Home Sweet Home

This time last year we were just moving in to our new house and trying to get settled.  I can't believe it has already been a whole year since we moved.  A lot has happened in a year's time, that is for sure!  I must admit that it took me a while to adjust to this move, but here we are a year later and I can honestly say that I feel at home here. 

However, I do still miss quite a bit about Frisco/North Dallas, so here's my top 10 (OK, Top 12 since there is a 3-way tie for #10).

Things I miss about Frisco

10. Centennial Medical Center
Even though I enjoyed my hospital experience with Laney just fine, it was nothing compared to my experience at Centennial Medical Center with Brady.  Everything from the concierge service to Mother's Express (a store for breastfeeding mothers) was above and beyond what I expected from a hospital.  They really did pamper me there, which is probably why I didn't want to go home, even after 4 days.

10. AutoSplash

I enjoyed this service so much.  Where else can you get a GOOD $5 car wash?  Or an oil change, while you sit in your car, watch TV and have someone bring you water?  And if I did splurge for a full service wash, the amenity center was always nice, clean and fully stocked with refreshments.  And a free Chick-Fil-A sandwich coupon to boot - can't ask for much more.  Here, my car wash choices are limited to gas station drive thru's, do-it-yourself washes, or places similar to AutoSplash that charge twice the price and don't even vacuum for you. 

10.  Frisco Online

Every town should have a Frisco Online.  It is a website where you can get all kinds of information about the town AND a neighborhood message board.  I could go to my specific neighborhood section and get all the juicy gossip about my neighbors, or find out what they were building on the corner of x and y, or find out when the construction on Preston was going to be completed, or post my garage sale ad, and the list goes on and on. 

9.  Sporting Events

Yes, sure we have UT and Round Rock Express here, but its not the same as having the Dallas Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers or even Frisco Rough Riders.  Granted, we didn't go to those thing often, but it would be nice to be able to take the kids to a Ranger game (especially right now) without making a whole weekend out of it, getting a place to stay, etc.

8.  Convenience and Variety
I miss the convenience of having so many stores so close.  I could go to the mall, grocery store, Target, 7-11, the movies, out to eat, etc. any time I wanted.  They were all so close.  And I had so much to choose from.  The eating out options were endless (here we have Mexican or Mexican) and so were the shopping choices. 

7.  "Full Service" grocery stores
What do I mean by full service?  I'm talking about where you push your cart up to the checkout line and the cashier removes the items out of your basket and rings them up and then the bagger puts them in a bag and another cart for you.  I know I sound like the laziest person in the world for having this as one of my Top 10 things that I miss, but when you are trying to tend to 2 babies, it makes unloading your very full grocery cart onto the belt a big ol' pain in the butt.  Or when you are so pregnant that you can't reach over the side of the cart to get the things at the very back.

6. The Snow Cone Lady

If you've never been to the Frisco Snow Cone Lady, then you simply cannot appreciate the awesomeness of it.  We've tried to get snow cones here and they just don't compare.  I don't know what I miss the most.  Is it the snow cone itself?  The actual snow cone lady?  Standing in line with about 50 other people on a hot summer day?  Enjoying said snow cone with a bunch a friends out on the lawn?  All of the above I think!

5.  La Hacienda Ranch

This was our favorite restaurant there in Frisco.  We would go nearly every Sunday after church (and sometimes during the week too).  They make the best tortilla soup, and some dang good fajitas.  And we can't forget about the stuffed grizzly bear or Brady riding the horses out on the porch.

4.  JCPenney Home Office

As much as I enjoy the opportunity to work from home, I do miss going to work from time to time.  I mostly miss the interaction with my co-workers, but the home office sure does have a lot to offer.  I really do miss Brady's on-site daycare, the fitness center, 2 cafeterias, a restaurant, several bistros and Starbucks.  I also miss the convenience of a post office and my doctor's office right there on site.

