Concerts on the Square

One of my favorite things about summer in Madison is going to Concerts on the Square. They are every Wednesday evening and are free! The Madison Chamber Orchestra sets up out on the capital lawn and people come and bring blankets to sit on and listen. The capital in Madison has it's own block and the streets around it are commonly referred to as the "square". The farmer's market is on the square, there is the "Art Fair on the Square", etc. But concerts on the square is one of the greatest events. Wyatt commonly refers to this as "the picnic" and was excited all day to go.

People sit on blankets all the way around the capital and they set up speakers so everyone can hear. The weather was just beautiful and the mosquitoes weren't too bad---probably because everyone had bug spray on.

My sister just got a great new camera and I had so much fun with it---I'm addicted and am dying for one myself!!

My mom (Nani) and Sadie walking around the capital--you gotta love Sadie's beauty queen wave!!

love the telephoto lens!

My sister Lindsay, Wyatt, and me

State mascot--mosquitoes

I just have to post a few pictures of poor little Sadie. She is covered in mosquito bites and it seems that they are everywhere these days. We've been saying over the past few days that there seem to be so many more mosquitoes this summer and our thoughts were confirmed as we read the paper this morning. Apparently at one of the larger parks in Madison, a net will usually catch about 200 mosquitoes over a certain time period. This year, the same net has caught about 20,000!!!! No wonder Sadie looks like she does!!




The picture quality isn't the greatest, but if you click on them individually, so can really see how bad it is!!!

Fun Times with Daddy!

We have really enjoyed our time off this week and although almost all of our stuff is in boxes and we are living with family for the next several weeks, we are making the most of it and looking at the situation as a blessing. The kids and I have loved having Matt around this week---as have my parents! Matt has mowed the lawn a few times, fixed a few things around the house, washed cars, etc.

On Tuesday, the four of us went to the zoo and had a great time. It was great to just have time as the four of us and not have anything else pulling at our time---no pager, no appointments, no schedule. Matt and I actually enjoyed the zoo just as much as the kids and found some of the animals and exhibits fascinating.

looking at the gators

kids and matt checking out the grizzlies

On Wednesday, we decided to bike downtown to the memorial union. I ended up mapquesting is after we returned and it's about a 12 mile bike one-way. I had been wanting to do this for awhile as I have fond memories of our family taking bike trips downtown when I was younger. However, my parents have since moved farther away from downtown by a few miles and pulling 60 lbs of kids behind you really makes for an additional challenge. But we still had such a great time and I can't wait to do it again. Madison is such a great place to be outdoors and active.

Eating Ice Cream on the terrace

watching the ducks

the water level is so high----usually there are several steps down to the water
We are having such a great time as a family and I'm sure there will be many more posts about all we are doing during our "time off".

A new look

Matt has been contemplating a new do for quite a while. He's always wondered what his hair would look like much shorter, so with a bit of prompting from yours truly, he went for it. I figured, why not now? He doesn't start his fellowship for several weeks yet and we are going up north to his parents cabin, so it won't really matter if it doesn't look good---what better time?

Before

After

Of course, after Wyatt saw what Daddy got to do, he wanted to do the same thing. I really love his great blond hair, but I figured it'll grow back and it was a fun thing for him to do with his daddy----and it turned out pretty cute for his first buzz cut.

Before

After

A long-awaited day

One of my closest friends got married the day we moved from La Crosse. Thankfully she only had her sister stand up for her, otherwise it would have been an even crazier weekend. Just getting to a wedding by 4pm on Saturday was crazy enough. But I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Allison and I have been friends since high school when she moved to Madison and we instantly became best friends through youth group. We've been through a lot together and I am so happy for her and Mike.

I love weddings and it was great because our anniversary was the very next day, so it was a bit of a date for us to be out without the kids for an entire evening.

We also had a lot of fun with my parents. We rarely get to go to a wedding with them and we had such fun spending time with them.

It was such a beautiful night, a beautiful setting down at the union, and a beautiful couple.

I had so much fun taking pictures of them and are so happy for the two of them. They are such great people and I can't wait to hear from Alli after they return from Hawaii.

