5 years in this small town...
of 7,000 people.
It's been a HARD adjustment from living in more populated areas.
WAAAAY more populated areas.
But you know what?
I've got some good things to tell about a small town life!
And I mean more than tractors driving down Main Street!
Let me tell you about a cashier at our local WalMart.
That's right. I said it.
WALMART!!
I have hated going there and what's worse is realizing we go there nearly 3x a week or more to pick up the odds and ends we need to keep this family running.
But there is a cashier there who simply rocks.
Her name is Stella.
She's not just friendly, she's gone the extra mile.
She has learned my children's names.
And let's just review those now so you can see that this was NO EASY FEAT for her!
Jensi
Anneli (AH na lee)
Oliver
Zareb/Zeb
Darrah Kate (Darrah rhymes with Sarah)
So when we left the store yesterday, Oliver asked me, "Mommy, how do we know that nice lady?"
This is when it dawned on me: this is no ordinary place.
Fo reals.
Let's just see: please raise your hand if you have a cashier at Walmart memorize your 5 children's challenging names and then chime them out one by one as you leave her line, "Good-bye Darrah Kate! Good-bye Zeb! Good-bye Oliver! Good-bye Anneli! Good-bye Jensi!"
Mm-hmm. I didn't think so.
It's pretty special up here.
Let me give you another example of amazing life in a small town.
My children left a sticky note on our mailbox for our mailman.
A day later they had a HUGE package on our front porch addressed to them.
Inside were coloring books, stamp collecting catalogues, stamps, stickers, US Postal Service pencils and a THREE AND A HALF page HANDWRITTEN letter!!
Above and beyond the call of duty, I'd say!!
As today is the 4th of July, I also want to highlight something our little tiny town did.
After traveling around the world and seeing face to face poverty--the REAL poverty, it has been a major issue of mine that cities will drop a million dollars or more on a fireworks display. It makes me so angry to think what GOOD that money could have done for the city's homeless! Or feed the hungry... Okay, you get my drift.
But this little small town in the past years has CANCELLED their fireworks display because of lack of funding. And this year? It's back on. How? They fundraised for it!
I love that!
So while I miss date nights at Easton, dining at Brio and having our parents just a few minutes away, and it still freaks me out that I walk into the bank and they greet me by name, this small town life is really pretty special.
Pretty special indeed.
of 7,000 people.
It's been a HARD adjustment from living in more populated areas.
WAAAAY more populated areas.
But you know what?
I've got some good things to tell about a small town life!
And I mean more than tractors driving down Main Street!
Let me tell you about a cashier at our local WalMart.
That's right. I said it.
WALMART!!
I have hated going there and what's worse is realizing we go there nearly 3x a week or more to pick up the odds and ends we need to keep this family running.
But there is a cashier there who simply rocks.
Her name is Stella.
She's not just friendly, she's gone the extra mile.
She has learned my children's names.
And let's just review those now so you can see that this was NO EASY FEAT for her!
Jensi
Anneli (AH na lee)
Oliver
Zareb/Zeb
Darrah Kate (Darrah rhymes with Sarah)
So when we left the store yesterday, Oliver asked me, "Mommy, how do we know that nice lady?"
This is when it dawned on me: this is no ordinary place.
Fo reals.
Let's just see: please raise your hand if you have a cashier at Walmart memorize your 5 children's challenging names and then chime them out one by one as you leave her line, "Good-bye Darrah Kate! Good-bye Zeb! Good-bye Oliver! Good-bye Anneli! Good-bye Jensi!"
Mm-hmm. I didn't think so.
It's pretty special up here.
Let me give you another example of amazing life in a small town.
My children left a sticky note on our mailbox for our mailman.
A day later they had a HUGE package on our front porch addressed to them.
Inside were coloring books, stamp collecting catalogues, stamps, stickers, US Postal Service pencils and a THREE AND A HALF page HANDWRITTEN letter!!
Above and beyond the call of duty, I'd say!!
As today is the 4th of July, I also want to highlight something our little tiny town did.
After traveling around the world and seeing face to face poverty--the REAL poverty, it has been a major issue of mine that cities will drop a million dollars or more on a fireworks display. It makes me so angry to think what GOOD that money could have done for the city's homeless! Or feed the hungry... Okay, you get my drift.
But this little small town in the past years has CANCELLED their fireworks display because of lack of funding. And this year? It's back on. How? They fundraised for it!
I love that!
So while I miss date nights at Easton, dining at Brio and having our parents just a few minutes away, and it still freaks me out that I walk into the bank and they greet me by name, this small town life is really pretty special.
Pretty special indeed.
