Dear Leslie,
As I know you will soon be making a decision about where to spend the rest of your life, I would like to present the following for your consideration:
1. We live in Arizona.
Now, close your eyes and imagine for a minute how nice it would be if we lived near each other. Seriously, are you imagining it? It would be heaven. I can't think of anything better.
2. Mabel needs a sister almost as much as Audrey does.
Since neither one of them will get a sister close to their age, they are their best shot.
3. It's a dry heat.
If you can survive the last 6 summers in Houston, you can definitely survive the next 60 in Arizona. It really isn't that bad, I promise! You get used to the color brown.
4. Free Babysitting
Not only can we start a babysitting swap on the weekends (for dates and temple trips), but I will watch your kids any time you have to go to the doctor, or get your hair done, or go visiting teaching, or go to the grocery store, or clean your house, or just need a break, etc.
5. Your Estate
Houses here are relatively affordable. There are large (1+ acre) lots within a minute of our house where Neal can have all of the animals and green plants that he wants.
6. Arizona has really nice malls.
Anthropologie, JCrew, you name it, we've got it.
7. Ruby's
Need I say more?
8. La Madeleine
And lots of other yummy restaurants.
9. Liesel
She gives killer weaves and cuts, while maintaining affordable prices.
10. A 6 hour drive will get you to the beach and Mom and Dad's house.
Laguna Beach, Mom and Dad, Annie, Jack, and Max. 6 hours is nothing.
11. The Temple
It is minutes away and very pretty. Did I mention the free babysitting?
12. The Church
It is very strong here without being everywhere.
13. The Community
It is nice, diverse, and regular.
14. A Lifetime of Happiness
If you don't want to do it for you, then do it for me. It would make me so happy!
Please, come visit and see what Arizona has to offer. I know I can't really convince you, I am just asking you to think about it. You can go anywhere in the country, so why not Arizona? It would be so dreamy.
Love from your sister,
Stephanie
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Sounds great, now will you write one to Elliott and Ginger? Only instead of AZ please insert Valencia, CA. Thanks! :)
ReplyDeletehey, I'm pulling for somewhere out west, too - definately increases the probability of more frequent visits for me - aren't I being selfish? Of course, by extension, I would get to see you again! :D
ReplyDeleteoh steph. just yesterday, neal said, "so i think we should start looking seriously at places to live." it's official, we're looking.
ReplyDeletei just don't know about the brown thing, the mormons all over the place thing, and the cactus/scorpion thing.
but that mabel/audrey sister thing . . . that makes me think. :) we're coming to see you! i'll book it tonight. :)
Arizona has fewer Mormons than they would like you to believe, they don't infest your life like you might think they do.
ReplyDeleteAnd the good thing about the Phoenix/Mesa area is that there is GRASS. You can drive through some neighborhoods and not even realize you're still in the desert.
Plus, although Stephanie mentioned it on your blog, she forgot to say here that you can wear cute shoes year-round.
good comment abbie! there is a surprisingly lot of grass! having just left phoenix this a.m. it does have a lot to recommend it, especially in the winter! it would be so nice to have at least two of our six kids, and assorted grandkids, in the same state! mom
ReplyDeleteseriously, les, the desert can be really beautiful. you can have as much green grass as you want here. we have lived here for a year and have only seen 2 scorpions. (must i remind you that you had snakes living in your closet and a big fuzzy spider in audrey's room?) really, mabel and audrey need each other (not to mention parker and oliver). and i need you.
ReplyDeleteyou're killin' me, steph.
ReplyDeleteforget leslie! i'm totally sold. living by you (and my family) and babysitting swaps. not mention the world's most beautiful winters and springs? (if by spring you mean february.) i'm in!
ReplyDelete(oh, and by the way leslie, all the mormons have left mesa. they're in queen creek now. and i grew up in scottsdale where everyone is jewish and says, "what's a mormon?")
Can I come too?! =)
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh Stephanie. You make me want to live there. Oh wait, I already do!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I have lived here about 25 years, and seen 2 scorpions.
sisters are the best, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I wish it would work on my family, but they all like where they are right now. isn't that the dumbest? i would also like to add that i have only lived here since last june, but i'm totally sold and would never move back to utah. and i've never seen a scorpion. i love it here.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in your recruiting!! After 5 years mine has finally paid off and I have to say it IS heaven to live by my sister.
ReplyDeleteLeslie, do it! Move to Arizona! It is so extremely worth it living by your sister! Take advantage of all those things she listed! It is so worth it.
ReplyDeleteleslie - do it. living by your sister is totally worth the brown. if the mesa thing freaks you out, try out scottsdale. it is nice and beautiful here in the az...and yes, it is a dry heat. mrs. dub, i'm still waiting for you to come.
ReplyDeleteI've lived in Arizona for 9 years. Spent my first 20 years in Utah. There is seriously nothing like Mesa. It's truly a paradise and has a lot to offer.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen 2 scorpions in my 9 years and I see GREEN everyday. The whole "brown thing" is completely wrong. Did you see my post of the mountains, lakes and GREEN trees?
Mesa does have the most non-Mormon/Mormon ratio, however, it is still in good proportion. Enough to make you feel secure and have good neighbors and friends, but nothing like Utah.
...and for one last thing... the heat here is glorious and beats any humid place.
Live by your sister, you'd never regret a move like that!
Very persuasive. Maybe I can use something like that to get my family to move to Utah. :)
ReplyDeleteThis post is especially amazing to me, considering Steph's attitude 18 months ago. I would have never guessed then that she would ever be able to write such a stirring argument for the AZ.
ReplyDeleteAnd for the record, Leslie, I actually don't think you're cool enough to live here.
ReplyDeleteum, excuse me, mike? what is that supposed to mean? do we need to take this over to your blog? i think we could all write glowing reviews of the place we live. I have really grown to love texas, and could write a list a hundred things long with all the things i love about it. but i could also write one about 5 things long of the stuff i don't like. what don't you like about AZ, steph? i need honest answers, here! i remember last summer when you told me about oliver walking outside and just covering his face and saying "hot!", so hot it hurt his eyes. and i felt sorry for him that he'll have to deal with that for the rest of his life! anyway, whatev mike. don't even get me started on how much cooler texas is, and how cool I am, for that matter. :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYikes. Either sarcasm doesn't come through well online, or you're joking too.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the weather goes, I think its the least important thing to think about in your decision. Unless we're talking about Canada. Don't ever live in Canada unless you get your kicks off being miserably cold.
Request to move to my blog granted.
of course this is all in jest, mike. we both know that we're both pretty cool, even if Texans are just a little bit (as evidenced by the fact that i just used italics in a comment, among other things) cooler than Arizonans. Neal always says that about the weather affecting our decision, too, but for some reason, he won't consider living anywhere with an actual winter. he did promise me as we evacuated from the hurricane that we wouldn't settle on the gulf coast. i'm holding him to it. ok, i'm leaving your blog alone now, steph. :)
ReplyDeleteMesa is out for us, we just like more drastic seasons, but I'm still in the process of trying to convince Brandon to move to Flagstaff. Wish me luck! I love AZ.
ReplyDelete