The Great Utah Migration

Wow. It has been a really long time. I can't believe it is September....where has the time gone?! That means I didn't blog once this summer (although maybe this counts as once because fall doesn't come untill the end of the month, so that's what we'll say).  But I have a pretty big excuse as to why I was so absent from my little bloggie here.  

I stinking moved across the country.

 No lie. From a very small town in Pennsylvania to Salt Lake City, Utah.  

Why? Well, that is a really good question.  There was no thunderbolt, no angelic message, no new, glorious dream job waiting, to tell me this is where I needed to be...but there was the whisperings of the Spirit. A lot of times it would just come to me as thoughts every now and then about "just move to Utah."  And after a lot of thought, praying, fasting, and pondering, (my sister who decided to join me and)  I decided to go on faith, and take a step (or giant leap) into the dark, together.  

Completely crazy?  

There have been many, many times I have thought so, especially as I was I driving the 2,300 miles, alone in my car, packed to the gills with whatever possesions I could manage. 

Or about the time we hit big, wide open, ridiculous Kansas. (No offense, but I HATE you Kansas. And I don't normally say hate, but it fits).

Or the time when we stopped for lunch and we weren't even out of PA yet and I said to my sister 

"Is it too late to turn around?"

Or that first night we stopped, after having a 19 hour day already, and were utterly exhausted and heartbroken, and we couldn't even find a room to stay in, so we had to drive 2 more hours just to stay in a crap hole that was so disgusting/shady/scary we were sure we'd be featured on an episode of Dateline. 

Or when we arrived in Utah, finally, and realized how far from home we were, how lost and homesick we felt, and the lady we are staying with proceeded to make sure we had good alarm systems on our cars because of hers getting broken into a few times (oh yay, we feel safe!).

But I am here to tell you that even though other people might think what we did was completely crazy ( even myself a lot of the times) nothing you do is ever too big and scary for the Lord to make the trip with you. And He is the only thing that has kept me going.  He was in PA with me, He is in Utah with me, He made that scary, boring, ridiculous multi-state drive with me, He has been with me as I have cried and doubted and worried over what comes next. And you know what? He will ALWAYS be there. Always. So whether I am in Pennsylvania,Utah, or Africa, He knows exactly where I am and loves me for exactly who I am, flaws and all. And I am so grateful that He does, and that even when I feel alone, I am not, because He.is.there, and that is all that really matters.

Random rest area in Ohio.                                               Absolutely gorgeous sunset in Indianapolis, IN.

 

                 

 Apparently there is a Pocahantas, MO.  

   

SOOO many rest area trips taken. Somehere in MO.

                                

Best. Hotel. Ever. We wanted to stay. Forever. Overland Park, Kansas.                   

Talk about your open road! No signs of trees, humans, or hills anywhere in Kansas. Ick.

We were SO happy to be out of Kansas and in Beautiful Colorado. And this gorgeous sunset greeted us.

Denver! Hello birthplace!

Even though Wyoming was abandoned by humans too, it had its gorgeous moments.

FINALLY in Utah.

One of the first days in Utah we made a point to seriously break a record and see three Temples in one day. Salt Lake (not pictured), Oquirrh Mountain

And Jordan River. 

It is AMAZING to me to be so close to like 10 Temples. What an incredible blessing.  After our closest one being the DC Temple (which will ALWAYS be my favorite), and having to take an entire day to make it there and back and get in a session, it is incredible to be able to see three temples in one day. They are my favorite places on earth. You cant manufacture the peace and sweet spirit that you feel just walking on the grounds.

This is the view from my window. Mountains everywhere! Loved watching the storm roll in on them.

We got to go takea tour of the Conference Center and see this beautiful Temple again.  The temple where my parents were sealed and my family became a forever family.

Then we went to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir practice. So fun and beautiful!

And of course, we went to see One Direction's new movie, This Is Us, and were complete teenie boppers. We were ridiculously excited:)

And so sums up the last few weeks of my life. Although I have left a lot of other good things out.  We'll just see what happens:)