So I'm going back and reading my old blog posts (it's kind of like a journal and worth doing every once and a while) and I realized my mom blogs are, well, boring. There are pictures of Graham and short details about Graham.... and that's it. I realized what little time I get on the internet I usually use to buy mom things (onsies, search for cheap blankets, etc) or post pictures of my (still) freaking cute baby. So I"m going to try and break from the mold a little bit. No pictures of Graham (unless I find a real good one) and a little bit more ranting and updating.
1. We MOVED to SLC!
Crazy, I know. I didn't ever expect to find myself living in SLC. Like seriously when we would drive by it as a kid I thought I would like to live in a big city, but not SLC (cuz it's not really big anyways). And then whenever we have driven through SLC, I've always been miffed with 13th South. As you drive down it there are some cute little houses, but all in all it is kind of ... trashy. Well guess what... be careful of what you say you will never do. I sooo live in downtown SLC and right off 13th South. We looked at a few other apts, but this one was the best fit. It turns out to be super handy to live right off the freeway exit since I COMMUTE down to SF three days a week. (I know... what wife is a commuter? And acutally I like to stay down in SF with family if I can.).
The apt is really spacious for the three of us. We have 2 large rooms, a tiny living room, a tiny dining room, and a galley sized kitchen. Our massive couch fits... a total plus... and if I can ever get the rest of my junk put away, actually provides a lot of great living space. I am having a lot of fun picking out my own decorations, bedding, and curtains. Mostly we have spent a lot of time at Walmart and Ikea; living cheap is the way to go for now. We can't paint the walls or anything, but it is still nice to have a clean slate where "the clan" won't be upset if I change something.
2. Our ward is a little psycho. Literally
So our fabulous apt is a low income housing project. We had to go through some serious rigamaroo to get in proving we won't make more than $34,500 this year just to get in. Then we go to church. I guess I didn't really think about who would be long term residents of low income housing. Turns out people who are on disability, or partial disability, tend to be very long term residents here. They continually qualify as low income, yet are high functioning enough to pay rent. And I could just see the missionaries happy faces as they convert these little souls and then gratefully turn them over to the ward members. So as a ward member I have had some funny experiences.
One fellow bellows out the lesson and chapter we are on each Sunday mutiple times... at very odd times. His wife dutifully wears her jean Harley Davidson jacket to church and tries to explain to our Mongolian Sunday School teacher (who still has a little trouble with English) that her husband just doesn't understand. The Mongolian is great, except he struggles with a few words, and with some of the harder to deal with members. The piano teaching mom who last taught the lesson ended up fighting with the bellow-er, becuase she (very sharply) was going to give the lesson she prepared, not the one he wanted her to teach. The whole confrontation ended with the bellower very loudly saying "Well that is just STUPID." It was an interesting way to start the lesson. RS started out with a 200+lb lady wearing make-up like a 5 year old asking each pregnant lady if she was still pregnant. One lady later confessed to me that she would switch up her answer just to throw the make-up lady off! The RS president announced we would not be doing Good News moments anymore, becuase they were getting too depressing. She then continued to conduct the music and explained we are going to try and train everyone to conduct, because she cannot play, conduct the music, and conduct RS. Her husband also happens to be the 1st counselor in the Bishopric!
I was just called to teach RS. I'm actually really happy about it, and think we will have a good time. I may just need to work on saying No to some of the more crazy comments. My last ward was definately preparatory to my new ward... and I think we will all have a really good time. I keep thinking of it as just more oportunities to serve and hone my skills :). I moved to Utah expecting to be in super "mormon" wards. BYU copletely lived up to my expectations, but then the family wards I've lived in have just been... well not very active. Both wards I've lived in only have about a 20-30% activity rate. A lot of the kids come from split or broken homes. All the girs/ yw struggle with really hard things... not the easy dumb drama I suffered from in my ID home ward. It is just odd, I expected to move into some super active, super perky family wards... and have yet to even find one in UT. I just find it odd.
Ok this is getting really long. Other than that Graham is eating solids like a pro. He loves his rice cereal as long as there are bananas or apple juice in it. He still loves his mom best (sorry again Kim!). And he is almost 17 lbs. Yes, he is a fatty. But he is my fatty so we'll keep him. I'm super stoked about Redfish and will have to post some pictures when we (Graham and I, no Seanypoo yet again) get back.
Consider yourself updated.
