4 Reasons Living in Des Moines is Actually Kinda Nice

So I realize this title may not sound like the most positive thing ever. But I promise it is! I haven't been super private about the fact that Iowa wasn't at the top of my list for places to move, so if you are reading this I have a feeling you already knew that. When my cousin Will asked me what I would miss about it, I said my friends and Trader Joes. We Iaughed, but at the time I legitimately could not think of anything else. I knew that leaving some of the relationships I had formed would be really hard, but I didn't think I would miss much else. Well, as you could probably expect, a little time and distance has changed my tune a bit. I actually missed Des Moines the other day, and not just for the friends. I know that much of what I miss is the familiarity. I miss driving without a GPS and walking straight to what I need in the grocery store. But there is more than that to it as well. So, without further ado, here are 4 reasons that living in this midwestern metro was much better than I expected it to be.

1) Outdoor public space
Des Moines wins on this one. The list of expansive parks in the middle of the city is long, the paved trail system is probably one of the best in the nation. If you want to exercise for free - there is no excuse for not doing it in this city. My only complaint is that I had zero desire to go for a bike ride during the 6 months of freezing temps. The above picture is from Gray's Lake. There is a great trail that goes all the way around it. You can also rent canoes and paddle boats.

2) The traffic is incredible
Naturally I included a picture of my beloved Subie for this part since that's what I navigated the traffic in. Don't tell David you like it too, because he will probably try to sell it to you on the spot. I know this may seem like a strange choice for a pro, but this is something I didn't appreciate until I got to PA. You can get pretty much anywhere in the metro in 20-30 min. And that's for extreme times when you live in West Des Moines and for some reason want to go to Ankeny or Pleasant Hill. If you keep your radius a little smaller, everything you could ever need is at your fingertips. There are so many lanes of traffic, and even the interstate at rush hour will only slow you down a few minutes. Also, the traffic lights are incredibly responsive. No more sitting at the light for 5 minutes with no other cars in sight waiting to for it to turn green. I swear they see you coming and change just in time. Also, the city is pretty much a giant grid, so even pre-iPhone SK learned her way around in a heartbeat. This definitely makes everyday life convenient.

3) Downtown is pretty hip
The Des Moines River basically splits the more business oriented, skyscraper side of downtown with the East Village - a collection of fun local eats and shops. My favorites include an adorable knit shop called Stitch,  Porch Light Antiques, and an awesome paper goods shop that is my favorite place except for the fact that I can't remember what it's called. There is a great summer concert series at an amphitheater on the river. The Downtown Farmers Market is awesome. They have free wine samples, tons of produce, yummy ethic food, craft vendors, and a La Mie tent because we all know that calories from that gem of a bakery don't count. The picture above is from when my BFF came to see me and we checked out the farmers' market for the first time! (I am allowed to call her my BFF because we were besties before that acronym was invented. True life. It was added to the dictionary in 1996.) Last but not least, the building you see in the background is the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates and it is incredible inside! 

4) It is chain heaven
I don't have a picture for this one because I don't usually snap pics of the Aldi logo, but this one definitely deserves its place on the list. Des Moines has every chain store you could possibly ever need. I know that is not hip or cool or trendy or local - but it is CONVENIENT. I lived within 5 minutes of a Super Wal Mart, a Super Target, a Trader Joe's, an Aldi (groceries so cheap, it rocks!) and a Hy-Vee (fantastically run midwestern grocery store that also has great chinese food which I miss.) So if you need eggs- you have choices! I also lived within 5 minutes of an Old Navy, Bed Bath and Beyond, Khols, Chick-Fil-A, Starbucks, Williams-Sonoma, Scheels (giant midwestern sporting goods store), the list goes on and on and on and on. I'm telling you, they have everything you could ever need. Except an Anthro. That's my only complaint. But I'll cut them some slack on that one. 

Maybe soon I'll do a "Weekend in Des Moines" post and tell you all my favorite places in case you ever decide to vistit. Because let's be honest, I don't think you'll ever pass through on accident. But if you do go there on purpose, I think you'll have a blast!

A Summer In Pictures

Well, since I forgot I had a blog, I'm imagining y'all did as well! Up here it actually feels like fall already! (Well more like winter since it will be in the 30s tonight!) I can close the door on my summer and embrace pumpkin and flannels without sweating and swimming through September like I'm used to. But before I get ahead of myself, we did have a wonderful summer and I'll give you all the speed version in pictures!

We started off with a spontaneous Memorial Day weekend trip to Saint Louis and it was a BLAST! That city is so fun. We did a ton of stuff including the Art Museum, the City Museum and the botanical gardens. 

