On Wisconsin

We made it safely to Wisconsin, and I didn't even have a nervous breakdown. Braedy wasn't thrilled to have to sit down for as long as our flights lasted (neither was Eli, for that matter), but our biggest problems arose when we had to turn off the DVD player and descend. Eli kept screaming that his ears hurt and Braedy was mighty ticked that we turned off his movie. Thank goodness for peanut butter M&Ms, even if it meant Braedy covered in chocolate and grabbing at me. We can all shower and buy new clothes, right?

Some observations after being here only a day or two: Wisconsin people are way slobbier and out-of-shape than the general population in Utah. Really, it was kind of shocking and sad when I noticed that within minutes of parking and walking into the local Walmart. And, the Walmart Supercenter here in my hometown has a liquor store attached, something I've definitely never seen in Utah.

Yesterday, we got to experience the quintessential Wisconsin stereotype: dairy farming. Eli's grandma (Brian's mom) grew up on a dairy farm, and her brother still runs it. So, we headed to the "family farm" and learned all about how to milk cows (and how to stay away from them while they're doing their business). It was very stinky but entertaining at the same time. Eli kept calling his great uncle "the farmer" and mooing at the cows which made everyone, except the cows, laugh. The boys loved chasing all of the barn cats around, and got to swing a on a real tree swing. But the highlight was feeding a 3-day old calf.

Me, well, I felt really bad for the "girls". They were all chained to their stalls, and the only "free" cows are ones who aren't producing milk and the 3 day old calf, above. Even the calves were tied up. And, though the cows really got spooked by us and appear to be very stupid, wow, if I thought nursing was bad, I can't imagine what it's like to be a cow. Ouch is all I can say. So, a newfound respect for cows and all dairy products resulted from a long farm visit. It's nice to learn new things.