Christmas Letter 2019

Right now Maverick’s biggest frustration is not being able to understand time. In his vocabulary, last week could mean last year; yesterday might mean last week; & tonight could mean tomorrow…so the way we explain things is by season. The ‘calendar’ I created for Mav when we told him about what he calls, ‘his baby’ is a list with pictures in the correct order everything will happen. He knows after the pool comes the orchard…& after the orchard it’s Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas…then we will have some snow & the calendar countdown ends on Valentine’s Day when his baby brother is due to arrive! So it just made sense to break our Christmas letter down by season.

WINTER: Josh plowed a record amount of snow. I’m not sure the final totals, but I know BLC plowed more snow than ever before so things stayed nice & busy around here. We had a great crew of guys and made it through the whole season safely, no accidents for customers or employees. We played out in the snow as much as we could, exploring our acreage and playing with our puppies and kitties…we have a decent sledding hill at the back of our property & we all had fun shooting Maverick down on a saucer to see how fast & far he’d go. Mav went out in the plow truck a couple of times with Josh, but got bored pretty quickly so I had to be available to run & grab him…I think he will like riding along with daddy a lot more this year! Josh & I snuck away to Galena for a couple days in January during the Polar Vortex & will remember forever the trip when we were the only people staying in the DeSoto house...two nights in a row!

SPRING: Josh geared up for BLC’s 20^th season in business and the snow continued…Maverick enjoyed his usual rotation of church play group, library, CFA, play dates with buddies, & playing outside…I planned/hosted/decorated for countless parties/showers/events & ended up designing/redecorating a chiropractic office in Ames. We had tons of events for Aunt Jamie getting married & most weekends involved wedding planning + prep, ending with the Big Day in May. Josh hired his BLC crews to start rolling with spring work; one of our trucks was rear-ended; we bought a skid loader (Josh’s favorite BLC toy to date) to haul the four semi-loads of mulch our customer’s requested; & we finally got around to growing grass in our backyard! We also accidentally took two trips to Galena…one in April and one in May.

SUMMER: At the beginning of June we found out we were finally pregnant! Most of 2019 has been spent at the usual doctor appointments, planning for baby, decorating baby’s room, throwing a gender reveal party, embracing maternity fashion, & Instagramming everything along the way (I swear this is the #1 way I remember things!). Josh spent the summer managing his mowing crews & chemical applicator, which made BLC more efficient + able to take on more customers because Josh actually had time to sit at his computer & quote work. We picked up some great new accounts; bought another white truck + plow to be able to run more crews at once; & enjoyed lots of time on our porch with family and friends. We spent nearly every day at the pool; took a family vacation to Galena; hit up the fair; dealt with a flooded basement + the clean-up that followed; & tackled rescreening the porch + adding supports to the bottom half to make it safe(r) than it was previously…one of the last ‘big’ home renovation projects we needed to accomplish. Between his trampoline, sandbox, play set, & Gator, Mav will spend hours outside playing while I read/watch from the porch and this is our favorite way to enjoy summer…acreage life is still a perfect fit for all of us.

FALL: Maverick started preschool! We were all really excited about this new milestone…he’s young for his grade since his fourth birthday was on September 1^st, but we knew he was ready. Mav absolutely loves his four mornings of preschool each week (the adjustment was shockingly easy!), which is mostly because his teachers are amazing. Josh’s chemical applicator quit without notice so we didn’t see him for a couple months while he was finishing fall weed control, irrigation shut-downs, & getting fall fertilizer down in record time. With some weirdly early snow, our crews have stayed plenty busy going between fall work & snow prep…plus we’ve finally committed to finishing the man cave/office in the shop attic + finishing the shop the way Josh wants it done, so we should have some pretty exciting Before & After pictures coming soon. Mav and I made it to the orchard (our favorite fall place) 10 times and Josh was even able to come three times! We spent two horrible weeks ‘vehicle shopping’ and ended up buying an old Yukon from a grandpa who had it parked & for sale down the street…so now we have more than enough room for two car seats + baby gear! We took our annual October trip to Galena, this time ‘vacationing’ with Adam & Jamie who are usually stuck at home house + pet sitting for us.

As most of you probably know, we lost a sweet baby in April of 2018…last year’s Christmas letter didn’t seem like the place to announce our news, especially because we’d been hoping we’d have happy news to share on the heels of the sad news. We didn’t & because baby #2 was due to arrive on December 3^rd, all the celebrating was consistently met with sadness over what was obviously missing…a fourth stocking on the mantle, tiny Baby’s First Christmas outfits, swaddle blankets with red trucks and trees…& the entire year kind of played out like that. We absolutely loved making more memories with just Maverick and our family of three, but every time we did something fun it sort of felt like we had a family member missing.

If anything loss has altered our eternal perspective to a more urgent hope, a desperate longing that when Christ returns again everything will be made right. And that perspective, our hopeful longing, is actually exactly what Christmas is about. The Israelites waited 400 years for God to give them a King. They were faithful to wait, trusting the words from Prophets who had come before them, that God would send a King to be the Savior of the World…and then…a baby born in a manger in Bethlehem, the King they’d been waiting for. We experienced a taste of desperate and hopeful longing this past year and can relate, in a very small way, to what the Israelites might have been feeling. When would God answer? How would He answer? Why won’t He answer? Cooper Wilder Harm will be the perfect addition to our family in seven short weeks, given to us exactly when God decided we’d waited long enough.

