Settling in to this place I call home

Time moves differently for me right now. I hear news from my family back home and wonder how so very much has happened. It feels like I was just there, with my niece and nephew running around upstairs and the sounds of airplanes, trains, and cars constant in my life. Now I feel like I gauge time by the storms that roll by in the afternoons sometimes, or the supply of home made bread in my kitchen. It isn't that life has slowed down really, just that it seems quieter in many respects. I mean, I still have two kids under two, so it's never that quiet.

This last week has held such wonderful opportunities. We met a neighbor just a couple of times who, for reasons beyond me, decided to just come over and help pull up all the prickly bushes in the back. He really just kept working even when Neal and I had to leave the house. Then on Monday he came back to burn all the dried up plants for us. It's incredible to me the generosity I find around me. I told him we'd have the whole family over for a steak dinner as a thank you, but their vegetarian so it'll be something else delicious I hope.

This is how nice and clear our yard looks now. I feel like Peter and I can play out there without bodily injury!

Speaking of the yard, I have learned why the previous occupant dug those mounds everywhere. Apparently the soil here has a high salt content and the mounds help the water pull the salt away from the plants so they don't die. This is probably why I lost my thyme plant, because it was in the flattest part of the front yard. Also, it was struggling when I planted it to begin with. We're leveling most of the backyard, effectively undoing all his hard work, but that's because Peter wants a place to run around and we do not need a garden that huge. We'll do nicely with a corner garden I believe. We have had several neighbors share of their abundant harvest already. One neighbor kindly shared not only her precious peaches, but a banana squash (Neal loves those) and tons of green beans. I feel a lot less sad about leaving the garden at our last home when we get to enjoy harvest here even without a garden. I'm hoping my herbs do well enough that I can share those with the neighborhood. I haven't seen anyone with herbs yet. 

This beauty is the Hyssop. The photo is blurry because it was windy. But the smell and the pinkish purple flowers really make me excited to this herb to thrive!

The little cucumber is still alive! I'm not sure if I should try to transplant it or not.

The challenges of life here are different than anywhere else. We feel so rich with so many kind neighbors and so much beauty. On Friday, some friends invited us on a local hike to Teardrop Arch. We ended up switching vehicles because our van is not going to make it off roading. After a ten minute drive through hilly, sandy wilderness, we got out and hiked around. There were some ruins which we peered at through a small opening. Neither of us crawled in because I was too big while wearing Mary and Neal was too busy keeping Peter from running off a cliff (you think I'm joking, but I'm not). The views from halfway up the butte were incredible. We happened to go as several storms were moving in, and the stormy clouds surrounded us in a little bubble of blue sky for just enough time to enjoy the hike. After looking at the ruins, we hiked to the actual arch. Through it you can see several of the monuments of Monument Valley. Honestly, I felt like everywhere I looked was breathtakingly beautiful. 

The storm moving in on Friday afternoon. The cloud seemed to push against the sky.

I don't have enough vocabulary to describe it accurately. I haven't been a nature writer for long enough. Let's just say that you should all visit us down here so you can see for yourself. I had someone here tell me that it wasn't that pretty after you've been here a while. They even suggested I might hate it in a few months. I hope that statement isn't true at all. In fact, I've been so bothered by the concept that I would just stop finding beauty that I made it my goal to find at least one thing of beauty every day: one thing which brings me joy. So far it has been a simple task. The way the wind moves my chimes, the rolling thunder I feel in my bones, Peter's face when he sees a lizard, the stars so bright I can see them even without my glasses.

Each morning I take a walk on the street and down by the elementary school. It's short, since my children insist on waking up earlier and earlier (why did they inherit my love of mornings?). At that very time, the dawn is just painting the monuments into dark silhouettes and lighting the sky on fire with an orange glow. Even when the kids wake up through the night (teething is the worst), I still get up to have that moment of stillness. Of course, in that peace, I wonder what animals are out and about. There are apparently mountain lions here. I'm reminded of a book from my college days, Beast in the Garden. I'm not exactly afraid, just awed that I could be so alone and so close to the wildness that pervades life here. 

There's something about a new place, a new space, which invites me to reinvent myself. By no means have I become all that I want to be, but I enjoy this honeymoon phase where my house stays clean most of the time because I'm so interested in how nice it looks when it is clean. My ambition could also stem from how large and open my kitchen feels. Having natural light and a kitchen island is the dream. I don't know how I'll ever go back. This means that I've taken to studying our cookbooks and trying new recipes. Baking bread has become a weekly task once again and, miracle of miracles, I've actually planned and prepared dinner for almost a whole week in a row. Mind you, there have been lots of pancakes for dinner kind of nights, but generally cooking makes me feel so fulfilled right now. This weekend Neal made pasta (like with our new pasta roller and everything) and I made a peach crostada with an all butter crust (important because it seems so much harder than the shortening ones). We felt so fancy! I am also realizing that living far away from stores and fast food isn't making me more healthy. I'm too capable of cooking and baking delicious, fattening, fabulous foods. Oh well, at least I know what I'm putting into these ridiculous dishes? 

This week has been fast for us. Mary suddenly cut two teeth last night (it felt sudden to me at least) so we were basically up all night consoling her. Peter has started mimicking finger spelling in sign language. Mostly I have only spelled their names because I already have a sign for mommy and daddy and he wanted one for Mary and he. It's adorable to see him try, but I am slightly stressed because my finger spelling is the worst. My signing in general is pretty terrible. I apologize to anyone who actually speaks such a lovely language because I'm slaughtering it in my attempts to communicate with Peter. 

My final photos are of my front entry. Isn't this so inviting? I wish more people came to see us because we are trying really hard to make our home welcoming! So, if you live nearby, come on over! If you don't, then get in your car and drive about eight hours and come visit! I'm joking only a little on that one folks. We have sleeping accommodations ready to go for you and know one hike and one restaurant and almost how to say hello in Navajo.  

My mom made me this mini library. It's got children's books and more advanced reading!

I made that extremely simple wreath by myself! I have a tiny amount of craftiness! Well, okay, there is more to it than the sunflowers, just you can't see that from here. I ditched the ribbon bow I was supposed to add. I am not there yet.