When we decided to move to Wisconsin, I can honestly say I was less than thrilled. Does anyone even live in Wisconsin? I had to look it up on a map. Cheese and beer. That's about all I knew.

But moving here blew away my expectations. People were friendly, the area was gorgeous, and there was tons to do here. We loved it. Even the Winter brought beautiful white blankets of snow, and the sheer size of the snowbanks had me in awe each day. Returning to Madison after our Summer in New Jersey was like returning to to an old friend after a long time apart, or a warm blanket. The smells were familiar, the reunions were sweet, and we were thrilled to be spending another year in this fine state.

So although many of you may still think that Wisconsin has more cows than people (a rumor I've learned is untrue), here are a few reasons to love this great place of Madison, Wisconsin.

1. The lakes: Madison is located on an isthmus between Lake Monona and Lake Mendota. So it seems like everywhere we turn, we have these beautiful views of the water. In the winter it's amazing to see ice houses dotting the lake for ice fishing.

2. The Brats: A food I wasn't too sure about upon moving here, has now become one of my favorite indulgences. Stores are packed with several flavors of brats. All my future barbeques will never again be without the presence of a brat.

3. The People: Walking around Madison makes me feel safe. People smile at me. Strangers comment on my adorable kids. People often go out of their way to help me with my bags, put away my carts, or hold open my doors. Everyone is so nice and friendly it is almost unreal.

4. Parks: Madison has over 100 parks. These are more than just a small area with a slide and a couple of swings. Some of these parks have ponds, giant play structures, and they almost all have tons and tons of grass for running, jumping, frisbeeing, and rolling (or whatever strikes Jackson's fancy that day).

5. Health Care: Our health coverage in Madison is the best it has ever been in our lives. Our insurance offers incentives for gym memberships, reimbursements for alternative medicine, no copays, and freedom in my choice of Doctor. And the price for students is incredibly low (thank you UW). The country would do well to emulate Wisconsin's fabulous health insurance plan.

6. Church: I wasn't sure what the ward would be like coming from a place like Portland where the population of LDS Church members is high. But when we arrived we were surprised to find a LARGE ward, with many many young families, and 3 nurseries! I have made so many amazing friends, and am thrilled with the participation and involvement in wonderful activities. With my husband gone most of last year, I was never without support, love, and friendship.

7. Downtown: It takes us 20 minutes to drive downtown, where we have our pick of restaurants from nearly every country, and a variety of high caliber entertainment options (including museums, theater, live music, and sports). Walking State street is one of my favorite things to do and has eclectic shops, unique stores, and so many ice cream places which brings me to my next point...

8. Ice cream: Whether it's Culver's Frozen Custard, The Chocolate Shoppe, Babcock's Creamery, or Michael's, I am never without really good ice cream options. I will never go on a diet that doesn't allow me to eat ice cream. It is too good, and makes me too happy. Thank you Wisconsin for the yummy yummy ice cream. (on a side note, having a lot of cows in Wisconsin also makes for really cheap milk. Gotta love that)

I'm sure there are many more things to love about Wisconsin, but these are just a start. I think I'm going to go eat a brat with some ice cream now.