We have been in Utah now for two and a half weeks. We are so glad to be back, but wanted to share a little bit about the place we just left. Our Wisconsin.
Wisconsin was good to us. We were there for three years and loved it. We have moved around quite a bit with our family, but this is probably the first place our kids (at least the older ones) will really remember as home.
There are many things I am going to miss. Here are those that make the top 13 (not in any order):
The Farms.
We lived in a city (they actually call it a "village"), a suburb of Madison, but we didn't have to drive far (a few minutes) in any direction and we were in farm country. I fell in love with the farms on my first day in the area and my love for them grew and grew.
The Farms.
We lived in a city (they actually call it a "village"), a suburb of Madison, but we didn't have to drive far (a few minutes) in any direction and we were in farm country. I fell in love with the farms on my first day in the area and my love for them grew and grew.
Our family loved watching the corn grow. Each spring, we looked for the first sign of green popping up out of the ground in it's perfect rows. The excitement only grew each day as we watched the corn get bigger and bigger.
Our house.
Oh, I am going to miss our green house! It has everything I would want in a home. There were slim pickins' when we moved to Wisconsin and when this one showed up on our radar it was like a diamond in the rough. From the outside, David thought it was the ugly duckling of the neighborhood, but I have never minded the outside. The inside, though, so many things I am going to miss. The kitchen, mudroom, basement, garage, storage and many more redeeming rooms and qualities that I am sad to leave behind.
Oh, I am going to miss our green house! It has everything I would want in a home. There were slim pickins' when we moved to Wisconsin and when this one showed up on our radar it was like a diamond in the rough. From the outside, David thought it was the ugly duckling of the neighborhood, but I have never minded the outside. The inside, though, so many things I am going to miss. The kitchen, mudroom, basement, garage, storage and many more redeeming rooms and qualities that I am sad to leave behind.
Our tree.
We love this huge oak tree! Technically it is not our tree at all, but we crossed its path a minimum of 4 times a week. It is gorgeous...in spring, summer, fall, and winter (maybe even more so in winter). We couldn't get enough of this amazing tree. It resides on the edge of a farm and we could not drive past this fantastic tree without wondering how anyone can believe there is not a God. I don't think this picture does it justice, but here we are standing at its base.
Water Towers.
When we first moved to the midwest 9 years ago, I thought all the water towers with each city's name on them were a little odd. Now I love them! We had 3 in our little city, 2 with the city's name and 1 of them business owned, which happened to be right on the border of our neighborhood. We called it "our marker," as it marked where our home was at. When we first moved there, and didn't know our way around, we always knew we were close to home when we spotted "our marker." Even after three years the kids would point it out, especially Ryland, each time we were nearing our house.
We love this huge oak tree! Technically it is not our tree at all, but we crossed its path a minimum of 4 times a week. It is gorgeous...in spring, summer, fall, and winter (maybe even more so in winter). We couldn't get enough of this amazing tree. It resides on the edge of a farm and we could not drive past this fantastic tree without wondering how anyone can believe there is not a God. I don't think this picture does it justice, but here we are standing at its base.
We took these pictures on our last Sunday in Wisconsin. Caden was not up for a picture and stayed in the car.
Water Towers.
When we first moved to the midwest 9 years ago, I thought all the water towers with each city's name on them were a little odd. Now I love them! We had 3 in our little city, 2 with the city's name and 1 of them business owned, which happened to be right on the border of our neighborhood. We called it "our marker," as it marked where our home was at. When we first moved there, and didn't know our way around, we always knew we were close to home when we spotted "our marker." Even after three years the kids would point it out, especially Ryland, each time we were nearing our house.
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| Our Marker |
Three of the seasons.
I will miss Wisconsin's spring, summer and fall.
Fireflies.
I had never seen fireflies before moving to Wisconsin. The first time I saw them was at night when I was driving. I saw them hovering over the corn fields. I was so excited I giggled like a little school girl. I loved to sit on my porch in the summer and watch them flash on and off.
