Amy Jason and Rylee Crist’s Family Blog

Dear Arizona,

I’m sorry it didn’t work out.

We’ve decided to head back to Kentucky.  There have been a lot of reasons for the change.  Moving close to family is a big one.  As Rylee grows up it is becoming apparent to us that having regular interactions with our family is important.  There are cousins and aunts and uncles and of course grandparents that just need some more Rylee time.

And I don’t feel like we found what we were looking for out here in the Suburban Desert.  There are a lot of wonderful things to be sure.  The weather is really fantastic most of the time; it’s great to flaunt our t-shirts while our relatives are bundled up.  And the outdoors is pretty.  But really it’s not our kind of outdoors and we don’t feel led to go out into it.  We want trees that change color.  We want grass and a garden that isn’t a struggle to keep alive.  And most of all we want some space!  We want to get away from suburbia and traffic by our house and neighbors that we don’t know.

As of today the house is officially for sale.  It’s selling for cheap.  It’s a great deal if anybody wants it!  We’ve put a lot of work into it but not nearly enough to recoup our losses.  We’re planning to cut and run; Short Sale FTW!  I’m fortunate enough that I can take my job anywhere.  Tickets.com is a great place to work and they don’t care what time zone I’m in so long as I get my work done.

I don’t know if the move to Kentucky will be permanent.  There’s actually a good chance that we’ll move on to some other part of the world some day.  But right now our hearts are telling us that Kentucky is where our family should be so that is where we will go.

I’m glad we made this adventure out west when we did.  It has helped show us that we shouldn’t be afraid to move and try new places and things.  Who knows, maybe we’ll come back some day.  But for now we’re moving on and getting us a farm and maybe some goats!

I make no secret of my love for GoodWill.  Especially those GoodWill stores found around here in the Valley of the Sun.  You’ve got to keep your eyes open but you can find some GREAT stuff there for cheap.  I’m trying to be more selective of things that I actually bring home.  I’m constantly fighting clutter.  But there’s just so much great stuff to find, I can’t just stay away.

Yesterday Amy found the BEST thing ever to be found at a GoodWill.  It’s a box of wooden blocks.  Plain wooden blocks.  But it’s the biggest most awesomest collection of blocks that you could imagine.  That chest is COMPLETELY full of blocks of every shape and size.  The blocks have to be arranged just so in order for them all to fit; there are that many blocks.  It’s REALLY heavy.  I struggle to lift it.  Rylee will be playing with these for YEARS to come.  This is heirloom material right here.  It’s already old but my grandchildren will probably be playing with these things!

If you read this blog, and live in the valley but have never been to one of our GoodWill stores then go.  Today.  (It’s 50% off of EVERYTHING today.)  Sure there is a lot of crap, but there are diamonds like you wouldn’t believe.

Is she not the cutest little fairy you have ever seen?!  There are more pictures if you just can’t get your fill.

We didn’t go far or to many houses but it didn’t take Rylee long to get the hang of it.  Walk up to a door, look cute, and someone will give me something.  Put whatever was in my hands from the last house into the bucket that mommy is carrying and walk to the next house.

As is my yearly ritual when we got home to hand out candy I donned a scary mask to scare the kids with.  The kids at the door weren’t the only scared ones though.  Rylee would cry whenever she saw it.  I even tried sneaking around the house but she braced herself and hugged her mommy when she just heard my growl from outside.  So I gave the kids a bit of a break this year.  I’ll just be more ready next year.