This Christmas has been filled with all the usual…movies, baking, kiddo concerts, BLC plowing, decorating, special traditions, wrapping, and one more trip to Galena…all while remembering the true significance of the Christmas Story & how that fits into the bigger picture of the Gospel, “In our longing in our darkness, now the light of life has come…What a foretaste of deliverance, how unwavering our hope…Christ the great and sure fulfillment, of the Law in Him we stand.”

Merry Christmas!

Josh & Mollie, Maverick & Cooper, Millie & Remy

Spring + Summer Reads + Reviews

After feeling like I wasted most of the summer NOT reading due to so many other fun things and outdoor chores...I stacked up my pile of everything I've read/studied since my last post, and it turns out I wasn't as much of a slacker as I thought! I just pictured lazy summer days on the porch reading for hours on end, and that was not the reality. The same thing happened when Mav started preschool...I pictured coming home and settling in for three hours of reading and Bible study, and that hasn't. happened. once.

BUT I've started reading at night with a little reading light once Josh has gone to sleep (which is EARLY these days) and I just read until I'm tired which has led to two things:
1. Surprisingly, I'm getting a lot more reading done.
2. I have a much easier time falling asleep!

Reading ALWAYS makes me sleepy, whether it's 10am, 3pm, or bedtime...which is why I avoid it most afternoons in favor of accomplishing other chores and tasks around the house...but it's PERFECT for my new bedtime routine. I'm hoping that if I can establish this healthy habit now, it will have a better chance of 'sticking' when I'm feeding a newborn all hours of the day and night. I'd like to trade my Netflixing or reading this time around.

Anyway, here's everything I read from March to October, in no particular order (+ links to click and order from Amazon!).

1. Grieving the Child I Never Knew, Kathe Wunnenberg

Jamie gave me this book last Christmas, and it took until sometime in the spring for me to read it. I kept it in my nightstand but just wasn't 'in the mood' to pick it up because it included journaling inside...and books with lots of questions or journaling are usually more work than I want to put in. That's why I like reading, because I just get to sit and READ. No homework involved. But it was a good book for processing our loss, even a year later. Would be a good book to gift to someone when you aren't sure what else to DO.

2. Closer Than a Sister, Christina Fox

You've seen this one multiple times for more than a year and I am FINALLY reading it! Our connection group had planned to read it last fall, then pushed it off to do some other stuff during our group time, but now we are reading through it in a 'book club format' and so far I'm really like it. I think this is one I'd definitely recommend for a book club though.

3. Parenting with Loving Correction, Sam Crabtree

I've read a lot of parenting books at this point, and this one is in the Top 5 I'd say. It brought a fresh, practical, no-nonsense perspective...I found myself nodding along in agreement the whole time. It was a good 'refresher' about giving one warning, employing discipline immediately, consistently, and calmly. Like a pep talk full of reminders for why/when/how to use discipline correctly...and that's exactly what I needed to read right now that I'm parenting a four-year-old.

4. Labor with Hope, Gloria Furman

This book wasn't what I was expecting it would be, but it was good. It's written as more of a daily devotional, and I prefer to plow through books on my reading list, instead of reading small parts each day. It felt a little bit like 'the same thing' over and over, but that *might* have also been because I was reading two other books by the same author, at the same time. I'm not sure I'd recommend that approach, it's just how things happened. Overall, a good quick read, specifically for expecting mom's.

5. Risen Motherhood, Laura Wifler, Emily Jensen

This was the book I was waiting for all summer. It lit the fire I needed to jump-start my fall reading...sometimes a PRETTY, fun book does that for me when I'm feeling 'bored' in the current book I'm working on. I was feeling tired of reading HEAVY books, by the time I cracked this one, I was able to finish it within the week. It was filled with equal parts stories, wisdom, and gospel application, mixed with solid theology and practical mothering ideas. It will probably become my 'new mom' gift.

6. Love Lives Here, Maria Goff

This had been in my Amazon cart for a long time, and I ended up snagging it on an insane book-deal-day. I had it read within a week and it was good, but I prefer Bob's writing style and personality. His books feel like he's right in front of you talking and I can't get enough of them (he has a new one out and I'm dying to have it!). I liked Maria's take on hospitality and what that's looked like in their home over the past 30 years...while raising kids and after their kids left, with a husband who worked long hours and now with a husband who works even weirder/crazier hours. It was good, but not a drop-dead-must-read.

7. Grace-Based Parenting, Tim Kimmel

This is the one I was stuck on for most of the summer. I wanted to read it to check it off my list. And I wanted to like it. But it made me bored and I can't pinpoint exactly why, since it was all parenting strategies I agree with. There are so many other amazing parenting books I'd recommend, I'd say this is one you can skip. I feel mean saying that, but it's just how I feel.

