The Importing Has Begun!

The more I learn about this beautiful place we now call home, the more I realize how little people who don't live here know about it.

A few weeks back we had our first guest visit. Deb's sister Amy was here for a few days. This week, our dear friends the Turers are here. Spencer was here for 12 hours and could not comprehend how NICE everyone is here. We were outside our house playing with the kids in the sprinklers and two of my neighbors came over and introduced themselves to him. He had 30 minute conversations with each of them. Then I took him through the Einstein Bagel drivethrough and he was amazed at the smiles and cheers that the employees had while taking our orders and serving us at the window. I think he and Lynne want to move here now.

We took some awesome pictures this week during their visit and you can see them here at the Borenstein Picture Gallery.

Next Wednesday my parents are coming and, as much as I want to see them, I am just as much looking forward to showing them where we live. Dad is going to LOVE the humidity here (11% today with 103 degrees) and is going to LOVE the view from the mountains. Mom is going to freak at how nice everyone is and how wonderful this place is for children. We are going to take her on a real Utah hike! They will want to retire here by the time they leave.

I know what you are thinking...I am just talking it up because I am trying to justify being here. Not true at all. There is so little to dislike here it's amazing. Yes, they tax you on clothes and food and it's 7.5 percent. Yes, it's snows a lot. Yes, there are not many Jews here. There are negatives. However, when all is said and done, it truly is the most beautiful place I've seen in the USA. Deb and I always look at eachother when we are siteseeing and say, "we live here."

Speaking of Deb....the synagogue and the Jewish community got what they were looking for. Deb is starting her new job on July 17th as a Director in Congregation Kol Ami here in Salt Lake! She had 3 interviews and got the offer last Thursday. She accepted on Monday! They may not completely know it yet, but they are about to be turned upside down here! She's going to rock their world. I am super proud of her. This is a challenging job. The administration is broken and it's all going to be on Deb's hands to fix it. She's in charge of everything from fundraising to building issues. The Rabbi and her assistant are the only employees who will not report directly to her. There's a winner in town!

Meanwhile we are searching for daycare and camp facilities now and it looks like Hannah and Elijah will spend the summer together at the same facility while Sadie will go to another. Come the fall, Elijah is in full day school and Hannah will go to pre-school WITH DEB at the synagogue! Not a bad arrangement!

Anyway, sorry I have not posted. Many of you have been budging me to and I will get back on schedule now. SO much is going on with life and our visitors. You look up and it's the 28th of the month already....

A few more tidbits before you click on that link for the cool pictures:

• Sadie is nearly crawling. She's just about there....
• Elijah lost the second and final tube from his ear from his operation last year. We saved it.
• Hannah gets naked down to her panties every day at 4pm and does not get dressed again until her PJs at night.
• We sold the damaged TV from our move for $800. Well, actually, $300 in landscaping (barter!) and $500 cash.
• Did I mention it's beautiful here? :-)

Ta ta for now!!

Thirty-Nine.......for REAL!!!

What a strange birthday for me. My REAL 39th! Does this mean that for the rest of my life I will join the billions of people in this world who announce their 39th birthday EVERY YEAR no matter how old they are? Who knows. All I know for sure is that it's the last year of my 30's and it's rather hard to believe. Most of you know that I don't give my own birthdays much attention because to me, age is in your mind more than your body. As long as I wake up with morning wood every day and have to bend completely across the toilet for that first pee in the morning, then I am not too old. Where 39 really hits home is that, once again, I have vivid memories of where my own parents were at this age. THAT freaks me out.

Dad was 39 in 1980. I was 13, just had my Bar Mitzvah. Mom was only 35 then. She didn't turn 39 until I was a junior in high school. Me? When Sadie is a junior in high school I will be 55. Old? Who knows. I'll let you know then.

Meanwhile, it was a beautiful day for my birthday. It was 97 degrees but the humidity was so low that I drove to and from work with my windows down. Now, anyone who knows me is aware that I sweat bullets at the slightest sign of heat. I could be standing naked on an ice berg in the North Pole and there would be beads on my forehead. Now, after all these years, I am finally realizing what all those 90 year old Jews in Florida are always saying, is TRUE - it's not the heat...it's the humidity! 20% humidity means sweat comes and goes in minutes. It's a DREAM.

This week starts our summer of visitors. Deb's sister Amy is in town for 4 days. A few days afterwards, Spencer and Lynne and the kids are coming for a week. A few days later my parents arrive for ten days. A few days after that Deb's parents are coming for 10 days. Then in September Aunt Rocky is coming for a week. Then in October we are going to NJ again for Lauren's Bat Mitzvah and our week in DISNEY WORLD with the Turers. Before you know it, it will be November and I will be shoveling 600 inches of snow off my driveway.

Hope you all enjoyed the pics that were posted. More videos are coming. Now, I am off to bed for my first night of sleep as a 39 year old. 39 years YOUNG, that is.

Another Shot at VIDEO

Thanks for hanging in there with me folks. I am trying Yahoo Video here. The service just launched this week and since none of you could view the video from YouTube, I figured I would give this a shot. Let me know if you can see this!! It's Hannah in NJ for her birthday...

Absence Makes the Heart....

Just got back from six days in NJ. What a fantastic trip. I am going to let the pictures do the talking am in the process of uploading some videos too. I'll just say that it was great to see everyone and the two weddings were fantastic too. Deb and the girls are still visiting and will be coming home on Saturday morning.

For now, please click on the Borenstein Family pictures at the right and look at Elijah in his tuxedo at Liz and Alex's wedding; Hannah with her magnificent Ariel cake (thanks Lynne!) at her birthday party; Sadie playing with grandpa; and the old group having a great time at the BBQ......

More pics after Deb gets back!!