3.  Easy Recycling

As a semi-crunchy mom (click here to see how crunchy you are - my score was 84-Pretty Crispy!), it really bothers me that we do not have recycling here in Leander.  In Frisco, we had these blue bins that were the same size as the trash cans that were for recycling.  You just filled it up and put it out with your normal trash every week.  It was so easy and made me feel like we were doing our part.  Our recycling bin was always more full than our trash bin.  Here, there is no recycle pick up at all.  I've tried doing it on my own, but it is way too hard.  We do recycle aluminum cans and plastic bottles, but I wish we could do more.  Sure, it is POSSIBLE to save all the recycling, sort it out and transport our own containers to the recycling center, but I'm pretty sure I would loose my mind if I tried to add one more thing on my plate right now.  I'd love to recycle, but not at the expense of my sanity.

2.  Hope Fellowship

Boy, I could easily get emotional over this one, so I'll keep it short.  Hope Fellowship was our church home and we miss it so much.  I am convinced that we will never find a church that has all the same qualities as Hope does.  The kindness of the people, the preaching, the music, the childrens area, even the lighting was perfect in every way (to me).  Maybe it is because Hope was my first true chruch home (and I finally know what that means) or maybe it was because of our awesome life group.  All I have to say, is if you are within driving distance to Frisco, TX and do not have a church home, please go visit Hope.

1.  Friends and Family

The #1 thing I miss about Frisco is obviously our Friends and Family.  First, my dad, stepmom and sister!  Also, all of our church friends.  Coaching buddies.  Co-workers.  Neighbors.  College friends.  My fear is that I'm leaving someone out, but just know that if you are reading this and we don't live near you, then we miss you!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

So, that's it for my Top 10 Things I miss about Frisco.  Now, as I said before, even though it took me a while to adjust and there are things about Frisco that I miss, I do feel like this is our home and there are some pretty awesome things about living here.  Here's my Top 5 Awesome Things about Leander list:

Top 5 Awesome Things about Leander/Liberty Hill

5.  Traffic

What's so great about the traffic here?  There is NONE!  For example, every morning I take Brady to daycare right in the middle of morning/school traffic and I still get there in about 6 minutes (it's 4.7 miles away).  Now, don't get me started on Austin traffic, it is as bad as Dallas.  But we hardly ever go south of Cedar Park, so its not an issue.

4.  Sunsets and Scenery

It is actually very pretty here in the Hill Country.  The sunsets are breathtaking.  This picture is the view from our back porch, however it doesn't do the view justice.  And, if you go to just the right spot, the hills are beautiful.  The closest thing to scenery I can remember in Frisco are the running bull statues :)

3.  Small town friendliness and hospitality

Everywhere you go, you are always greeted with a smile and a friendly face and more times than not, you'll run into someone you know.  From the grocery store to the post office.  When the Liberty Hill fire department came out to check on Brady after he hit his head, they were so friendly and neighborly.  They weren't in a hurry to leave and stuck around for a while to make sure Brady was OK.  We talked about stuff from the weather to our kids.  I have no doubt that if I see them around town, they'll will stop and say hi and remember us.  There is a feeling of community here, like were are all in this thing called life together and we have each other's backs.

2.  Bigger bang for your buck

Everything is cheaper here.  From groceries to houses.  I would venture to say that if we were to buy the same house that we have here in Frisco, it would easily be 50K more.  When we first moved here, our grocery went down about $100 per month (that was before Laney came along).  Our daycare went down by 66%.  Even gas is cheaper here.

1.  Friends and Family

What do you know? Friends and Family are #1 on both lists!  We are about 5 miles from Lance's parents house, so that is very nice.  Also, we already had friends here since Lance grew up here and we've made many new friends in this past year.  I guess it just goes to show that the "place" doesn't matter, its the "people" who make it matter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Regardless of where you live or where we live, thank you all for being a part of our lives.  We are so blessed!