More Adventures in Wisconsin

We've been in Wisconsin for six months now. It's hard to believe how the time has flown. In that time, we have done so many fun things. It's fun to look through the pictures and revisit the experience as I blog about each one... Forgive me for the delay, as I know these pictures are from a few months ago. But better late than never, right? And I didn't want to miss out on sharing with you all the grand adventures we've had of a new state to explore and experience!

We celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary at a Korean restaurant in downtown Milwaukee, followed by a short walk to see Lake Michigan. I still get the hankering for Korean food every now and then, so we hunted online to find out that there were two - yes, two - Korean restaurants in all of Milwaukee. Tragic, I know. But we're grateful nonetheless! It was a fun way to remember our time in Korea. It's crazy to believe that almost eight years ago we met at our dear friends' Stefanie and Brittany's apartment in the "small" suburban town of Suji, South Korea. Going to a Korean restaurant reminds me of our brief dating and courtship. Bam - ten months from meeting to saying, "I do!" 

After lunch we walked from the restaurant down to the yacht club and pier along the lake. In many ways Lake Michigan does seem like the ocean. The broad expanse. The endlessness of it. There are even seagulls! And yet, the waves are absent. And the smell of salt in the air. It was beautiful, and I loved seeing and experiencing a Great Lake for the first time. 

Happy Anniversary, my love! Words cannot express how grateful I am to be married to you! 

We also visited a local dairy farm just north of Oconomowoc!! A family in our church has a dairy farm that has been in their family for many generations. They invited us over for a tour of the farm, as well as a bonfire. It was so much fun! I've never been to a dairy farm, so this was a grand experience to see this family's daily life. All I know about dairy farmers is that my grandfather was the youngest (7th child) of a dairy farmer in Menomenee, right here in Wisconsin, back in the early 1900s. Yup - I have returned to the land of my peoples, coming to Wisconsin!!! :) The military took my grandfather to Virginia before WWII, and he met my grandmother at a military ball before he left to serve in Europe. He never moved back to WI. So that's my connection with dairy farms. :)

Where the cows are milked

I like the cow that's totally just chilling

Where all the milk goes just after the cows are milked 

Jody befriending a calf

I cannot imagine the daily life of a dairy farmer. Milking the cows twice a day. EVERY DAY. But it was so wonderful to get just a small glimpse of their world, and to hear the contentment and love for their farm in their voices. And to see the views from their home. These native Wisconsinites are pretty awesome people. I'm glad I get to know them. 

Fall Colors

One of the most exciting parts of living in a state with lots of trees is the whole fall season. As much as I love Colorado and the beautiful aspens in their gold splendor, the brilliance of the fall colors here in southeastern Wisconsin was breathtaking. I cannot express how much I loved watching all the trees as they turned brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red. 

During peak leave-color-changing time, over my lunch break I would take the dogs for walks and snap shots of the trees just around the neighborhoods. It was so fun to see the variations, and to watch them change from day to day. 

I didn't touch up these pictures at all. They are simply quick snapshots from right in Oconomowoc. So grateful for God's creativity!

Fall is truly one of my favorite times of the year, and I loved every minute of it! Next year I'll see if I can get some snapshots of the leaves turning colors around the lakes. :)

Grammie

I have not blogged in months, but something really big happened last month that is forefront in my thoughts. On October 28th at 91 years young Grammie, my mom's mom, went to be with Jesus.

This summer Grammie had major surgery to remove a cancerous mass. The surgery was intense, but like so many times before, Grammie rallied like a champ and was back out and about post-op. When my sister Sarah and her hubby Justin went down to Aiken, SC to visit Grammie and Grandy and our Aiken family, she was going out with them. Sarah caught this incredible picture of Grammie during that visit. Now I know where I get that sweet tooth from! (And who cares about portion control! Right, Grammie?!)

We all heard that post-operation that the cancer had come back, but because Grammie rallied so well, we began to think that it was slow-moving, and that there would be more time. I was mentally planning that Jody and I could make a trip down to South Carolina sometime in the spring. After all, Jody has not been to Aiken yet.

But then my sister Sarah called me on Tuesday, October 21 to tell me that Grammie had gone to the doctor. There, Grammie learned that the cancer had come back. In just a few months a new mass had grown larger than the one the doctors removed a few months ago. There was nothing they could do. Mommy drove down to South Carolina immediately, and I booked a ticket for Friday, the 24th. I'm so glad I did.

Grandy and Mommy picked me up at the Augusta Airport, and I got to spend Friday through Tuesday with Grammie and everyone right at Grammie and Grandy's home. Though weak, Grammie - ever the extroverted social butterfly - loved having all the people in the house. It was a party! My cousins Betsy and Laura came with their kids, so we got to see some Halloween costumes on display. Even Laura's dog Gizzie was a "Rufferee" for the holiday. Hilarious! It was my first time seeing both of Betsy's kids. Caroline was 18 months, and little Patrick couldn't have been more than 2 or 3 months old, so poor Betsy and Jeffrey were quite swamped with their little ones. Nonetheless, it was a joy to see my cousins and their families despite the sadness of the occasion.

It was so precious for me to be able to see Grammie all the time, since she was at the house and not at the hospital. We could all pop in and out of the front room to see her, say good morning or goodnight. I will never forget taking communion on Sunday as a family around her bed. Or all the wonderful conversations with all my various family members over the course of those few days.