This video is not very clear since it was mostly dark, but it shows the excitement the kids have about fireflies.
Forest Preserve.
I will miss the forested area by our house, with its paths, river and beauty. I am going to miss being able to bike and walk here whenever we want.
The traffic.
One of the reasons I loved where we lived was because there was not a lot of traffic. There were a lot of back roads. Those roads bugged me at first because if you made a wrong turn, you were stuck on that road, sometimes for miles before you could correct the mistake. Once you knew where you were going, though, the back roads were heavenly (unless you got stuck behind a tractor). I have known for a good long while that I am not a big city girl. I like the burbs. After this move, though, I just may be content as a small town girl too.
Cheese curds.
No need to say more. They speak for themselves.
The water.
We didn't get out on the lakes (Wisconsin boasts about having 15,000+ lakes) and rivers as much as we would have liked, but we got a taste of what it would be like to live close to so much water. As our kids grew this would have been an awesome place for some recreational fun.
The wildlife.
Rabbits, deer, wild turkeys and more frequented our yard and neighborhood. I love them and will miss them.
Woodman's
I loved this grocery store! It is massive and I have to admit a little daunting on the first couple of visits. They have maps at the front of the store for newbies who have no idea where to start. I loved the selection. I loved the prices. I loved the huge organic section, which I need with my lame health issue. I am seriously going to miss this store. In fact, I don't know what I am going to do without it. This store has saved us so much money and we have not had to hassle with going to multiple stores to buy the organic things I need. Woodman's has been a life saver.
Our ward.
I will miss our ward (church congregation). This is what we will all probably miss the most. We have lived far from family for a long time and with this job search we are trying to look closer to home. Moving closer to home means moving away from our ward family and it was hard to say goodbye.
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I will miss Wisconsin's spring, summer and fall.
Fireflies.
I had never seen fireflies before moving to Wisconsin. The first time I saw them was at night when I was driving. I saw them hovering over the corn fields. I was so excited I giggled like a little school girl. I loved to sit on my porch in the summer and watch them flash on and off.
This video is not very clear since it was mostly dark, but it shows the excitement the kids have about fireflies.
Forest Preserve.
I will miss the forested area by our house, with its paths, river and beauty. I am going to miss being able to bike and walk here whenever we want.
The traffic.
One of the reasons I loved where we lived was because there was not a lot of traffic. There were a lot of back roads. Those roads bugged me at first because if you made a wrong turn, you were stuck on that road, sometimes for miles before you could correct the mistake. Once you knew where you were going, though, the back roads were heavenly (unless you got stuck behind a tractor). I have known for a good long while that I am not a big city girl. I like the burbs. After this move, though, I just may be content as a small town girl too.
Cheese curds.
No need to say more. They speak for themselves.
The water.
We didn't get out on the lakes (Wisconsin boasts about having 15,000+ lakes) and rivers as much as we would have liked, but we got a taste of what it would be like to live close to so much water. As our kids grew this would have been an awesome place for some recreational fun.
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| Lake Nebagamon |
The wildlife.
Rabbits, deer, wild turkeys and more frequented our yard and neighborhood. I love them and will miss them.
Woodman's
I loved this grocery store! It is massive and I have to admit a little daunting on the first couple of visits. They have maps at the front of the store for newbies who have no idea where to start. I loved the selection. I loved the prices. I loved the huge organic section, which I need with my lame health issue. I am seriously going to miss this store. In fact, I don't know what I am going to do without it. This store has saved us so much money and we have not had to hassle with going to multiple stores to buy the organic things I need. Woodman's has been a life saver.
Our ward.
I will miss our ward (church congregation). This is what we will all probably miss the most. We have lived far from family for a long time and with this job search we are trying to look closer to home. Moving closer to home means moving away from our ward family and it was hard to say goodbye.
