It's only been about two weeks. But there are a few noticeable differences about our new surroundings that we are loving. I love California. Falling in love with our new state does not mean I dislike our old stomping grounds or do not appreciate where we come from. It also does not mean that the state of California as a whole does not have all of the things we are loving here. But there are a few things I will not miss there and a few things I am happy to discover here.
Number 1: We are LOVING the design of our neighborhood. Everyone here has at minimum 1/2 an acre. Many have a full acre or more. We finally have some space. The homes are all new construction or older custom homes and everyone here is living their own dream. Some have used their property to build a shop or run a home business. Some have all the toys: RVs, boats, jet skis, snow mobiles, etc. Some have horses or chickens and ducks or goats. Some are dog breeders. Some are just Grandmas and Grandpas providing a super fun yard for the grand kids to come play. We are not the oldest or youngest or only with children. There is a beautiful variety here.
We can actually afford to have a nice house with a big yard here. It is getting harder and harder these days to find homes on large lots and homes with the convenience and ease of being 'in town' that still have an 'away from it all' feel. Our 'dream home' in California (the one I wanted to build in Loomis or Newcastle) likely would have cost about twice as much as we paid to be here. This specific home and lot we have bought would have been at minimum 50% more in the areas we lived in California.
This neighbor has built a cross track in his back yard. Love it.
This is a shot right out my back window. That is our back yard and that is the closest any of our neighbors will ever be. And, lest you think we live in a desolate area, all of the homes surrounding us are brand new construction. Very few have done any landscaping yet so it does look a bit bleak. Just a few streets over there are mature trees, fenced yards and rolling grass covered hills. We'll get there in a few years.
This shot is also right off my back patio. You can see the neighbors' baby trees and green grass. The older parts of the neighborhood have some mature trees and landscaping that show great potential for the years to come.
Just down the street in town things look a bit more developed.
Number 2: People here 'get' families. The children here play outside without helicopter parents barking at them. Boys are allowed (and expected) to be boys. Kids walk and ride bikes to school en mass. Grocery stores cater to young as well as large families. We have been here less than two weeks and our doorbell has rung multiple times by children inviting our kids to come play. The first day we were here our next door neighbors invited the little boys to play in their yard while we unpacked. No one seems to feel inconvenienced by our family size or the ages of our kids. They fit right in here.
We call this the "bush house" (its not big enough to be a real tree). It is just up the hill near our house and the boys can walk by themselves to go play there. But I love that some neighborhood kids trekked their old playground up the hill to build a fort. It is not properly secured. There are nails and screws sticking out of the boards on the ground. The climbing wall occasionally blows down in the wind. But no one is demanding it be torn down. No one has posted warning signs. No one is worried about a lawsuit. The kids just play.
The other night I let the boys go play at the park 2 blocks from our house. When I came to pick them up there was an entire field full of kids playing a baseball game. All ages. Boys and girls. Just playing.
There is a dedicated trail through our neighborhood to the school. The only cross road has a cross guard with a stop sign to escort the kids across. There is no way for the kids to get lost or distracted. No cars. Just a pretty little paved trail along the backs of horse properties.
The trail leads right into the school playground. They don't even go near the parking lot. Brilliant.
Number 3: Again: only two weeks. But I am more than pleased and more than content with my kiddos schools. The staff has been a dream. They do not hesitate or drag their feet to get my kids what they need. I literally had an IEP meeting for Aiden the day after I registered him as a new student. It has been less than 2 weeks and Nathan has already had all of his assessments completed for grade placement (there was some question if we need to advance him a grade) and the meeting is already scheduled for this week to decide. I have already been contacted regarding my two other kiddos with IEPs. I have been invited to participate in Aiden's therapy sessions so that we can carry over his practice at home. These people know exactly what they are doing and they don't waste any time. My kind of people. The kids all seem to like their teachers. I am already receiving great communication from all of them. Seriously, I could not ask for more.
