Magazine Articles

Download this article and more in our June/July  Issue (VOL 3 – NO 3) HERE! By Katie McKy Unless you’re 107, you haven’t endured a Chippewa Valley winter as cold as this one. That’s because this past winter ties the record set in 1907-1908 for the coldest Valley winter. So, you’ve earned this summer. However, earning it via strings of double digit below zero days doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve earned enough cash to fully cash in on it. So, how do you squeeze all the juice out of the ripening peach that is summer if you’re cash-squeezed? And how do you have solo fun, date fun, …

This is a bold statement this year in Northern Wisconsin, but I think it is finally summer! I am thrilled we made it through the fast and furious of May and even more thrilled to turn the calendar to June. Some of our readers have commented the final month of school gets busier than the holidays and I concur. We made it to June, ladies. Cheers! I’m looking forward to slowing it down a bit and enjoying a beautiful Wisconsin summer. Lofty goals await the Theisens this summer. We look forward to seeing the completion of our renovation and moving back into our new, old home. A heartfelt thank you …

Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. – Saint Francis of Assisi Hello spring! I think we all can agree it has been a brutal Wisconsin winter. Not only am I thrilled at the idea of being able to go outside, but I look forward to cherished early morning runs without risk of hypothermia. Spring fever is in full swing. I’m sure you’ll be shocked to learn that there is, yet again, a lot going on in the Theisen household. The blessing of five kids greatly increases the likelihood that, at …

WRITTEN BY GRACE THEISEN Well, we moved recently. And I’ll have to admit, I’ve been a little bit spoiled in my life by modern conveniences. The house that I grew up in until now was built in 2005. Our old house was always warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The windows that went up and down. And the lights turned on when you flipped the switch. Let’s just say, that our “new” house isn’t exactly “new.” Our new house was actually built in the 1800’s. (That’s even older than my dad.) I don’t think they had furnaces …

WRITTEN BY HEATHER ROTHBAUER-WANISH Lisa Stelter Graf has a strong base for all of the 5ive. As a busy wife, mother, business owner, and home mortgage professional with RCU, she has learned to hone in on what is most important in life. And, by doing so, she hopes to gain that balance that every woman strives to achieve on a daily basis. FAITH For Lisa, faith means more than going to church every Sunday. “I believe in God and everything He represents. And, I believe in living my life as a generous person.” Most of us know that actions speak …

BY BRIANA CRAIG This is my confession: In 2013, I allowed myself to be enslaved to the urgent. I sold myself down the river of productivity and missed out on a lot of good stuff in order to appease the pressing. I traded important connections and priceless moments to scratch tasks off a list. In 2014, I am reconstructing my to-do list. I am grateful for the refining fires of 2013, especially the one finally burning this lesson into my head. Over the course of eight years, this problem of “productivity” and perfectionism has been steadily building. In an attempt …

As I write, I am bundled and enjoying the peace of the newly instituted quiet hour at the Theisen house. As temps have plummeted to negative 45 with wind chill, all five of the kids are under our new roof. Joe is taking a J-term course and needs a quiet place. The house has plenty of space with nooks and crannies, and when the construction is done, I may be hard-pressed to even find the kids. It’s likely that quiet hour could be lifted. But for now, our scarce outlets and meager 60 watts of electricity have driven the Theisen …

WRITTEN BY GRACE THEISEN The holiday season can be hectic. It is not like school and life stop during the holidays. I have homework, presentations, meetings and my personal favorite, tests. (By the way, who thought that the holiday season would be a good time to have a test?) These things are in addition to family gatherings, Christmas concerts and parties and finding time to drink hot chocolate and go look at the lights. With all this craziness, how am I supposed to find any time to go shopping? Life is busy. And sometimes I just have to tell myself to take a step back and live in the moment. I …