Waxing Sentimental About Change

This Wednesday I'll be back in the US. These past few days have felt a little strange and different - it's a strange feeling knowing that you are living life but it's really a dream and you will soon be waking up and thinking "Did that just happen?" It will soon all be just be a memory even though it's right before my eyes.

As shared at the beginning of this General Conference message "Nothing is as constant as change" (I love this talk ~ Read it if you haven't, or read it again if you have. It's wonderful!)

But we are all excited for what this next chapter of our life back home in Utah will bring, such as:
~ another precious baby! Am I really going to have EIGHT children?!? Holy cow.
~ a new home to live in and make new memories in, but in a familiar neighborhood with family and many dear friends close by again, it will be great.

On the same note, I've loved the adventure that we've been having for the past 7 months. Some of my personal favorite moments and memories from our 3 months in Costa Rica:

-Watching Corey bury 7 kids at Playa Conchal (I'm enjoying every memory and photo of the beach right now - we had a lot of beach days - that was great)

-Our jungle hike

-Papaya Smoothies (Is there a place to buy fresh or frozen papaya anywhere in Utah?)

-Having the kids with me all day everyday, providing lots of free time to explore and be creative or just bum around the house.

And even little things like the car ride to church every week, mopping that shiny and very slippery floor, making pico de gallo, those little "just daily life" things about Costa Rica are now cherished.

All the daily life moments in Chile are still too familiar to be longed for yet, but I know they will be soon: picking the kids up from school, then driving home with all of them simultaneously loudly telling me about their day, the daily trips up and down the elevator, the city lights, maybe I'll even miss all the cars that honk at me everyday when I drive? I thought it was kinda funny when we first got here, lately it's been really ticking me off and annoying me. Listen people, if I'm trying to turn a corner but I'm not going yet it is because there is a pedestrian crossing the road! You have liberty to honk, but it will not make me move any faster, we just gotta wait until the pedestrian is gone, cause you're not supposed to hit people with your car, OKAY?!?! Let's all just calm down a bit and pause just for a few extra seconds before letting loose with the hand to the horn reaction. Although I do have a goal to try and honk at someone myself before we leave. I mean everybody is doing it, so I probably should too, just to make my Santiago experience official. :)