1 YEAR DOWN~Missing Iowa
I can't believe we have lived here an entire year!!! It's gone by so fast. In March we had some new neighbors move in and I said, "Oh, we just moved in not too long ago too." When they asked what month and I said May, they kinda looked at me weird. Then it hit me that it had definitely been longer than "not too long ago". Well, on July 1st we will have one year down of residency and a century more to go (okay 4 +1 year of fellowship but who's counting).
This time of year has got me thinking a ton about Iowa for some reason. It just seems like yesterday we graduated from Iowa, loaded up our moving truck and drove all the way to Texas. After being away for awhile, it's made me realize a few things.
Here's what I miss:
my FrIeNdS....they were like my second family and it was so hard to just one day up and leave them all. I have so many great memories with them and think about them all the time. Aaron definitely misses his too. They will definitely be lifetime friends.
Being able to WaLk to the good ol' CoRaL RiDgE Mall!!! It was perfect. I miss my mall trips with friends. Some good ol' Chick fil' A fries and DDP, Target attached, riding the carousel, Children's Musuem attached as well, play place (they hardly have any here), perusing the stores, etc. What mall has a Children's Museum, Movie theater, ice skating rink, carousel, target, best buy, Panera Bread, and some great store all in one? And within walking distance of our house! I didn't realize how good I had it!!!
SpLaSh PaD and pEd Mall
IoWa CitY LiBrArY and Coralville StOrYtImE
FaRmErS MaRkEtS and the YuMmY CorN!
Having everything SO CLOSE.
Having everything SO CLOSE.
Awesome ParKs and LaKeS.
DuCk PoNdS
DuCk PoNdS
NaUvOo temple trips. It was cool to have this be our temple we attended. I don't miss the 1 1/2 hour drive there and back each month though.
FiReFlIeS
OuR ChUrCh WaRd
SofTbALL gAmEs (Aaron would say playing basketball too)
DaNe'S DaIrY (YUM!)
Daily Drinks at the Hy-Vee GaS sTaTiOn for SO cheap.
The girls PeDiAtRiCiaN!!! We are yet to find a decent one here. Dr. Shaw was awesome!
I'm sure there's plenty more but my brain is fried for now.
Here's what I for sure am NOT missing:
The BuTt CoLd WiNtErS~having to bundle the kids and I up in 20 layers of clothes just to walk to our car and not be able to breath with the wind blowing in our faces. Or hearing the news warn us to not go outside for more than 20 minutes or we will get frost bite. I could go on...
(This was the inside of our window with our heater on all day non stop.)
FrEeZiNg RaIn StOrMs~ It made for some cool pictures, but that was about it. NOT fun. Chisleing inches of thick ice off our cars, etc was not fun. I have cool pics but they are on my other computer. Maybe someday I will post them. Let's just say it would explain why we were on a year waiting list to get a garage.
FlOoDs see here
ToRNadO warnings and the actual big tornado that hit us. Although I do have some pretty comical stories and memories. Loved all the phone calls from friends nearby telling me to get in the bath tub with my mattress on top of me only to see Aaron standing on the deck catching golf ball size hail and watching the tornado come. being quite entertained.
(Can you tell I hated the weather???!!!)
The ol' BuIcK ReGaL. (okay, secretly I miss it dearly j/k). Can't complain when you get a free car. We were for sure blessed. I think this is on family 5 now! ha ha. The ol' Regal just doesn't give up easily. This car gave me one of my most embarrassing stories.
(Yes, this is Aaron looking awesome with our kayak on top. He made us take this car when we'd go kayaking because he didn't want to scratch our other car. ha ha. I felt so unbelievably awesome!)
ApArTmEnT LiViNg at the Ol' Hamptons. It's so nice to have a yard now, a garage attached to the house, space, privacy, be able to do things to our house, etc. And we did have some ghetto neighbors with cops coming all the time. It was entertaining though. I do miss the perks of having friends so close. We had some good times. But now I can vacuum at 2 in the morning and not have to worry. Or I don't have to have my friend call me and tell me she can hear me every time I pee or shower, etc. ha ha!
Trying to FLY HoMe. The closest airport cost an arm and a leg so it was a workout to try and get home. FOR sure don't miss the drives home to Utah either. Especially the one where I left the day after I got out of the hospital with Peyton.
20 minute drive to church (as long as you don't miss like the 17 lights and the train on the way)
THE PoOh PLaNt!! NASTY!!! I swear we lived by a pooh plant factory and it reeked ALL the time.
The lack of shopping options and entertainment.
We definitely have missed Iowa more than we thought we would. Probably not necessarily the state, but our lives there were great. It makes me sad that Hallie hardly remembers much or certain people and memories. It's fun to have another new adventure in Texas though and we are really enjoying it here. I could make a whole other list of likes/dislikes for here, but that will be for another day.
7 comments:
Hey, we used to have a Buick Regal, too. We just sold it like a year ago. Fun times in the grandma car. Good list - I hope you find something to love about here too.
Oh heather. I just love you. Come back. I'll even try and see if we can take a ride in the regal together....
I feel the same about Iowa! I miss the people soooo much and the mall was seriously awesome! Every city should have a mall like that! It's so funny how time flies. I keep telling all the new people that just moved into our ward that we just moved in too. Then they always ask when we moved in and I finally think about it and sheepishly say a year. =0 When will I learn?! Seriously, has it really been that long! It feels like only a month.
Oh Heather, you totally crack me up! Your post made me miss Iowa more than I already do. PA is okay, but it aint no Iowa! Lauren misses the Mall so much - it is funny. None of the malls out here even have play areas and it drives her crazy (me too) and we don't have a Children's Museum anywhere near us (we have to go to the one in Philly). She keeps asking when we can move home - since that is where she was born and spent 5 years of her life - it really was her home.
Heather, I love this post! While there are MANY things that I don't miss about Iowa, that's also where our little family got started. And oh, the Regal. I'm so glad that has helped so many families and provided so much laughter and memories! I'll have to show this to my sister since that's where the Regal originated.
Great list Heather! Mine would be very similar.
oh heather, we still live in Iowa and now can't go to Dr. Shaw anymore and don't know what to do. We will miss her too! Congrats on being done with your intern year. We are only on day 5 and already can't wait for it to be done.
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