Snappy and Clever title

I wanted to be clever this post. I wanted to think of a smart, snappy title and a clever opening paragraph. Instead, this is what you get. Sorry. I haven't written for so long that there really is a lot to say; things about arriving in Virginia, moving in, getting ready for Samuel's reception, settling it. But I just summarized it in the previous sentence, and I think that will do for me. After all, I've never been one to spend a long time on catching up on the past.

I do want to write a about a couple of things. First off, Lydia is walking now. She really began last Monday, but I think the idea occurred to her last Sunday. She's very cute at it, like all new walkers I am sure. She can walk about the distance of a room before she falls down.

Then, I also wanted to announce that I have a garden. Yes, a real garden with growing things. At least, hopefully the correct growing things. I planted all starters or sets instead of seeds, so I've kind of cheated all ready, but I've never grown anything before, and I didn't want to mess it up before I've even begun. I'm growing Tomatoes, yellow and green bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, watermelon, cantaloupe, rosemary, and mint. Also two petunia plants from Mother's Day at church, because I didn't know where else to plant them. I saw my first weeds today, but they're just little grasslings, and so I'll need to find a hoe to get rid of them. I tried pulling them out of the ground by hand, but that was almost impossible. Avram tilled the land for my garden, and Lydia usually comes out with me while I tend it. She'll just sit in her stroller in the shade, and seems to really enjoy that. I feel very homemakey having a garden; I like it. I just hope it makes it to the fruit-bearing stage.

And now for a list:

Things I don't like about Virginia/My new home

1. Ticks. I HATE ticks. I hate them on me, I particularly hate them on my daughter, I hate searching for them, and I hate it even more when I find them. My hatred of ticks extends far beyond that of mosquitoes, although still behind cockroaches because at least ticks stay outside, but cockroaches come into my personal space.

2. Driving many miles to get anywhere. This is because we live in the country. Not the picturesque "country," with an acre of grass and a house with dormer windows. No, this is wooded, bug-infested, mice-living, tick-inhabited country.

3. Living in the true country. It turns out I'm much more of a picturesque country kind of person. Or better yet, living like Matt and Sarah, where the country it across the street, and just adds to my view. I hope living in the country in England will be picturesque. I think it will be; I'm sure the British invented the word picturesque for their countryside.

4. The air staying warm and muggy during the night, instead of cooling off, like in the desert.

5. Greater DC area traffic; traffic jams all the time, all over the place.

Things I like:

1. How green everything is.

2. There are lots of flowering bushes, which are very pretty. And they stay flowering, at least as long as I've been here.

3. My garden

4. Not having to worry about the water I'm using to water the garden with.

5. The rain. It's only rained a couple of times since I've been here, but it's nice.


What I miss about Utah/Provo/BYU

1. The mountains. Immensely.

2. All of my friends and family. Along with this, having places to go, and people to see, activities to do.

3. My ward. Oh, yes my ward. Living within a hundred yards of my entire ward; our Sunday schools, the young and idealism of it. Just thinking about it makes me sad. Mainly because I don't think we'll ever be in a college ward again. I loved it. Sniff, sniff.

4. People wearing clothes. Although since I usually don't go anywhere, this isn't a big one, because I almost never see random people. I realize this sentence may be confusing; I mean clothes that cover the body.

5. Having Avram in school; he always goes crazy when he's just working, and isn't in school.