Gratitude #22 - My Home Town

I am thankful for the Gila Valley!

I created this layout a couple of months ago about "My Town". It was a layout idea we were given right after Close To My Heart Convention and the sample we were given was a page from San Fransisco. Many people said things like, "I'm not going to create a layout about "My City" since I don't live ina neat place, with beaches or cool things to scrapbook about." Well, it sent me on a journey...wondering why do I love "My Town" so much. I drove around taking pictures of the things I love about this place, I took 70 pictures! I realized I didn't just love "My Town", but "My Gila Valley". I love living here!
These are just some of the pictures I took that day. This is the journaling I did on this layout!

"I do love living here at the foot of the grand Mount Graham!

"I grew up in the "Gila Valley", but lived at the West end, in Pima and now we have raised our children 15 miles up the road (East & South) in Safford or more specifially, Cactus Flat. So this is basically my Home Town Valley.

"Some of the things I love about the Gila Valley are:

• THE PEOPLE, first and foremost. I have heard it said many times, that small town people know each others business too much . . . I choose to look at it as.. small town folks, (yes, folks Ü) just care so much about each other, and that lends itself to know each others business.
• The mountain: It's beautiful and grand and fun! I look out my front window and there it is. (I think it is MY mountain) In a 30 minute drive you can go from the warmth of the desert at 3130 feet elevation to the cool of the pine trees at 7520 feet elevation. There is also a mountain range on the North side of the valley, it's pretty too.
• The cotton fields: Who says Arizona isn't green . . . just look at those fields of green. I love watching the seasons change just in the cotton fields . . . in a few short months those cotton fields will be white ready to harvest. (OK, so that has already happened since I journaled this) I love seeing the tractors in the fields, plowing or harvesting.
• The Historic old buildings that just make this a "cute little town".
• The Safford LDS Stake Center - lots of great memories there.
• My favorite places for food . . . Casa Manana, Taco Taste, Safeway . . .
• I love the view when I leave my home and drive into town . . . down "Jensen Hill" on Highway 191 into the valley.