The Scoop

Okay folks! I know I have NOT been timely at all with "the scoop" but I really and truly have stepped back an entire decade here in Evanston! I literally have all of about ten minutes right now to sit down at Steve's school, where the computer can actually be hooked up to the internet, and do a quick update!

Right now, we are living in a rental town home, the likes of which I am sure NO ONE has ever seen before! It was built in the early eighties and had Muslim residents living in it before us. My walls are deep purple on the outside and crawling with mice families on the inside. My stair banister is hot pink and "sticky" (according to my nephew) and leads up to two bedrooms at the top of the stairs that collect all the heat (and smells) from the day making it ever so comfy to fall fast asleep. Sleeping with windows open has been interesting since it seems once you finally DO fall asleep, there is either a nice bird, a diesel truck, or far off train noise to wake you right back up around 5:30 a.m.! It has been something to get used to. I didn't realize how spoiled I was to live in St. George for so many years where it is not just a luxury to have full control of the indoor temperatures, but actually a necessity. No one in Evanston claims to need central air conditioning. Everyone seems completely content with leaving their rooms' temperatures up to mother nature. This is so new to me and something I have learned to adjust to.

Actually, it is funny how we seem to overcome one obstacle and immediately get met with a new one. The blasted hot rooms, the mice having free run of our house each night (eating up entire cupboards full of food), broken water heaters, refrigerator explosions etc. etc.! We really have had our share of 'country life' fun thus far! I feel like a true pioneer woman, albeit a very whiny and wussy one. I didn't realize how comfy and cushy my life actually was until we stepped into this time capsule life!

Things are constantly evolving for us here. One minute we're up to our eyeballs in some frightful dilemma and the next we're outside, sitting by the river, enjoying the cooler breezes and appreciating the last few days of summer. This has been the longest yet shortest summer of our lives. With school not starting for another entire week, we still have some fun things planned for the boys. But with the temperatures dropping so quickly, we already feel like it is mid Fall.

The boys have been keeping busy with neighborhood friends, building forts, riding their bikes non stop and occasionally joining in the fun Evanston Rec. Center activities that they have an abundance of here. They've participated in a few adventure camps, including a trip to Bear Lake and they competed in a youth triathlon too. They actually both took first place in their divisions and even made the Unita Herold Newspaper. Of course, the fact that only 17 kids competed DID help their wins a bit, but we try not to focus on that too much!

It is this sort of thing that makes me glad we moved here. The kids have had some GREAT opportunities, ALREADY, that they would never get to experience in a bigger city. Everyone we talk to about Evanston says that it is for this reason that it is a really great place to raise kids.

I sure hope they are right because, DANG, it is going to be BITTER cold here pretty quick and I am not sure how to go about that??? The pros MIGHT not out way the cons come December.

I am hoping that once we move into our new home (we are currently in the 'FRAMING' stages of building a house) it will feel a little more comfortable and a little less OLD SCHOOL. I will have internet access by then. I will have all of my things out of storage units. I will feel more like myself. I will not have to share my life with mice.

I am excited for this. We will keep trying to update every chance we get. I just wish I had more time to peek into YOUR lives. I miss your blogs and seeing all the cool, inspiring things you are all up to. Hope you'll all still be around when I get BACK TO THE FUTURE! Keep your fingers crossed that will be soon!

Wish I had time to upload some pictures. I would love for everyone to see my purple walls. I will try to get back to the computer a bit quicker next time and share some more dirt, in living color. Stay tuned:) Love to all!