As of two months ago, our family relocated to Star Valley, Wyoming. Talk about change! It has been hard and awesome, all at the same time. We aren't quite sure how long we're going to be here, but I figure we ought to document it, especially since it's a little different from anything we've ever known. And thus this blog was born. We live in a tiny town called Freedom, population 100, and increased the population by 5% just by moving in. :) The biggest thing in town is the chapel, which is across the street from the townhouse we're renting. Thank goodness, because we spend a lot of time in the parking lot riding bikes, playing basketball, and kicking the soccer ball. There's also a tiny little post office, which is handy. Other than that, there's simply a scattering of homes and farms, lots of cows, snowmobiles and four-wheelers, and a great deal of very good, kind, hard-working people.
The AWESOME:
The People -- As we've gotten involved with the ward here we've been amazed by the kindness shown to us. In many ways, it's wonderful to move into a ward eager for new members! People are incredibly welcoming. Our first evening here we drove 20 miles to the "big town" of Afton to go out to eat. I mentioned to the waitress that we'd just moved from Utah. Soon she and another waitress were giving us advice and telling us about Freedom. That's pretty common. Star Valley-ites are just plain nice.
We also have a great next-door neighbor, Suzy. We've sort of adopted each other, and the kids have enjoyed having an almost-grandma next door.
The BEAUTY! Even though we've mostly been in the throes of winter since we got here, Star Valley is very much a beautiful place. We can't wait for summer to arrive! And I can't wait to break out the short-sleeve shirts and shorts and be able to leave the house without my coat, hat, and gloves (which is still what we're wearing daily even though it's almost May).
The Schools -- we haven't had a lot of interaction with Carson's teachers, but I have to admit that the class sizes, the number of aides, and the specials offered are impressive. I am still sad that we had to give up French Immersion, but I'm glad we moved to a state with great schools.
The HARD:
Distance -- Dave drives to Jackson (actually past it to get to the job site) every day, which takes over an hour each way. When we lived in North Salt Lake, he was driving up past Park City each day, but this commute is definitely worse. He leaves around 6:00 in the morning and generally gets home around 6:15 or later. The lack of time with him is taking its toll (probably on me more than anyone), but we are grateful that he only nicked that deer instead of hitting it head on and that the roads have been manageable. At least it's a gorgeous drive, right?
Carson's "commute" to school is quite different here too. We used to just walk to and from school if the weather was good, but now Carson gets to ride the bus. He gets picked up about 7:09 every morning and dropped off around 3:15. Considering school is from 8:00-2:40, he's spending a lot of time on the bus! He enjoys it, though.
Isolation -- My biggest struggle so far has been that there isn't really anywhere to go during the day. In North Salt Lake we had tons of stores, museums, parks, and other fun places to go. Plus we had co-op preschool for Emma and just the greatest friends in the world. Coming here has been a shock to the system. We often won't leave the house four out of the five weekdays, because, where would we go? We're regulars at Valley Market, our nearest grocery store in Thayne. And we've loved the itty-bitty library that has great toys and books despite it's lack of size. And we're beginning to make some good friends in Freedom. But there's still a LOT of time with Emma, Joely, and I hanging out together at home. For lots of moms, this might be a dream come true. I recognize that I should really be making the most of this and making my time with the girls count. But honestly, I go stir-crazy! So, as I adapt and adjust I'm hoping things will get easier. And maybe with lots of prayers and work I'll learn to cherish all this time I have at home. What can I say. . .I'm a work in progress!
And there you go, our new life in Star Valley. I'll post pictures and some of the activities we've done soon.
