Orange County Long Winded Low Down

P.P.P.S. {with an arrow from the bottom}

Actually you can just skip this whole post and know that I love warm weather.

But if you want to know...

This spring has been a good one.

Mostly because of the weather, it's been great. No - awesome.

But also because, for the first time in four years, we're not packing up and planning a move for school. ;)

Since it's almost been a year, I thought I would do a run down of loves and dislikes here.

Basically, what I thought I would love, I love.

What I thought I wouldn't love, I don't.

-And I have to laugh about moving. When we told people in Oregon we were moving to Orange County most of them would get big eyes and wonder why or say they were sorry. Now that we're here people kinda wonder if we are hippies when we say we moved from Oregon. I love both places for different reasons. Honestly, Oregon fit us better in ways. Maybe we are hippies. hmm... Have you ever noticed how 2% of the population gives a place its name?

Ok. Good things first.

The weather is perfect. I think Cody wore pants to school three times this year. I did miss curling up with hot chocolate and a blanket next to a fireplace, but not enough to want to leave, or actually be cold.

The beaches and millions of pools are awesome. The neighborhood is safe and beautiful. Schools are awesome. Incredibly politically conservative. Disneyland.

Lots of shopping. There is a ton to do and see.

Because my husband loves swimming so much, and so do the kids, we go swimming all the time.

And I have a confession.

I'm like a cat with water. Unless it's, ooooh, 100 degrees or warmer.

My family knows this and they're pretty patient with me. I even get in the pool with them. But not every time...we always go to the one with the hot tub for me:)

Ok, I'm not trying to complain, just explain.

I feel slightly claustrophobic.
Millions of people claustrophobic.

One night after a particularly heartfelt conversation with Ben in our room I heard my neighbor cough and it sounded like he was sitting next to us in our bed.

Sooo, our neighbors know us really really well.

Yards are really coveted here and that kind of makes me laugh and at the same time...it would be awesome to have a yard. with a garden! 

That didn't cost one million dollars.

But probably more.

Driving is nuts.

Let me preface this by mentioning that in Oregon drivers are not just conscientious, they almost are too nice. Maybe instead of waiting three seconds at a stop sign they would wait four, because we all share the road and it's our world and we want to save it. I'm pretty sure I became a better driver. 

My $250 ticket helped too, but that's for another day.

My first day driving here as I conscientiously slowed for a yellow light I watched six other lanes of traffic FLY by me at the speed of light.

By the time I waited the five minutes at the red light and watched hundreds of cars pile up behind me, I knew why.

Going from Pullman to Utah, the freeways always freaked me out. In Pullman I rarely ever drove over 25 miles per hour.

Now when I go to Utah the freeways almost look quaint.

I have to remind myself every time we spend money here that we're also helping pay rent, and that's why everything is twice as much.

Several people asked me when we first moved here if I was getting used to the faster pace of life here.

This question always confuses me.

What, exactly, is faster?

Are people working more? Harder? Better? More productive?

Am I missing out on something I should be doing?

Maybe it's because...

There are a lot of fun things to do here.

People are trying REALLY hard to look good.

So they are busier...trying to look good and have fun.

I don't know. Obviously not everyone is like that but Orange County stereotype is real.

You know, the housewives of Orange County and the OC. They aren't just acting. They exist.

Sometimes I feel like we're living in Pleasure Island from Pinnocchio, so at our last general conference I found this talk especially meaningful-

"Where Your Treasure Is."

"There is no end to what the world has to offer, so it is critical that we learn to recognize when we have enough. If we are not careful, we will begin to chase after the temporal more than the spiritual."  

So true! It's a good reminder to me as we are figuring out how to navigate our spending to remember what actually matters.

Now, if I could choose the perfect place to live it would be Oregofornia with all the good from Oregon with the weather from California. Of course it wouldn't exist because everyone would move there and you would get California, again.

But really, boiled down, we love it here.
That being said, I'm sure we could be happy anywhere; our little family is what makes it "home," and we feel blessed to have one.

Now that I rambled on and on about that I have more rambling and no pictures. We were naked most of the time anyway;)

For our anniversary we went to a spa!

Ben is always sore, so I thought this would help and be a fun, out-of-the-ordinary date.

That day, in a bit of a heat wave, it was 104 degrees outside. But that's not normal for these parts. More on that another day.

We got to the spa and got to go into the sauna.

That is exactly what I wanted...to walk into a room that is 120 degrees.

After the first minute I settled right in and decided that we need one of those if we ever move anywhere cold.

Next we hopped into robes and got a spearmint foot bath and green drink, followed by our massage.

I feel like I have temporarily borrowed the shoulders of a 90 year old, they are so sore and tight and inflexible. It's painful to do any sort of fast motion or lifting. Massages are painful, but I could actually move a little the next day, so it was good. 

P.S.

This long winded post is a result of my husband being out of town.

It actually feels like the good old days. The ones where my husband was working and I put the kids to bed and had a couple of hours to do whatever I wanted by myself. I am realizing that I love alone time. Doesn't every mom??

P.P.S.

Don't worry, still loving having my husband around!