Back in the USA

Ok, I know. I am the worst blogger EVER. I will be truly amazed if anyone even acknowledges this new post as I am sure you have all given up checking on my sad little page.

Most of you know by now that we have moved back to the States. After spending Christmas in Paris with my family, Levi and I did some soul-searching and some intense praying. Removed from our situation in England, with me overworked and Levi undermotivated to study, we took a hard look at the past 6 months and realized that our family was paying too great of a price, especially once Levi came to the conclusion that he could not see himself working as a doctor. He would come home from school and instead of being excited or passionate about what he had learned that day, he would say: "I saw the most disgusting thing today" or "I cannot picture myself touching people on a regular basis". Finally, we knew that we would eventually move back to the States, so if Levi decided that he was not going to finish Med School, then there was no point for us to remain in England (except for the amazing Warwick branch).

Miraculously, Levi found a job in Utah and was invited to interview. It was at that point that we rushed to get some tickets to SLC and started packing. The day before we left, I got terribly sick with the flu and I almost passed out when we were checking in at the Gatwick airport. The flight was a blurr and it took me a week to recover. Thankfully, Levi's brother put us up until we found a place of our own so I was able to rest. I had never been so sick to the extent that I lost my appetite and lost 4 pounds that first week (don't worry I gained it all back :(  ).

Levi got that job and we moved to Lehi. I am still getting used to the area: I get lost almost every time I go to the grocery store! Not a week had gone by when I got hit while driving on the freeway. Our car was totaled, sandwiched between two cars, as the car behind me projected us into the car in front of us. Miraculously, the girls and I walked out of it safe and sound, except for a whiplash that receded in the days that followed.

So for the past couple of weeks, we've been hunting for another car while driving in a brand new rental car paid for by the party-at-fault's insurance. It was incredibly hard not to justify buying a new car and making payments and even harder to go from this new 2010 Nissan to the 98 Honda that we finally found on KSL.

When I tell our story to people, such as our new neighbors, I always end up saying: "Our family does not know how to simplify". I feel like we've had adventures and trials to last a lifetime, but our struggles pale in comparison to some, such as the family in our new ward whose new baby boy had to undergo a heart transplant at 3 months and whose life hangs by a thread every time he is exposed to germs, who had to go to the hospital because he had a cold. The baby has to take steroids that basically disables his immune system so that his body does not reject the new heart he has been given.

After all is said and done, I feel extremely blessed and I realize how much I have learned from our experience in England, and how much I have yet to learn. We are very happy to be back in Utah, although we miss our little branch. It was the hardest thing to leave the great friends we have made and realize that our church participation will not quite be the same. In our neighborhood alone, I counted more that 5 chapels within a mile radius and I remember how we had to take 2 buses to get to church in Warwick. Our prayers are with the members of this branch who sacrifice a lot to make it to church on Sunday.

I apologize for our prolonged silence and for not announcing our return, but we felt it would be best to come back by the back door as we were not very proud of ourselves to give up on our plan A without even having a plan B.