Friday, June 05, 2009

Great Expectations in Ohio

Exactly nine years ago to date, my husband and I pulled our rented moving van out of my parent's driveway in Chicago and glided onto the turnpike headed for Ohio. Young, married and without children I watched the skyline of my beloved city through tears.

I routinely joke around with my husband, "I should have asked you on our first date where you planned on living. Seeing a movie was a stupid idea for a date since we couldn't talk and by the second date I had already fallen in love with you."

We saw "Great Expectations."


Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to be a stay-at-home-mom of three in Ohio, married to a dentist. Ohio, people! A dentist, people!! THREE children, people!!! How much more unglamorous can I paint myself as?

Let me try....



Vertical Ohio:

Horizontal Ohio:

Ohio with a mischievous unwilling to follow a mother holding a pink marshmallow toddler:

Three pure Ohioans arguing over some weeds:

O HI O!!!

For years I have complained about living in Ohio. It took my three children to convince me that spending two hours in an open field close enough to smell the Amish laundry hang drying and far away from beautiful oceans and picturesque mountains and posh cities missing Neimans a tad to realize that...

It's not so bad after all. Kids, they really are the keepers of truth.

***

Read about our recent date night in Cleveland here. And giving away tickets to the Rock & Roll Museum here. I just RSVP to the local BlogHer meet-up, here is some more info. Made it *this* far? Then please vote daily for your most favorite Cleveland mommy blogger here. Ahem, as you were.

40classy comments:

Managed Chaos said...

Your photos never cease to amaze me. And I LOVE that last one of Lola. Priceless.

PS. Glad you're finally coming around about Ohio ;o)

Amy said...

I feel like this about Tennessee. (OMG I'm in Tennessee!?!)

Sweet pictures though.

(BTW - I grew up in Ohio.)

Desiree said...

Oh these are just gorgeous!

I've been to Ohio once & I thought it was very, very pretty ^_^

Val said...

Gorgeous day there. Yes, I saw your suck it southerners tweet. it was nice here in TX today though.

Barking Mad! said...

Beautiful shots!

Having lived in Ohio (just outside of Cols, in the Newark/Heath area) I remember the charm of the small towns, and especially the rural areas where the Amish and Quaker populations were high.

I miss the summer storms.

Love this post! And I really love how your perspective has changed.

Auds at Barking Mad!

Indy said...

When you won the tourism video contest, I thought about all of the conversations we've had about your transition to Ohio. Can you believe you made a video highlighting the positives and won it? Could we have imagined that 5 years ago sitting in my basement when you talked about how much you missed Chicago. I think family can make any place a great place to live.

Loukia said...

Okay, seriously? Are you willing to come up to Ottawa to take some pictures of me and my family, please? All expenses paid? Like, holy wow, you're good!
I totally began to appreciate the city I live in after I had kids, too. It's a great city to raise a family. :)

Kellee said...

Great shots!! :)

Stephanie said...

Children have a way of making everything clearer, huh?

I've told my hubby time and time again i'd love to pick up and move somewhere unexpected...like nebraska or Idaho. Somewhere where its just us.

He always answers no. Oh well.

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

It really makes the expression "home is where you heart is" come to life.

And, I love that last one of Lola.

2 Little Irish Boys said...

I love Ohio and I love Tennesse. I left Ohio to move back to home--TN!! I lived in Cincy and loved it--hated the drive to Cleveland!!

Zoeyjane said...

This is exactly why I have so many pictures in my flickr account of Isobel at the beach. It reminds me that her, loving on this city, almost makes sticking around this city worth it.

Putting the FUN in DysFUNctional said...

It's what you make it, ya know? I'm glad you're happy there. To me, it sounds wonderful, but I'm a small town girl!

Jessica said...

I think we all feel that way sometimes. I moved to Kansas City for my husband, but I am such a small town girl at heart. Sometimes I sit back and think, "Kansas City, really?" But I don't think life gets much better than this.

designHER Momma said...

pretty much exactly how I felt about 30 hours after I said "I-do". We loaded up the car and moved to Indiana.

Indiana.

Tara R. said...

That last photo is the epitome of pure joy. I still get homesick for my home state, but Florida's not too shabby.

Love your photos, always so amazing.

Karen said...

I have to agree with you on both fronts. Ohio isn't all that (I need me some mountains) and kids make everything so much better. I have always admired you for finding joy in your surroundings though.

