Sunday, October 27, 2013

St. George Layers

Eek!  Three more days until moving day.  (Sigh.)  Everybody keeps asking me if I'm happy about the move.  I'm grateful for the job, but pretty sad to be leaving St. George.  It took us a while to adjust initially, but we found our niche--in the neighborhood, at school, at church, in the community at large.  For years I've meant to compose a post about how I love the layers of history in St. George, visible each time you look at the red rocks.  Right in this very spot, you can find dinosaur tracks that are millions of years old and Native American petroglyphs that have been around for a thousand.  More recently, our Mormon Pioneer ancestors labored to settle the area, trying (often futilely) to tame the same Virgin River that carved Zion National Park.  My great-great grandfather Milo Andrus was among those pioneers--we found a plaque marking his home in downtown St. George.  Jason's office at Color Country Community Housing was built by (and is reputedly still haunted by) Milo's son, Moses.  And now, we leave behind a home of our own--the home where our daughter was born and where we all have been blessed.

Over the past years, we've come to appreciate the opportunity to add our own thread to the rich tapestry of St. George.  For now, our thread has run short.  It's time to weave a new blanket in the Midwest, adding to the beauty there.  And who knows?  Perhaps some day we will wind our way back to the desert and add a new layer.

OK, enough of the serious stuff.  It's time to get to work.  Like clearing the white board of funny quotes.
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Talia (trying to justify herself after Oreos were discovered in her bed):  Maybe I sleep-walked!
***
Eli:  I want a little snack before bed.
Mom:  Eli, you just had a piece of cake and ice cream!
Eli:  But that was a big snack.  I want a little snack.
***
Brooklyn (discussing Halloween costumes):  I'm tired of being a princess.
Talia:  Me too.
Eli:  Not me!

Sure enough, Eli rediscovered a Snow White princess costume in the Halloween bin and spent three days riding his bike around the driveway in it, Batman undies peeking out from underneath.  St. George sure won't be the same without us!

5 comments:

Susie said...

Tears and laughter all in one blog post! Thanks for sharing, Kara.

Julie L said...

Oh, so beautifully written! I loved the imagery of the layers, and knowing that area it fits so perfectly. You will be missed there, I'm sure. And oh the funny quotes from the cuties! Thanks for sharing!

Tanja said...

It would have been easier to visit you in St. George :) if I ever fly over "there" to attend an ever-so-long expected event on the Westcoast :) but actually I have been twice pretty close to the area you'll moving -- I mean Jason's new work-place area. Ones in 1988 and again in 2005 - so maybe all good things comes in three's. I wish you a wonderful - event-less - short trip to your new home.

Unknown said...

I hope the kids had fun Trick-or-treating. We miss you!

Shea Gibbons said...

Love that Eli princess quote! That's a treasure. (And I'm glad to know someone else's boy likes the girly stuff!) I'm sorry you have to wrap up your St. George memories and move on, that's always full of mixed nostalgic, happy, sad, looking-forward, grateful, and everything-else emotions! But I'm sure the Midwest will be infinitely blessed with such a good family coming :)