Life Of The City

This evening we head back to the quiet, predictable town of Muncie. I look forward to doing some laundry (I've managed to cycle three outfits over the course of five days...which is a feat for me!), making food from scratch again, and getting Lucas back in school. Being home will be nice.

With that being said, I know I'm going to miss the life of this city. It's been a wonderful and surprisingly enjoyable trip for us. I'm just so grateful Matt brought us along.

I took various pics of this town, and like I stated before... there is something here that wasn't before. There is a life in this area and a heart that seems to be beating again. There are still flaws in the system and the gentrification of this neighborhood has it's drawbacks (many), but the heart of this city seems to be beating again.

That, and we have some pretty awesome friends here too.

At the City Library Downtown

Breakfast with our friend Rob. Love this guy so much.

Go With The Flow

We're home today... for a little over twelve hours. I'm powering out cranberry sauce, scones and potentially an apple pie. It's a tidge crazy up in here!

Right now we're attempting to balance Matt's freelance schedule with our "real life" and it's proving to be a challenge. That being said, it's all fun stuff and in an effort to keep it fun I'm doing my best to sway with things and "go with the flow."

Even still... I have my concerns. Lucas couldn't remember where we lived this morning (insert deep concerned sigh here). We're going to need therapy, aren't we?

Thursday we drove to Cincinnati (Matt's doing a show there) and stayed for three nights.

Today is Sunday and we've driven back to Muncie. Matt is responsible for a dance theater production and absolutely needs to be in rehearsal today. So, we're here today for a little over 12 hours.

Tonight, after Matt's last rehearsal... we'll drive back to Cincinnati and be there till Wednesday morning, which means we'll drive back to Muncie.* We enjoy our time in Cincinnati, as we have a few really sweet and dear friends to catch up with.

Thursday is Thanksgiving and we'll drive to Dayton to spend the holiday with a few dear friends.

The next morning (Friday), we'll drive back to Cincinnati so Matt can finish out rehearsals there. I think we'll drive back to Muncie on Wednesday morning.

The next Friday morning, we'll drive to Marshall to see friends through the weekend, which will be a wonderful time of reconnecting and celebration.

A week from that Friday, we'll drive to St. Louis for the weekend.

And then... we'll have Christmas break. It will be great, relaxing and wonderful to be at home. And we can breathe...

*Somewhere in here we're closing on a house.

Sun's Out...For Now

The sun has come out a few times in the past couple days and that's been awesome! I don't have a lot to report... just crazy hormones (mine), schedule's ramp up (Matt's) and a child who has mellowed out... a little bit (Lucas).

But... here are a few pictures of our last week.

Our little boy is becoming more adventurous, which enthralls and scares me at the same time.

Every day we see squirrel, ducks, rabbits and geese... but this guy surprised us by making a "run" for the lake yesterday. 

On the fishing dock, we talk a lot about the fish in the lake. Next year, we'll bring our poles!

Lake Winona can be very picturesque. 

"Don't worry Mom, I got this."

Keep Us Out Of Trouble

Guys... it's raining again today and yes, I too am tired of hearing myself complain. That being said, we'll be indoors doing some play stuff and attempting creativity.

As I sit here with my coffee (yum!) Lucas is at the same table with his Play-Doh. Love that stuff! It seriously is the ONLY activity I can expect to keep his interest for like, an hour! I'm not kidding... laundry days equal Play-Doh days. It's a lifesaver.

Regarding creativity, I glanced at a Pin on Pinterest and came up with probably the best idea ever! Here's a picture:

Masking tape and Matchbox cars. Matchbox cars are $1.10 at Target and masking tape was $2.99. We brought our cars from home, but all in all, this can be a five or six dollar activity that you can be as creative with as you please. I think today we'll add another town somewhere else in the house... and mask a road to join the two. When we leave, the "roads" will peel up without a hitch and we can move on. Amazing!

It's a huge challenge to find things to do indoors without buying a ton of toys. To boot, we can't travel with big toys... so there is no point in buying things. Instead, we must choose creativity.

Today, Play-Doh and Matchbox cars will keep us out of trouble. With a fine mix of library books, and tickling, of course.

Greener Pastures

The cat's out of the bag...

We're moving to Muncie, Indiana in pursuit of greener pastures with Matt's job! It's safe to say the pastures will be greener than here in Utah, considering we live in the desert... but figuratively speaking, we're really eager to see the fruits of challenge and sacrifice pay off.

Matt's schedule here in Salt Lake City has been something terrible and we're hoping this new position with Ball State University will bring relief, and a newfound vigor in his career. So proud of my husband for pursuing the good life.

It brings tears to my eyes to imagine saying goodbye to our lovelies here in Salt Lake City. What a great city this is! We've had the wonderful gift of three years in this town and my pockets are full of the sweetest friends! It will be so difficult to leave.

So here we go! Give us a prayer as we gear up for some serious change. Mostly me, though. Let's be honest... Matt'll be fine.

