A Shout Out to Family 1 and Family 2

A little over a year ago I moved back to Utah in order to be closer to my family. I don't regret it. It has been so much fun to be around 5 of my siblings, it has been so nice to be able to travel to Boston or Idaho with everyone, to meet three precious kids adopted into our hearts forever, and to have 7 (to be 8) precious souls that I can spend time with when my family gets together. I have developed deeper bonds with each of them, hanging out with my brother 8 years younger than me, or long talks with Sherrie on the phone or at her house late at night, or doing things with Christi and her friends, or spending time with Russell and growing closer to his wife who I have gotten to know so much better now. I have been able to visit both sets of grandparents a number of times this year, in these precious years I have left to spend with them. All that, no regrets. I see my parents, my sisters, my brothers, my nieces, my nephews, and my grandparents a lot and it's nice to be close to those so dear to me.

But then today I got off the phone with my Bishop of L.A. I get so homesick for California. I don't think I have been as homesick for Idaho in the years away as I have for Cali, but maybe I did when I was in Cali. But I can truly call California home as well. That is my second family. My home from home. When I visit the Sunshine State now, I have places to stay, that I can plan without even thinking. In Calfornia, I have some fathers (shout out to Dennis, Jack, and Warren, Skip), some mothers (let's hear it for Cheryal, Debbie, Diane, Sue), a grandmother (Gramms {Hart}), brothers (Shayne, Glenn), sisters (Amy, Carmen {although here now}, Wendy, Alena, Charite, Paige, Ann, and Jenn), a niece (Isabel), a brother-in-law (Ben - now in Utah). I have full-fledged families (Harts, Pulsiphers, Tribbles) where their home is as comfortable as my home. Although no regrets on moving to Utah, I wish Utah/Idaho would go to LA so I could have it all. Or I just need to be rich so can live in LA but come to Utah or Idaho frequently. You know the best of both of my worlds. Those are good people who changed my life down there and I wanted to play this piece of tribute to them, for the family they are to me...even if I don't see or talk to them as much as my own family.