Job Hunting

During April Brooks was traveling and interviewing for potential jobs. One of the jobs he went to was in Russellville, Arkansas. He loved the job/boss, etc but couldn't quite wrap his mind around the area/city......but honestly, I think it was the thought of the word "Arkansas" on our return address.

I decided that I would take a few kids down and inspect the area myself.

I took the kids I thought would have the most excited attitudes about it. I think I picked the right ones.... :)  #windowsdown

And Wynn came too. I was NOT going to bring Iley (who screams in the car) and it's easier at church with just one baby, so we split up the pair.

We got our "Kicks, on Route 66" all the way to Russellville.

My reason for going was just to explore the area and get a feel for it. However a few days before I went down there actually was a house that went on the market that I wanted to see. So we quickly walked through that house (I LOVED it) and drove down the road 3 miles to a huge lake with a visitor center/aquarium.

The lake was beautiful and I probably could've sat there eating our Sonic food for hours. But the girls wanted to get back to the hotel so they could swim and "play with the phones".

(Note: the first thing I ALWAYS do when I walk in a hotel room is unplug the phones and BOOM, they become instead toys to play "house" or "friends" or "Teacher" with)

Wynn just played with the mirror.

I couldn't help but wonder if she thought I was Iley playing with her.....

We went to church in town and started our 6 hour drive home. But it actually took longer because we were going to stop and enjoy the scenery this time. Russellville is just outside of Ozark National Park and the views were breathtaking. 

I don't know WHAT I was thinking before, but I did NOT think Arkansas looked like THIS!!!!!

We stopped at every lookout, which helped with the carsickness with all the switch backs.

We stopped at the very top for lunch.... some of us in better moods than others.....

As I sat there, I couldn't help but breath in and out.....slowly......over and over. I felt like they were the first deep breaths I had taken in WELL over a year. I just felt so peaceful and calm. 

I got home and Brooks was SHOCKED I loved it so much. Which didn't help HIS perdicament since he TOO felt we needed to move there, but was fighting/denying it. Finally after enough promptings and more obvious feelings, Brooks (we) decided Arkansas it was!

Before we told the kids I of COURSE had to order them all Arkansas gear to announce it to them.

I was relieved a decision had been made and was REALLY looking forward to the slower-paced life in a smaller (30,000 people) town.

Arkansas ready or not, the Smiths are comin'!