The Upside

I'm not enamored with living in Utah. The long, cold, snowy winters, coupled with the hot, dry summers, and only a tease of spring and fall weather in between is not really for me. However, there is an upside to living in Utah, and that's all of our wonderful friends and family - both those who are living here, and those who come to visit. I find we're often a side attraction in a friend's Utah trip, where the main draw is something bigger, like a family event, a ski vacation, or a chance to attend General Conference. That's just fine with me - I relish the chance to see these people that I might not see at all if I lived in, say, North Dakota.

Just this weekend, I got to see my friend Lynsie, whom I've known since we were 11 or 12. She was here for a cousin's wedding, but I reaped the benefit of that visit as well, and we were able to chat over a delightful breakfast at Hagermann's Bakery in Draper (which, incidentally, is fantastic. Try it, you won't be disappointed!). She even got to share with me, in person, the news that she's getting married! Hooray!

Last month, I had a great time visiting with Jeremy, who had come from Phoenix to visit his brothers. Lucky me, I got to see him as well! The month before that, I saw my good friend Rochelle, who had come down from Seattle for a teaching conference. I love that I can sit back, relax, and the friends and family come to me. ;) I'm sure this is a function of remaining in the same area where I grew up/went to college, it's not like all roads truly lead to Utah, but as long as the friends keep visiting, I'll keep enjoying it.

I'm also grateful to have so much family close by. We were able to attend a fun birthday party for my nephew, Noah, on Saturday, which was attended by all of Jared's family that's in the area - 4 of his 6 siblings and their families, and his parents. A friend of mine was telling me about a brother-in-law and sister-in-law she has that she's never met, and it made me thankful for the opportunity we have to have close relationships with both of our families.

I was also able to see lots of my extended family this weekend at a family party celebrating my grandparents' 65th anniversary. We are so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family and to be able to see them on a regular basis. I'm still not in love with the less than ideal weather in Utah, but it's more than a fair trade-off!