Wilson's Wish

12/26/2024

🎄Our Christmas consisted of a very quiet day here at The Wish.

We knew well in advance that this year would be another challenging one for us. Our personal budget wouldn’t allow for gifts, and our family is miles away… making travel on the actual holiday not possible.

So… we settled in with our Wish family for a quiet day of reflection. Which, yes… involved moving our queen spare bed down into the living room, so we could ALL watch movies together.

Then we noticed, under our tree, were some beautifully wrapped gifts from our friend Rhonda Luscavage. As we opened them one by one… we came upon the most beautiful and thoughtful gift in memory of our beautiful Wilson.

The gift, the note, the memories of our holidays with Wilson … not a dry eye, friends. Not a dry eye. 🥺

The most amazing gift we could have received was to spend one more Christmas with Wilson… and thanks to Rhonda, today it felt like we did.

We hope you all also enjoyed a beautiful Christmas celebrating the true reason for the season.

“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find the simplest things give off the greatest glow of happiness.” ~ Bob Hope

12/25/2024

Silent Night …

Holy Night …

All is calm …

All is Bright …

12/24/2024

We have been immensely blessed this holiday season… Y’all have stepped up with so many amazing donations of food and supplies, but …. most of all, encouragement. What an absolute honor it is to be supported by so many selfless individuals.

And in the midst of the many thoughtful and generous donations came something really incredibly special.

As you may recall, we took in a horse named Buddy in fall of 2023. He had been purchased from a kill pen under false pretenses, and his new owner found quickly that he was not the right fit for their family. Buddy was an old soul, with arthritic legs and eyes that told a lifetime of stories.

Although we were not set up to house an animal of his size, we were (ironically) contacted at that same time by Alyssa who was looking for a pasture pal for her horse, Annie.

And that was that. Annie and Buddy were meant to be friends… they were meant to spend a beautiful nine months together, enjoying a life well lived… and well loved.

We shared this past summer that we knew Buddy’s time was drawing near. And, in late August… we said farewell to one of the good ones. At that same time, we were dealing with the loss of Carla, Shelly and Norman… it was one of the most devastating months The Wish had ever seen. So, to protect our own hearts, we kept the loss of Buddy to ourselves. Selfish… yes. But it’s the only way we could manage at the time.

We met Alyssa and her boyfriend Trevor today, when they offered us their remaining hay for the winter months. Since Buddy’s passing, Annie and her new friend Da Vinci have moved to a beautiful boarding facility, so their hay was no longer needed.

And as we said our goodbyes and holiday wishes, Alyssa gifted us something more beautiful than we could have ever hoped. A lasting memory of Buddy… that will live on here at The Wish, forever.

🐎 Run free sweet boy… over that beautiful Rainbow Bridge. 🌈

12/23/2024

Proof that even polar bears and Moms need quiet cuddles …

12/22/2024

Tonight’s “Behind the Scenes at The Wish” is a bit more simplistic, friends. Cause, quite honestly… weekends aren’t really about relaxing here, so … we’re just downright tired.

The good news is…. Everyone was super annoyed with my photography antics today, so the outtakes are, well…. You can see for yourself. Enjoy.

🩵❄️ The Wish ❄️🩵

12/20/2024

We have awoken to a winter wonderland here at The Wish! The Polar Bears are lovin' it, and we are actually happy to see less mud both in the yard AND in our home!

With winter now in full swing and Christmas right around the corner, we have had several of our supporters ask if we have a Christmas list here at The Wish. And, the answer is... of course, yes! We are lucky to be pretty set with a lot of feed at the moment thanks to donations from several local businesses. However, we do have a small list of items that would be much appreciated in the coming months.

We always have an active list on Amazon, and we are now listed as an approved shelter on Chewy as well! However, for the holiday season, we thought it most appropriate to simply provide a list of our most needed items and allow you to select where you purchase them from, if you choose to do so.

We appreciate all of the kindness, generosity and support we receive day in and day out. We cannot stress enough the importance of every donation we receive. It would be impossible for us to accomplish what we do without help from others... YOU ALL are what make The Wish possible.

May God bless YOU all this Christmas Season!

12/20/2024

And, in today’s episode of “Behind the Scenes at The Wish” … We’re going to call this one “One Day Closer to Christmas”.

Well … today was a bit lack luster, friends. We started with an early morning insurance meeting here at The Wish. Now, I’m just gonna put it out there, friends… I don’t LOVE insurance. Quite honestly, with my medical history and track record of speeding tickets, it’s not at the top of my list of favorite things. But alas… it’s a necessity, especially for The Wish. So… just for your peace of mind, all went well, and we’re appropriately insured. Oh… and the rates are legit amazing, so even our escrow will benefit. Yay for Nolan Insurance… and adulting.

Next up… Farmer Dave headed down to Neenah to pick up the special edition 2024 Wilson’s Wish mugs from !! And… well, they’re straight up amazing! For all of y’all that pre-ordered, let’s just say you won’t be disappointed! We will be reaching out to everyone in the next week to ensure you have them in hands before Christmas!

