The Atkinsons

Some Sunday Self-Reflection

Kc and I came to Seattle for Thanksgiving with my family. I love Utah so much, but each time I come home I am reminded why the greater North West holds such a big piece of my heart. It's so beautiful and peaceful, and people have money here but it's not an err of "keeping up with the Jone's" so to speak. (I mean to be honest you can't even see the "Jone's" house through the big clumps of trees!)

I grew up in good home, and each time I come here I am reminded just how good it was (and still is) to be a child in this house. My mother cultivates a feeling of love and always, always, ALWAYS has something delicious cooking on the stove. She has a remedy for any ailment and a takes a personal moment to interact with each grandchild that comes across her path (and there are quite a few of them.) She also composts and I am currently plotting a way to accommodate that into my own daily routine. My father is a 24/7 party. Always doing something new and exciting. Always talking about something intellectual or thought provoking. Always lighting fires, cooking meals perfectly in the dutch oven, or creating little experiments for the boys. Both my parents are good honest people who live good honest lives.

Being here makes me realize what a good job my parents have done and the things that are important to do in my own home. (They also make me yearn to live on 5 acres of land, it's wonderful and liberating) In this home you could announce at any moment "I would like to paint some rocks" (which I did) and all of the sudden you would find a table set up in the garage with paint, paintbrushes, a heater to keep you warm and plenty of rocks to be collected around the house. And with reflection I've seen more of myself in my dad on this trip than ever before. He is always doing something random like- making soap (for example.) My dad just decided one day he wanted to learn to make soap, so he did. And now we have lavender and vanilla oatmeal soaps made out of all these different shapes and different kinds of oils. And today I thought, well that is exactly something I would do. Decide one day that I wanted to learn to make soap. He has also randomly decided to learn to play the violin (with no musical talent at all,) buy a telescope on a whim and set it up for us to look at planets, make pinecones to turn fires green and blue... people I could go on for days. I too get these ideas in my head and think, hmmm today I would like to learn to make a candle, or something out of origami, or learn how to make the perfect strawberry rhubarb pie. And really, it all makes sense now! I am my father's daughter apparantly.

All in all, I just love to be home. I love the feeling that is here, and Olive loves to be here too. So much excitement going on and places to explore. Just walking into my parents front yard opens a world of possibilities with the chickens and horses and trees and rocks. So many little hidden paths off the beaten trails that extend out both ways from my parents property. I hope my parents never move away this place so I can always come back and reclaim the little pieces of my heart that still rest here and make me feel whole. 

Much love coming from here in Seattle.