Silence Is Golden...

Silence is golden.

Unless you have kids..

It was a normal Saturday morning at our house. I was cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast. It was quiet.

It was quiet.

That should have been clue number 1.

As I loaded the dishwasher, I thought to myself "man the kids are being so good".

That should have been clue number 2.

I  continued cleaning still amazed that my children were playing so well together.

Playing well together?

And then it hit me. Like all moms when the quietness, and the good behavior, and the playing well together clicked in my mind I know something was up.

I ventured to the boys room opened the door to find a homemade zip-line.

That's right folks, my kids had worked together to build their very own zip-line.

IN THEIR ROOM!

They did it using only a jump rope, the bunk bed, and a single door knob.

Pretty cool right?

If the 9 year old and the 5 year old hadn't been placing their younger brother in an Easter basket for the ride down I might be a little more proud.

Kicking Up My Boots At AWBU

Did you see my new badge?

It's over there on the left.

I'll give you a hint, #AWBU.

Ah, now you see it.

Little ol me is going to be a part of the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged Conference.

And, it's all thanks to the kind folks at Country Outfitter.

I've been a fan of Country Outfitter for awhile now. My daughters' birthday list usually consist of something from their website. So, when I heard they had signed on as a sponsor of the conference I was beyond excited. When I got a tweet saying they'd like to give me a scholarship to attend the conference, I did a happy dance. I did several happy dances.

Arkansas Women Bloggers, AWB, is a network of support for women in Arkansas that blog. I bet you kind of knew that by the name though, huh. AWB has given me a supportive group of women to bounce ideas off of, and that stand behind me cheering.

I'm a transplant to Arkansas, Originally from Oklahoma. When I moved, I left most of my support system behind. (You can look here for a little more about that.) The ladies in AWB have made this Okie feel a little less out of place, and a little less homesick.

I am thrilled to be attending the conference, and so grateful to Country Outfitter for sending me there.

I am looking forward to meeting so many new faces, and to be thanking them in person for the support they have given me. I hope to learn a thing or two, and make some new friends, and most importantly, to Gather~Grow~Connect.

Oh, and one more thing, stay tuned to the blog for the next few weeks; I've got a little surprise coming your way, and who doesn't like a giveaway. Now, go tell your friends.

Homesick At Home. What It's Like To Be New In Town 4 Years Later

I'm beginning to wonder if this state will ever feel like home.

The beauty of the Natural State does a good job of filling the void for awhile but, at some point it should start to feel like you're home; right?

I feel like I've moved in but, maybe a piece of me is still across the state line waiting.

I find myself wishing I had the relationships I had there, over here. I miss my friends. I miss having girlfriends. I miss the bond and the inside jokes that date all the way back to grade school.

I miss knowing if I call, the phone will be answered or the missed call returned. I miss conversations via text with so many LOLs it starts to look like nonsense . I miss riding around in the car singing at the top of my lungs. I miss laughing so much my stomach and my face hurt.

Don't get me wrong, I have met some wonderful people here. D introduced me to his circle of friends and they were very welcoming and kind. This is their home already though. They have their friends, their girlfriends, their inside jokes, and their bonds established.

When I was home, I had a place in my community. I knew where I stood with people. I had professional relationships, and I had paid my dues.

Here it seems like I just can't get through the door. I try. I honestly try more than anyone would ever know. Will it ever be enough, or what "they" want? Who knows.

I volunteer. I love it. I jump at any given opportunity to do it. I could say I do it only for the good of doing it but, that wouldn't be completely honest. Although I do, do it just for that, I'd be lying if I didn't say I thought community service would open some doors for relationships, personal and professional.

I'm four years into the move. My kids are happy and healthy, and building relationships of their own. I'm happy for them.

Moving back isn't really an option because they deserve the time to establish the very bonds I am missing.

It's a bit embarrassing to admit I'm lonely.

I have a great guy who loves me so unconditionally, beautiful children that make me beem with pride, but I don't have the huge piece of me that comes from being home.

How do I make this home?

What else do I need to do?

How do you become part of a group or even make new friends?

As an adult it seems so stupid to cry at night because you're homesick.

It's not sleep-away-camp, it's life. It's the life I willingly chose, and a life I love with my family. But, it's still hard. It's still lonely. It's still scary.

Everyone deserves to feel like a part of something outside of their family. So here I am world, ready and waiting to feel like I'm home again.