Most of you may not know this, but David and I have a married goal to eat ice cream in all 50 states. That is not a joke. Those of you who know me best will not be surprised. So here is me, eating ice cream in Missouri!

 One weekend we went home with our friends Joy and Tyler to the great state of Nebraska. We started off here, visiting Tyler's family on their farm in Stromsburg, where we also checked out the Swedish festival. (I told you Midwesterners love their European heritage!)

 We then went to Joy's family's home right outside Lincoln. We walked around the University of Nebraska, and the boys went to a James Taylor concert while Joy and I visited some of her friends. On Sunday after church there was a gender reveal party in which Joy and Tyler told the world that their firstborn is a boy! It was a blast. 

I went back to Alabama for a few days for the wedding of Stuart and Rosie Spooner. It was SUCH a blast and such a breath of fresh air to get to see all my people.

I also got to go to my favorite place in the world. I even got to ski 3 days in a row! It doesn't quite feel like summer because I never went to the beach, but at least I got to sneak a little lake time in.

4th of July came and it pretty much consisted of eating these delicious guys for breakfast and watching some fireworks with some friends. 

We may a last minute splurge decision to go see Gillian Welch and David Rawlings in concert. It. Was. Amazing. I'm not even going to try to explain how great it was. The venue was perfect. She is one of our long time favorites, so it was a bucket list concert for sure.

We went to the renowned Iowa State Fair. Maybe this one deserves a post of its own. It was pretty much everything I imagined it to be. 

On August 10th we celebrated being married ONE WHOLE YEAR! It is crazy to think that it has already been that long. I have learned so much, but more than anything I've realized how much more I have to learn! We celebrated by going to dinner downtown and then eating the top layer of our wedding cake which my sweet mom shipped all the way from Sweet Home Alabama. It actually tasted really good - that Peggy McKinney knows what she's doing.

We also went to a hot air balloon festival at night when they were all lit up. 

I also threw my first ever baby shower. What better friend to celebrate than this one! Joy has been such a blessing to me during my time in Des Moines. It was so fun to come together and get excited about her sweet boy who will be here in a few short weeks!

Of course the crafting part was my favorite! Okay maybe the baking. All of the preparation was so fun to me. I wish I could throw parties for my job.

For Labor Day we could think of NOTHING fun to do so we decided to drive to Kansas City, MO for the day. We ate some incredible BBQ, and explored a few different areas of town, including the plaza with a tower that looks just like the cathedral in Sevilla! It made me miss Spain. 

While sitting in a coffee shop we realized that we were only 15 minutes from Kansas! I have been to Kansas before. On a charter bus. With 50 high schoolers. We drove across the whole state. There were no hills. We ate dinner in Kansas. And breakfast. There were lots of windmills. I had motion sickness. Needless to say, I don't really have a desire to go back and spend a lot of time there, so we took advantage of being so close and drove across the border! The neighborhoods were really pretty! And of course we ate ice cream. Then we stopped outside of a bank and took this selfie with the flag to  prove that we actually went there. Excuse my double chin. 

All in all it was a fun summer! We are surprised to still be in Iowa, since there were some changes in David's project that he got slated to stay and finish. But I think I am enjoying it now more than I have been! I have much to be thankful for. We'll see what adventures the fall brings!

Tulip Time

Several weekends ago I went on probably my strangest midwestern adventure yet - and it was a blast! Let me introduce you to the little town of Pella. It's a small Dutch town about an hour east of Des Moines. People warned me that it is a little creepy, and indeed I've never seen anything like it. We visited this charming city for the pinnacle of it's year - Tulip Time. It is basically a celebration of how the Dutch are the greatest people on earth and Pella is a haven from the outside world. At least that it how it appeared to me. 

When I say this is a Dutch town I mean that even the movie theater and the gas station have to meet standards of Dutch architecture. I've never been to Holland, but I have a feeling it would look a lot like this place. 

We sat through the parade that is apparently one of the highlights of Tulip Time. It was filled with half the town wearing traditional Dutch clothes. Even the band of Pella Christian School (which I hear is bigger than the public school) wore the traditional wooden shoes and echoed as they marched down the street. There was a girl who came over the loud speaker to explain each new part of the parade. Her speech was full of phrases like "the Dutch are known for their superior …. " or "… reminds us of back in the Netherlands." Let's just pause for a moment and remember that my parade upbringing was Mardi Gras - where you scream your head off and wave your hands in hope that your classmate's drunk dad will recognize you and your friends and dump a case of moon pies on you. This was a little different from the Calvin Scouts that rode buy and smiled and waved politely. (I am serious, they have Calvinist boy scouts in this place!)

