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!

Baby B #3

We have the incredible privilege to have been given three babies...one cuddled between us, one in heaven, and one on the way, due Valentine's Day, 2020.

The past year has been spent figuring out that it's okay to grieve what could have been, but rejoice in what is.

To be unbelievably thankful for what we have, but devastated over what we lost.

To long for what seems like everyone else has, only to realize we've been blessed beyond measure.

To carry a precious life for a short season, to then hand it right back to the Lord.

The tension between the two is impossible to master. A painful daily battle, a constant reminder of what could have been. No pregnant tummy in fall family pics...no baby at Christmastime...no baby for Mav's last year at home before he starts preschool in the fall.

A constant cycle of planning, hoping, waiting...followed by letdown, pain and devastation. The hoping and hoping, only to have that sliver of hope dashed in two minutes. Doing the math on how old baby #2 would have been at this point, calculating what the due date of #3 might be if 'it' happens this month...estimating how old Mav might be before he finally gets to be a big brother.

The calendar was my enemy as an entire year slipped by without another baby for us to cuddle...and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.

To sit here and say we're thankful for a hard year of 'growing' and 'learning'...and to claim that we're somehow 'happy' we went through what we did because it made us 'stronger'...

...would be a lie. I wish we had a cute one-year-old in our laps instead of in heaven. That's just the truth.

But as a believer my hope isn't in my kids or the perfect family picture I envision on our mantle...the one that's included only one kiddo for much longer than we'd hoped. To trust God at His Word means to trust that He knows what the heck he's doing when it seems mean and unfair.

Because neither of those traits exist in His character. He is love and he is just...he literally can't also be mean and unfair.

I've found that it's okay to feel sad about what we lost, so long as we pair it with the indescribable Joy we know is coming. The joy we feel now that baby #3 is finally on the way is a small picture of this.

The expectant longing we feel for the joy that will come when our Savior returns is the bigger picture, the bigger story God has planned since the beginning. It means taking the long-view when I couldn't see past the next two weeks on the calendar.

It's appropriate that I'm studying Genesis right now, and yesterday specifically Noah and the flood...this is our rainbow after the storm. A sure sign of God's faithfulness to us. The third baby after we sent the second one to heaven. The positive test after 13 negative ones.

A broken hallelujah that He will redeem, restore, and renew it all...in His timing.

Until then, we wait with expectant longing for this sweet baby...and our sweet Savior.

MmB
 


Meanwhile...this BIG BROTHER couldn't be more excited about his special new 'job.'

BLC's 20th Year

{photography by kayeileenphotography}

This is Josh's 20th season in business.

What in the actual.

He's 31 and he's owned his own company for 20 years. This SAME company in this exact industry. To say this is rare would be an understatement...to say it's unheard of would be more accurate.

When we meet people for the first time and they ask what Josh does, he'll casually answer that he owns a lawn care + property maintenance company...his reply includes nothing flashy because Josh is not a "flashy guy." The company name is just our last name...which is kind of basic and boring. Lots of people own companies in the service industry, the conversation continues...

...until I speak up to say that he's actually owned and operated his company SINCE HE WAS TEN. This is what makes him special and interesting and awesome. He's been incorporated since he was 14 or 15 (his parents can't remember). He owned equipment before he was legally allowed to drive it to each job. But this is my very favorite...HE STILL HAS HIS FIRST CUSTOMER. 

I can't with that.

So I felt like Year 20 should be a big deal for BLC. And to kick off our 20th season in business, I thought taking it back to the beginning might be helpful for some of our newer friends and customers...people know he's the 'Grass' part of 'Glitter and Grass' but maybe aren't really sure how we ended up owning a lawn care company.

Let me set the scene for you. The year is 1999. Josh is in the midst of an All-American summer...jumping on the trampoline with his brothers; orchestrating water gun fights; riding his bike to the nearest Casey's to buy donuts and Mt. Dew with friends...oh, and also becoming a legitimate business owner at the ripe old age of 10.

Most 10-year-olds just save their birthday money to pay for candy at Bible Camp, but not Josh Boersma. He'd been an entrepreneur for years at this point...authoring books to market and sell to friends...catching snakes to travel door-to-door 'selling' to the neighbors. His little entrepreneurial spirit was so obvious at such a young age, and it wasn't something he was taught (though it was encouraged!). 

He's never filled out a timesheet...never had a 'boss' in the traditional sense of the word...to my knowledge he's never filled out any kind of legal employee paperwork. Sometimes when he's had a hard day I try and picture him finishing his degree and entering the workforce and it's laughable...because I just cannot picture him putting on nice clothes, leaving for work at 7:30 in the morning and getting home at 5:30, while someone else tells him what to do (and how to do it) for the hours in between.

*Disclaimer* There is absolutely nothing laughable about the scenario I just described. It's honorable, hard work to provide for a family this way...however, after 20 years of being his own boss, I'm not sure it's in Josh's nature to ever work for anyone besides his own customers.

