The Seven of Us

I'm a recycler.  In high school, I had a "Love Your Mother" bumper sticker stuck to my planner.  I liked Birkenstocks, corn rows, andd activism.  (Not that I've ever owned Birks or had corn rows, but if I visited Jamaica I might.  And I've never marched or demonstrated, but I think the fact that we can--and that some are passionate enough to do so--is great.)   But I digress. In NY we had to recycle.  We lived in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains.  When I was young I went with my dad to the landfill, where we tossed lots of trash, as did others. Fridges, couches, paper--it all went to the same spot. We also had a burn barrell, as did most people in the country.  When I got older, laws were changed. Recycling trailers were placed in landfills. Burning trash was outlawed, and we paid a fee to throw away non-recyclable trash.  I didn't mind; I liked recycling--and my pa...

One day during the summer I started snapping pictures with the idea that I'd do a post about an average day.  Well, I got about halfway through the day and had too many pictures to post, and I'd missed a few things, such as Caleb mowing some of the lawns he cuts (along with loading and unloading the mower, which seems to be something I do a lot in the summer),  Corbin going to the neighbor's house, the disastrous kitchen at lunchtime, and Kenna sprawled out on the couch watching PBS cooking shows all afternoon (when she can get away with it).  So, while these pictures aren't reflective of an entire day, they do show some of what we do.   Seeing Corbin in a tree was a pretty normal occurrance this summer. This was the first time Caleb had really paid much attention to it, and he was worried about Corbin and helped him down.  I'll have to post the third photo showing where Corbin was when Caleb found him. "Bros" Corbin and Isaac call one another ...

Well, I've been to Utah twice this year. I love it. I find myself wishing I lived there. (And when Jimmer was playing, I really wanted to be there.) If I lived in Utah, I'd be able to have Sunday dinner at Den and Sue's. I could attend Conference, do genealogy at the Family History Library, go on challenging, beautiful walks on canyon paths every day, check out uplifting books at public libraries, find friends with whom I could discuss the gospel, and see mountains constantly. It'd be glorious! Wouldn't it? I know there are things about Utah that I love: temples, mountains, beauty, stores, family...and memories. I remember--and sometimes crave- that season of life: young(er), extremely active, healthy, totally self-focused. (Okay, selfish.) Every day was a new adventure; every semester brought new classes and new aquaintances, every 9 to 12 months a new calling. I worked three or four different jobs. I learned a language. I got married, had a baby, and finished sch...