Attached

Little Boo Bear

Tomorrow Lucas and I head to Portland. The main purpose for our trip was to see our little Brooklynn turn... wait for it... five!!! My heart aches at the sound of this... five! Ack. How is it possible our little Boo Bear is a kid now!? No more baby... not even a hint. Sigh...

Of course we'll see friends and some family, which will be wonderful. It's always so nice to connect with our loved ones! In fact, I can hardly wait to hold and snuggle our newest little loved one... baby Isaac. My heart can barely wait.

And then there is a wedding, which will be divine. It's so nice to celebrate life with those who live far away, and I'm so very fortunate Mandy's wedding happened to fall just a week after our originally planned trip... an extension allows me to see her tie the knot! Hooray!

Baby Isaac... presh.

It will be a sweet time where memories are made and relationships are solidified. That being said, I find myself more and more in love with Salt Lake City, which makes traveling a bittersweet endeavor. Being away just as Fall is setting in, and leaving the relationships here for three weeks makes me realize how attached I am. I have loved ones here too!

The three weeks in Portland will create an eagerness to return and upon doing so, it'll be wonderful to share stories and memories with those who are waiting for our return. Until then...

Cincinnati

We're in Cincinnati for a few days, and after being gone for five years it seems as if nothing has changed. It's still a tad crusty, muggy, and the roads are terrible.

The great thing? Our friends are still great too!

Matt has been eager to check out all our favorite spots...Zips, Graeter's...but I am just thrilled to have an opportunity to be with the people we love. Can't say I've missed Cincinnati all that much, but I sure have missed our lovelies.

Chicago...Chicago

Chicago!!

This and That

The past couple days have been full of this and that. We haven't had much going on in the way of big events, but have managed to stay busy.

Matt is on his final show for Great River, and after last week it HAS to be a better tech. Matt was exhausted, pulling three and four hours of sleep a night...and one all nighter. That type of grueling schedule does not make me happy. I worry and fret for Matt constantly when things are hectic for him.

We had a bit of an issue with centipedes inside our apartment, and this proved to be unnerving for both Matt and myself. They seemed to be everywhere; the couch, the kitchen...even our bed! Yes... Matt woke up only to find one in our bed! Gives me the willies just thinking about it. I was at my wits end and then they just disappeared! Praise Jesus. Seriously...

Lucas has been a handful this past week and continues to be so. Most days are exhausting and I find myself feeling emotional by days end. That being said, he's had fun days full of swimming, running, playing and lots of cartoons.

Yes.. We may have spent a day or two indoors last week, resulting in Disney Channel and Sprout. The kid loves his tv time.

We took a drive with Matt yesterday, and headed North up the Mississippi river. The countryside is lovely out here! We broke up the drive with an ice cream stop at a local creamery. What a treat! The shop was attached to a tasting room for local wineries and I was immediately interested.

We head out if Winona on Saturday and I cannot believe it's been nearly five weeks! This little town sure is sweet...and I'm afraid I am going to miss its charm.

Guess we'll have to make the most of these next couple days!

Fun Stuff

Steamboat Days is happening in Winona right now and for us that means a lot of fun stuff to participate in.

Lucas and I headed to the park for a quiet romp this morning, only to find a bouncy house, train rides and a grip of folks hanging out. Low and behold, the parade route for Steamboat Days was right there! Fun stuff!

After a train ride, some bouncy house action...and a little playground fun, we sat and watched the parade with the entire town of Winona. It really was fun stuff!

Scenic Route

If there is only one thing I have inherited from my folks, it's my love for a good scenic route.

Today Lucas and I drove to La Crosse, Wisconsin and turned it into a scenic drive. The beauty, history and people out here make it easy and fun to spend the day on a car ride.

On our way into La Crosse, we stopped at a mill still standing since 1858. Pickwick Mill sits on a creek and is still fully functioning, should the need arise. Grinding happens for large groups and the such. My lack of cash prevented us from touring the mill (disappointment) but we were able to walk around outside and check out the lock and dam alongside the beautiful mill itself (my photo doesn't capture it well).

The older gent who manages the mill's tourism was a fairly eccentric, nearly deaf man...but very nice, nonetheless. He had the traditional Midwestern accent and warmth of personality that can only be found here. And, his son in law hails from Corvallis, Oregon. It really is a small world after all.

Aside from the bugs, it was a fun day. We came home on the Scenic Byway of Wisconsin...which rides alongside the Mississippi River. I find myself just tickled that we are getting to hang out near the Mississippi River! I mean, great stories and rich history have happened here! Right here!

We've done plenty of exploring, but I'm eager to do more...be more intentional about following those signs that lead you off the highway into a world of culture and story. I saw a sign directing toward historical bridges today...maybe we'll hit that up next!

Lark Toys

What a fun day! Lucas and I went North to Lark Toys, and had ourselves a great time. This toy maker has the coolest shop with rooms full of toys, a carousel, llamas, books, fudge and ice cream! Its safe to say we'll be going back!

