"Over Minnesota, and Through Wisconsin, to Grandmother's House We Go..."

We've been to De Witt to visit our Grandmother many times, but we realized that we had never actually strolled through the down town.

Just past the park & the Opera house, on the brink of town, the historical society has compiled a riveting series of exhibits to document De Witt's grand history as a part of Iowa!

From bridal gowns to war momentos, grade school memorabilia to old telephones, the historical society has cataloged the beautiful, rich history of their town.

No matter where we go, its always been interesting to see how each state remembers their history. Whether it be a visit to memorials and museums, or just a walk down main street, we've learned so much about the history that we are a part of, and how these roots have helped to plant the foundation in which our nation is built on today.

 
“I get up in the morning to finish my daily routines and make everyone smile at work! :)”


“To find my purpose in the world.”


“Because I have things to do and places to go and people to see and because I am glad to be alive.”


“To do all the activities I like to do: teach, take care of my home and family.”


“I have to get up to go to work at 4:30 a.m.. Glad that I still have a job to go to.”

Thank you so much to our amazing Iowa family! Grandma, it was so incredibly nice to see you and catch up! You were the highlight of our visit and we can't wait to make a trip out to see you again!

To Our Roots,

Love,

The Crew

Sizzlin' Hot, Right off the Engine

For quite a while now, we’ve dreamed the impossible dream. A dream that we had no idea could become a reality. But on this wintry day as we packed up our car once more and started driving to Iowa, we packed a little something extra under the hood, and this dream of ours became a reality.

We cooked food on our engine. Actual, edible, honest to goodness food right smack
dab on top of our hot engine.  The first course was the bacon. As we soared down the highway, we could smell the sizzle of that savory favorite just working it’s magic with our sweet Yoda.

The bacon definitely smelled better than it turned out though...after a couple hours of driving, then pulling into the gas station and unwrapping our layers of aluminum foil, we concluded that it was just too undercooked to eat.  (Note: this picture deceptively displays bacon which looks cooked, trust us it wasn't.)

We didn't give up though.

So onto the engine our canned cinnamon rolls went.

The sweet smell of cinnamon wafted it's way into our car for the next 55 miles as we coasted down I-80 and into the parking lot of the World's Largest Truck Stop!

No sooner had we arrived and explored a bit, we checked on the cinnamon rolls and they were baked!

And unlike our bacon catastrophe, this Pillsbury sweet bread was golden to perfection!

Topped with the icing that had been warming up in the PB&J station in the back window, these turned out to be a delicious mouthwatering snack!

To the scrumptious Kitchen Magic of a Car's Engine,

Love,

The Crew

Just say CHEEEEESE!

Just like with the chocolate shop in Missouri, a sweet start to the day just makes the world a brighter place...especially when you're all not much of morning people to begin with.



The Jelly Belly's Warehouse tour is unique in the sense that you take the entire tour from the comfort of their custom train and get to learn about the entire jelly bean making process from start to finish! Including how new flavors were introduced to the line, like the blue bean they created for Ronald Reagan's Red, White, & Blue Jelly Bean Inauguration gift!

Being one of the last Fridays of Lent, we got some really good sushi for lunch! Having never really tried actual sushi before, Jeanette and Jennifer were in for a treat. Jeanette loved every bit of it---Jennifer thought it was interesting...kind of like eating an aquarium...

After trying all of the Mars Cheese Castle's samples (including the infamous "squeaky" cheese curds), our Wisconsin Family got a block of nine year old aged cheddar, and it came with very specific instructions.

1) Break off a tiny piece, you don't want to try to eat more than your taste buds can handle at once.

2) Stick the piece on the top of your tongue and push it to the roof of your mouth.

3) As it melts, let your senses take you to a beautiful place that only Wisconsin  cheese knows how to get to.

And then you better go check out the cheese isle at the local grocery store.

Be sure to bring an extra cart.

Thank you to our fantastic Wisconsin Family! It was so much fun to spend time going on adventures with you involving coffee, cheese, ice cream, funny & sad movies, and well, some more coffee. You're the greatest! We miss you and King Jorge already!



"I get up in the morning to find and experience the joy I felt every day as a kid."



Racine, Wisconsin is adored by food lovers everywhere for being the home of Kringles (yes, like Santa's street name, Kris Kringle). A light pastry, similar to a Danish, Kringles marvelously compliment your morning cup of coffee...your afternoon cup of coffee...your even---well, you get the picture. Now, all you need is a Kringle! We got a few different e kinds and made our own assorted packs!