8. Glimpses of Grace, Gloria Furman

I liked the practical mixed with the biblical in this book. By the end it felt a little repetitive (but like I already mentioned, that *could* be because I was reading two other books by the same author at the same time), but it was filled with the perfect eternal perspective to get through mundane days of motherhood...right down to specific examples for how to find eternal perspective while doing a mountain of laundry or a sinkful of dirty dishes.

9. 1 Peter, Jen Wilkin

I can't remember if this was my fall semester study last year, or the spring...either way I never included it on a blog list, so here it is! It was, of course, excellent. I could listen to Jen's teaching all day long. Her studies are intense because they're quite a bit of homework, but I tend to get a lot out of them because of that, especially because I hadn't studied 1 Peter before. I'd recommend doing in group alongside her video-teaching.

10. Imago Dei, Mike Cosper

I'm only a couple weeks into this study and it's HARD. Not because there's a lot of homework or time commitment, but it's a lot more thinking than is usually required of me, and for that reason I'm SO thankful we're doing it for our fall women's study...which means I'm at a table of my friends discussing it out every week. I can't officially review it yet, but so far, I'd definitely recommend. Just be prepared for some heavy lifting in the processing department.

11. Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, She Reads Truth

I tackled this study on my own in the spring after we finished our women's study at church and I really enjoyed it. I liked seeing how each of these prophets fit within the bigger context/story of the Bible, but I liked zooming in to study them individually...since they're small books and easy to breeze over. All four are written with differing styles and perspectives and with totally different themes, but I liked seeing how they fit together using the timeline always included in She Reads Truth study books...this helps me SO MUCH with context and I regularly flip back and forth to reference the timeline.

12. Genesis, She Reads Truth

I've been in this study since July and I'm annoyed about it. It's Genesis, so I expected that it would take a while...because it's BIG and a lot of stuff goes down. But I haven't put in the time I know I should to consistently sit down and study it to get some good momentum going. I've studied bigger chunks/days at a time and have gotten so much out of it (I even started doing genealogy diagrams to better understand those parts of Scripture on the days when the passage is 90% genealogy and I have little to 'reflect' on), I just haven't made it a habit. Reading books in bed is easier than sitting down at the table with book + pen + Bible to spread out and study. Sitting still is getting increasingly harder at this point, which isn't an excuse, it's just the reality. I've liked digging into Genesis, even though it's familiar and filled with common stories I've heard since childhood.

Here's what's on my fall reading list!

1. Love and Respect, Eggerichs
2. The Strong-Willed Child, Dobson
3. 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You, Reinke
4. The Mission of Motherhood, Clarkson
5. The Accidental Feminist, Reissig
6. The Home Edit, Shearer
7. What Grieving People Wish You Knew, Guthrie
8. A Standard of Grace, Ley
9. When Less Becomes More, Ley
10. The Art of Neighboring, Pathak
11. Cozy White Farmhouse, Galvan
12. Give Thanks, SRT
13. A Thrill of Hope, Advent 2019, SRT
14. The Road Back to You, Cron
15. Make Something Good Today, Napier

Mav's TOY STORY 4 Birthday Party

It's been a couple months since we threw this party, but it was too good to skip over documenting. It was honestly the best-decorated birthday party Mav has ever had (and I kind of have to say...he's always had pretty great birthday party decor ;). But this time I went ALL IN on the kid theme of his choosing and bought all the cheap theme-y party crap...and it was super fun.

Mav's FOURTH birthday + Toy Story FOUR...it was just too perfect.

I grabbed some yellow, green, and red table cloths and streamers from the Dollar Tree which give a really fun colorful PARTY vibe almost immediately. Plus, clean-up is a breeze because you just bundle them up and toss them...when stuff is only $1, you can afford to party like this.

This is the first balloon arch I've ever made (above), but it certainly won't be the last. I bought four packages of different colored balloons for $1/per package, and THIS was the result. It looked so awesome and made such a fun statement...for FOUR DOLLARS. I'll breeze over the fact that the fake Dollar Tree Command Hooks ripped the paint off my walls in three small spots (lesson learned). but this looked so awesome I'm only like 45% mad I need to get more touch-up paint out before Christmas decorating.

I bought our Toy Story napkins, plates, and plastic cups from The Dollar Store in Manson when I saw they had them...they weren't the cheapest paper product option, but it was a Toy Story birthday party...we needed the plates and napkins, and I figured The Dollar Store would likely be the least expensive place to purchase.

The rest of the Toy Story party decor came from the party aisle at Wal-Mart...I bought one banner that hung near the front door and then the big plastic picture that hung above the buffet was actually in a 'photobooth' package...each package was like $5 and it was all the Toy Story specific decor we needed to create the theme.

Our biggest 'party splurge' every year are these sugar cookies from Larita's Cakes 'n' More in Fort Dodge and I'm telling you...they were worth the hour and a half drive there and back to get them.

I raided Mav's toys to find things that are in all the movies...a Barrel of Monkey's hung from our chandelier...wooden ABC blocks spelled out his name...baby monitors + army men (which I thought was the most genius/hilarious thing I did and unless you've recently seen Toy Story 1, you forget how genius this really is!). I bought 100 tiny plastic army men from Amazon for insanely cheap. And nabbed a vintage-looking Etch-a-Sketch at Target when I saw it (I figured it would make a great car-toy, bonus it doubled as party decor!). Hot Wheel cars, Mav's Tonka Truck, cowboy hat + bandana, Toy Story 1, 2, and 3 DVD cases, and then the Buzz and Woody toys he received from his grandparents as gifts rounded out fun decorating! 