I loved being near Grandy, too. My wonderful grandfather would come into my bedroom around 8AM and wake me up, telling me that breakfast was almost ready. :) I'd shower and get myself together and then walk into the kitchen, where he had set out a lovely little breakfast spread. We'd chat over our breakfast meal. Sometimes Mom would join us. It was a treasured time. I miss you, Grandy!!

Uncle Peter and Aunt Lynn took us down the street where they are building their home. The floorplan is on the same site as the house that Lynn grew up in. It was incredible to see, and I'm already hoping we can reserve a room for a visit! :) We also got to give Grammie a virtual tour of the house. Scott took his phone through, and I held Mom's iPad so Grammie could see it all. It was so great!

And then Mommy took me on a walk down memory lane. Aiken, SC is horse country, as many articles express in glowing terms (like this one here). Just a few streets from her house are the incredible homes of the wealthy in Aiken, the polo field, the jump and dressage arenas, the dirt streets where the equestrian community walks and stables their horses, and so many beautiful horses out in the paddocks. Mommy showed me where she used to hang out and watch the horses just like she showed me in this picture. I can just imagine her as a little girl, climbing on the fence or up the magnolia trees to see the wealthy socialites playing polo. So fun!

My Aunt Lynn took me to downtown Aiken and to St. Thaddeus to see Grammie and Grandy's church. This is where my mom and dad were married in 1977, and this is where Grammie is now buried. A beautiful church. I got to walk through the cemetery and see the work that Grandy has done for many, many years, overseeing the finances for the care of the beautiful bit of land. It was so peaceful. Well done, Grandy. Well, done.

Several of my own siblings came. I got to see Rebekah and Bryan, Daniel and Courtney, Luke, Nate and Anna. The last time I got to see them was at Nate and Anna's wedding last December. Has it really been that long? I FaceTimed with Daddy and Josh and Sarah and Justin, and I know Chris FaceTimed in, as well. Amidst the sadness of the trip, I treasured every moment of getting to see my family. How I miss and love them! 

The hardest part of this trip to Aiken was knowing it was going to end and that Grammie was leaving us. She was so strong to the end, full of peace and joy. I could not help but marvel at her. Four hours after I left their house in Aiken, and while I was waiting in the Charlotte airport to board my flight for Milwaukee, Grammie went to be with Jesus. It was Tuesday, October 28th in the evening, and she was surrounded by family who love her so much. She was 91 years old and had been married to Grandy for 68 years. But - most importantly - she had put her faith and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation and knew that the best is yet to come. What an incredible woman.

Grammie & Grandy w/ their 3 kids (L-R) Kathy, Mom, Pete

I'm going to miss you, Grammie. So grateful for your example of love, faithfulness and courage. And I cannot wait to see you again. I hold fast to the promise that this life is but a breath, and eternity is ahead. So very grateful for this hope!

Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Hello, Wisconsin!

Two months ago Jody and I moved to the small town of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Since then, we have done our best to dive right in, embracing all that God has for us here. And He has been so good. We have had an incredibly warm welcoming committee of people who have gone out of their way to make us feel loved and to help us settle in. 

I am truly grateful. And I wanted to introduce y'all to this wonderful world that we now call home in all its summertime glory. 

1. Music Nights at the Bandshell

Apparently, every week during the summer a band will play at this bandshell right next to "City Beach" at Lac La Belle. Jody and I went our first week just to see... It was so fun. So small town and unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. Apparently, Crosspoint's band will be playing there tomorrow night!

2. Moonlit Movies : moonlitmovies.org

Once a month during the summer there's a town party. Everyone gets together to watch a water show, eat some kettle corn, talk with friends and watch a movie in the park when the sun goes down. This year it was Frozen, The Lego Movie, and finally, the 75th Anniversary of the Premiere of The Wizard of Oz, which was held in the downtown main street.

3. Strawberry Picking

Within a few weeks of having arrived, Jody and I went strawberry picking at Jelli's Market (farm). It was so much fun. There is a good deal of farmland right outside of town both north and south.. and even west towards Madison. So, so beautiful!

4. Summerfest

I had never heard of Summerfest before I moved here to Wisconsin. It is reported to be one of the largest summer music festivals in the world, and bands from all over come to this venue for 10-12 days. This summer we've seen both Ray LaMontagne and Crowder. So much fun!

5. The Kettle Morraine

While there are no mountains here in Wisconsin, there are beautiful forests with so much greenery, flowers and wildlife. It's absolutely beautiful. Jody and I have gone hiking and hammocking in this beautiful forest. 

6. Kayaking Adventures!

This was my first time kayaking. A new friend, Trish lent us her kayaks, so we had a blast taking them out and exploring the area in a whole new way! After living in a desert, being surrounded by so much water was anathema. 

7. The Kiltie

Apparently The Kiltie is one of the places to go in town for burgers, fries and custard. While Culver's is a chain, The Kiltie is a local spot. Jody and I had a date night treat and thoroughly enjoyed our time there!

8. The Milwaukee Brewers

Twice now Jody and I have had the incredible opportunity to see the Major League Baseball team the Milwaukee Brewers play. It is my first time seeing a MLB team, and we were in second row seats close to home base. It was incredible! I can totally get into baseball with this kind of a view!

9. Working Remotely

While Jody settles in to his job at Crosspoint, I am working from home. This is the view I have all the time. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get work done? But this too is part of the new world of Oconomowoc that is now our home. 

10. Sunsets

It is truly a beautiful place that Jody and I have moved to. I am thoroughly enjoying not driving 35+ miles every day. I love the small town feel. And I'm really excited for the grand adventure that the Lord has for us here.

Come visit!