Until Josh was able to drive himself, his mom helped load his push-mower into the back of her 1996 maroon Ford Windstar (which was the family's main mode of transportation now permanently smelled like gasoline) for the mowing route each week. He pushed his mower to accounts within walking distance. Bills were written on notebook paper and slipped inside mailboxes or front doors. Josh kept meticulous notes about each lawn he cared for...how long it took, what he should do differently next time, etc. Bookkeeping was accomplished using a green, wide-ruled, spiral-bound notebook. 

Simpler times. 

All while his mom waited for him inside the van...in the middle of an Iowa summer. Windows cranked, foot stuck outside, novel in hand. The more mom's I tell this story to, the more I hear say, 'I don't think I could do that for my kid.' This business was (and still is!) a family affair.

With a few seasons under his belt, Josh had made enough money to cover his expenses, his giving, and even extras like skydiving and as many snacks as he wanted at Bible Camp. He started hiring his friends and his brothers as his employees so he could take on more work. Once he was 16 he no longer needed mom to drive him to accounts, so he bought the Windstar from his parents; purchased a small trailer (which he still uses!); and added his first zero-turn mower to the growing fleet, a Gravely 152Z. I don't think I've ever known anyone to love a piece of equipment more. He had his senior pictures taken with this mower. When he sold it a couple years ago because he'd upgraded (twice) and we didn't have room to keep it just for sentimental reasons, he was weirdly sad to let it go. It was kind of his first baby.

By this time, his mom's adorable backyard gardening shed had been completely taken over for use as "BLC Headquarters," and this is the part of the story where I know Patti Boersma is an actual saint. This is also why I spent the better part of last summer transforming it back to its former glory, the only way I could offer my retroactive apology.

In high school Josh spent summers alternating between roofing with a crew of friends and mowing. He was up at 6am and worked six days a week, 8-14 hours a day depending on the weather, as both of those industries do (remember, this is a high school boy in the summer...'sleeping in' and 'video games' have never been part of Josh's lifestyle). Both track and cross country overlap mowing season in the spring and fall, so he'd go run five miles at practice, mow until dark, then go home to finish his homework. He somehow managed a perfect grade-point average + offers from multiple colleges to run. 

Despite better offers, he chose to come run at Iowa State (I think) because he wanted to continue running the business he'd spent the past eight years building. And this was still doable driving from Ames to Ankeny a couple days a week to keep his eye on things. His collegiate running career was short-lived due to injuries but this is the part of the story where I come in!

When I met Josh in August of 2007, I remember a couple of things...an insane farmer's tan from mowing in cutoffs all summer; the blondest hair I'd ever seen in my life, also from being outside all summer; and a work ethic that was almost maddening. His declared degree, Agricultural Systems Technology was the antithesis of mine (Art and Design), and his 'fashion-sense' was non-existent. It was not love at first sight. We spent a year telling friends we didn't like each other 'like that,' the subsequent year admitting to friends we actually did once we started dating, spent six months engaged...and then on June 19th, 2010 I became wife to this Titan of the Lawn Care Industry.

Josh's advisor encouraged him to do an internship with 'himself' and Boersma Lawn Care in the semester leading up to our wedding. He created a logo, a Google Business profile, ordered business cards from VistaPrint, and also planned a honeymoon. He was the first person I knew to get a smartphone, but unlike most people, its sole purpose was for tracking the weather to could keep mowing as long as possible leading up to a storm...always finding ways to be more and more efficient to provide the best service to his customer's. It was around this time that Josh took classes to become a certified chemical applicator to take steps toward making BLC a full-service lawn care company.

{photography by kayeileenphotography}

For the first time in more than a decade of owning Boersma Lawn Care, Josh was able to run his business on a full-time basis and as it turns out, wouldn't return to college. Many years the grass-growing season lasts through November...there wasn't really a way for him to do both, so we agreed running this business together would become our life's work. We created a Facebook page...printed door-hangers and fliers to canvas neighborhoods...and had shirts made with the phrase, 'Don't worry, it will grow back' printed on the back. We spent approximately one season 'marketing' and haven't done it since because too. many. people. want him.

Josh found even more ways to diversify BLC in the years that followed. He continued to perfect his work as an applicator, but also took classes to obtain his license as a certified backflow tester. This meant he was able to test backflow devices; start-up + shut-down irrigation systems; and fix any irrigation-related issues that came up for customers during the season. Josh found this to be work he enjoyed a bit more because it gave him the opportunity to connect with his customers on a more personal level. Josh also spent the past ten years gradually growing BLC's snow removal division...which is now a fairly large operation for us in the winter months. This spring Josh became a proud board member of the Iowa Professional Lawn Care Association (IPLCA) and plans to use that platform to educate his customers and further the support of the turf care industry.

And did I mention we flipped a couple properties in the middle of all of this? Please don't ask about it because we both have home renovation PTSD, but BLC owns a handful of rental properties as well.

{photography by kayeileenphotography}

Now BLC exists and grows strictly by customer referral...typically neighbors who spread the word about how much they like 'Josh their lawn guy.' We don't even have a website because we've never needed one, the people just keep calling. To quote Josh's favorite movie, "If you build it, they will come." We have the best customer's and our retention rate proves that the love affair goes both ways. To be able to say we've had many of the same customers for the past 15-20 years is something we take great pride in. 

