Giving Thanks. Proximity.
I'm grateful to be close to lots of things.
The store...for those midnight ring pop runs. When we moved to this area there weren't even street lights. When they built the Chevron we could see it from our front porch. It was like a glowing beacon of civilization out in the field (and it looked a bit like the alien mother ship landing at night, so that was fun). Now we have a grocery store 5 mins from us. Blessings.
Chad's parents...so that the kids and I can have a good relationship with them. They already knew Chad, but living so close has helped them know us too.
The temple...I can literally see the temple from my front room windows. Who is lucky enough to get to have that blessing?
The church...I can see it out my windows and walk there in less than 2 mins. Each time we make that 2 min walk, I say to Chad, this is so lucky! I remember when we used to have to drive 2 hours to get to church! Having it so close makes it feel like a present, important part of our family.
My mom...When I was choosing a college, I tinkered with the idea of going somewhere far from home, somewhere with a big name and a lot of prestige. But ultimately I realized, I was a big chicken, so I went to BYU. It felt safe and doable and since my parents were in San Diego at the time, it felt pretty close to home.
The summer after my freshman year, my family moved back to Japan, where they basically stayed (with the exception of a small sojourn back in San Diego) for the next 10 years.
Two years ago, my dad finally retired and they moved back to Virginia, which sounds far I know, but it actually on the same continent as me, so I was pretty excited. We spent Christmas at their house, something we'd never been able to do while they were in Japan. It felt like such a blessing to be close.
A month ago, my parents bought a house in a neighboring city and moved here to Utah. My mom now lives 6.91 miles from my house! (I mapquested it. I like to be precise.) 6.91, not 69.1, not 691...6.91 miles!!
Let's recap she used to live in Tokyo, which is roughly 5469.58 miles from me and now she lives just up the road 6.91 miles from me. Talk about a blessing.
I watched her dog for a few minutes the other day and when mom came to pick the dog up I handed over the dog gear, watched them walk down the hill and load up in the car. I returned to my sink, full of dishes and looked up to see my mom hopping back up the hill. She poked her head back in the door and said "hey! I live here now! Love you!"
Yep, she lives here now. I've waited for many years and now I can hug her every day if I want to. Everyday. So today I'm grateful for proximity.
Photo: Lisa, Baby Brynn (1 month old) and Grandma Sharon, December 2004. Mom and Dad visiting for Brynn's baby blessing.
The store...for those midnight ring pop runs. When we moved to this area there weren't even street lights. When they built the Chevron we could see it from our front porch. It was like a glowing beacon of civilization out in the field (and it looked a bit like the alien mother ship landing at night, so that was fun). Now we have a grocery store 5 mins from us. Blessings.
Chad's parents...so that the kids and I can have a good relationship with them. They already knew Chad, but living so close has helped them know us too.
The temple...I can literally see the temple from my front room windows. Who is lucky enough to get to have that blessing?The church...I can see it out my windows and walk there in less than 2 mins. Each time we make that 2 min walk, I say to Chad, this is so lucky! I remember when we used to have to drive 2 hours to get to church! Having it so close makes it feel like a present, important part of our family.
My mom...When I was choosing a college, I tinkered with the idea of going somewhere far from home, somewhere with a big name and a lot of prestige. But ultimately I realized, I was a big chicken, so I went to BYU. It felt safe and doable and since my parents were in San Diego at the time, it felt pretty close to home.
The summer after my freshman year, my family moved back to Japan, where they basically stayed (with the exception of a small sojourn back in San Diego) for the next 10 years.
Two years ago, my dad finally retired and they moved back to Virginia, which sounds far I know, but it actually on the same continent as me, so I was pretty excited. We spent Christmas at their house, something we'd never been able to do while they were in Japan. It felt like such a blessing to be close.
A month ago, my parents bought a house in a neighboring city and moved here to Utah. My mom now lives 6.91 miles from my house! (I mapquested it. I like to be precise.) 6.91, not 69.1, not 691...6.91 miles!!Let's recap she used to live in Tokyo, which is roughly 5469.58 miles from me and now she lives just up the road 6.91 miles from me. Talk about a blessing.
I watched her dog for a few minutes the other day and when mom came to pick the dog up I handed over the dog gear, watched them walk down the hill and load up in the car. I returned to my sink, full of dishes and looked up to see my mom hopping back up the hill. She poked her head back in the door and said "hey! I live here now! Love you!"
Yep, she lives here now. I've waited for many years and now I can hug her every day if I want to. Everyday. So today I'm grateful for proximity.
Photo: Lisa, Baby Brynn (1 month old) and Grandma Sharon, December 2004. Mom and Dad visiting for Brynn's baby blessing.
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