Busy Ourselves

Cardinal rule to prevent trouble right now: stay busy.

So, we busy ourselves with inexpensive activities, such as stickers, sidewalk chalk, collecting rocks, collecting sticks (watching ants is in there too...my life is thrill a minute, people) and artistic activities.

Being in a new environment has also brought new activities like watching the train, waving to college kids who walk to and fro and Legos! This kid is HUGE into the Duplo (we have the rest of our lives to lose/step on/buy the little Legos), and he's all about creating swords, towers, guns, weird cars and pretty much all things destructive. It's lovely.

It's really not that tough to entertain a toddler. What's tough is having enough activities to fill a day, in order to entertain your toddler. Otherwise you're in trouble!

Boredom=naughtiness/bad attitude/trouble/bad attitude/destruction

Trust me, it's that bad some days (ahem...today).

I caught a couple fun moments on camera, so eat your heart out grandparents! (we just love you!)

With enough easy, inexpensive activities, almost any day can be a good day!

Centipede

Having lived in various places throughout the US, one comes to realize that different bugs live in different spaces.

Minnesota seems to have a plethora of centipede. Gross!

Oregon has spiders, Ohio had cockroaches (prob because we lived in an old crusty house) and Utah has snakes! Eeek.

But nothing's quite as creepy as centipede. Legs and such...they're fast and hang out in darkness.

I'll take spiders any day...

Chocolate, Shakespeare and Champagne

Last night we attended a garden party for the Great River Shakespeare Festival. It was Chocolate, Shakespeare and Champagne and a really fun time.

I was worried about taking Lucas, but he was such a little gentleman, that we couldn't have imagined him not being there. And...it seems he is quite the popular fellow amongst those who don't typically spend their evenings with children. The folks loved him!

It's always a treat to meet the people Matt spends his days (and nights) with. I'll be honest, these are quite possibly the most down to earth theater folks we've ever spent time with. I felt included and ended up having wonderful conversations with new friends I was not expecting to have. The folks here in Winona are just the sweetest!

All in all, it was a fun night for the entire family. I am already looking forward to next years party!

Like A Queen

We are in this awesomely large apartment...with four bedrooms, two baths, and I feel like a queen...or better yet, like royalty. Not a gay guy who loves the movie Birdcage, just to clear that up.

Anyway...

It's been long decided that Matt and I are urban people, but I have always struggled with the lack of space to invite guests into. Clearly, we just need a huge apartment!

Now to find one for cheap.

Here's a pic of the hubs working in his "office"! An office! For reals...

Dangerous Fun

I believe I have grown spoiled with all the lovely playgrounds in Salt Lake City. They are in every corner and the grounds are always lavish. Each neighborhood always has at least two...two!! Spoiled, I say.

So that leads me to explain why I am feeling slightly deprived here in cute lil' ol' Winona. First, there are only a few playgrounds here...plenty of parks, but only a few play areas.

Secondly, the playgrounds are a bit sketchy. And by sketchy, I mean the structures are metal, steep and totally dangerous.

That being said, this IS a college town and most normal college towns aren't focused on increasing the size of their families. So...playgrounds are not a huge priority. This is an okay thing (in my personal opinion) (my opinion may or may not be shared in an another post).

Even still, we're having fun... And sometimes it's not real fun unless it's a little dangerous, right?

Garvin Lookout

This little town, Winona, has real charm. It rests between a lake and the Mississippi River...resulting in lush greenery, beautiful parks and plenty of sight-seeing to be had.

Today, Lucas and I went up to the historic Garvin Overlook. This cliff is a beauty! I took a picture (or three) and they just don't do the view justice. With the wind whipping around us, we could see the river from north to south and all that surrounds it for as far as the eye could see. We could see the cliffs of Wisconsin on the other side! It was truly a treat.

Hopefully, we can do a little sight-seeing over there soon. There is so much beauty out here!

Winona

Okay...we are here in Winona! After our sixteen hour day yesterday, today's day of nine hours seemed like a breeze.

We drove through the remainder of Nebraska...stopped on Iowa for lunch and made it into Minnesota by late afternoon. We hit Winona in time for a very late dinner.

Overall, the day was great. Lucas peed his pants right out of the gate, which was soooo frustrating. But other than that, it was an easy day. The kiddo took a two hour nap (which is understandable, considering how much sleep deprivation he's endured), read books and watched a movie. Thank the Lord in Heaven for modern technology!

Iowa is a beautiful state... full of lush farming and large groves of deciduous trees. It seems Iowa may be a state who prides herself on wind powered energy...because I have never seen more wind turbines than when we drove through the farmlands of Iowa.

Minnesota is just as quaint, although the land is a tad more rugged with valleys and creek beds. The roads are windier and definitely more exciting than the previous states we've driven through.

Now that we are here, I am eager to learn more about this cute little town. I look forward to experiencing a little bit of Minnesota through life here in Winona!