Going Home

We have lived away from Utah now for eight years, but we still love "going home" to visit my family. John and I lived in Utah together for quite a few years, plus John lived there before and after his mission, (I think about 14 years all together for John) so we really kind of feel like it is our home town. I grew up in Farmington Utah, a town that is about 20 miles north of Salt Lake City. It was a great place to grown up. My kids love going to my parents house and love being near them and their cousins. We have so many friends and family members in Utah so we make our trips long enough to see everyone. It is hard living so far away, and we miss both of our families so much, so we appreciate it when we get to see them. We wish we could see John's family more often. This is the house that I grew up in since I was 7. The original house was a pioneer house and my parents expanded it, remodeled it, and put in a pool and landscaping. This was about 30 years ago. This picture only shows about a third of the house, as that tree has gotten so big, but it is a big rambling house that my kids love to run and play in. Great for family parties, the perfect spot for backyard barbecues and swim parties. I loved growing up at the base of a mountain, with lots of land around us. Farmington is a bedroom community, but parts of it are still rural looking, though it is close to everything. I know this property and old house are getting to be too much for my parents to take care of , and so they will not be there forever. We are all sad about this but support their decision. We will just cherish the memories we make in this home for now. Thanks for all the amazing summer memories Mom and Dad!
This is the view across the street from my parents home. They live on "Main street", which has actually gotten kind of busy as there is much new development in Farmington especially up on the mountain...but right here, it still feels a bit rural.

I didn't get a great shot of the back yard, (though it happens to be the back drop to many of my Utah pictures), but this shows a little bit. This is Kinsey jumping on my mom's trampoline. I just love all the trees, and then up above them is the view of the mountains.

I truly loved our three week visit in Utah. I stayed at my mom's for two weeks, and then stayed at my brother Jon's house for another week. We love Florida so much, but when we are back in Utah, we sure love it. Each morning while I was in Utah, I would take a long run, about 5 or 6 miles. These runs are always a really neat thing for me. I run along a beautiful trail close to my parents house "Lagoon Lane), and then weave through the old down town of Farmington, and then loop back. The air is crisp and cool in the morning (unlike the hot mornings in Florida), the trail is always misty and cool, the foliage is beautiful, and I have a view of the mountains usually. People along the path say Hello, I pass over my favorite old bridge, farm animals, and the back side of Lagoon (an amusement park in Farmington) and it is just a happy time for me as I run this path and the tree lined streets of Old Farmington (Wow...what kind of person gets sappy about running). But sappy or not, I love this part of my vacation...and I also love it that these runs allow me to eat pretty much everything that my family keeps feeding me.