Sometimes I catch myself looking at my kids and wondering where the time went. It seems to happen more and more these days now that they're 13 and 11. Somewhere between diaper bags, playgrounds, preschool drop-offs, and family adventures, they grew up. And so did Northwest Arkansas.
For the past thirteen years, we've had the privilege of raising our family here, and looking back, it's hard to separate our children's childhood from the incredible growth of this region. They've grown alongside it. I moved to Northwest Arkansas from California a little over twenty years ago. Back then, I never imagined this would become home, much less the place where we'd raise our family. When I first arrived, Benton County felt small.
Then life happened.
I met my husband, Jeff. We got married in 2010. Liam arrived two years later while I was working full time at John Brown University. Our weekends weren't packed with elaborate plans. We'd find a park, visit a neighborhood pool, or wander wherever the day took us.
When Ardelia was born in 2015, we knew Bentonville was where we wanted to plant roots. We found the house we've now lived in for almost eleven years. Aside from the storm shelter, what sold us was the location. Less than a mile from Crystal Bridges and the Amazeum. Close enough to downtown that spontaneous adventures felt easy. Next to trails, parks, and everything we hoped our kids would experience growing up.
Before we'd packed our moving boxes, we had already become Amazeum members. Some mornings, we'd spend hours exploring exhibits before walking over to Crystal Bridges to stroll the trails or enjoy family activities.
Those places became part of our daily rhythm.
So many of my favorite memories with my kids are wonderfully low-key: Story time at the Bentonville Public Library, playing for hours at Dave Peel Park, walking around the Bentonville Square, and mini ice cream cones from Spark Café inside Walton's 5 & 10. There were afternoons at Austin-Baggett Park before The Momentary existed. Climbing the giant rock at Park Springs Park. Playing at the pirate-themed playground near Thaden Field before it became part of today's Osage Park. Summers spent at Rogers Aquatic Center.
And Northwest Arkansas kept growing…
The Bentonville Community Center opened just as we moved here. Citizens Park opened, and my kids still remember helping cut the ribbon with Mayor Orman. Lake Atalanta was transformed. NWA trail systems expanded. Coler opened. The Momentary opened.
Every year seemed to bring another opportunity for families to explore together. Liam found mountain biking through Pedal Kids and rock climbing at Climb Bentonville. Ardelia fell in love with dress-up, princess parties, and every magical event Princess Party Palace offered. We cheered through Trike Theatre productions, library programs, camps, festivals, sports, and enough community events that I've truly lost count.
More than anything, though, I wanted my kids to grow up curious. Curious enough to wander a trail, ask questions in a museum, climb one more rock, try a new activity, or say yes to the next adventure.
I hope all the families moving here today dive into every opportunity NWA offers. Still, if I've learned anything over the last thirteen years of motherhood, it's this: the places are wonderful, but the people are what make this community unforgettable.
Danielle Keller is the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of Peekaboo Magazine, a free family lifestyle publication, and co-host of the award-winning podcast People of Northwest Arkansas. A longtime storyteller and entrepreneur, she's passionate about celebrating the people, places, and experiences that make this region a special place to raise a family.