I’ve lived in Utah a whole year now. I can hardly believe it. Anyway, as was inevitable, living in Utah has changed my life in a few ways:
- Kids everywhere. Any one of my children has 5 or more possible play-date friend options within walking distance. This means that my children play more at other people’s houses and more children play here than I’ve ever been used to in the past. Despite my previous aversion to other people’s children, it’s been quite nice.
- We’ve always enjoyed little camping trips, but now they’re all in the desert. I’m a lush forest and flowered trails kind of girl, but Matt keeps trying to convince me that the desert is “beautiful in its own way.” I’d agree that parts of it are magnificent. The miles and miles of flat, ugly, and boring in between the magnificence are a little less impressive though. Here’s where we camped over Labor Day, at Goblin Valley State Park:
- Did you know that you can buy food storage/emergency essentials (like huge buckets of wheat) as well as LDS literature in most local grocery stores? That still weirds me out a little bit.
- Utah makes you fat. No, seriously. All of my clothes are too tight now, and since I refuse to take any personal responsibility, I’m flat-out blaming it on Utah. Matt, if we move back to the South or midwest, I promise I would lose 20 pounds in a year. The only logical thing I can think of to blame this phenomenon on is the abundance of long-lost friends that live here and the accompanying lunch dates to catch up. (That was a weird sentence, but I don’t really know how to fix it.)
- There is crafty stuff everywhere, and I am not much of a crafter– never have been. But I have admittedly been influenced by some of the stuff I’ve seen, and I’ve even had the courage to try a few things myself. I wish you knew how uncharacteristic that is. So, I made this FHE chart for our family. I totally dreamed up the whole concept by myself while browsing the rows at Hobby Lobby (waiting for a picture to be framed).
Not only that, but I realized that I couldn’t be an official citizen of Utah unless I put some kind of vinyl quote on my wall. So I custom ordered this little ditty from here based on an FHE lesson we had once and have returned to in concept many, many times. I guess it’s sort of like a family motto or goal or something like that. (I painted that little house. Move over, Picasso.)
Anyway, I’m sure there’s more, but that’s all I can come up with. Oh, and obviously moving to Utah has made me a way lamer blogger. I recently browsed through all my old archives and I thought, Hey, I used to have a pretty cool blog when I actually spent time on it. I’m still undecided about whether I’m going to do blog therapy or let it keep sliding downhill. Time will tell. But no matter what happens, it’s all Utah’s fault.
p.s. As a side note, despite the temptation that abounds on local billboards and magazines, I have not yet had plastic surgery, been to a quick-cash store, or done eyelash extensions. I do, however, have fantastic neighbors and I’ve had the privilege of attending several meetings and firesides and conferences taught by amazing people, so you know, it’s not all bad.
Diapers and Divinity 
I agree on every point except number #2. I’m not a camper and I don’t think I’ll ever grow into it wherever I live. I have heard that Goblin Valley is pretty darn cool.
“Despite my previous aversion to other people’s children, it’s been quite nice.”
I love you 🙂
Can’t say that I’m tempted by the eyelash extensions either. And? Goblin Valley is one of my favorite places! For forest-y camping, try heading up the Alpine Loop. Beautiful places up there.
I here you on the desert… but then, I’m a southern girl through and through and love the humidity and the constant green of my western north carolina mountains. So, even though I agree that there are parts of Utah that are gorgeous… I also tend to notice a lot of brown while I am there.
The excessive amounts of children would be hard for me to get used to. We live far away in the woods and thus have a house that is only ever occupied by my own children. Friends happen occasionally. So a constant flow of in and out, while I’m sure is lovely in many ways, would be hard for me to get used to. Although… it does sound like it would easier to keep the kids entertained if they had friends around all the time.
I miss Utah. Born and raised there…then I married an Idaho Boy. You’ll get used to the brown-ness…and the crafts…and the millions of neighborhood kids. 🙂 I miss them.
Love your blog by the way. 🙂
Born and raised in the desert, and now I live in the Pacific Northwest, I miss the brown sometimes. I think the desert is beautiful. Stark, but beautiful. Plus I really don’t like the price we pay for all the greenery-constant rain, especially from November to March. It really gets me down.
Spent a long time in Utah, in the heart of Utah no less-Utah county, and I can’t say I miss it that often. One thing I DO miss though is the ease of obtaining gospel related literature, music and art.
The crafters will get you!
I’ve never seen anything like that FHE chart you made, I think you’re gonna start a new trend! 😉
I moved to Utah a year ago (I started work in Provo the last week of September). I completely agree with you on all points!!
Your post made me laugh! I’m so not crafty. But, I bought a cute FHE board on Etsy, so now I look crafty. No one has to know. 🙂
Too funny!
Next year you should camp on in the Uintas on the Mirror Lake Highway. I’d personally suggest Lilly Lake. It’s mountains, animals, lakes and absolutely beautiful. (It’s my favorite place in the world – I’m a Utah raised, now living in Oregon girl.)
Way to resist the temptations on the bill boards. 🙂
I’ve lived in Utah my whole life. Still not used to the crafts. Goblin Valley is way cool though- very few places are better to wear out the kids in a few hours!
#1 – I am obviously living in the wrong part of Utah. We have no one to play with. Our house is for sale in the hopes that someday we can see a child walk by our home.
I am laughing! As a transplant to Utah, I felt every word. A long, long time ago I said I would never marry a dairy farmer, because they smell, and I would never live in Utah and never drive a suburban. I guess my aversion to diary farmers pushed me away from my childhood home, so I did marry a Utah boy, and in spite of my efforts to convince him that other locations are as beautiful as the Utah mountains (which are very beautiful), we’re still here. Even though I don’t craft, and have only one room with vinyl on the wall, this feels like home because my family is here, and everywhere I go I see neighbors…and LDS books and food storage items sold in grocery stores, but I almost don’t notice that anymore. : )
My friend has eyelash extensions and they look pretty awesome. It’s the first time I’ve been tempted by something like that.
And I like your blog just fine as it is. I’d only like it better if you posted more so I could partake of more awesomeness.
What the heck?? I saw the billboards for eyelash extensions when I was dropping off my son at college in Utah, and it was a definite double-take for me! Who knew? Quite the head-scratcher pondering on how exactly that would work!?!
I’m so honored & blessed to be your neighbor! Thanks for moving here:) Never forget it was not fate that brought you here- you’re purpose is noticed by all. We all Love You!!