Another Year

This post is long overdue!  If you remember on our one year anniversary of being in Michigan I posted the 52 things we miss about Arizona.  My plan was to then post a year later the 52 things we love about Michigan.  Yep, missed that date.  But I have been trying to get to it.  I promise.

So it has been just over two years now since we moved to Michigan.  Two years, and five months to be exact.  Things haven't changed much since that last post.  It is still hard, busy, crazy, stressful, fun, and wonderful.  We are still learning so much about living here, it seems like it is going to be an ongoing theme to our life.

Tree in spring bloom from last year.

So in honor of another year in the greath north, I bring you another list.  Another year means another 52 things.  This list will be things we love about Michigan combined with phrases we never thought we would hear ourselves say.  Enjoy!

1. Green  2. Spring  3. Summer  4. Fall  5. Winter  6. Trees  7. Lakes  8. Rivers  9. Ponds  10. "We need to plan the garden."  11. Birds  12. Family  13. Congregation  14. "Better bundle up for service today, it is 0º out this morning!"  15. Flowers  16. Wild vegetables  17. Grass  18. "No school today, it's a SNOW DAY!!!!"  19. Friends  20. Farms  21. Backyard wildlife  22. Small Towns  23. "We need to plan a trip. . .to ARIZONA!"  21. Fall colors  22. Homecooked Goodness  23. Not ever reading 110º on the thermometer  24. "It's raining" (again, or still, or period!!!)  25. Snow  26. "I live in Michigan"  27. Wildflowers  28. Weather  29. Bald Eagles  30. Forests  31. "We need to shovel the driveway today"  32. Homecooked Goodness  33. Garden  34. Wild Berries  35. Strawberry picking  36. Snowmobiling  37. Pick-Your-Own Farms  38. "We need to weed in the garden."  39. Aunts and Uncles  40. Space  41. Deer  42. "The kids are down swimming in the lake."  43. "Sorry I missed your call, I was out stacking wood."  44. Four - yep, four DIFFERENT seasons  45. Grandma  46. Dinners consisting of only what we picked from the garden that day  47. Sledding parties  48. Lakes as big as oceans  49. Fireplaces that get used  50. GREEN - have I mentioned this!?!?!  51. Festivals  52. The Scenery!!!!

Potato fields just a few minutes from our house.

Needless to say, we love, love, love it here.  This third year is already almost half over.  Each year brings its own challenges and we are working through them.  Each passing year also makes the missing of or friends and family back in Arizona so much worse.  We miss you all so much.  I can't believe it has been almost a year since we have seen you last.

It truely is beautiful here, you really must see it for yourself.  Our door is always open and we would love to see you.

Squash Blossom from our garden last year.

365 Days Later. . .

One year ago today we arrived in Michigan.  Yep, one year, 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, or 525,600 minutes ago, we officially arrived in our new state of residence.  It is amazing how quickly time passes.  I have had to count that year sometimes in months since it flies by so fast, and sometimes in minutes because it seems to pass so slowly.

It was a very long drive, a very sad goodbye.  Even as I write to you all today I tear up thinking about all those I had to say goodbye to in order to come to this new life.

So in honor of our making it one whole year I decided to dedicate today to listing 52 things I miss about Arizona.  One for every week we have been away.

1. My Sisters  2. Our family  3. Our friends  4. My house  5. Our congregation  6. My sisters  7. Mexican food  8. Grocery stores that have everything I want to buy in them  9. Knowing EXACTLY where everyplace I want to go is  10.  nieces and nephews  11. My Sisters  12. a K12 school that has no limits on enrolled students  13. Those I love even though I didn't know how much until I had to leave them  14. Arizona sunsets  15. Great craft stores five minutes from my house  16. My Sisters  17. Gem Show  18. Camping in the mountains  19. Patagonia  20. Mountains  21.  Knowing north, south, east, west just by looking up  22. My Sisters  23. Friends  24. Discount movie theaters  25. Sitting on a mountain and seeing for miles and miles  26. Great Mexican Food  27. living around the corner from M&M K.  28. night walks around the city block  29. backyards with walls so my pups could run free  30. My sisters  31. fireworks you can actually see from your house  32. Our friends  33. seeing our friends children grow up  34. nieces and nephews  35. second-hand stores  36. circuit assemblies where you know almost everyone there  37. getting to that circuit assembly without the use of a GPS  38. MY SISTERS  39. living so close to California  40. Our house  41. My brother  42. Giant, mysterious saguaro's  43. walks in Sabino Canyon  44. weekends in Florence  45. My Sisters  46. Mexican Food  47. Friends  48. Family  49. Driving home from my Big Sisters and watching the city lights  50. Monsoons  51. Adopted Parents/Grandparents  52. Friends/Family

So there they are, 52 of the things I miss most from Arizona.  And no, I am not crazy (well mostly not), I have some things listed more than once.  But that is because I miss them so much I had to list them more than once!

It has been a hard, busy, crazy, stressful, fun, wonderful year.  We have learned so much, made so many new friends, and are so glad we made that very hard decision.  We miss you all so much and can not wait until we can see your smiling faces again.

So Good To Be Home

Next week marks 8 whole months since we packed up the family and moved up here to Michigan.  We have had ups and downs, tears and laughter, sadness over what we left behind, joy on what lies ahead.  Mostly we are enjoying ourselves immensely. 

Friday I flew with Reuben back to Arizona for what was supposed to be a quick turn around trip of a couple of days.  He needed to get his truck and needed someone to help him drive it home.  We were supposed to leave Saturday and be home by Monday.  As always, things did not go according to plan.

We arrived Friday and my brother in law picked us up in Mesa.  No one had told my big sis we were coming so she was completely surprised.  It was really good to see her again.  We spent the night with her and my other big sis just happened to be coming to stay the weekend so we surprised her too.

Saturday we headed to Tucson, then to Willcox to get the truck.  Saturday night I surprised a good friend of mine at her work and she ditched out early so we could spend a little time together.  Turns out the next day she was headed to the Circuit Assembly where all the people I planned on surprising Sunday just happened to be.  So off to the assembly I went.

It was so nice to see everyone again.  Lots of smiles and hugs and tears.

Then I had to say goodbye to everyone again.  I hate that!  It is absolutely the worst part.  Especially saying goodbye to the family.  I still have to not think about it too much or I cry again.  I love you my sissy's and can't wait to see you again.

The drive home went quickly and we watched the scenery change from dusty brown to brilliant green.  Yesterday I had to get back in the car again and head to Grand Rapids with Cameron but today I have been enjoying wandering around the house seeing everything that has changed in the few short days I was gone.

The weather is so nice.  60 warm degrees.  Sun is shining brightly and the cool breeze comes and dances on your skin every few minutes.  New flowers have bloomed.  The garden is doing awesome with new sprouts up everywhere.  And the dragonflies are back.  Last year when we arrived they flooded the yard for a few days and then were gone.  A couple even landed on my arm and said hello.  AWESOME!

I miss everyone in Tucson and wish I could bring them all home with me.  I miss them, but it is so good to be home!