the beginnings of our hopi adventure

we've made 4 major moves since we've had children. i grew up in one town my entire childhood life. i didn't know much about moving at all until i moved out and went to university.

we've lived in utah, switzerland, wisconsin, and now arizona.

major moves can be a challenging transition. when we lived in utah, we had everything we ever really needed, but we were bored and sometimes couldn't wait to move away and have ourselves an adventure. then we moved to switzerland. it was exciting and scary, and we had to learn a new language. it was beautiful and new, and sometimes really frustrating. reality set in and we found ourselves counting down the days until we could go home, back to our familiar life. we moved back to utah. it was business as usual. we became bored, again. we moved to wisconsin. there was the first thrill, and like all the places before, reality set in. we were homesick for our family, for red rocks, mountains, our friends, our backyard with our cherry tree. the homesickness wore off, and after three years, madison became home. then it was time to move again. this time we were off to rural wisconsin in sparta - with red barns and black and white spotted cows down the road.

this move to sparta was different.

i had realized something in madison. i seemed to always be waiting for something. what? what was i waiting for? to settle down? to feel a special fit someplace where i could start living? every time we moved, i finally missed the place where we moved from. i missed living in utah. i missed living in switzerland, and i knew i was going to miss madison - despite my initial homesickness - and i did.

i bawled my eyes out when we left madison. the only difference when we left madison was that i knew i had lived life to the fullest there. i had realized that home is where you make it. i couldn't wait for some special feeling to start living. i had to live now, and i had to make the most of where we were, because i knew from past experience that i would someday miss my time there, terribly.

so, when we moved to sparta, we knew we were going to be there for only a year. i made up my mind that i was going to make the most of this time, we'd be tourists and take in all the sights, the people, the special events. i knew it was most likely going to be our last year in wisconsin. we made a wisconsin bucket list and visited our friends in madison as often as we could. sparta never felt like home, but we did enjoy our time there. we met some amazing people, experienced some amazing adventures, and really lived. i didn't cry when we left sparta, none of us did, actually.

moving is very challenging, and becomes even more so the older the children get.

i tried really hard to be the cushion for isaiah and makayah as they adjusted to new schools, new teachers, and leaving behind their beloved friends from previous years.

and now i had to prepare myself to do it all over again.

after the quick trip to utah for isaiah's baptism, reuniting with friends and family, we came home.

home - to our new pueblo-styled place in hopi, arizona.

the kids were excited about their new rooms, their new house. but i think they were most excited that nana and umpa only lived an hour and twenty minutes away. that's a billion times better than three days on the road.

hopi is nothing like wisconsin.

but, the instant we drove in, i think our spirits were lifted and we felt like we were home again -
even though neither sam or i had ever lived in hopi.

for the past month of my not writing, we have been unpacking boxes, setting up utilities, trying to get cell phone coverage, visiting grandparents, basically running errands like crazy. people who've moved, you know the drill. when we aren't doing tedious moving-in stuff, we have been breathing in this gorgeous land and it's people in. my chest feels like it will burst into a million pieces because when i look out the window and see the endlessly blue skies and the pink and purple mesas, i am so indescribably happy.

but, i know you're more curious about how life has changed for us.

so here we go.

we have two small markets here. and when i say small, i mean convenient store small.

they are nice to have when and if we run out of anything.

but usually, on the weekends, we drive an hour and a half to the nearest town and stock up on groceries and other necessities.

this is our view during the drive.

i think it's breathtaking.

this is the view from the top of the mesas.

i have no idea what this is. really, WTH?! i hope i never see this thing. i asked my parents if they've ever seen this growing up. they hadn't.

it's great living so close to my parents.
i had to run some errands here, in order to get the kids enrolled in school.
they get so excited to see them. i love it.

good ol' window rock, az.

the sunrise at my parent's house.

and for all my wisconsin friends, yes, it does snow in arizona.
it's still only autumn, so the snow didn't last, which is nice because we definitely weren't dressed for this surprise snowfall.

after an entire week of running around getting the appropriate forms, isaiah and makayah were finally enrolled in school. they have a super nice school which one of my friends actually help build. the teachers and administrators are awesome. they did have some adjustments to make to their new environment. there was a little bit of new kid bullying, but luckily it was all very mild and faded out within days. they really like their new school and friends now.

during the school days, the babies and i will go to the park behind our house.
it is so great having a playground within walking distance.

we are so happy here.

we like to explore on our walks home, finding interesting plants or bugs like this one...

nature walk with the babies.

and our trip into town to get groceries. actually, this picture is at the mall. sam and i have been without cell phones for three weeks. we had to change carriers, then phones, and wait for them to be delivered to us. it's actually been a nice break, and i've been more productive without the distractions of internet and my phone. but, it's also nice to be able to call my friends and family again.

this place is beautiful, and we have so much to learn from the hopi people here.
everyone has been so friendly and welcoming.
sam loves his job and the people he works with.
we are in a neighborhood playgroup.
we joined the local co-op.
our church congregation is like family.
actually, everyone here has quickly become like family.
i really can't complain about anything, except for the unpacking i still have left to do.
but even then, i've learned my lessons and i know the only way to be happy is to embrace life wherever it may be lived. we are making this place another one of our homes and we are thrilled to have this wonderful opportunity.
home is where you make it.

the end.