Stephenson Family Ties

There is neither happiness nor unhappiness
in this world; there is only the comparison
of one state with another. Only a man who has
felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling
ultimate bliss. Its is necessary to have
wished for death in order to know how good it
is to live...the sum of all human wisdom will
be contained in these two words: Wait & Hope.
from: Count of Monte Cristo
by: Dumas

(Joe and Natalie's new home!)

I remember our first real home. Our first mortgage. I remember the excitement of having a place of our own, to do with what we liked. To have a place to nest in and to decorate, to beautify, to garden in the back yard. To own a lawn mower- for we had our very own grass to cut.
We werent into our first home as early on as these 4 have the good fortune of doing. We couldnt seem to decide where to settle down for those first 8 years or so. The Builder and I lived in a lot of different places, under a lot of different circumstances before settling down, the first time, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
We began our journey together in a rental home near Liberty Park in Salt Lake. But after what seems a very short time we changed locations and went to Murray. We moved into a 'charming' attic apartment/studio. We shared this space with a cat named Razor. (Why we had a cat is still a mystery to me.) Its in this little apartment that I spent the first of 5 episodes of "all day sickness" being pregnant with our first-born. The Builder and I threw newspapers from the window of our brown Toyota ??? EARLY in the morning, in the dark, for extra cash, and the space shuttle crashed as I was stretched out on the gray/green shag carpet watching tv.
We moved out of the attic and down the stairs to the main floor right before Robby was born. And then we moved again.
This time we ended up in a rather sterile apartment complex in Sacramento Ca. We werent there long enough to even have formed many memories of the place. I do remember the apartment being sunny and bright and fairly new, so it was fresh and clean. We were only here for a few months before we decided to move to the east coast to give life in Maryland a try. (I grew up there and My Builder served his mission there as well.)


Our apartment was a small one, and it was there I had my first introduction to a cockroach. We had really fun neighbors and it snowed a LOT in the winter. My Builder loved his work at the Washington DC Temple. Putting his landscape architecture skills to use on the beautiful grounds was very satisfying for him. It was there in Laurel, Maryland that our dear Joe was born.
Not too long after that joyful event, we decided to move again...back to the west to give life in southern Oregon a try.




My oh my what a delightful adventure those 2 years proved to be for us!! We lived in an avocado green, dumpy, single wide mobile home, on 10 glorious acres of farmland. It was a home we heated solely with firewood that the Builder chopped. It was a home with 2 SMALL bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen and a family room. But please dont think we suffered. There was no suffering involved. We loved our life. We had cows, wide open spaces, goats, blackberries, and an acre pond to enjoy. Plus all the hydroponic lettuce we could eat, plus the very best of life long friends. We were as happy as 4 little peas in a pod--literally!! And then to make our bliss all the more complete...we had a beautiful baby girl there too!! So it was then that maybe our blissful life became a little less blissful. Suddenly we were definitely cramped and it became obvious that the lettuce growing business wasnt going to cut it. It was time for yet another change.
We packed up what little we owned and moved our little family to Salt Lake again. Right off we found a cute little basement apartment with a fireplace and iris's growing out in the backyard. But it became really, really apparent that it was time for a place of our own. Which we found, loved, lived in, fixed up and enjoyed for 11 years.


It was in this sweet home that both Clark and Brian were born and raised for a time, along with all the rest of us.
Then we heard St George calling our names, which we heeded and moved to, without a regret. Here we found a home that was far from perfect, but with which we made as close to perfect as we could with our blood, sweat and tears and a chunk of cash. We became attached and grateful and comfortable.



We had 11 great years in this home. And now we find once again that its time for us to move (sigh)... I do take heart in remembering that change has always been good to us. Who knows what the future holds. I for one cant wait to see!!!
And thus the circle of life begins again. Congratulations again to Joe and Natalie. May you find all the joy and happiness (and few headaches) that a home of one's own can and will bring. And may you realize that every single day is a gift and a blessing no matter where you reside. For in looking back, that has truly been the case for me and mine!!!