They Paved Paradise...

I took a drive down memory lane yesterday; it's the annual road-dig in Orem. I had to detour to 1000 East in Orem to get around the new light they're installing as they widen 800 North... and suddenly I was 16 again. I was driving down His Street (you know The Boy, the one, true, first "insanely-in-love" past all sense and good reason Boy? Remember him?). The trees were bigger. The road was newly paved, and I felt 16 again. The big differences? I was driving my luxury Avalon (not a beater VW Bug) and my best friend didn't live at the end of the street. The irony? My husband's best friend DOES. ;o)

My "20 Years Ago" journey also took me past Orem High. They've ripped out the front lawn and are putting in all the plumbing, sewer, etc. for the new Orem High that they're building in the parking lot. I'll have to take a final tour during the school year. The wood shop is gone. The theatre's gone. The A gym is gone. It's very, very surreal to watch the past disappear, especially once I'd taught there and knew what the teacher's bathroom looked like (same as the rest) and that the faculty lounge had free popcorn and 25 cent soda. God bless John Childs!

So, the change, the growth, the annual road-dig reminded me that my children don't know what MY Orem looked like. Their Orem is a sprawling city with lots of pink brick and tan stucco. It bears no resemblance to our brown/red/cream brick with brown trim and siding... So yesterday, we took a tour. A road-trip about town. I showed them where our first house was in Orem (it's for sale, by the way!) I showed them where my best friend Kim lived. We drove by Sherm & Susan's, and Jim & Linda had baby swings and grandchildren toys in the front yard. My, how time has changed!

My house, the house I "grew up" in, has a gorgeous, fully grown maple in the yard. The old apple tree is gone. It's owner drives a darling yellow Mini-Cooper, but otherwise: time has stood still. The real change is inside of me and was with me in my 8-miles-to-the-gallon Suburban. My babies and I are now Timberwolves. We go to the "new" school, and we sing the THS fight song (2 of them know every word!) My love, past all reason and good sense, has produced the only people on earth I would live and die for, and there they were, reliving my childhood as I build theirs.

It was a lovely day, and the children even had the good sense not to fight. Some days really ARE paradise.

We're Our Way...

We're on our way to Grandma's House on Saturday! Another year has flown by, and we're SO excited to be on our way to Canada again. Xandri and Jack are counting down the days. Xandri is looking forward to making buns with Vivian, and she wants JJ to paint her fingernails PINK!

Jack is dying to show off his motorcycle prowess. Asa just knows we're going in the car. Max will be MAD we're going in the car. His newest, favorite thing is to cry like he's being tortured when put in his car seat. A bass on a fly-fishing pole thrashes less than Max whilst in his car seat. Seriously.

It's exciting and freaky. I hate going across the border. I have documentation and more documentation, so it should all go smoothly. If not, I'll be posting again from Canada. Ha!

Bon voyage, etc. Catch ya on the 'eh side!