We loaded up Hudson and Owen and traveled to Bentonville on Saturday through Monday. We left Arden with grandparents since we didn't think we could get as much accomplished with her bottles, naps, and diaper changes!
I had never been to Bentonville/Rogers before, so it was very exciting to know that we were driving to my new home! I honestly have no fears or nervousness about the move; God has so thoroughly prepared our hearts for a move that we knew it was inevitable. He has changed many of our circumstances here in Cabot in order to make it easier to leave. We view this an adventure and look forward to all the benefits it will offer our family.
My first impression of Bentonville was . . . . wow! They have amenities and shopping . . . lots and lots of it! Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Gymboree, Children's Place, Harold's, Dillards, Gap, Old Navy, Target, J. Jill, Starbucks, Borders, Barnes and Noble, and the list goes on and on. All of this within ten to fifteen minutes from my new neighborhood!
We drove by the new elementary campus that is most likely the school the boys will attend. It has an amazing facility, and the boys seemed excited to play on their playground. They offer weekly Spanish classes as well as some neat electives like lacrosse, golf, drama, and pottery (in grades K-4!!).
I had never been to Bentonville/Rogers before, so it was very exciting to know that we were driving to my new home! I honestly have no fears or nervousness about the move; God has so thoroughly prepared our hearts for a move that we knew it was inevitable. He has changed many of our circumstances here in Cabot in order to make it easier to leave. We view this an adventure and look forward to all the benefits it will offer our family.
My first impression of Bentonville was . . . . wow! They have amenities and shopping . . . lots and lots of it! Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Gymboree, Children's Place, Harold's, Dillards, Gap, Old Navy, Target, J. Jill, Starbucks, Borders, Barnes and Noble, and the list goes on and on. All of this within ten to fifteen minutes from my new neighborhood!
We drove by the new elementary campus that is most likely the school the boys will attend. It has an amazing facility, and the boys seemed excited to play on their playground. They offer weekly Spanish classes as well as some neat electives like lacrosse, golf, drama, and pottery (in grades K-4!!).
I checked out the Bentonville Public Library website, and they have (get this!) . . . a library cafe where you can order sandwich "wraps," coffee, etc, and real, working fireplaces in the library sitting areas! That sounds pretty amazing! They offer a lot of neat programs for kids and have a fantastic, two year old facility. This weekend, for example, they are having an extravaganza in conjunction with the Children's Museum of Northwest Arkansas and putting on a dinosaur-themed party (don't tell Hudson, or he'll be so upset he missed it!).
Also, I am excited that they have a lot of great family amenities like neighborhood pools/parks, an ice skating rink, The Little Gym, Gymboree Play and Music, Pump It Up, paint your own pottery studio, and lots of other fun things to do with preschoolers. I enjoyed all of those things in West Little Rock when Owen was a toddler, and I am looking forward to participating again with Arden. The area is in the beautiful Ozark mountains with lots of hills; it is urban yet not too crowded. There are still cows and fields interspersed between businesses.
We met a great realtor who spent most of Saturday and Sunday afternoon with us. We got a feel for the neighborhoods that are the best fit for us, and we looked inside almost 20 houses. We have a short list of ones that we really like. We attended Grace Point Church on Sunday morning, and it was really great. We enjoyed the contemporary music, and the kids like the children's programs.
I could picture myself moving right into one of the empty houses we toured, and it already felt familiar. The boys enjoyed the hotel, and we had fun swimming in the indoor pool and sitting in the jacuzzi each night. They served a delicious hot breakfast every morning (much better than what they get at our house!), and that was a treat. We splurged and had a great steak dinner at Texas Land and Cattle restaurant which brought back a lot of memories since the last time I ate there was after my dad's memorial service in San Antonio, TX.
It was a great trip, and we came back tired but excited. Stuart got to go into his new office and meet the staff, and the local newspaper for Northwest Arkansas ran a press release on Saturday to announce Stuart being hired for the chief deputy prosecutor position (our realtor even gave us the clipping!). You can read the article at http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/11/07/news/110808bznumbers.txt
Now, we just have to sell the Cabot house in order to make the move permanent. Please continue to pray for a quick sale!
Also, I am excited that they have a lot of great family amenities like neighborhood pools/parks, an ice skating rink, The Little Gym, Gymboree Play and Music, Pump It Up, paint your own pottery studio, and lots of other fun things to do with preschoolers. I enjoyed all of those things in West Little Rock when Owen was a toddler, and I am looking forward to participating again with Arden. The area is in the beautiful Ozark mountains with lots of hills; it is urban yet not too crowded. There are still cows and fields interspersed between businesses.
We met a great realtor who spent most of Saturday and Sunday afternoon with us. We got a feel for the neighborhoods that are the best fit for us, and we looked inside almost 20 houses. We have a short list of ones that we really like. We attended Grace Point Church on Sunday morning, and it was really great. We enjoyed the contemporary music, and the kids like the children's programs.
I could picture myself moving right into one of the empty houses we toured, and it already felt familiar. The boys enjoyed the hotel, and we had fun swimming in the indoor pool and sitting in the jacuzzi each night. They served a delicious hot breakfast every morning (much better than what they get at our house!), and that was a treat. We splurged and had a great steak dinner at Texas Land and Cattle restaurant which brought back a lot of memories since the last time I ate there was after my dad's memorial service in San Antonio, TX.
It was a great trip, and we came back tired but excited. Stuart got to go into his new office and meet the staff, and the local newspaper for Northwest Arkansas ran a press release on Saturday to announce Stuart being hired for the chief deputy prosecutor position (our realtor even gave us the clipping!). You can read the article at http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/11/07/news/110808bznumbers.txt
Now, we just have to sell the Cabot house in order to make the move permanent. Please continue to pray for a quick sale!
1 comment:
Michelle,
I haven't had the opportnity to congratulate you in person, so I suppose this will have to do! We are so excited for you and Stuart -in very selfish kind of way. :) We have enjoyed getting to know you guys over the couple of years we've been here. I know Brandon loved having an automatic baseball buddy (even if they didn't get to go as often as they'd liked). We will be so sad to see your family leave, but we know this is what God wants for your family. He has clearly paved the way for your move. Praise Him!
On another note, my cousin lives in the Bentonville area. I had the chance to visit with her last week and she just loves it. Absolutely loves it! After reading all that it offers, I can see why!
We are up in that area every time we go back to Oklahoma. We'll definitely have to make time to meet you guys for dinner. If you need help with anything during this transition time, please don't hesitate to ask.
Love you guys,
Cari Beaver
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