"Famous in a Small Town"

I have to say that moving back to Northwest Arkansas was one of the best decisions I made. Not only because I get to be closer to my family and friends but because it allows me to give back to the community that molded me into who I am.

I moved to Pea Ridge when I was two years old. I started pre-K and graduated from Pea Ridge School Districts. I did FFA, played sports and participated in other organizations in Pea Ridge. I am proud to call it my hometown.

Last Thursday evening I did a spontaneous visit to the Pea Ridge Primary to promote the book fair and visit with families during parent teacher conferences. It's so much fun to see how much the school has changed and to see some of the familiar faces I grew up around. After running out of autograph sheets I ended up finding a few reading partners who sat down beside me on a couch in a library so that we could read while they waited on parents! They wanted to keep on reading but their parents had arrived and it was time for me to watch my sister run track.

Yesterday morning I had the day off to run a few errands and hang out with my sister. I started with a visit to the Pea Ridge Community Library to read to children. While the turn out wasn't the biggest, the excitement was not lacking. I once again had the opportunity to meet Penelope. I visited her school in the fall for a book fair and she remembered every word I had told her some four months ago! I didn't forget her cowboy hat, boots and beaming smile. We read several books and she asked lots of questions. I love when kids start asking questions because it gives me the chance to tell my story! I've signed a number of things... pamphlets, boots, hats but this was my first time to sign an iPod case!

I meant to post this last week but got wrapped up in the hustle of Spring Break to-dos!