In the meantime, I put in a solid workday, with a few Bruce cuddle breaks mixed in.

And then it was out to the barn to help with chores. I chatted up the ducks during dinner, made scrambled eggs for the chickens, loved on the ponies while Dave refilled their frozen waters/added new tank heaters and just admired the derps enjoying dinner.

Did I mention feeding the “garage cats”? Yeah… cause we’ve got those too. This fall we took in Tommy and Whiskers from a couple in Menasha, who had to move out of their home into assisted-living. Tommy came to us with some nasal congestion and breathing issues, but thanks to 4 Legged Friends Veterinary Clinic, we had him good as new in no time. Whiskers, on the other hand, is still legit skeptical of us, but garage cams show him happy as ever!

We wrapped up the day with baking four dozen monster cookies for my cookie exchange at this Saturday…. And I’m pretty sure we nailed it!

So, even though today’s weather maker was a disappointment, our day of accomplishments was not. Say it with us, friends… a damn good day for a good day at…

☮️🎄The Wish 🎄☮️

12/19/2024

And, in today’s episode of “Behind the Scenes at The Wish” … We’re going to call this one “A Much Needed Slow Down.”

Sleep was a bit of a struggle last night, so I hopped up before my alarm and headed out to check on Sophie … in my bathrobe, Christmas jammie pants, Bog barn boots and head lamp cause, well… that’s just how I roll.

Good news!!! Soooo much poo and an empty water bucket, too! I refilled her water, fed the ducks, checked in on the rest of the crew and headed in to make some coffee and start my work day.

I’m happy to report that the next 8-9 hours were relatively uneventful … although, I did learn later that I missed a bile blowout from Moe; God bless Farmer Dave for handling that one. Oh, and Bruce and Olive went farm doggin’ … so I was pickin’ burdocks off the floor for hours afterward. Good job at bein’ outdoorsy guys …

After signing off from my work day, I inspected Farmer Dave’s barn progress and was pleased to see how well the barn walls have been repaired after the donkey destruction over the past few weeks. They don’t call ‘em asses for nothin’, friends. With the recent repairs and the new barn door he built this past summer… the furry fam is definitely set for winter!

With the impending “weather maker”, we made sure the moos were set to snuggle in and get cozy! That meant fresh water, extra dinner and a whole lotta straw!!!

And, next up…. I’m proud to report that we conquered the Christmas tree decorating! Despite the polar bears lack of assistance (shouldn’t they be experts?) and Farmer Dave’s poor attempt at tree lighting from last night… we persevered! And, I think we did a damn fine job at that!!

Tomorrow brings the first big snowstorm of the season, so the antics are sure to ensue… stay tuned for mildly amusing updates from …

☮️❄️The Wish ❄️☮️

12/18/2024

And, in today’s episode of “Behind the Scenes at The Wish” … We’re going to call this one “Can’t even say I’m surprised”.

The day started with Moe erupting two piles of bile in the kitchen before 6am … and more importantly, before my coffee was ready. If you don’t already know, friends… I don’t do vomit. But alas, Farmer Dave was asleep, so well…. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Oh, but did I mention that he also walked through it and left bile footprints all the way to the door? 🤢

Next up was a solid work day while Farmer Dave repaired the barn wall that the donkeys and ponies have worked hard to destroy. Yeeep…. Ate through a base beam and several wooden wall slats to create a great “view” from their stall to the back field. Thankfully, he made some solid headway, so that’s a win.

I headed out to help finish up chores after work… only to learn that D’Artagnan is continuing to show signs of aging in these cold temps (which SUCKS), but he does still eat well and seem happy to see us. Solid love for our seniors, but why can’t they all just live forever?

And then… as we were about to head in to decorate the tree and make dinner, Farmer Dave noticed Sophie laying in the straw which is NOT like her. A brief analysis of the situation and some quick outreach to our trusted resources and, yeeep… we were in the throws of what appeared to be colic. Having been something we haven’t dealt with but can be extremely time sensitive and fatal, we got to work following the advice we were given. Walking and water and listening for sounds of movement in her belly… and then, it happened!! P**P! Hallelujah!!

We set Sophie up in the barn where we can monitor her independently from the others for the next 24 hours… and watch her like a hawk on the barn cam. Close call… but we made it, thanks to our network of resources (you know who you are 😉).

And now… back to the house to make dinner, vacuum up dried mud from our freshly washed rugs (thank you Polar Bears) and stare at our yet to be decorated Christmas tree.

Stay tuned for something as equally unpredictable tomorrow, friends … right here at …

☮️🩵The Wish 🩵☮️

12/17/2024

And, in today’s episode of “Behind the Scenes at The Wish” … We’re going to call this one “Trust Your Instincts”.

