Quality of Life
For much of the past 22 months that we lived in Mesquite, I have often felt very isolated and lonely. Having a young child who naps means that you have to spend quite a bit of time at home and having only 1 car means you spend almost all your time at home during the day unless you drive your hubby to and from work, walk or hitch a ride with a neighbor. Consequently, I felt for a long time that I was turning into a hermit due to the unbearably hot weather which often kept us cooped up inside. I am a very social person and going a week at a time with only seeing Burke and Daphne was difficult for me. Over the winter months I combated this by trying to be more proactive by organizing a weekly park day, pushing Daphne in the jogging stroller along the river trail, inviting people over for dinner or calling family. Those things helped, but when this move came along, I felt so grateful, sensing that this period of isolation would at last be at an end.
Although I miss many of our wonderful Mesquite neighbors and ward members, I cannot believe how much lighter and happier I have felt in the two weeks since our move. It is as if our quality of life has tripled! And here are a few of the reasons why.
#1 - Weather. We went from sweating to death every time we walked outside to nearly 10 straight days of cloudy skies, perfect temperatures and a bit of rain each day. The variety of the weather and being able to play outside with Daphne in the middle of the day has been so refreshing. I realized recently that in the 4 years of our marriage we have missed out on the joys of the 4 seasons. I didn't realize until now how much I have missed the change!
Although I miss many of our wonderful Mesquite neighbors and ward members, I cannot believe how much lighter and happier I have felt in the two weeks since our move. It is as if our quality of life has tripled! And here are a few of the reasons why.
#1 - Weather. We went from sweating to death every time we walked outside to nearly 10 straight days of cloudy skies, perfect temperatures and a bit of rain each day. The variety of the weather and being able to play outside with Daphne in the middle of the day has been so refreshing. I realized recently that in the 4 years of our marriage we have missed out on the joys of the 4 seasons. I didn't realize until now how much I have missed the change!
I adore these photos Krissy snapped of Marie teaching Daphne the joys of playing in the rain.
#4 - Family. This weekend Kellie's family was in town and we were all able to get together for dinner at the Parowan Cafe Friday night and a day at Co-Op on Saturday. It was so much fun to be with everyone, but I especially liked being able to drive just 20 minutes back home each night to sleep in our own beds and not worry about Daphne waking up (or being woken by) cousins in the middle of the night. I love that Kristen is here in town and that we will get to spend more time with her and hopefully be here for her in her last year of college at SUU. My cousin Michelle (Kaaen) Alley is also in town and it was such a delight to see her and Jeff this past week and meet their sweet brand new baby Zoe. Plus, Burke has loads of Urie relatives in town and childhood/college friends who have settled here as well, so I have no fear of feeling socially isolated anymore.
At Co-op with the fam - can't believe how big the boys are getting!
#5 - Proximity. Only 20 minutes from Parowan and 1.5 hours closer to Logan.
#6 - Work. Burke's work at Western Ag has already proven to be a fantastic decision. They have been so good and kind to him, but they also expect a lot. Burke's boss Daren is the Stake President out in Enoch and a way down to earth man. He is a hard worker and has set the bar very high for Burke. I love that. I love that he sees the potential in Burke and is going to demand the best of him. Right now it's all a bit overwhelming to Burke, trying to learn the ins and outs of a new company is always difficult, but it's also exciting to him as well. And he's doing a great job! They've put a lot of pressure on him by handing over loans worth several million dollars to his care, so he feels anxious to learn everything quickly and to learn it well. I'm really proud of him for being smart enough to do this kind of work and having the education that will help him comprehend all the information being poured into his brain right now.
#7 - Temple. The temple will be built here in the next few years and we can hardly wait! It will be so neat to be here and watch the dedication and construction process.
#8 - The library. The city library in Mesquite was tiny. Not that the library here is massive, but I almost did a little dance of joy when I walked in and saw a large open room with row upon row of bookshelves and en entire section dedicated to children's lit with activity mats, puzzles, cozy reading nooks and miniature tables just Daphne's size. We got library cards today and Daphne gets her very own to tote around, which of course makes her feel so special. We'll be spending lots of time there, especially because there is a sweet park right outside.
Beautiful quote in library entry.
#9 - Second Car. Okay, the freedom that comes with having a second car cannot be overstated. I am SO grateful that Western Ag provided Burke with a vehicle which allows Daphne and I the liberty to come and go as we please.
#10 - The Ward. This ward is the complete opposite of our last 2 wards. In St. George and Mesquite, we lived in wards dominated by snow birds and retirees. However, our new Cedar Meadows Ward is thickly populated with young families which makes for a noisy Sacrament meeting. The Bishop is super young (probably mid-thirties) and when we went to introduce ourselves last Sunday after having been moved in for only 4 days he said Jamie and Robert had already told them about us and they would stop by Wednesday to offer us new callings! I still don't know if our records are even in the ward yet, but today we were sustained as the new Ward Music Chair (Burke) and Ward Choir Director/Relief Society Chorister (Me). That means Burke organizes and leads all the music for Sacrament meeting and I will have to lead the choir! Apparently the music program has been dead in the ward for about a year, so the Bishop really wants us to revitalize it and bring the spirit into the meetings with beautiful music. I have to admit, I am way nervous about leading the choir. I love music and I love to sing, but I have never had to direct others before and I'm sure it will be a big learning curve. However, I am also so stoked that we both have "Sunday Callings" now and can have most of our weeknights to ourselves.