When I had the invitations printed, I also saved and emailed the print-shop some Toy Story 4 pictures I found on Pinterest...I had them printed at the same time, which was so easy and it was a great way to cheaply add more 'Toy Story 4' stuff around the house. The biggest picture I used as a little 'guest book' that I'll keep with some of Mav's other party cards and notes, stored away in his 'special stuff' tote in the basement.

The party-drama happened the week prior to the party as I was scrambling to find all the 'ingredients' to make our own homemade Forky's for the kid's craft. This was the ONE aspect of the party Mav had been talking about for MONTHS. He'd been telling everyone, "and we're going to make Forky's for my birthday craft!"...........guess who had no idea it would be IMPOSSIBLE to find plastic SPORKS?! This mommy. The week before the party I checked literally every store and restaurant and craft store in the greater Ames area to no avail. My time had run out to order on Amazon Prime (which I actually thought I had done the same day I ordered the white dough/clay for the base...dough arrived, sporks did not), so I ended up calling the KFC in Fort Dodge and asking if my parents could pick up 20 black plastic sporks on their way through town. I spent the night before the party spray painting black sporks white in our basement and if that isn't love for your child, I don't know what is.

But come ONNNNN. Look at how legit those Forky's turned out! I can't even believe it myself. If the sporks hadn't been such a headache, it would have been the easiest craft in the history of birthday party kid crafts.

Perhaps only children of a Toy Story generation will understand this, but I was probably the most thrilled with this stack of labeled boxes. IT'S LIKE THEY'RE ANDY'S MOVING BOXES YOU GUYS. My parents were like, 'ummm we just don't get it we haven't seen the movies in a while.' My Grandma Rose got to our house and said, 'Did you know you got a lot of big packages delivered today??' Three boxes my mom grabbed from work for free...my favorite party decoration.

I wanted to throw a classic kid birthday party, so we went all out and got a pinata. Mav didn't even know what it was or what to do with it. I filled it with this summers' parade candy, which I then forced our party guests to take home. It was genius and the kids (and daddies!) had fun with it.

We just love this little peanut and had the best time spoiling him on his birthday. He's so smart and special and awesome. Throwing a big 'ole party for him is the highlight of our year because he's just the best. And now he's FOUR!

MmB

IT'S A BOY: Gender Reveal Party!

"When 'having a few people over' turns into a full-blown party with a meal and a photographer and explosives" would be another appropriate title.

I'm not sure how this always happens to me, but I just love a good party. It's a blessing and a curse. A blessing when we get to celebrate something awesome...a curse when it gets on top of me and is suddenly stressful but because I did it to myself I don't get to be stressed.

A couple weeks before I knew we'd be having our anatomy ultrasound, I asked Josh if he thought he'd have time for something like this. The last thing we needed was another scheduled 'thing' on a weeknight but he said he thought it would be fun, and so off I went.

I created a FB Event.

I bought pulled pork + buns from Sam's Club.

I ordered 3 dozen pink and blue cupcakes from Wal-Mart.

I texted a photographer friend to come take pictures.

And the rest of the details just kind of worked themselves out! We did the whole party outside since it was a weeknight and needed to be quick for everyone's schedules...plus the 'main event' needed to be outside so this kept everything in the same place and I didn't have to deal with getting the house 'ready.' Decorating a couple tables in our backyard was something I hadn't done before (and in extreme wind!) so it was a fun challenge...and it was also surprisingly super pretty out there. 

I used decor stuff I already had and borrowed Jamie's wedding lace to decorate the tables. I bought a girl version and a boy version of my favorite Burt's Bee's onesies, to return whichever one wouldn't be used for baby. I also bought a vintage-looking Peter Rabbit book for friends to write inside the front pages...gender neutral (my least favorite thing to try and shop for!) and timeless, the first book on baby's bookshelf!

I decided the best way to get Josh involved in the party was to let him shoot his AR. In my experience as an entertainer, the best way to get a party started (or keep a party going) is to get out the guns and start blowing stuff up. I don't make the rules, it just is what it is. So I asked Josh if he could pick up the correct ammo + tannerite on his next trip to Thiessen's and I ordered four pounds of pink and blue powder from Amazon. Next I had to find a trusted friend to set up the whole explosion, ensuring it would work correctly. Our friend Brent spent the night before our party secretly testing out the pink color-explosion to make sure the blue one would go perfectly, and of course it did!

It was fun to find out differently than we did with Mav (the blood test at 15 weeks, a phone call from a nurse saying, 'It's a boy!' followed by a phone call to Josh...I was happy to know so early, but it was a little anticlimactic) and it was fun to have our favorite people here to celebrate this baby with us. Plus, an excuse for a party.

Boersma's Guide to Galena: RESTAURANTS

Josh asked if he could read these before I posted them, and I said, 'sure, but it's just going to make you want to go there tomorrow.'

I was right.