One of the cutest parts was the tulip queens of yesteryear. I guess these ladies come back year after year to relive their time in the spotlight. 

Apparently this is the largest functioning Dutch windmill in the United States. Pretty cool. 

After the parade we walked around town looking at the tulips. This is my friend Joy. Shout out to her sweet friend from Florida, Rachel, who took the picture! I think Rachel pretty much summed up the reason Tulip Time weirded me out a little bit when she commented that she has never seen such a high celebration of white culture as they have in the midwest. I realized how true that is! Everyone is very much aware of and very proud of their European heritage. After thinking about it and talking about it with several people, I have a few theories about why it is this way. 

For starters - we aren't allowed to be proud of being white in the South. If we were to have a Dutch festival or a English festival or something where we explicitly praised the Fatherland we would be immediately labeled racists and it would not go over well. There is too much fresh pain in people of color - even today - for us to consider this. 

Also, as I talk to people who have grown up here I realize that distinctively ethnic communities are much more common. The midwest was settled so much later and in such tight knit (and geographically disconnected) communities that they were able to hold on to their European traditions and culture with a little more ease. My ancestors came across the pond when we were still a grouping of colonies, and married whoever was around - across lines of nationality. That being said - I'm a big part English, a part Scottish, a little part German, a little part French, a decent sized part Native American, some sprinkles of who knows what else, and 100% Southern. Indeed, our culture has taken on so many of its own unique characteristics that we celebrate those instead! 

Side note: I am still trying to figure out what those things are that define midwestern culture outside of a specific European one. So if you have any ideas let me know!

All that being said, living here has motivated me to learn a little bit more about my ancestry and to think a little bit more deeply about culture and heritage in general. I am thankful for these people who are proud of where they come from! And the tulips - let me tell you. They were gorgeous. 

Here's another view of the giant windmill as we walked to wait in a really long line for these delicious little buttery pancake bites that I'm not even going to try to spell. 

There were so many different variations of tulips. These were some of my favorites. 

Public Service Announcement: Let me just remind you that my motivation in starting this blog was to keep my family and friends down South updated on a few little parts of my life in the midwest! In other words, if you happen to be from here, please just see my thoughts for what they are - the friendly observations of someone who is most definitely not from here. I'm sure that you would think Dogwood Trail Maids are the weirdest things ever, and that's ok! That is part of the fun of this big, beautiful, and diverse country! 

Visitors

A few weeks ago, we got the much anticipated treat of having David's parents visit us! It was such a fun weekend. It was great to catch up with them and let them see a little part of our lives, as well as do some fun things that we wouldn't usually! 

 We started off Saturday with an incredible (and incredibly caloric) breakfast from La Mie, a local bakery. It was pretty enough to eat outside in a park! 

 We then went to this super cool downtown shop called West End Salvage. It's basically a four story antique shop that has everything you could ever imagine. It also has it's own coffee shop and HGTV show!

 After that we headed to the High Trestle Trail Bridge, which is one of my favorite spots near Des Moines. (Check it out at night in my post from my parents' trip out here.)

Mrs. Barbara suggested we take a selfie, so why not?

And just for fun, a hilarious one that David snuck in there.

What a huge blessing to have such rockstar in-laws, and what a fun time to show them our city!

Iowa Lately

Or My Life In iPhone Pictures

Whew! I blink and the weeks are gone. I got an iPhone in January and I have loved snapping pictures at random times and places without lugging around my DSLR. So, here is a glimpse of our daily lives in less-than-wonderful-quality. 

 When the snow starts to melt we are left with these beauties all over the place. This is one downside to snowy winters that I never knew about until now. 

One Saturday we went to a gym called Climb Iowa with some guys from David's word. It was a blast! I snapped a picture of this guy right before we left because he was actually blind but still climbing. It was impressive.

 A note from my sweet grandparents - how much I wish for spring they don't even know!

 This is a snow mountain in the parking lot of one of the nearby malls. I was amazed at how giant it has become. (Midwest newbie, I know.) But seriously, it is taller than a tree.

 I made my first ever homemade pecan pie for the super bowl. 

I snapped this walking out because I wanted to remember how my selfless husband scraped all the snow and ice off my car before heading to work at 6:15. However little did I know that I would soon slide into a curb and the Roo would head into the shop for 2 weeks. Winter driving is the worst. 

This has been the view from our apartment more days than I can count. 

These notes keep me smiling during the mornings at work. I have really loved getting to know a lot of these kiddos. 

 I snapped this out the window of my car when I was at a red light. One of my favorite things about snow is the way is piles on the evergreens. It is really beautiful that first day.

 Our good friends had their baby and we got to meet her on her birthday! She is absolutely precious. 

