11 good things about Iowa

My kids told me that lists of 10 are "out" and lists of 11 are where it is at now, so fellow bloggers take note. Also, an important disclaimer before I begin: I am not saying that these things don't exist elsewhere or that they didn't exist where we lived in Michigan. These are just things we are thankful for here in this place that God has brought us to at this time.

1. Friendly people. It really is remarkable how friendly everyone is here.
2. Landscape. I love the rolling farm landscape. I admit that I don't always like the farm smells, but I think the views are beautiful.
3. Dordt College. This is a great place to work and to learn. I know that I have said it before, but I Love Love Love working at Dordt.
4. Dwight's work. Dwight has really found his niche here. He truly has a servant heart and I love how happy he is to be able to serve in the way he does in these little Christian schools. The fact that people bake him pies and his students bring him homemade treats during teacher appreciation week is just icing on the cake.
5. Food. In season, we get great fresh local produce and the meat here really is the best.
6. Small town ways. Life here seems to move a little slower. When Dwight goes to the grocery store, the butcher always has time to chat with him about which meat he should buy for dinner. People trust each other. People genuinely care about each other.
7. Jon Felipe's teacher aide. I've written a whole post about the difference this wonderful woman is making in his life and we are so grateful to have her. I wish you could all see the way he has absolutely blossomed this year.
8. Support for the local Christian Schools. The amount of support the local Christian schools receive from the community is nothing short of amazing. I'm not saying the schools have frills or fancy equipment, but families and churches are very invested in their schools and have been for generations.
9. Faith. The Christian faith as we've experienced in the churches here and in interacting with the people here, is very real and very down-to-earth.
10. Family time. As would be expected with a move, many things changed, including our time commitments, resulting in the wonderful gift of time to be a family. I love spending time doing things together as a family and I plan to jealously guard that time in the future. I have to add to family time, the joy we have had in getting to know my cousin George's family better. We just love George and Regina and their girls and my kids look forward to any time that we get to spend with them.
11. Baked goods. There are great bakers and great bakeries here. The exception is donuts. I love donuts and I have not yet found a donut here that even comes close to a Donutville donut. There are lots of other marvelous baked goods available though and, needless to say, I haven't lost any weight yet.