The number one thing I miss most since moving is my neighborhood and friends in West Jordan. It took about 2 years to really feel like we belonged and that our neighbors were more than neighbors... but good friends. When I feel out of place here in Denver I remind myself it took 2 years in West Jordan... it just takes time. But some places ARE better than others. And this place is one of the best. A house went up for sale one house away from our old house 5 months after we moved and I had SEVERAL dreams about us moving back there.
One of my biggest regrets of our trip was that we only spent one day in West Jordan - I was hoping for two if not three. But as I mentioned - my kids were not that into going places. But when I told my neighbors I was coming they blocked out the whole day for us - we were there from 9 am - 9 pm! I napped the girls at Natalie's house and we just hung out with the kids running around us all day - just like "old times". The best thing about Natalie and Amy was that it was like we lived in a small village. The kids just ran around, from house to house, back yard to back yard, we took care of and fed what ever children happen to be at our house for lunch time or snack time. We sat in the shade with glasses of lemonade while the kids ran through sprinklers, rode bikes, or played dolls under the Wilde's tree. It was perfect and it would have only gotten better as they grew up. I miss them immensely - more than I ever expected. I could share with them almost anything, and if I ever needed to talk, someone was always home.
Sadly, I didn't take very many pictures. I was just enjoying myself too much I guess. Here is what I got.
This is actually our old backyard. It took me a few hours before I had the strength to go back there. I knew if would be painful - and it was. There is a tramp back there now, and a play house, and a BBQ, and patio furniture, and 6 new trees - and you know... all those things we could never afford. We went through hard times in that house... but we also had great times... and now it is sacred ground to me.
As shown by these four little hands in our concrete. I never took a picture when we left so I thought I would take one now. All the new things made it easier to be there - it was obviously not ours anymore.
here are some shots of playing in the neighborhood.
Natalie, Marci (she bought our house), me, and Amy (and Megan - who refused to get out of the picture)
Madison and Brooklyn were best friends when we moved, they are only a few months apart and were so sweet with each other. Brooklyn is about the only thing Madison does still remember about living in Utah - she remembers Brooklyn's birthday party.
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