RESTAURANTS/BARS
In the interest of the length of this blog (which has now turned into three blogs), I'm going to limit restaurants to our absolute favorites. We've eaten at nearly every restaurant on main street in Galena, trying a new place or two every time we're in town, but always returning to our favorites. If it's not on this list, it's honestly not one I'd recommend because these are THE BEST. For this section the stars indicate price point, not awesomeness: 5 = higher priced.

The Generals' ****
We'd eat here every night of our trip if it made sense (it's located in the basement of the DeSoto!). The food is incredible but the DeSoto House staff is what really makes it our favorite. We start with drinks at the bar (using our free drink tokens!) and then move to the dining room where we get the same thing almost every time because it's just that good (usually New York Strip or Ribeye steak + two sides). Make reservations here if you're in Galena on a peak month/weekend, otherwise we've been known to have the dining room mostly to ourselves...hence the special treatment we always receive.

Greet Street Tavern**
Located on the main level of the DeSoto house, this is where we like to stop if we've skipped lunch and it's the middle of the afternoon and we need to share an appetizer to get us to suppertime. The Bloody Mary's here, (virgin or otherwise) are something I have frequent dreams about. They give me extra pickles when I ask and that's really all it takes to win my approval.

Victory Cafe *
If we aren't eating at the DeSoto's Courtyard (breakfast restaurant) we're eating at the Victory Cafe. We love the authentic diner feel and their breakfast food is amazing and super affordable. I get the same thing every time, two eggs, bacon, and hash browns + toast and iced coffee because it fills me up for the day and I can usually skip lunch, which means I'm ready for whatever amazing place we've decided to eat supper...Josh can never decide between classic breakfast and some kind of crepe+waffle+whip cream+strawberry nonsense.

Gobbie's **
I specifically love it here when the weather is nice and we can take advantage of their amazing outdoor seating + patio area. The views of main street are great and I love the atmosphere...not to mention every time we've eaten there, THE PLAYLIST is the perfect mix of nostalgic 90's and 2000's music and I could sit out there all. night. long. It's a Greek-inspired restaurant/pizzeria so I get the Gyro everytime and it's to die for.

Embe **
This was one of the first places we stumbled into for lunch the first year we visited Galena and it quickly became one of our favorite spots. We appreciate that this restaurant/bar is owned and operated by a family, all working together almost daily waitressing, bartending, and kiddos cleaning tables. It's right across the street from the DeSoto house, so it's an easy choice for a late-night meal or drink. Their seafood corn chowder is something I look forward to every single trip.

Grape Escape ***
I'm not exactly sure why we like it here so much...there are 'questionable' pictures on the walls and the drinks are expensiveeee but so good. The owner could be a character from a reality show and it's a great place to just sit back and people-watch. Unless you're there in the winter and the only ones in the whole place, then you make friends with the bartender and learn about everything there is to know about local-life in Galena.

Fried Green Tomatoes *****
This might be my favorite restaurant on all of Main Street...and I think it's the 'fanciest' restaurant I've ever been to! We save this one for our big fall trip, it's not a place we hit every single time because of the price point, but it's so. so. good. I could just sit for hours looking at the beautiful tin ceilings, stone walls, and antique chandeliers, I can't decide which is better, the food or the atmosphere! This is the spot I've chosen to bring Adam and Jamie this fall as our 'thank you' for watching our dogs every time we leave town for Galena! I'd recommend reservations here if you're in town on a peak month/weekend...and if you're in town for a weekend, calling in advance to check and see if reservations are necessary would be a good precaution.

One Eleven Main *****
Again, a restaurant where I can't decide which is better..the amazing food, or the atmosphere. I think One Eleven Main and Fried Green Tomatoes 'tie' in my book, so pick one for your 'fancy' night in town and you can't go wrong. The first time we ate here, they seated us in the giant room upstairs with all original hardwood floors, right by a window so we could look down and see all of main street. I think I'd like to eat here again, but in the main dining room...if you can't tell, fancy dining is all about atmosphere for me. They have limited hours during the week, and I'd also recommend making reservations here if you're in town on a peak month/weekend.

OKAY! That's all! Reliving all our old pictures and posting about all our favorites spots certainly did make me homesick for our favorite place and it did NOT help that feeling go away. So it's a good thing we're one week closer to our trip at the end of October!!!

Boersma's Guide to Galena: TOURS

At the writing of this blog, we've been to Galena nine times in the past three years. Also at the writing of this blog, we are getting a little 'homesick' for our favorite place...we'll be back in a little less than two months for our usual October/Halloween Weekend Getaway (this time bringing Jamie and Adam, who we are so excited to show our favorite place!), but we've accidentally been getting the itch to take off and go right now.

So I thought writing about Galena might scratch that itch.

After this many trips, I kind of feel like we're qualified as experts on tourism and travel in Jo Daviess county...and judging by the number of people who frequently ask me about what to see and where to eat, I thought writing a blog with reviews on our favorite tours, activities, shops, and restaurants would be a helpful place to point people when they ask in the future.

Let me start by saying, Josh and I firmly believe Galena is the perfect getaway. You will never convince us otherwise. It's just about three hours away from Ames; the drive is easy and scenic; and it can be pretty affordable if you want it to be (ie: going during the week, not drinking, etc.). It's a great spot for girl trips, couple getaways, or a quick trip with the family. Every time we go, we somehow find something NEW to do...which I think is pretty amazing.

