Getting acquainted

The other evening, whilst I was at the hair parlor for my annual scalping (I like to crop my hair super short about once a year, usually during a heat wave) the stylist asked me how I liked living in St. Paul. And you know, I did not even have to think about it. I love it! I really love this beautiful city with it friendly people, parks and farmers markets all over, and cultural diversity, where everyone cultivates a garden and recycles and believes in random acts of kindness...I got that last part from a lady at the store the other day.

I had taken the babies out to Walmart to get an air conditioner because we were practically baking in our third floor apartment and no one could even take a nap, and I was finally like, "End of summer be darned, we are getting a window unit." We as in, Riley, Joe, and I, because Dave started school this week.

I definitely looked like one of those people on infomercials whose life is sooo hard, dragging a double stroller with one hand and pushing a cart with a heavy air conditioner in front of me through the aisles, sweating like a pig, when we were rescued by Patty, an older lady who helped us across the parking lot. She apologized for the weather, assured me it would break tomorrow (it did) and hoped she would run into us again soon. It is unlikely, as there are over 3,000,000 people in the twin cities. But for a well-populated area, St. Paul does a good job on maintaining a small-town feel.

We really miss UT, or TX and VA, for that matter - it is really hard to be far away from some of your favorite people and the places that you have called home. They are irreplaceable, but there are new friends to be made. We happened upon the other baby in our building yesterday, on his way to the park with his mother and she invited us to join them. Gabriel and Riley walked hand in hand the entire way to the park - I was so impressed with their friend-making skills!

So we are getting there. Whoa, you are still reading this? Ok, have some pictures then:

Stuff I Like About St. Paul:

One of a thousand community mini-libraries situated about the city.

Streets wide enough to have a forest/running trail through the median.

Lots of Peanut characters around here. Riley gets more excited than Joe, but then she has seen the movies more than he.

Our drive back to the city after church (our ward is in Little Canada, which has more pubs than any other "Little" country I have seen).

Raucous homecomings when Dave returns from school.

Farmers Market! Never had so many local, fresh veggies in my fridge before. What the heck do you do with impulse-bought eggplant?

 Dave gets off early today so we are going to go shopping, and maybe the fair. I am torn - $40+ for a people-watching, fried food, 4-H experience? Everyone says we gotta go, but...I'm thinking how much pizza we can buy for $40. Priorities, ya know?

Heidi, out.