Kim said...

That last picture is just perfection!! I love it..

Rachel said...

I love that last picture!

I grew up in Atlanta and now live in metro Detroit and feel the exact same way about Michigan. We have amazing beauty and natural resources in this state (and even in Metro Detroit), as does Ohio.

Have a great weekend.

Katie said...

You gotta tell a fellow Clevelander where you took those photos! What a great backdrop.
And if you think living in OH is bad - try living in one of it's smaller cities (one without a Trader Joe's or even a Starbucks) like Toledo.

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

Hey there!!

Was directed me to your blog in my ongoing effort to find people willing to help!

Hop over to my blog if you have minute. It will explain what I'm trying to do and how you can help.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwonderfulworldofweiners.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fspilling-beans.html&h=500267e629998cab52e8669290a9b49e

You can cut and paste the above link or just click over to my blgo and scroll down to yesterday's post.

Thanks!

Hallie

GypsiAdventure said...

Sometimes the beauty is in the subtle details of life where we least expect it.

Have a great weekend!
~K

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

Wait: you grew up in Illinois (after Poland). Illinois is NOT any more glamorous than Ohio!

Kat said...

Pure living at its best. :)
Kids have a way of convincing you how good life is. :)

Tiffany said...

I do miss Ohio so much. I lived in Columbus until I was 24 and the Army became our lifestyle. I haven't been back in a year and a half and I miss it so. It's not for everyone, but please enjoy some Ohio for me. (At least, even in Cleveland, the weather should be warmer now, right?) Hee hee

Diva Ma @ Mommy Fabulous said...

Ohio seems, well, LOVELY. And Yes, kids can make you realize a lot. I left for Germany right after Chris and I got married. Wow! What an adventure. I wanted to come home so bad. Now, I'd love to go back.

I am P said...

There is nothing unglamorous about you, the dentist or the children!
Looks nice there! Cheers to positive thinking!!

Anonymous said...

I had no idea how much I loved Ohio until I left it. Being back a few weeks ago made me homesick. I SAID HOMESICK. I am not even from Ohio.

Elan Morgan said...

You are being featured on Five Star Friday!
http://www.fivestarfriday.com/2009/06/five-star-fridays-edition-57.html

Nan Patience said...

settling down anywhere isn't for wimps

Unknown said...

I think Ohio looks beautiful. I grew up in Phoenix, and while there are many things about big city life to laud, I do love the country.

bernthis said...

that's why I love NYC so much...SFA!

Nicole said...

LOL! Your pictures cracked me up! I live in Ohio too, but I'm a Cali girl! AAAHHH! It's not so bad. It's a really good family place, at least. What else can you do in vertical and horizontal Ohio? :D I do miss the weather in Cali...and the mountains...the tall buildings...the beach...ah well, there's a lot, but Ohio isn't so bad most of the time. :)

Kate Coveny Hood said...

Hmmm. Still waiting for that feeling to kick in regarding Reston... Miss you DC!

But my children really do make me appreciate suburban life. Just the idea of searching for a space three blocks away from my house and then dragging three children down icy blocks in the dark - possibly in the rain? No thanks! I'll take strip malls and bix box stores to get that assigned parking any day!

Unknown said...

Love that last pic, mama! Pure life and energy there. Sure we have city, mountains and oceans here, but what I wouldn't give to have my girls frolic like that someday. Truly, remarkably beautiful xo

anymommy said...

I have to admit up front that I went to high school and college in Ohio and then fled and swore I'd never, ever go back. Buuuttt, my husband's family is there and so many friends and well, I see the charm. I'm still not moving back, even after your lovely photos, but I see the charm.

Kari said...

Home is where the heart is! Awesome pictures, as always of course! My husband would LOVE to move back up north. Being the MichiGANDER that he is. I love my home state, NC, but MI isn't bad either!

smilinggreenmom said...

Yep...that would be good ol' Indiana too. Blah. The inlaws are in Ohio and hubs was born and raised there. But hey- at least you have Put-In-Bay!! Now...to 2 Parrotheads like ourselves, that doesn't sound all that bad :)

Lisa said...

love the picture of lola - classic!

Jaina said...

It looks beautiful to me :)

 

Blog Designed by: NW Designs

Original Header and Concept by: Judith Shakes