our life in fayetteville...: Most People Would Fly...

When you grow up on the west side of Cincinnati, you expect to spend your existence living within a 15 minute drive of your parents. This includes attending the same church, having Sunday dinner, and celebrating every holiday together. It also, at least in my case, comes with certain extent of taking the distance for granted. You never really think of what it would be like to have your parents come 'visit' you for a weekend in another city.

Nicki and I had that exact set-up with my parents, even though we had moved it just a bit to the northeast of Cincinnati. We saw my parents every Sunday at church. We may not have had Sunday dinner every week - but we usually ate one meal on Sunday together. We saw each other at holidays and a random dinner together at Paxton's on a week night. It is those nights we miss so much about living in Cincinnati.

With that backdrop, my parents made their first visit to Fayetteville this past weekend. They made the 11 hour trek over a two day period - and arrived on Friday afternoon. For any of you that know my parents, no trip is made if it doesn't include playing golf - so they were able to build in a round in St Louis on the way out, and the way back.

Quite honestly - we couldn't have had a better weekend. As I said to my parents many times - it was as if the city of Fayetteville was showing off for them. As you will see below, we kept them busy, but we also took the time to have real, genuine conversation. In the past we have lived our lives together in two hour increments (dinner & drinks, church & breakfast, etc.), that made it all the better to have the time to sit on our back patio and just catch-up late in to the evening.

We experienced everything NWA had to offer - including an incredible David Crowder Band concert (where my mom even caught a drum stick), breakfast at Rick's Bakery, the Farmer's Market, the Walmart Museum, the Bentonville Arts Fair, dinner at Bordino's, and even better a wonderful weekend closing grill out with some wonderful friends we've made here in Fayetteville.

All in all, it couldn't have been a better weekend. It was as emotional as it was surreal, and enjoyable as it was relaxing. We may not live ten minutes from my parents anymore, but somehow or another we already feel closer to them.

Given our "VIP" status my mom was able to snag a drumstick thrown in to the crowd - you know those Contemporary Christian concerts - they tend to get out of control...

An entire blog entry could be written on the experience of the David Crowder Band concert - being surrounded by awesome friends and family while listening to such incredible music created a night to remember...