ;)

Anyways, that's a little update on life here in AZ.  Things I'm definitely loving are: gas prices, food prices, desert hiking (when it's not 116 degrees), our 3 bedroom HOUSE that we pay less then the hamster cage in San Francisco, our large yard (when it's not 116 degrees)...and sometimes every chain store you can imagine is kinda nice too.  I've always wanted to go to Buy Buy Baby, Bass Pro Shop, and Ikea.  :)

 

And because a blog post isn't complete without a picture here's a completely unrelated, hilarious little gem for you.  Poor Ellie. It's tough being loved SO much. Ha!  :)