 If it is sunny and above freezing, I try to go for a walk! (Well, on the 2 or 3 days that has happened.) It is crazy how my definitions of acceptable weather are changing!

 One day the snow was blowing sideways so much that it accumulated on the sides of poles and trees. Weird. 

 Pardon the early morning selfie but this was too good not to share. I found this ridiculous sized icicle one morning when I took out the trash. I thought these were only in movies!

 They obviously don't celebrate Mardi Gras up here, so I decided to try to make a king cake to share. One king cake turned into four. In one week. They were delicious but I don't know that I will be rolling out any more dough any time soon. 

 We also went ice skating at an outdoor rink downtown! David is so fast, he was a blur. Well that and I am anything but steady on the ice! Haha this is a terrible picture but a reminder of a super fun winter activity. I got some . But that's ok! 

I took a giant glass of sweet tea to work the other day in my Auburn Tervis. I miss the culture of the south every day, and I am so ready for spring. But I am learning a lot, and I know I will look back and be thankful for these long, similar, frozen days. And more than that, for the grace that carries me through each one. 

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Psalm 68:19

The their comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10

Candid

So I was thinking this morning about how it has been forever since I've updated my blog. I have lots of thoughts and themes mulling around in my head, but none of them are formed enough to be articulated here yet. And I don't have a lot of cool pictures of things we've done. To be honest, my days look like this: wake up, pack David's lunch, quiet time, clean/get dinner started/run errands/get ready, go to work, come home from work, eat dinner, clean up from dinner, go to sleep. Repeat. I've also been thinking about how we often portray our best selves on social media. Who has an instagram that doesn't make them look cool? What kind of message does that send about our lives? I also was really encouraged at our women's retreat last weekend about the fact that I don't have to have it all together. You can ask my mom, my husband, and my college roommates and I think they would all agree on the same thing. I desperately want to have my ducks in a row at all times - but I fail. Some people are capable of keeping a neat home, organized planner, and a well stocked freezer. Other people have embraced the fact that such a lifestyle is not for them - and they live happily in the chaos. I am sure others of you are in that miserable third category with me - the constant disconnect between what I expect of myself and what I achieve. So in the spirit of honesty, I decided to walk around my apartment at 6:30 this morning taking pictures of what my life is really like at this point in time. No staging involved - just snapshots of what you would actually get if you knocked on my door right now. I may regret this after I actually finish my coffee, but here goes. 

 Here is a dishwasher that I discovered to my dismay this morning is still full of dirty dishes because I forgot to start it two days in a row. (See the detergent pack in the bottom?)

 The leftover crescent rolls served as our vegetable Tuesday night, and they are still sitting by the tray they were cooked on. Don't worry, I spared you a picture of the dishes actually in the sink. 

 My boots are still sitting by the door, ready to be put back on today. The snow is coming back.

 Yup. That is our Christmas tree, still there. There are about five ornaments left, because I had to leave in the middle of packing them up. Yes, those are also our stockings still hanging above the fake fireplace. 

 Clean sheets still sitting in the dryer from  (you guessed it!) two days ago. 

 My attempt at meal planning sits on the fridge, but don't worry, last night we got pizza instead. 

 I am on top of the game by working on next week's preschool lesson before the morning of! But I still left my piles on the table. 

 And this is the quote I can't read enough times, one I found last summer that speaks beautifully to my heart that fights so desperately against the freedom that the Gospel brings. 

And this is where I am in my attempt to read the Bible through in a year. Leviticus. It's not anyone's favorite book. But I'm being renewed day by day, even through the non-romantic passages. I'm amazed as I see God's hand of providence in the lives of his children, and as I realize with awe that from day one his plan was to bring me into the fold. From before the foundation of the world he wrote my name in his book and he sent his only son to be my redeemer. 

I am loving God's Word more than ever. Because let's be honest, some days on the way to work I think about reasons I could quit. I can't love my husband, I can't sit at a computer, I can't continually smile at the same misbehaving kids day after day after day, unless I am dwelling in the truth. And many days I don't dwell in the truth and I do have a bad attitude and I become impatient and I do snap "No you are not really sick, go back to your group!" with a lot less grace than I should. But I know the place where I am refreshed and I can resonate with Deuteronomy 32:47 For it is no empty word for you, but your very life. 

And in the end, when I look around, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude because this is my life. Even the most monotonous and boring and frustrating days are a gift. And what rich rich blessings my Father has lavished upon me. Let us rejoice and be glad, for this is the day that the Lord has made! We have an older brother who has come into our mess and he furiously loves us even then. 

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel - and God knew.  Exodus 2:24-25

And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. John 1:16

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing… These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:4-5;11