To Dear Friends, Lots of Dairy, and Days like These,

Love,

The Crew

A Walk Through Wonderland

 

We have found that the quiet splendor of a tourist town is best seen in their winter time lulls. This is especially true for the Wisconsin Dells, which we enjoyed as we strolled down the river walk beside the famous gorge.

We also found this true for Madison, Wisconsin.
Nestled closely in the midst of four lakes, tourists every year come flocking to this unique destination to relax, explore, and eat!

This adorable hole in the wall eatery offers only one item on their menu, Pelmeni, or Russian dumplings. It only took us one bite to realize why they didn't need to offer anything else.

"I wake up in the morning to experience life's new adventures and meet new people."

"Because I need money to afford the awesome YOLO life I live!"

As you can see, it was quite frosty out by the iced over lake that we saw from the university campus...

...and yet we still couldn't leave Madison without getting some of their ice cream!

Our Wisconsin family introduced us to a parlor full of unique flavors...where we found Zanzibar, a flavor we'd fallen in love with at an ice cream shoppe a long time ago, and hadn't been able to find anywhere else!

Zanzibar ice cream is a rich, playful melody of dark, milk, sweet chocolate that will satisfy your sweet tooth, and yet still manages to leave you addicted!

"Usually because the sun shines in the window."

"Because I can."

Our day didn't end with Madison though.

Thanks to our Alabama Family, we were able to take a tour of the company Epic, whose 'intergalactic headquarters are in Verona, Wisconsin!

 

Now, we know what you're thinking. A company tour, really?

Admiring a collection of cubicles and coffee cups is how you're going to spend your time?

 



But as you can see, that's not true at all for this company!

Every building on each campus in the Intergalactic Headquarters is named for a constellation, and each campus is fit to a theme.

 

 

From Hell...

 

 

...to Heaven...

 

 

...Farmland...

 

 

...to the Ice Caves...

 

 

...and through the galaxy...

...Epic has constructed a creative wonderland for their employees to work...and play in!

"I get up in the morning so I can help people. I love to make things to give away as gifts, donate things, and help them reach their goals."

 

 

To a Wonderful Day in a Wonderland,

Love,

The Crew

"You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown."

What better way to celebrate our love for this winter wonderland than with a trip to see the World's Largest Snowman (Disclosure: made out of stucco cement, not actual snow).

Made in the 1950's by Lloyd Koesling for their St. Paul's local winter festival, this snowman is an icon of St. Paul and is one of the only snowman to really know "how it feels in summer".

Amazed by the architecture we saw yesterday at St. Mary's, we decided to have a look into St. Paul's Cathedral, the National Shrine of the apostle Paul. The majestic dome structure was later the inspiration for the construction of the capital building!

Due to an increase in parishioners, multiple cathedrals of Saint Paul were built before this one was constructed. The weekend that we were visiting, they were celebrating their 100th year!

As the new churches were built over the years, a few logs had been saved from the original Saint Paul's. During the construction of this cathedral, it had been a long and chilly winter...

...One night, it got so cold, that the construction workers, started burning the logs nearest them until they realized they were burning the original cathedral!  Only a few logs survived and one that was saved was carved into this gavel.

This gavel is one of the oldest relics of Saint Paul's and represents well the strength and endurance of the parish. 

"Because I am fully rested and ready to tackle another day."

"Because God has given me another day."

A native of Minnesota, Charlie "Sparky" Schulz has captured the hearts of comic strip lovers worldwide with his beloved Peanuts characters.

Among the park you can play along with your favorite heartwarming characters: Marcie Johnson with her favorite book and Peppermint Patty playing football!

Across the street, you can see Charlie Brown and Snoopy, as well as Lucy dreamily admiring Schroeder's piano skills!

Sally & Linus are busy discussing the days events, and if you go, be sure to glance behind Sally's back to see what surprise she's hidden for her love!

After a chilly day, it's good to settle down in front of the fireplace with a hot cup of coffee.

Even though it's not listed as being available at all their shops, local Dunn Brothers Coffee specializes in their Chocolate Steamed Nirvana...and from experience we can definitely agree that a sip of this will send you straight into a nirvana of an espresso lover's kind.

"Because I have to go to work."

"Because my cat and dog tell me so...plus I work for a living and I enjoy my job."

"To make sure my family is OK and their needs are met. To do the things God has put me here to do."

Thank you to our fantastic Minnesota family for all of your hospitality! It was great to get to know you over good food and good movies!

To snowmen, cathedrals, comics, and chocolate heaven,

Love,

The Crew