We've been so many times, at this point Galena almost feels like a second home. We have our favorite places to check off every time...our favorite bartenders, hostesses, and certain shopkeepers we like to stop in and chat with. The last time we arrived, actual hugs were exchanged with Anne, our favorite hostess at the DeSoto House Generals' Restaurant. There is usually some store turnover on main street from year to year, but we've found the best places have a long and interesting history...when we get a bar or store to ourselves we take the opportunity to ask questions about the building and the history of the store and it's ownership.

Galena does this interesting thing where it mixes tons of American history with boutique shopping and incredible food + drinks...and the results are pure magic. I wouldn't say there's a lot of 'nightlife'...after 8pm main street slows down and feels like an empty small town where only locals are 'out.' Which is something we simply adore about it. Josh and I don't generally like places with tons of people, so we regularly plan outings and trips based on when the LEAST amount of people will be at the place we're going (movies, the fair, vacations, Farmer's Market, the orchard...the list could go on). This is why we don't mind the lack of nightlife one bit...we quietly drink our drinks and chat with our bartender and it's actually the best.

This will NOT be a long list of places to stay because we stay at one place, every time. And you won't catch us dead ever staying in Bed and Breakfasts...too many people sharing bathrooms and strangers wanting to chat over the same big breakfast table? No thanks. The DeSoto House is right on main street, which means we're within walking distance of almost everything and a space in the parking garage is included with our stay (which in and of itself makes it worth it).They have TONS of specials if you ask or look for them online...some months of the year the discounts are heftier than others (ie: when we go anytime December-March), but they always have awesome mid-week specials. There are three restaurants inside the hotel and we usually try to eat at each one during every trip, they're all excellent (come back in two days for that post). The whole experience feels exactly like you're staying in a piece of history, from the wallpaper to using REAL KEYS to get inside your room. The banister and front desk are all original to when the DeSoto was built in 1855 and today there are only 55 rooms...which means if you're a guest, you always get the special treatment. Don't expect things like microwaves or mini-fridges or perfect wifi in your room...like I said, this hotel was built in the 1800's and has been updated many times since then (actually the top two floors were completely taken off during one renovation!), but there are certain things that will always be 'old' about it. President Lincoln literally did a speech from a DeSoto house balcony and climbed the grand entry stairs we climb every time we're there...it still gives me chills.

During our first two trips, the DeSoto was fully booked on one of the nights we were going to be in town so we stayed at their 'sister hotel' on the edge of town, a Country Inn and Suites, owned by the same people. We enjoyed it there (plus free breakfast!), and the pool and hot tub set-up are great, especially if you're traveling with kids. BUT, if you are staying at the DeSoto and need to do something fun with the fam, you can have the front desk call over to the Country Inn and Suites and you're able to use that pool during your stay at the DeSoto! So now we basically never have a reason to book two places unless we have to.

TOURS
I think we've done almost every tour there is to do in Galena. I'll 5-star our favorites, and then list what we liked and disliked about all the others. Make sure before heading to Galena you've planned what tours you want to take and check the hours on each of those tours. Some places only have weekend hours, some have regular business hours...some run at completely random times depending on the season. Make sure you're aware of what homes allow taking pictures/Instagramming...there's usually a sign on or near the front door. We also like to check the Galena website for special events that might be going on while we're in town!

Ulysses S. Grant Home *****
This tour is the best bang for your buck. For a suggested donation of $5, you get a lengthy, informative tour and get to see the upstairs (when the upstairs of an old house is roped off Josh is always annoyed). The home was donated by the Grant family back to the City of Galena, which means it's been preserved really well. If it's not original, it's period-accurate, right down to the wallpaper. We've done this tour twice and it's probably one of the tours we will send Jamie and Adam to this fall because it's a must when visiting Galena.

Field of Dreams *****
Right on the way from Ames to Galena, we hit the FOD every time, every trip. And then we usually watch the movie while we're staying in Galena (FYI one of the scenes was filmed on Main Street!). It's free to get out and roam around, a perfect place to stretch your legs before the final leg of the road trip. Tours of the farmhouse are $20 and run every hour or so, but we haven't actually done that tour, though Josh has talked about wanting to. Don't plan to go to the bathroom here, the port-a-potties are some of the worst we've ever seen.

Elihu Washburn Home *****
We didn't hit this tour until our second trip, but it's one I point people to every time. I think it might be one of the lesser-attended tours in town, but it's just as good as the Grant House Tour, if not better. The women's group who take care of the home and run the tours know their stuff and take lots of time to answer every single question we can think of. Washburn isn't someone I remember learning a ton about in school, so I really enjoyed learning about his part in our American history. We've also done this house tour twice, suggested donation, $5.