Leaving on a jet plane.....well, not quite.

So, after all our goodbyes, we actually did move. The kids loved playing on the moving truck and walking up and down the ramp. We are so thankful for our family that came and helped us load up the truck. Our last day was pretty crazy.......we spent from about 8am until noon loading up the truck......
...then we all got cleaned up and went to Matt's residency graduation over lunch........
...then back to packing all afternoon. We finally loaded up the truck and the moving truck and the kids went back to Madison with my parents while Matt and I went to the dinner and checked out of our housing the following morning. Wyatt was ecstatic to ride in the truck with Pops and he stayed awake the entire trip home.
Sadie, Mom, and Matt waving goodbye to Wyatt and Pops

Goodbyes--for real this time

We all procrastinated in saying goodbye to each other. For the last few weeks in La Crosse, we'd say, "This is out last....... together" but we'll still see each other tomorrow. But we finally reached our last day in La Crosse when there was no tomorrow. I wrote in a previous post about what wonderful blessings all my friends in La Crosse have been, but I just can't say it enough. We are now all scattered around the country, yet we'll always have our time in La Crosse in common. I spoke with an attending at the hospital who told me that 15 years after residency, she still is in touch with the other women who went through residency at the same time and I'm planning on being the same way!

Me (Ohio), Stephanie (Pennsylvania), Nicole (Oregon), and Sarah (Wisconsin)

Matt, Ben, Annette, and I--Ben and Annette were friends that we just met before leaving La Crosse but are so thankful to have done so. Ben's dad was actually my father-in-laws wrestling coach in college and Matt grew up hearing such great things about Ben's dad, so we had this instant connection when they moved to La Crosse. Plus, they did their residency in Columbus, OH, so they've been so helpful as we prepare to move there.

Side by Side 2008---Of course not everyone was here for this picture, but it was great to spend time with everyone the night before we had to move. This picture was taken at the residency graduation dinner. These women all mean so much to me and I have loved experiencing residency with them.

I love this picture because it just reminds me of what these women have meant to me--just looking at the excitement on each of their faces over a new baby, seeing each other, asking how things are going, etc. We all experienced life with each other---joys, sadness, excitement--it's one of the things I love about being around other women. These are the good friends that share your joys and sorrows and I will truly miss living in the same city with all of them.

Our first goodbyes...to the kids

We began our goodbyes in La Crosse by having all the kids say goodbye. We went to our friend Jess's house the week before we all moved out and had all the kids take a picture together. All of these kids lived in resident housing together and we have SO many memories together.

Leo, Wyatt, and Bella--one last time at the pool together

Sadie--enjoying the water fountains

Gotta keep her girlish figure!

Wyatt and Drew

Our last night in resident housing with all the kids together....still so sad to think about!

Gabe, Wyatt, and DrewWyatt is excited about moving to Ohio, but not about leaving all his friends. We were blessed to have so many kids Wyatt's age that we lived close to and were able to play with.

A Day in the Life of Sadie Joan

This is how I found her sleeping one day. She still has her shoes on because she fell asleep in the car and we forgot to take them off as we carried her to bed. Doesn't this look terribly uncomfortable with her little bottom sticking up in the air? Apparently she was comfortable because we had to wake her up to go to dinner at a friend's house.

I had to post this picture because I got so many emails/posted comments/questions as to why Sadie didn't have a helmet on in a previous post about us biking. Well, here it is. She didn't like to wear it in the past b/c it was a bit big, but apparently her head grew enough! She wants to wear it all the time now, because she wants to be like Wyatt, Mommy, and Daddy.

This picture was taken on Father's Day. We were sitting outside and she was doing what she loves to do....play with jewelry and touch peoples' faces. That smile just makes me smile!

Sadie got this outfit as a baby gift from one of Matt's attendings and it finally fits her. It's an authentic scandinavian outfit--thankfully she's mostly german, so she can pull it off. Not sure when she'll wear this again, especially since we are leaving Wisconsin. Maybe it'll still fit her for Halloween.

This is the face you'll see Sadie making whenever you show her grapes, yogurt, a starbucks cup (empty), or her blankie. And it's usually accompanied by a huge inhale!