Every year we turn away so much work in order to keep our loyal, current customers our #1 priority...our job is to take care of them first, company growth has always come second. Ten years ago when Josh went full-time with BLC, he knew if we grew faster than we could handle, it would mean trouble...so the name of the game has always been balance. It meant choosing our customer's wisely and taking on just enough to be able to sustain our high standards, while steadily achieving balanced growth, depending on how many qualified employees we've been able hire.

And it's a known fact that our biggest struggle has always been finding employees to help carry the BLC workload. Josh's standard is perfection. His work ethic is unmatched. He is faster and more efficient than any employee will ever be because he's simply been doing it longer than anyone else (we hear this is a common struggle for almost everyone who owns a business, specifically in the service industry). This year we have a full-time, licensed chemical applicator, along with two mowing crews and for the first time in 20 years Josh is sitting in the management seat...something he has a love-hate relationship with. He's been able to send out more quotes to new customers; communicate more effectively with his current customer's; and coordinate jobs BLC was never able to take on in the past. It became impossible for Josh to be the owner/operator AND the only full-time employee, though somehow he managed to pull it off for nearly a decade.

Because there's no 'off switch' to his entrepreneur brain, Josh purchased a skid loader this spring so BLC would be equipped to take on more landscaping work than ever before. Three semi-loads of mulch later tells us that this was apparently something our customer's were craving. We're thrilled to be able to offer more landscaping, brush clearing, tree work, and snow removal services to the people we love serving.

My part of this business is what I like to call 'Chaos Coordinator.' Since we had Mav, I became a stay-at-home-mom who also manages the day-to-day crazy at 'BLC HQ'...this means invoicing/bookkeeping; stocking the fridge with plenty of Monster and breakfast sandwiches; cleaning out the trucks; and replenishing first aid, bug spray, and sunscreen supplies for Josh + employees. I run Josh's errands and return voicemails during naptime. I post to our social media platforms when Josh sends me interesting pictures and I handled our new logo/branding project + the very little 'marketing' we do with signs, truck decals, and small chemical signs. I frequently place Amazon Prime orders for things like multi-tools, snow stakes, and rain gauges. As a 'creative' this work is not really in my wheelhouse, and many of you know the bookkeeping part of my job description has come with a learning curve. I'd like to simultaneously apologize and offer my thanks for kindly pointing out little mistakes when I make them and graciously allowing me the change to fix them. Like I said...we know our customers are the best.

20 years in this business hasn't been easy. It's meant more 90+ hour weeks than we care to admit; an insane amount of determination; and pure hustle (if you've seen Josh 'walk' while he's out working, you know he gives a new definition to the word hustle). Josh has missed countless holiday's, weddings, birthday/bachelor parties...he's generally been unable to attend social engagements from March through November. Because this is the hustle and drive that got us to his end goal...running his company from his office while at home enjoying his family.

Hiring, then training new employees, starting irrigation systems, testing and filing backflow information, and navigating the spring rain always creates a perfect storm for us, but this year has been a slightly different story. Though he's working, Josh has been HOME so much more, giving us some semblance of what a healthy work-life balance might look like. We've spent actual weekends together as a family; taken more trips than we did in the first eight years of our marriage combined; and had some time to enjoy our busy Maverick while he tears around our acreage on his Gator.

So this is our story. This is how Boersma Lawn Care began. It's not exciting and glamorous...there were no big investors or start-up campaigns or 'network marketing' incentives...no social media posts or sponsored Google/Facebook/Instagram ads to get people to hire Josh. He started when he was ten and he's just so darn good at what he does, it 'stuck.' 

Of course ten-year-old Josh probably didn't have the foresight to imagine this business would grow to something so big that one day it would support his family...the families of his employees...college kids paying for school...donations to excellent nonprofit organizations. He was just a kid who wanted to make some money to buy a new bike. Ever since I've known Josh all he's ever wanted was to take care of his family and make enough to give more away. He's so unwavering, focused, and driven, most don't get to see his unbelievably kind and generous side. 

Sometimes I forget that this is my very favorite story to tell. And that's why I wanted to share it here.

{photography by kayeileenphotography}

If you've been a customer in the past, are a customer in this present season, or are interested in being added to Josh's quote (waiting) list for the future...we are so grateful for your support of our small business. We appreciate you hiring a small, family-owned business over a large business or a franchise-chain. Every time someone shares our name with their friend or neighbor, it tells me you see how hard Josh works...it says you care about hiring a company that directly supports a family. I'm literally moved to tears thinking about the amazing life we get to live because you like us enough to hire us for your lawn care + property maintenance services. 

Clearly I came up with a few, but there really aren't enough words to express our gratitude.

If you see Josh in your yard this year, would you go pat him on the back and tell him congratulations on his 20th season in business?

Thanks for celebrating with us,
Josh, Mollie, & Maverick Boersma

{photography by kayeileenphotography}