Small Town Life

There are many perks to living in a city. Target is less then 10 minutes away, the best gyms to workout are close, GAP is easy to run into for a new top, and for me the big perk to being a city girl, restaurants! The idea that I can eat anywhere and the choices are endless...chinese, italian, pizza, steak, burger... and I didn't have to do any of the work, great perk! Take it from this city girl the small town life has perks that don't require your money, and make living 15 minutes from Target and 25 minutes from Costco something to brag about!

In a small town they still have the small town newspaper. We have two in Gretna. They often go up to the school and pick some classrooms to ask the students questions. Molly was thrilled to have been chosen and have her picture taken! The question they asked, "who is your favorite book character and why?" If you are familiar with Junie B Jones books, then you will understand when I say, this isn't a proud Momma moment! What I am proud of is the fact we are in a community that puts my kid in the paper! She told everyone and informed me I was to buy a paper at the Gas Station by the church. I used to subscribe to the paper, but as with most small towns, they didn't put anything in there of interest! Don came home one day, filled a bowl full of chips, grabbed the Gretna Guide and sat at the table and opened it up and 15 seconds later said, "that's it?!" One of the many reasons I love our small town, the pointless newspaper!

Community is something that has become lost with the popularity of social media. We are very involved in our church and see how people crave and yearn for community. Individuals want a group of people who will rally behind them in hard times and celebrate the good, or maybe all people want is to know they are known. 

 My parents moved us to Gretna when I was in the 8th grade. I grew up in Millard Public Schools. I was mad we were moving. Annoyed we were moving to this town that was so far away and it was little and it smelled like a cow feed lot and the school was ugly. Which it was, but it's what's on the inside that counts! Even as I made great friends, dated my future husband, I kept thinking I was going to leave it and I would never move back to it. There was pressure to be the best person I could be...everyone knew who I was and what I was doing and who I was doing it with! That isn't fun when your a teenager, nor is the idea that your family is put on the town pedestal. When you don't want everybody looking at you or talking about you then being apart of a community can be hard. BUT, when your mature enough to know that feeling pressured to be the best person you can be is good, then you begin to realize the importance of community. I want my kids apart of a town that knows who my kids are, knows who they are hanging around with, knows who had a party and who was there and what kids are doing and what our teachers are teaching and what the face of our School Superintendent looks like and where things like the Valentine's Day Pig Races at the Gretna Elementary School get put in the paper and the teachers love their students enough to take time out of their lives to learn a dance routine and stage a Flash Mob for their students. 

2nd grade and 1st grade
These kids love Gretna Elementary School

 I can brag on my town for awhile...We still have "Gretna Days." Our town is small enough that the town lifeguards have a float in the parade, the churches have floats loaded with kids my kids know from School. It is on the hottest weekend of the summer and my kids count down the days to Gretna Days. Firework shows and bands in the park, a free hot dog lunch with smelly bounce houses, it isn't all of this that makes my kids talk about this weekend, I think it is the community of people they are doing it with. 
We ride our bikes to the local library, the city park with it's huge Oak trees, the local swimming pool that my kids ride their bikes to (they went a couple times this summer to see their friends!). The Fundraiser benefits for the sick in our small town are an example of the community in which my family lives, people come out in droves and bid on auction items and donate their time and money and talents and others spend their money. It makes me proud to be apart of this community. 

GO BIG GREEN!

  I think I'm feeling the overwhelming sense of pride for my town after the newspaper picture of Molly got printed this week and the fact I spent some time cheering on our Boys Basketball Team at the State Semi finals.  Nothing brings back memories like a High School Student section! I sat with the grown ups and watched the cheerleaders and the kids and thought....that was me not too long ago. I'm not old enough to be sitting up here?! Yes, Yes I am! I didn't think I'd be sitting up there cheering on the same team we cheered for 20 years ago. The kids had their music teacher and another KG teacher's sons play in the game. They wanted to go so bad and cheer on the team! I love that they care...I didn't know anything about what was going on at the High School when I was 8 years old!
I'm glad my pride didn't keep me from coming back to Gretna to raise my family. I was a self absorbed teenager annoyed with everyone knowing my business in High School! Funny how times change!

I get all of this small town fun with the perks of living next to the City of Omaha. Everything is a solid 15-25 minute drive for us, but it's worth it. I consider car time quality time with my family. If your wondering where to send your kids to school or wanting to have a small town life for your family then I suggest Yutan or Valley, because I don't want Gretna to get any bigger!