Belvedere Mansion **
You can't repeatedly travel to Galena and not do this house tour at least once. It's kind of the first thing you see when you drive in to town and it's a legitimate mansion, as the name suggests. Tickets to see this tour are on the pricier side, but we 'bundled' our tickets to the Belvedere with tickets to tour the Dowling House (below) and got a small discount. This house is privately owned and people actually live on the third/fourth floors during some months of the year (remember, Josh hates when he doesn't get to see the whole thing) so the items in the house have been collected and decorated by the owner in a very 'interesting' style. The architecture is amazing, but it's definitely not the Washburn/Grant home experience.

Dowling House ***
The Dowling House was built in 1826, making it the oldest house in all of Galena. It sits at the end of main street and has endured a lot of life...it was vacant and abandoned for many years, which means anything original to the home was stolen/vandalized except one item, an incredibly old zinc sink in its kitchen. Now, the rest of the home has been staged so tourists can see what it might have looked like 200 years ago...the main floor was a store/trading post and the family who owned the store lived upstairs, so bedrooms and the kitchen are all arranged to be period accurate. Tickets to this tour were a little high and it's also a 'quicker' tour than I enjoy...I prefer to linger and get as much information from the tour guide as possible but unless you come up with a lot of questions, this tour is over fast.

The Blacksmith Shop *****
We didn't discover this gem until our ninth trip to Galena and it's one of the best tours/demonstrations we've seen. It lasts as long as you want to sit and watch and the blacksmith/volunteer does an amazing job of interacting with whoever is in his audience (ie: a wiggly three-year-old). We watched for probably an hour and learned a ton of stuff about the history of the blacksmith trade. Maverick also got to take home the small decorative iron hook the blacksmith foraged while we were watching, which was super cool. The only cost for this 'tour' is a donation in the jar at the door.

Blaum Brother Distilling Co. *****
We've only done two distillery tours to date, but this tour was by far the best one we've been to. It was 45-60 minutes long, super informative, and our first experience learning how whiskey is actually made. I think our whiskey obsession kind of began on our first trip to Galena and the cost of the tour tickets were totally worth it. The tour guides are super knowledgeable...and the tour ends with tastes of four signature kinds of Blaum Bros Whiskey. Our favorites are the Knotter Bourbon and the Blaum Bros Reserve, and if you sit at the bar long enough, you might get to see the owners pop in. We also love the gift shop here. Josh and I will likely send Jamie and Adam on this tour and we might even join them to do the tour a second time.

Old Market House **
I don't think there's admission to visit this historic building, it's just kind of fun to walk around (or a good place to cool off if you're visiting during the summer). It's set-up like a museum, lots of cool stuff in glass cases, and it's a good spot to ask questions about tour times or other information about the City. Whenever we find someone who isn't busy with a lot of customers/visitors, we always try to ask the locals questions we've come up with.

Amelia Ghost Tours **
When you're driving into Galena, there's an amazing old mansion that sits on HWY 20 that I've always been dying to see the inside of. However, you only get to 'tour' the house if you buy tickets to the Ghost Tour...which Josh and I obviously never cared about. After we'd done almost every single tour in town, we thought it might be fun to try this one just to be able to see the inside of the mansion and I'll say this...this is the last tour on this list that I'd recommend. I'm glad we did it because while everyone else on our tour was being weird and telling made-up ghost stories, I was busy admiring the architecture of the house...the intricate brackets on the windows and hinges on the doors...the parque-style floors and antique shutters on the insides of all the windows...the gorgeous chandeliers and built-in-marble fireplaces in every. single. room. Galena really capitalizes on the whole Halloween theme because September and October are their biggest months of the year, so be prepared to just 'go with it,' when people start telling ghost stories.

Tri-State Trolley Tour ****
If you're going to skip ALL the individual tours and just want one, all-inclusive tour of Galena, this is it. Tickets are sometimes sold at a discount at the DeSoto house or different shops in town, and the hour-long trolley ride covers absolutely everything in town. The trolley drives by every historic house and the driver/tour guide talks about the history of Galena and other town information the whole time. We've done this tour twice because the first time it was windy and FREEZING, so we wanted to try it a second time when we were in Galena with Mav.

Galena and US Grant Museum ****
Tickets to this museum are kind of high, but you could literally spend an entire day in this museum if you read every single display. This is NOT a quick stop...plan to spend a couple hours here, at least. Galena did an amazing job creating this museum, a Ulysses and Julia Grant hologram are the first thing to welcome you...the whole museum is located in an old historic Italianate home. Giant pieces of original, historic art are located here ("Peace in Union" and "General Grant on the Battlefield"), as well as the actual flag from the Vicksburg Siege. Visiting the gift shop doesn't cost admission, and it's a great one for finding touristy-Galena-gifts...the Galena prints I have hanging in our basement came from here!

Grant Park *****
There's more to this park than meets the eye...Grant's copper-green statue stands tall in the middle, but if you walk all the way over and spend time exploring, you'll learn that each cannon displayed in the park was given to the City of Galena as a 'reward' for sending so many generals and soldiers to fight in WWI. Apparently the United States used to do this...give prominent cities significant pieces and mementos from a war we'd won and I think it's kind of awesome. It's also fun to walk across the river on the giant bridge and look back across to see the Galena skyline. When Mav is with us we take a couple trips to the park to run around and play on the small play structure here.

