We woke our kids early in the morning and began our four day trip to our new home. The first day of our drive took us through Wyoming and into Nebraska. We had a minor car scare in The Absolute Middle of Nowhere, Wyoming (not kidding, the next town/city was at least 30 miles away). For a minute, we thought we weren't going to make it. As we pulled off the freeway to inspect our stalling, over-packed car, Alex and I immediately thought of this talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. After a little prayer, a phone call to Alex's brother, and a lot of faith, we set on the road again. We felt confident that we would make it okay, and that we would not have any more car trouble.
We spent our first night in North Platte, Nebraska. It was exciting to be able to see other parts of the country. It seemed that each state had its own unique feel and look. You just know when you cross into Wyoming. It just looks different-- drier, dustier. And when you leave it, Nebraska rolls out its soft, pale grass in front of you. Most of the view was cornfields. And soybeans. But mostly corn, a lot of it. Sometimes for as far as you could see. I loved seeing those crops. There is something inspiring to me to think of someone working on that land. To see that there are people who take a plot of dirt and, through hard work and diligence and attention, turn it into something else. The rows seem perfect and straight and the stalks are the same height and the fields are so green and full, I want to run my fingers through them. I don't know if I'll ever love any landscape as much as I love the mountains, but we drove through some really pretty country. (I feel really Midwestern saying that..."some real purdy country.")
(Emma entertaining herself in the car.)
On our second day, we stopped in Winter Quarters, Nebraska at the temple site and the Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters. We ate lunch in a picnic area there and I can see how so many of the pioneers got sick. There were so many bugs! We were driving through a record heat wave, I guess, so everywhere we stopped was at least 100 degrees. It was really hot. And sweaty. That night we stayed with some wonderful friends in Iowa City (thank you Jess and Joe!). Our kids had a great time being able to run around and jump and throw pillows and eat a real meal. It was awesome.
Our kids did remarkably well on the drive. Graham did watch Tangled about eight times, which was indeed helpful. We were able to stop in Nauvoo for an evening. It was beautiful. I didn't realize how close to the Mississippi River it was. We attended the Nauvoo pageant, which was a really great experience. Even though it was about 10 PM when we finished, our kids loved it! They were really intent. Emma was even dancing and singing along. This little girl loves to dance.
(Graham blowing dandelion seeds in Nauvoo.)
We were pleasantly surprised to find that Ohio was the prettiest part of the drive. There are so many trees here! It is very green. Also much more humid than out West. Our first couple weeks here were so hot. The heat is different here. You don't feel your skin frying when you walk outside, like it can in Utah heat, but the humidity can sometimes suck the life out of you. Fall is approaching and we are told that it is beautiful here, which must be true because of all the trees.
So far, we are really enjoying Ohio. We have great neighbors and ward members. We've made some good friends already and are really grateful for the support of the Church. It's nice to know that wherever we go, the gospel and the organization of the Church will be there. Our kids seem to be adjusting well. The first couple weeks were a little tough. There were certainly more tantrums and outbursts than usual, but I think they feel pretty comfortable here. They love that we have a basement and a back patio. We get to water our plants out there everyday, which they find very exciting. We live between two rivers, just a couple minutes from each, so we get to drive over bridges. Graham loves that. Our church shares a parking lot with the Columbus, Ohio temple, so we even get to see the temple once a week. Our kids love seeing the temple. Whenever we say that we are going to church Emma yells, "Temple!" and claps her hands. We lived so close to the Logan temple (our most frequent walk destination), I knew that would be one thing I would really miss. So I am grateful to have a temple close here too. A twenty minute drive is certainly manageable.
(Our first dinner at our new home. The makeshift tables didn't last too long.)
We have been in Ohio now for a month. It's kind of hard to believe that it has been that long, but it is starting to feel like home. Though I think I will always have part of my heart in Cache Valley, I really enjoy it here. We are really excited for these next few years of our life.
Well, there is certainly much more to say, but now you all know that we are at least alive and well.
