two homes

Every time I come "home" from a trip to Utah I feel like I blog the same old boring stuff - it boils down to a log of what we did while we visited family. Basically, that's all we do is visit family and I go see a few friends. It's actually not boring at all. We love it and that's the whole point of why I do it. But, I was trying to think of a new way to talk about our trip this time. So, I thought of a few conversations I had with friends regarding the differences between my two "homes."

The difference between Utah and Massachusetts:

In Utah, you say:
*swimmun' suit (thanks for a good laugh Adrienne!)
*grocery cart
*garbage can
*purse

In Massachusetts, you say:
*bathing suit (who wears a suit to take a bath?)
*carriage (I thought this was what you put a baby in - not groceries)
*rubbish barrel
*pocket book (not sure what a pocket book is - it doesn't fit in your pocket and it doesn't look like a book.)

In Utah, I have my "hometown", most of my family and lots of old friends who are as much a part of my life now as they were when I lived there (thanks to technology and lots of travel.)

In Mass, I have my immediate family, my actual home, and a growing number of new friends who are becoming more important to me all the time.

In Utah, I can see horizon to horizon, look at the mountains all day, and swat at a mosquito maybe once every 2 years.

In Mass, I can only see the sky if I look straight up (sometimes not even then), and if I go outside right now, I will swat at a mosquito, maybe every 12 seconds, but I can look out my front windows and see the peaceful river anytime I want and I have tons of wildlife and adopted pet creatures outside every door. It's like that scene in Snow White.

I feel like I have 2 homes which is more than some people can say. I guess I'm lucky. David has said in the past that he doesn't feel like either place really feels like home and that he is homeless and transient. I don't know which is worse - to be torn when you are one place or another, or to not care about being either place. David used to get really mad at me when I would say "going home to Utah." He wanted me to think of our new home as my home. Why can't I have 2?

As Pumbaa says on the Lion King, "home is where your rump rests." I guess that will have to be good enough for now. We make our home wherever we land. Bloom where you're planted? All that stuff.

Here's a sample of the 343 pictures I took (in 1 week?) I'll put a bunch on flickr too when I get a minute.

(cousins in their swimmun' suits!)(aunt Lis and baby Kate at the zoo)(all dressed up for church)

(Hattie with aunt Jess just after she got her first hair cut - yes, her first!)

(two little monkeys jumpin' on the tramp - we spent about half the trip doing this.)
(uncle Randy is the biggest monkey by far)
(Hattie waited all winter to hold baby Kate again. Looks like we almost waited too long!)(Hattie celebrated her 3rd birthday twice in Salt Lake. Mo Deb got her the coolest castle cake ever.)
(fun morning w/grandpa Lyle)(party at the Chapman's - 3 candles on 3 cakes for a 3 year old!)

(beach ball in the Chapman hot tub)
(the grand tradition of playing and playing and playing with grandpa Earl and Christine)
all the girls and their "babies" (well - except aunt Jess couldn't fit her two 100 pound dogs on the plane to get them in the picture!)