Magazine Articles

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 …

WRITTEN BY KRIS A. NEWMAN A love for music and the joy of dance artfully surround the life of Deborah Lang, director of the Performing Arts School of Dance and Music in the Chippewa Valley. Deborah’s philosophy revolves around her ultimate goal: “My vision now is of dancers that will heal and healers that will dance, until all are healed and there is no need but to dance.” Deborah credits her first love, her husband, with allowing her the freedom to pursue a career in the arts. Although not one to participate in the arts, he has supported her choices-and …