Life is good and we are feeling far more blessed than we deserve. Come see us soon!
#2 - The House. I still can't get over how fortunate we are to be in Jamie and Robert's beautiful home. Everything about it feels so cozy to me! I love the loft, the wood floors, the double sinks in the master bedroom, the mudroom, the big back yard, the tomatoes fresh off the vine, and the big front windows that fill the house with natural light all day long. There are a few minor things I'm not wild about like being on a different floor than Daphne, no pantry and being so close to backyard neighbors.
Love me some natural light.
#3 - Location. The location is unreal. We are directly across the street from Iron Springs Elementary School which is apparently the best elementary school in Iron County! We can see the kindergarten doors from our driveway, which means if we were to live here long enough and if we had a napping baby when Daphne needed to go to school, I could just take a monitor with me while I walk her across the street to drop her off. There are also 3 different play structures at the school (one with swings! Daph's obsessed with swinging) that can be used before or after school hours. There is also a field about the size of a football field surrounded by a track (I have yet to clock it, but it feels like a standard quarter mile loop) right next to the school where Daphne and I have been taking Roxy to try and get her used to her leash. We are also less than a quarter mile from our church, which reminds me of growing up on Cliffside and being able to walk to church each Sunday. I also love that our subdivision is a little removed from Cedar. It's only a short 8-10 minute drive to get to anything, but it is so pleasant to drive past a little farmland making it feel quiet and peaceful in our neighborhood.
Daphne out walking Roxy in the rain on the track across the street.
#4 - Family. This weekend Kellie's family was in town and we were all able to get together for dinner at the Parowan Cafe Friday night and a day at Co-Op on Saturday. It was so much fun to be with everyone, but I especially liked being able to drive just 20 minutes back home each night to sleep in our own beds and not worry about Daphne waking up (or being woken by) cousins in the middle of the night. I love that Kristen is here in town and that we will get to spend more time with her and hopefully be here for her in her last year of college at SUU. My cousin Michelle (Kaaen) Alley is also in town and it was such a delight to see her and Jeff this past week and meet their sweet brand new baby Zoe. Plus, Burke has loads of Urie relatives in town and childhood/college friends who have settled here as well, so I have no fear of feeling socially isolated anymore.
#5 - Proximity. Only 20 minutes from Parowan and 1.5 hours closer to Logan.
#6 - Work. Burke's work at Western Ag has already proven to be a fantastic decision. They have been so good and kind to him, but they also expect a lot. Burke's boss Daren is the Stake President out in Enoch and a way down to earth man. He is a hard worker and has set the bar very high for Burke. I love that. I love that he sees the potential in Burke and is going to demand the best of him. Right now it's all a bit overwhelming to Burke, trying to learn the ins and outs of a new company is always difficult, but it's also exciting to him as well. And he's doing a great job! They've put a lot of pressure on him by handing over loans worth several million dollars to his care, so he feels anxious to learn everything quickly and to learn it well. I'm really proud of him for being smart enough to do this kind of work and having the education that will help him comprehend all the information being poured into his brain right now.
#7 - Temple. The temple will be built here in the next few years and we can hardly wait! It will be so neat to be here and watch the dedication and construction process.
#8 - The library. The city library in Mesquite was tiny. Not that the library here is massive, but I almost did a little dance of joy when I walked in and saw a large open room with row upon row of bookshelves and en entire section dedicated to children's lit with activity mats, puzzles, cozy reading nooks and miniature tables just Daphne's size. We got library cards today and Daphne gets her very own to tote around, which of course makes her feel so special. We'll be spending lots of time there, especially because there is a sweet park right outside.
#9 - Second Car. Okay, the freedom that comes with having a second car cannot be overstated. I am SO grateful that Western Ag provided Burke with a vehicle which allows Daphne and I the liberty to come and go as we please.
#10 - The Ward. This ward is the complete opposite of our last 2 wards. In St. George and Mesquite, we lived in wards dominated by snow birds and retirees. However, our new Cedar Meadows Ward is thickly populated with young families which makes for a noisy Sacrament meeting. The Bishop is super young (probably mid-thirties) and when we went to introduce ourselves last Sunday after having been moved in for only 4 days he said Jamie and Robert had already told them about us and they would stop by Wednesday to offer us new callings! I still don't know if our records are even in the ward yet, but today we were sustained as the new Ward Music Chair (Burke) and Ward Choir Director/Relief Society Chorister (Me). That means Burke organizes and leads all the music for Sacrament meeting and I will have to lead the choir! Apparently the music program has been dead in the ward for about a year, so the Bishop really wants us to revitalize it and bring the spirit into the meetings with beautiful music. I have to admit, I am way nervous about leading the choir. I love music and I love to sing, but I have never had to direct others before and I'm sure it will be a big learning curve. However, I am also so stoked that we both have "Sunday Callings" now and can have most of our weeknights to ourselves.
Life is good and we are feeling far more blessed than we deserve. Come see us soon!
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