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Every place we have lived, we have had to say goodbye to many things we love. In every place we have lived there has also been things we have not minded saying goodbye to. Wisconsin, as much as we love you, there are 4 things I do not mind leaving behind.
Winter.
I am sorry, but we will not miss you. We made it through each one just fine, but I admit I am glad to be leaving Wisconsin's severe winters in the past.
Winter.
I am sorry, but we will not miss you. We made it through each one just fine, but I admit I am glad to be leaving Wisconsin's severe winters in the past.
Wasps.
These pesky bugs drive me bananas. I always had wasp spray on hand, locked and loaded, ready to be used at a moments notice. One day we were knocking down nests and two days later we were knocking them down again! They built them on our deck, on our porch, on the eves of our home, inside our BBQ cover...anywhere they could fly. We had a pest control guy who came and knocked down nests (along with spraying) which was awesome, but they build so fast that we would have to knock them down between visits. Our first summer was the worst. Awful really. I wondered where in the world we had moved to! They hibernate during the winter and many of them died after our first harsh winter here (I guess I do have winter to thank for that!). It also helped that we removed the overgrown, flowery, wasp haven that was our yard.
Mosquitoes.
Where there is water, there will be mosquitoes. Lots of mosquitoes. They love me. I do not love them.
Gnats.
Where I grew up, there were gnats, but they did not bite. Here, oh, do they ever bite. They are tiny, but they pack a punch. You don't feel it in the moment, but later you are left with a large, red, crusty, bloody and painful lump. Usually in your hair line. Usually more than one. I had no idea what these lumps were, but a helpful neighbor filled me in. Poor Ry was eaten alive by them. It takes bug spray to keep them away...ugh.
I found a great description of biting gnats: "Biting gnats are also known as biting midges. They are a tiny species of fly. Gnats search for blood meals, similar to a mosquito. However, gnats don’t puncture skin like a mosquito. Instead, gnats bite by tearing at the skin with four sharp blades in their mouth. This causes pain disproportionate to the size of the gnat. The gnat then spits chemicals into the wound to stop clotting and sucks up the excess blood."
Here is Ry with a fresh bite. So fresh that the large red bump had yet to develop, but it sure came later.
I found the image below from the internet and couldn't help but post it.
These pesky bugs drive me bananas. I always had wasp spray on hand, locked and loaded, ready to be used at a moments notice. One day we were knocking down nests and two days later we were knocking them down again! They built them on our deck, on our porch, on the eves of our home, inside our BBQ cover...anywhere they could fly. We had a pest control guy who came and knocked down nests (along with spraying) which was awesome, but they build so fast that we would have to knock them down between visits. Our first summer was the worst. Awful really. I wondered where in the world we had moved to! They hibernate during the winter and many of them died after our first harsh winter here (I guess I do have winter to thank for that!). It also helped that we removed the overgrown, flowery, wasp haven that was our yard.
Mosquitoes.
Where there is water, there will be mosquitoes. Lots of mosquitoes. They love me. I do not love them.
Gnats.
Where I grew up, there were gnats, but they did not bite. Here, oh, do they ever bite. They are tiny, but they pack a punch. You don't feel it in the moment, but later you are left with a large, red, crusty, bloody and painful lump. Usually in your hair line. Usually more than one. I had no idea what these lumps were, but a helpful neighbor filled me in. Poor Ry was eaten alive by them. It takes bug spray to keep them away...ugh.
I found a great description of biting gnats: "Biting gnats are also known as biting midges. They are a tiny species of fly. Gnats search for blood meals, similar to a mosquito. However, gnats don’t puncture skin like a mosquito. Instead, gnats bite by tearing at the skin with four sharp blades in their mouth. This causes pain disproportionate to the size of the gnat. The gnat then spits chemicals into the wound to stop clotting and sucks up the excess blood."
Here is Ry with a fresh bite. So fresh that the large red bump had yet to develop, but it sure came later.
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