Last night I realized that with this upcoming move,
in twenty one years of marriage,
we will have lived in FIVE states!!
That's more states than I even visited in my
first twenty one years of LIFE!!
I am a believer that things happen for a reason,
and that the people who have something you lack,
will enter your life at the moment you need them most.
I actually rely on this heavily when getting ready to
move onto a new home.
My mother-in-law asked me which state was my favorite
state to live in and if I had a choice, which state would
I go back to.
Hard question, because for different reasons, I have loved
each and every place we have lived,
and would probably go back to any one of them if
given the chance.
I have learned something valuable from every place
we have had the pleasure of calling home:
I grew up in Utah, and like a lot of teenagers,
really just dreamed of leaving HOME and
experiencing life & adventure.
Now that I have been gone so long,
I can enjoy so much beauty that I simply took for granted
when I was growing up.
I look at so much that I do now as being a direct result
of the people and influences I had in my early years.
From my childhood home,
I learned the value of family mealtime,
setting the table for your children,
teaching them how to cook and clean.
The greatest lesson I learned from my
mom was the gift of taking a step back from a
TO DO list and spending valuable time with those you love.
I have since learned that not everyone knows their
cousins, second cousins and second cousins once removed
(nor do most people even know that there
can be second cousins once removed)
and because I knew all these amazing relatives,
I learned the importance of family.
In Arizona I learned the importance of enjoying your
young children while they are actually YOUNG.
I had a great friend who somehow had grasped hold
of just how quickly 18 years passes by and from her
example I quickly developed habits of playing and
relaxing with my kiddos.
In Arizona I also learned to really HONE my
breadmaking skills & I left Arizona with
three of the best bread recipes ever-
of which, all three I still use.
I have always teased that Minnesota is where I finally
learned how to give a hug! I have never been a good
hugger, especially to friends or acquaintances. Silly reasons,
but I was too self conscience of any extra flub I might
have had, if I had showered that morning or
will someone think I am weird giving them a hug.
In Minnesota, I met some very kind and caring people
and from them I learned to truly enjoy the gift that
another persons genuine touch can be.
I also learned how to enjoy hosting big parties,
how to share holidays with friends and most important-
I learned that HOME isn't just about blood relatives,
but a lot of times, HOME is made up of the family
that you get to CHOOSE (your friends).
Probably the most valuable nugget of life lesson
I took from Minnesota is the importance of balance
in HOME and LIFE. I have to say,
I live and breathe the by the value of balance.
California has been very good for me. From the
moment we got here, I have felt like I belonged.
Here I learned to up my game when it came to
feeding myself and my family. I learned that being
pushed much harder than I thought possible, is
actually good for me.
And I learned that Health has as much to do with
lifestyle and choices as it does with genetics
(some days I would argue more so)
and more importantly,
I learned the value of talking about your issues,
not complaining,
but talking about what ails you! You just never
know who needs to hear your story or why.
But I have to say that my most valuable
life lesson learned in Cali is the good ole'
value of a girlfriend.
I have learned to enjoy myself in anyone's
HOME, as long as I am sitting around a table,
eating salads or other bunny food,
with several women I love, adore, admire and enjoy!
My life is rich because of all that I have taken from
each state and the people that have been part of
my journey no matter where it is I reside.
HOME is my cookbook, filled to the brim with
recipes from my favorite people.
It is the stories that I remember as I have
gathered these recipes.
HOME is the dishes and placemats I use daily,
and the people that surround my table for
meals or snacks.
HOME is the art that adorn my walls,
almost always of the people I love,
the places I've been and
the words that remind me of both.
HOME is the laughter,
the crying and the imagination
of friends, neighbors and guests that
fill my house on any given day.
And HOME are the memories that stick with me,
every day of my life,
because of the people I have met
on this journey called LIFE!
HOME is the story that is shared between
two great friends.
What gifts has life given you that have built your HOME?
Better yet, what gifts have you given
life that have created HOME for someone else??
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