Friday, July 12, 2013

week one

We've been back in Arkansas a little over a week now and we still have big stupid grins on our faces because we are just so happy to be here.


It's really funny the little things that we used to take for granted but we LOVE doing now. The second day we were here, I was so beyond thrilled to be able to get IN THE CAR, by MYSELF, and drive to HOBBY LOBBY!!! I cranked up the radio and felt like queen of the world. I bought a huge oversized picture frame and didn't have to CARRY IT HOME. I put it in my trunk like a real person. It was awesome.

Jamie has finally stopped giggling every time he does the laundry IN OUR HOUSE, in our WASHER and DRYER that we own. And we can do laundry WHENEVER we want and we don't have to hook it up to our kitchen sink. Jamie was honestly hovering the first couple of days just waiting for more clothes to get dirty so he could do more laundry!


Audrie and Annie have a new found sense of freedom because they can go play outside WHENEVER THEY WANT TO. We have a fenced in back yard, so the first couple of days Audrie would announce all proudly... "I'm going outside now...." and pause for a reaction from me. I had to explain a couple of times to them, that it was no big deal and they honestly could go play back there whenever they felt like it. They just couldn't believe it.

Though we did have to make some rules with them about not being naked in the front yard...!

The first day we were back, we were all driving to go pick up our second car so Jamie got out to go drive the other car back and I slid over to the driver's seat. Audrie's jaw dropped and she said "Mommy, you know how to drive?!". I laughed so hard. I guess I didn't realize that she had never seen me drive.

Another thing that I didn't realize would be odd for me to adjust to again is how large things are in the grocery store. HUGE boxes of cereal, giant tubs of butter, everything is so oversized to me that my first reaction is "I don't need THAT much!" and I look around for the smaller size and realize that everything seems huge. I'm just used to the tiny grocery stores in Manhattan and how everything they sell is designed to go in the tiniest kitchen imaginable.

Last night we were watching some old episodes of How I Met Your Mother (which is set in NYC) and in between scenes they did a panorama shot of people picnicing in Central Park. It was the first time that I had a wave of nostalgia come over me as I thought about all our great picnics there. I'm sure there will be plenty more of those moments to come, but for now we are loving us some Arkansas!

Here are a few pics of what we've been up to this week:

Annie was not too sure about fireworks. :)

Went to lunch at a yummy restaurant on Dickson Street.

Annie eating lemons! Crazy girl. :)

Annie on the pony ride at Bentonville's First Friday on the square.

Audrie being a daredevil!

Love her sense of adventure. She will try anything!

Kim, Jacob, and Emma came to town for a few days to visit!

Miss these two great kiddos!


Audrie and Emma set up a Lemonade stand in front of our house. Super cute!

Annie had her first day of gymnastics and she couldn't have been any more excited to start!

She had a blast. I was so proud of her!

Audrie loving the children's shopping carts at the Ozark Natural Food Store. Annie... well it takes more than that to impress that girl.

First week back and we already made the front page of the newspaper. :)

I have been LOVING my morning runs around Lake Fayetteville. Smells so GOOD out there!

My mom and I took the girls to see an opera production of Cinderella. Had to dress the part, of course!

It was performed by the Opera of the Ozarks and it was GREAT! We all loved it.

Playing on the pond at Wilson Park.

We went to the concert at Gulley Park this week and had a blast (despite what Audrie's face says!).
Annie got to show off her hula hoop skills.

And Jonny, too!

Our friends, Jonny and Troy (and their son Huck) moved from NYC to Fayetteville last week and it's been fun visiting with them in this new setting!

The girls and I have been doing a lot of swimming!

They are getting more brave all the time with the water.

Swimming all afternoon and then drinks from Sonic. Does it get any better?!

Birthday dinner for my brother. It's been great to be able to visit with family again!


Ok, well that's week one in a summary. Thanks for tuning in!