Mississippi River Museum ****
This museum is located in Dubuque and when we took our little family vacation this summer, we bundled our stay at the DeSoto House with tickets to this museum (I told you they have great midweek deals!). And it is super. cool. It's huge, so plan to spend a solid morning or afternoon here. We brought a picnic lunch and ate outside on the picnic tables so we could stay to see as much as possible. It's like a science-center mixed with a history museum, and we all three loved that. We went back the next morning on our way home because the price of admission actually gets you in two days in a row! So we hit the building we didn't spend as much time in the day before (yes, there are multiple buildings, and TONS of stuff to see outside too, including an giant, old, iron steamboat that still sits on the water).

This scenic overlook outside of Galena on HWY 20 is one of my favorite spots.

Come back tomorrow for my second installment on Galena...our favorite SHOPS AND STORES!

Boersma's Guide to Galena: SHOPS

So you've joined me for day 2 of my blog tour of Galena. Are you booking your trip yet?? If not, you should be. Fall is coming and it's Galena's BEST season. If today doesn't sell you, tomorrow's post about THE BEST RESTAURANTS definitely will.

If you're interested in pictures from our first trip, as well as a funny blog about how Josh and I vacation together as complete opposites...you can find that old post here.

SHOPS/STORES
We've made a point to go in every single store on main street. This got exhausting after the first trip because we quickly discovered which ones were our 'favorites' and which ones we probably didn't need to peek inside again. These are the stores we make SURE we hit every single trip.

Galena Canning Co.
You get to sample your way through this store and it's the best. thing. ever. Dip, salsa, steak sauce, and mustard are all things we've brought home from here...and it's a great place to buy gifts for whoever is back home watching your baby. In the fall, their apple cider donuts rival Center Grove's and we make sure we stop here at least once (or twice) every trip.

Peace of the Past
This store has two locations on main street and we always wander through both. Floor to ceiling, stacked with books and antiques, we've found a number of treasures here and Josh is the one who loves slowly browsing antique stores on main street the most. I find Galena antique store prices to be priced on the higher end, so I can usually make quick work of these shops and move to the next activity on our list (does that surprise everyone?).

Elle & Becks
My favorite boutique in the entire town. Perhaps it's because it's more my 'demographic' than most of the others (picture a lot of high-priced middle-aged to hip grandma clothing boutiques) and I wander in here for a long time when Josh lets me...which he usually does because they also have a gelato bar so he sits in the corner with his gelato while I browse. I've only purchased one thing from this store, but it's the dress I got the MOST comments on last summer! The exposed brick, hardwood floors, and pretty chandeliers get me, and if that wasn't enough, it also happens to be my favorite coffee shop on main street as well.

New Earth Animals 
This place became one of our favorites as soon as we became dog owners. We aren't 'crazy' pet owners, but it's fun to treat our pets to fun treats when mom and dad come home too...plus it's another excuse to support a small business on main street.

Galena River Wine and Cheese
I'd say this is another one of Josh's favorite places...they do daily wine/liquor sampling and we've found some really unique/fun drinks here. Taste testing the wine is a surefire way to end up buying the wine, but when you justify it as a gift for your mom's (that you will also drink with them) it helps justify it. They carry the BEST EVER candy liquor brand and we always keep some of it stashed in our freezer, special for holidays.

Tin-Pan Alley Antique Mall
THIS is my place. I *almost* wish we hadn't discovered it because coming here is downright dangerous (for both of us!) Last year I found so many Christmas ornaments and you wouldn't even believe the prices. I got to the counter and the guy was like, 'I have more in the back, do you want them? I just need to get rid of them.' UMM ABSOLUTELY YES. We come out with arms full and look at each other like, 'we have a problem.' But it's a hobby and an activity we both enjoy doing together, so...it's fine, right? Best priced antique mall I've ever been to.

Galena Kandy Kitchen
Two looooong aisles of candy you get to scoop out of jars and mix into your candy bag, to be weighed at the counter for payment when you're finished...another dangerous place, specifically for Josh and Mav. But it's also a really fun and one of the stores that's open after most of the other places on main street close.

Poopsie's
The best toy store ever! We don't seem to have a problem finding Mav a 'little something' on our trips to Galena without him, and this place has all the coolest, unique toys. It's a great spot to start your Christmas shopping too!

Great American Popcorn Co.
We get to taste test whatever kind of popcorn they're stirring up as soon as we walk in the door, and that is the kind of greeting I appreciate. We usually leave with some kind of jalapeno-BBQ-Cheddar combo because this is Josh's heaven...I prefer the Galena Mix with some caramel and kettle corn mixed into the BBQ and cheddar mixture, but I always let Josh pick because I'm a perfect wife.

Elizabeth Grand Antique Co.
We like to head here when we feel like we've done plenty of laps up and down main street, seeing everything there is to see. Or when we're in Galena on Halloween weekend and all the people start arriving on Saturday. Elizabeth is just a short drive east of Galena on HWY 20 and this 'antique mall' is actually a giant old school with antiques and vendors and booths in every hallway and room for three floors...including the basement, the gym, and the stage. They're adding a little cafe and coffee shop, which I'm hoping will be finished when we visit in the fall! We spend the better part of a morning or afternoon here...definitely not a quick stop and it's worth the jaunt out of town!