Just wanted to share some happy little pictures from way up north. We are adjusting well. We have settled into a cozy little cottage just south of Toledo, in a little town named Bowling Green. It is quaint, with its Main Street, cluttered with old shops that change as the wind blows. Little restaurants, coffee shops, antique stores and whatnot shops litter one side of the street, while the other side is a hipster paradise. An old movie theater transformed into a college hangout, a pizza joint, tattoo shops, and one place that I still haven't figured out the official name. It sticks out on the corner, but no big name in lights, only an advertisement for Maxwell's coffee. My mom said the town looks like something out of Mayberry.
The day we moved to Ohio, almost 6 months ago, it snowed. I left Louisiana in sunny, glorious, warm April, already broken out my summer clothes, glittery flip flops and all. I had even painted my toenails (and my girls toes to match) this awful toothpaste blue color, because we had been wearing sandals for a few weeks. Louisiana's temperatures had begun their rapid climb to the 80s.
We knew we were in for it when we got to Nashville and the temperature was already in the low 60s. I swear I heard "Surprise! Put away the flip flops and take the jeans and boots back out because Summer is a long way off, kiddo." And it was. The next day we made our way through Ohio, and finally, after two days on the road, 16 hours worth of driving with two toddlers in tow, countless Max and Ruby episodes and snack wrappers all over the car, we made it. And it was in the 40s. And we were COLD. And guess what? The next day, as if to give us a "Welcome" gift, it SNOWED. In APRIL. And suddenly, as if out of no where, my fear of Winter was born. I thought, "If this is SPRING, I cannot imagine what winter looks like." Exactly one week later, the day before Easter, we moved into our little shoebox house. A two bedroom, one bath house, built in 1900 (not unusual for the area). That day was pouring down raining, and freezing cold (smoke breath and all, in LATE APRIL!!) It was dreary, cold, and wet for the first 3 weeks we were there. Then, one day, it was sunny outside. And finally, I was able to really see the neighborhood we moved into. It wasn't dreary at all. It is actually the most adorable, old fashioned, snuggly little neighborhood I think I have ever seen.
And then, I could not believe my eyes. Bunny rabbits. EVERYWHERE. We looked in the backyard and we counted 6 rabbits, sitting there just like us, thankful for some sunlight. We learned that the area has an ordinance in place that cats cannot roam free, they have to be on a leash. So we have bunnies and squirrels pretty much everywhere.
So with the temperatures finally making their way into the 60s, we opened every window in our Air Conditioner free home, and really enjoyed the breeze. I joked that I moved into a Disney movie, because our "adorable little cottage" was missing a few key things (of course the A/C was a biggie for us) but it also has no microwave, no dishwasher, no garbage disposal, and one simply terrifying basement, complete with psychotic flying mice (bats) that actually went after my husband one night. So, here I am, leaning over the sink every night, hand washing dishes, curtains blowing in the breeze, watching my little woodland creatures frolic in our yard. And its actually...nice. I mean, don't get me wrong, I miss my Louisiana like nothing else. The steamy weather, cypress trees, crawfish boils, and summer in general haunted me for my first few weeks in Ohio, as I wrapped myself in a thick sweater, and put the girls back in their coats. But then, as summer got into full swing, I realized that my family back home was exhausted by noon from the heat, which was usually at least 90 by 11am. But in Ohio, I was opening windows and had a light sweater on all the way into...dare i say, late JUNE! (It did eventually reach unbearable heat, and we did have to buy a window unit for our pitiful little house. Turns out windows open when its in the 90s (!!!) outside, only makes it feel like the 90s inside too! duh!)
So, here we are, the end of August, and I'm finally getting used to the fields and fields of corn and soybean farms that surround our little town.
And then, the greatest little surprise: One night, Chris and I were sitting on the front porch, and out of no where... FIREFLIES! And these are no puny little girly fireflies, either. These suckers are HUGE, and they get right up in your face. The girls were thrilled the few times we let them stay up almost two hours past their bedtime so they could chase them in our backyard. I was having too much fun with them to take pictures, but as soon as I can I'll be click, click, clicking away to get a shot of them.
Summer has been fabulous though, I must admit. Splash pads, Popscicles, water melon, wading in a creek, bike riding, you name it, we do it. And the playgrounds! We are at a new playground every day!
So, this should just about sum up our lives since February. We miss Louisiana every day. But I also love that my sweet girls are seeing parts of the country they might not have ever seen, had Chris not taken this job.
When there's a better opportunity for you and your family's future, you take it. No matter where it takes you.