Last week we had some rain. Rather than sending the kids to their classrooms to watch movies (the California standard, at least in the 4 schools I had experience with) all of the kids gather in the gym and dance to Just Dance videos.
Number 4: Weather. Yep, I said it. Yes, I know it snows here. Yes I know I have only been here two weeks. Yes I know I will eat my words next winter as I am shoveling snow off my walk (or watching my kids do it...). But I love the weather where we live. We enjoy a lovely breeze in the evening that reminds me of the Delta breeze at home (we may learn to hate it in the winter). The spring weather is fabulous just about anywhere but I love the warmth of the afternoon and the crispness of the evening here. We were all thrilled to enjoy a tiny dusting of snow our first week here. My kids' enthusiasm is what excites me for the snow next year. I can't wait to sled and build snowmen and go for snow walks.
Enjoying treats on the back steps because it was just too pretty out.
I don't think Bella is going to share our enthusiasm for the snow next year...
Number 5: The view. We have mountains in California. And they are beautiful. But the mountains here are different. And, oh my. Everywhere we go the view is just amazing. And it is right out our windows.
Number 6: People here get really excited about their yard. I am sure you will find people all over the country that enjoy some good yard work. But here it is almost a mass frenzy. When spring hits, the Home Depot garden center is a mad house. You can't walk into Costco without passing all of the trees, shrubs and flowers. They are the featured items. Everyone here has tulips. And they are gorgeous. This past Saturday it seemed every single neighbor was in their yard working. The new construction homes are all sorting rocks and raking the dirt and planting trees. The established homes are all planting flowers and checking sprinkler systems. Its fun to see everyone working.
I didn't even know tulips came in so many colors!
Number 7: clean music and language. The radio in California will silence profanity. But not all of it. And we are noticing here a more diligent effort to even omit words like 'sex', 'liquor,' and 'hell.' Every sports field and sport registration page I have seen has had a clear 'no profanity' rule. All athletes and parents are expected to keep their language clean or leave. How incredibly refreshing.
You read that right.
Number 8: A more 'wholesome' feel. This is not meant to be offensive or sound judgmental. We love all kinds of people of all types and styles. But it is more than refreshing to see very few of what my kids call 'butt shorts.' Ya know, shorts so short the pockets hang out the bottom. Or worse, a full handful of a 'cheek' hanging out the bottom. It is refreshing to see the grand majority of boys and men with clean-cut hairstyles. The youth seem to walk a bit more upright here. I sit in the parking lot of Caity's high school each day just admiring the 3,500 students strolling by my car not looking like rejects. (Again, not meant to be offensive.) Literally hundreds and hundreds of youth that are clean cut and well kept. Among the adults in town, tattoos and piercings are still not uncommon. But even those seem to be done more tastefully. I have yet to find nudity or profanity in ink flashed before my kiddos eyes at the local grocery store or playground (not uncommon in our experience in California). People behind the counter or on the phone are noticeably more cheery and eager to assist. I am sure some would find the "leave it to Beaver" feel a bit annoying. But we are soaking it up.
Number 9: Sundays are still special. Many stores and restaurants are not open on Sundays here. Recreational sports teams are not expected to play on Sundays here. I haven't even seen it suggested as 'optional' play like tournaments etc. Believe it or not, not everyone here is Mormon (only abut 50% of the residents in the larger counties are LDS). But this community and region as a whole is catering to a large population of people (Mormon or not) who want the Sabbath Day to remain separate from the rest of the week. We always joke about a sign we saw while visiting a few years ago that proclaimed: "Now serving beer on Sundays!" It's nice to live in an area where Sundays are considered different.
Number 10: We still have family here. One of the hardest parts about leaving California was leaving our parents and my brother. We miss our friends too. But leaving family after spending our entire lives 'just down the street' was something we were nervous about. We are lucky to have family here with their arms open and welcoming us. This would have been a lot harder without some family to stand by.
Our first Sunday here we had dessert with my Aunt Marlene and Uncle Gerald. They brought up the Martinelli's to toast our arrival. It is good to be loved.
