The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Seattle Edition

We are waiting to have the Internet hooked up at our house, which could be awhile, so I am sitting in a gigantic Starbucks to make this post. The move is complete, which is a relief. We are now getting settled in our new environs, and pictures will follow!

The Good:

• There is a huge lavender plant right outside our front door that smells amazing.
• Living near the U Village and some pretty awesome shopping and restaurants.
• The growing list of things to do in Seattle.
• Driving through downtown and seeing the "big city" (as Madison calls it).
• Being able to walk or take the bus places.
• Having a playground at our complex.
• Having an urban trail right behind our house.
• Our "yard" covered in blackberries.
• Mt. Rainier, the trees, the ocean, etc.
• A Metropolitan Market right down the trail from our house with so many gourmet things I want to try!

The Bad:

• The cost of living is astronomical!
• No Walmart in a 15 mile radius.
• Trying to park a Ford Explorer in tiny little spots.

The Ugly:

• Our carpet! Any volunteers to come clean it?

O Pioneers!

It is no secret that I am going through some kind of obsession with the West and "the land." I just finished reading O Pioneers! by Willa Cather and loved it. I have read My Antonia in the past, and I am becoming a Cather fan. The way that she writes about the plains, and man's relationship to the untamed frontiers is so fascinating to me. That tension of obsession and loathing with the environment, one of her greatest protagonists, is poetry to me. If you have not read it, do.

The City of Trees

The time has come for me to leave home...again. I am so sad to leave Boise. I love it here. It is not for everyone, as Joe continually reminds me, but it is for me. I wonder if everyone feels a special connection to the place where they grew up. As I procrastinate the packing I reminisce about all the things that I will miss (listing is my writing forte):

• Mountain biking with my sister Emily in the foothills. I was just getting the hang of it.


• Going to Lucky Peak with the fam for boating, tubing, and waterskiing.


• Girl's Nights with my mom and sisters and friends from the ward.


• Hiking up in the foothills where you can get a great view of the whole city.


• Driving down Warm Spring's Avenue and seeing all the turn-of-the century houses that were the beginnings of a city.


• Going for a run on the canal bank; its nice to not have to always run on the road.


• Taking Madison and Hayes for walks to see the ducks, horses, and chickens.


• Random family nights where we play games, argue about politics, play football in the back yard, or ride scooters in the drive way.


• Living closer to my extended family and having my grandparents over for dinner or having my cousins babysit.


• Running into friends from high school.


• Late night trips to Sonic or rounds of miniature golf.


• Boise State football games.


• Trips up to McCall either for the snow or the sun.


• The Fam.


• The familiar.

At least I can always come back.

At the "Beach"

Joe and I took the kids to Sandy Point, a swimming spot in Boise with a park, some sand, and cold water. Madison and Hayes really enjoyed the picnic aspect of the trip, but I think I sometimes over-estimate just how old they are when I am planning events like this. I pictured them playing in the water the whole time for hours on end, and then having to pry them off the beach to go home. They did have fun, but at their own pace so it was good. They found some shallow pools to play in and enjoyed the sand and finding little fishes in the water. Their favorite part of the trip, by far, was the outdoor shower we subjected them to after swimming to get all of the sand off. If I had only known that a cold shower would have been a fun afternoon activity...

Girl Time

One of the nicest things about living with my family in Boise is living with other girls close to my own age. My sisters and I go shopping, out to dinner, to the movies and various other activities all the time. I am really going to miss that!

While my grandpa took my brother and male cousins camping, my girl cousins, aunts, and grandmas stayed in Boise and did girl stuff all week. It was so fun. We went hiking, scrapbooked, had a Gilmore Girls night, and treated ourselves to a night out to dinner. I really enjoyed getting to know my cousins and aunts better, and hopefully we will do it again!