So, I haven't posted a decent post in a while. Let me see... I enjoyed our trip back to Arkansas to see my family and I had a really nice time. My dad seems to have mellowed out in recent years which means that he doesn't get in fights with us over silly stuff. And I know that they won't be with me too much longer on this earth, so I try to let things slide. I did get to see my brother for about two hours on Sunday in the afternoon. He seems well and has plans to buy a house in Springdale. His younger daughter (my niece) was in town, too, so it was great to see her. I think it had been since her wedding last year when I saw her last.
Last year I was very home sick and when we arrived to Arkansas, I was taking everything in. This year I had the same Daylight Donuts and I have to say they are the best donuts on this planet still! However, this time I wasn't feeling home sick. My parents had been to our house in May and the kids and I had been back this past January. I do love the weather there and we did most of the same things this year as we did last year. We did do some extra things, too like go to the pool a lot and go to Silver Dollar City. I know that I would have a hard time living in the same town as my parents--it's small and it's in a dry county! I'm not a lush or anything, but I like a good glass of wine if I go out for a nice meal.
Anyway, it was great to be home. I love it down there and I always will. Fayetteville is not the same little sleepy college town that I grew up in, but it still has that charm that I remember from years ago. I wish my parents still lived in Fayetteville. Since they live in the same town as my sister, I get to see her a bunch when I visit them so that is a good trade-off. With all the new growth to the north of Fayetteville, comes great shopping and dining, too. I hope that change doesn't affect Fayetteville negatively.
The one thing I hope for: I want my kids to remember my parents. I was 4 when my mother's mother died and I have few memories of her. I want my kids to know my mom and dad. Kendall said some cute things that warmed my heart while we were visiting my parents. She told my dad that she would live next door to them when she grew up and they could visit anytime they wanted to. She told me that she was going to live in Arkansas when she grew up as we were leaving Silver Dollar City after being there all day (I didn't correct her at the time and tell her that we were actually in Missouri). I told her that my mom used to bring me there when I was a kid. She said she was going to take her kids there when she grew up and tell them that her mom took her there. I got choked up just thinking about it.
2 comments:
Gosh, I really miss Arkansas but not so much the man lately. Progress!
Oh, Kelly, I just loved this post (of course I would!). I've only been back to Fayetteville once, must have been around 2000 (I think). I wanted McKenna and Delaney to see where I grew up. I remember thinking how much it had grown up north of the city, around the mall. But, thank goodness, around campus and downtown it looked much the same.
I love the comments that Kendall made. I think it's so important for our kids to know our parents. Growing up, I only saw my grandparents two or three times a year. So I enjoy that my parents are only an hour away; the girls get to see them every couple of weeks. So, that's nice.
Enjoyed reading this. Now I want some of those doughnuts!!
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