the best i can do today

I wanted to write you a little song about how happy I was to be home. I thought I would have plenty of time  to ponder yesterday during my 16 hours in the car. I did have plenty of time but the muse was unavailable and I came up with nothing. Suffice it to say we are home and pretty thrilled to be here. And just a little too exhausted to write a very clever blog entry. Maybe tomorrow.

27 mpg-thankful

(mine is black, of course)

My little CR-V is in the shop this morning for it's scheduled tune-up. It's costing me an exorbitant amount of money. In return they sent me off with an Odyssey to drive for a day. I know there are many of you out there who love your minivans, especially your Odysseys. Sorry, but not me. Ugh- it's huge! It barely fits in the garage. It's like driving a cruise ship around. My little CR-V turns on a dime and gets 27 mpg in the city. It navigates snow and ice without a hiccup, it fits into any parking space and has plenty of room for anything that I will ever need to transport. I love it and will drive it until I absolutely must move on and even then, even though I know many have said the same and caved, for me , it will NOT be a minivan. And ideally it will get even better gas mileage than I get now. Won't that be delightful.

almost as good as my lexapro

In case you ever need it, the following is a list of things to do with Julie in Tulsa that have been pre-tested (by me, this past weekend). They are guaranteed to make for a delightful weekend and the send you home feeling like you can probably face the world again and do a little better job living your life.

1. talk and talk and never even need the car radio.


2. have flowers painted on your toes.


3. eat desserts at a french restaurant at 10pm.


4. haggle with flea market con men


5. buy school clothes and birthdays and Christmas at fabulous consignment sale.


6. lunch at Cosi-Why don't we have Cosi in Wichita?


7. drink peppermint tea and read unusual magazines at Barnes and Noble for hours.


8. search for an organic, homemade hair conditioner recipe.


9. Cheesecake Factory, again.


10. Braid hair in pajamas.


11. Send slightly sexy pics to missing spouses (only to be informed by my own that his phone is a "work phone" and I probably shouldn't do this anymore).


12. wear your heart on your sleeve, for the whole weekend.


13. expose secret fears and obsessions so that they aren't so scary anymore.

vacation photos

ruby slippers

Yesterday morning I slipped on my favorite red, satin ballet flats and packed our bags. We have been visiting family in Utah for the last ten days. It was an absolute whirlwind. We had two graduations, two baby blessings, a family reunion and several other activities. By the end of the week poor Tommy was almost manic because he was so tired. It was wonderful to see my children with all seven of their grandparents, all of their cousins and many of their aunts and uncles. We saw Thomas the Train and rode the train and went to the train museum. Johnny said "Mama" for the first time. I ran a race and bonded with my siblings and old friends anew. I found that I really miss my sisters and my brother, but not as much as I missed home. Home is an elusive concept for us but I am finding that it is where my stuff is, where my friends are,where my husband is, where my life is. So I put on my red shoes, rounded up my babies and boarded a plane. And found that I agree wholeheartedly with Dorothy, there's no place like home.

where the heart is

Here in Kansas we are having our first really big thunderstorm of the season. I love storms here. The rain pours down in sheets, the sky is purple and the lightening lights up the whole house. We got home from St. George just in time. We had a wonderful time seeing all of our friends and running around in the lovely 70 degree weather, but we missed what has, surprisingly quickly, become home. The kids loved to see all the grandparents, Zions, Red Rocks and all the new friends (all of our friends' children whom he has never met because we so seldom go home). The baby stopped sleeping through the night and Tommy managed to catch that version of the flu not covered by the vaccine. Ty played video games with his brothers every night and went climbing during the day. I had lots of Grandmas to play with and ooh and aaah over my children. It was wonderful. There is , however, nothing like walking into your own house after an extended period away from home. I love that sense of instant well-being that comes with being home. I put my babies to sleep in their own beds and put my shoes in my very own closet, sigh. So happy to be home.

Postcards from the Edge

Hello all,
No photos this week because we are in what is usually know as "Sunny St. George". Of course, it has been raining since we got here on Friday. As many of you know, I have possibly the best in-laws in the world and we are visiting them and sending Tymon's youngest brother Devin on a mission for our church. I have rediscovered an odd dichotomy in my personality. I love to travel, I love to visit our families, I love to go new places and have adventures. I hate being away from my stuff, especially now that we have children. I have everything I need at home. Everyone has a bed and a routine. All of my drawers and shelves are full of things I use every day. I am not good at living out of suitcases and I don't know how to help my kids deal with the absolute dissolution of their carefully developed schedules. They are coping pretty well considering but I want them to be at their very cutest and most pleasant because we are spending every day with people who love them and don't often spend time with them. I must learn to breathe and relax just a little.
We have lots of memories here. It is where I first lived away from home, where I had my first boyfriend, my first heartbreak, where I learned to trust myself, where I met and fell in love with my husband. We haven't been here in three years and I am always struck by how nostalgic I feel, every time. There is something very settling about connecting to your roots. I don't know if we will ever be permanantly settled anywhere but St. George is one of the places that will always feel like home.