Scenic Wisconsin

We had a few days of no rain, but today it's pouring... so here we are again. I think we'll read books, make cookies, take naps... maybe watch a movie. I'm going to approach this with as much enthusiasm as possible.

Yesterday, Lucas and I drove up to Eau Claire, Wisconsin to visit friends. I gotta tell ya... Wisconsin is beautiful! It's lush with green forested hills and has some of the prettiest countryside I've ever seen! I took the scenic drive, which meant avoiding the highway and it was worth it.

Lucas and I spent the day with Beth and her sweet little boys, Elliot and Parker. It was a treat to play with kiddos who had the coolest stuff! Lucas was lost in the sandbox all day and if we couldn't find him there, he was immersed in the worlds biggest train set. Elliot and Parker are both close to Lucas' age... Lucas is sandwiched between the two of them...so playtime was fairly ideal.

For myself, the opportunity to catch up with Beth was priceless. There is something amazing about Beth... her ability to share honest feeling is refreshing. To boot, Beth rarely does anything without purpose. Her intentional living is refreshing and it feels as if there is room for the stuff that really does matter. Yesterday was a great day for me to engage with another adult, but not just any adult... a woman I care for and greatly benefit from.

It's in these times I'm grateful for Matt and I's travels. I would not otherwise have had the same opportunity to visit Wisconsin and enjoy a fun, relaxing day with Beth and her sweet kiddos. The days we seize to reconnect with people who add goodness to our hearts are some of the best days of our lives.

Day Out In In Winona

Thanks be to God, the rain let up. It was starting to get a little feral around here... with a preschooler and all. Even I was beginning to wonder how I was going to stay sane.

Thankfully, we had a full day of dry. We went to the Farmer's Market, which surprisingly is still a little bare. No fruits and veggies, other than rhubarb... but plenty of herbs and greenhouse flowers. The weather here has been significantly cooler (and wetter) than normal, so seasonable produce is a little bit behind schedule. But, we did find the same sweet pie lady as last year... and we went ahead and bought one! Win.

After that, Lucas and I wandered around downtown, which is quaint. It's a bit dilapidated, but has a ton of charm. My favorite part of Winona are all of the independently owned gift shops. My favorites so far are:  Hearts Desire, and Pieces of the Past. I'm not kidding you guys... the BEST gift shops...with upstairs and downstairs and basements and such. Cute candles, trinkets, books, cards, pictures, stuff you don't need but LOVE looking at. It's a girls day out wonderland. Needless to say, I stuffed Lucas' hands in his pockets and we enjoyed our morning in a few gift shops.

If you enjoy antique and consignment shops, Winona is full of adorable independently owned stores. These stores are just as cool as the gift shops, except they have everything that has been previously owned (duh). The charm is that it feels like a treasure hunt, at half the price (unless something is really an antique)! I could spend hours in one... sifting through old jewelry, trinkets and furniture. I found these darling baubles at Inside The Vault Consignment! 

  

Lastly, we hit up one of the many coffee shops in Winona. A hidden gem in this town; the coffee. You can get delicious coffee, smoothies, and sandwiches on nearly every corner. A couple places we're familiar with thus far are: Blooming Grounds, Mugby Junction and Blue Heron. To boot, you can find locally roasted coffee that's rich and full of flavor at almost all of the shops. Definite perk.

A day out is always fun here. The people in this small town are friendly, easy to talk with and always doting on Lucas. I swear if that child hears he's "so cute" one more time his head is going to explode. Folks really like kids here. It's nice, actually. And it was nice to get out and see that other people don't think my child is as much of a nuisance as I do when I've been locked in an apartment with him for nearly two weeks.