When you wake up to your Christmas decorations in haphazard disarray…. You NEVER chalk it up to a random occurrence.

Nope… you should double, triple, quadruple check your ninja cows… lest you realize hours later that they DID, in fact, use their Houdini antics to open their gate and happily galavant across your already very wet and muddy yard.

Side note… as their Mom, I am admittedly proud of their ability to break free in the night, destroy our Christmas decor yet somehow, get back in their pasture, snuggle in their straw and make their gate appear CLOSED when I checked on them this AM. Guess Dad was right… Mom’s a Buffalo! 😉

Thankfully, they’re rookies and couldn’t resist returning to the scene of the crime.

Stay tuned for more ridiculousness tomorrow, friends! It’s never ending here at …

☮️🩵The Wish 🩵☮️

12/16/2024

We started our Sunday with our friends at Lakeside Community Church - Algoma, WI… even made it to early service today which doesn’t happen all that often given my incessant need to mark 13 things of my to-do list before I manage to shower and then hastily rush Farmer Dave out the door.

The Christmas Season is one of my favorites at church… the beautifully decorated trees, soft glow of the lights, infectious music and innate sense of peace and joy that radiates within is so calming and magical that it often brings a tear to my eye.

And just as I was taking it all in…. Pastor Brian’s message struck in the most unassuming and unexpected way. As he spoke of the life that Jesus led here on this earth, he spoke of the truth of the life that we all live today… the difference being, the pressures of life are relevant to us in such a larger and more obvious way. The constant feeling of competition, the need to showcase the perfect life… the “all eyes on me” world we now live in day in and day out can be almost crippling at times (even to the most seasoned and popular influencer out there).

As we drove home, I reflected on this message in depth as it resonates SO HARD with some of the struggles we often face here at The Wish. The Lord has blessed us with a wonderful mission and some truly remarkable gifts and resources that allow us to do what we do each and every day. However, make no mistake…. That, by no means, makes this life easy, and it certainly doesn’t make it perfect.

Would we love each post to be filled with comedy and beauty and accomplishment and joy?

100%, without a doubt… yes.

Would we be lying if every post were strictly filled with comedy and beauty and accomplishment and joy?

100%, without a doubt… yes.

The truth is… this life is hard. Real hard. For as many good days… there are days of exhaustion and stress and fear and hopelessness.

But you know what I realized today? That’s okay. Life is not a competition. Life is not a race. Life is not perfect.

It’s real and it’s messy and hard.

So, here’s a “real glimpse” into a day at The Wish. It may not be the perfection this world expects… but it’s authentic. And we’re darn proud of that.

☮️🩵The Wish🩵☮️

12/15/2024

Saturday night date …

“D’Artagnan … Party of Two”

He’s not much of a sharer, but when ya got a dear old man who needs a little extra nutrition and companionship … you really don’t mind all that much cause being part of his journey is what really matters.

12/14/2024

A little dinner prep monologue from inside the walls of The Wish …

Setting the Stage: In getting Moe his peanut butter for his nightly pills,I kindly gifted Olive with a scoop which she readily gulped up like she’d never had a treat in her life. I then exited to the garage to feed Moe and came back to a very sad and deprived looking Olive.

🎬 And… Scene:

Mom: Aw, what’s wrong Baby Loafie?

Olive: Um, Dad took my peanut butter treat right from my mouth and ate it! He ate it, Mom!

Mom: That’s terrible, Loafie! What is wrong with Dad?

Dad (now looking appalled and slightly annoyed at our antics): Yeah, sure Olive… you definitely got Mom buffaloed, don’t you?

Mom: That’s fine, Olive… let’s pack our bags and head to a nice warm tropical island for the winter.

Dad: Oh, that’s perfect for you Olive, you’ll be a great swimmer with your finger toes.

Mom: Um… except that Olive doesn’t even like water.

Dad: Of course…. So, does Dad at least get to come along?

Mom: … Um … No.

Dad: Seems about right, it’s all about Olive.

Olive: Well, you DID just call her a “buffalo” Dad.

🎬 End … Scene.

Annnd … these are the days of Farmer Dave’s life.

12/11/2024

There is something really magical about the holiday season ... especially when you are surrounded by such a supportive and giving community.

Recently, our friend Stobbs Doug N Amy who we met through Lakeside Community Church - Algoma, WI asked if she could stop by to visit. Much to our surprise... she arrived with a VERY generous donation from the Nicolet National Foundation through Nicolet Bank. Goodness... we were certainly taken aback a bit by the thoughtfulness of Amy and the selection crew at Nicolet that chose us as a recipient. What a true blessing to receive right before the holidays!

Annnnd... as if that isn't enough, we are excited to see everyone tomorrow night at Thumb Knuckle Brewing Company for their Thumb Knuckle Gives Back - Wilson’s Wish event where we will be hosting "Jingle Mingle and Holiday Bingo! Again, being blessed with an amazing community, we were chosen by Thumb Knuckle to be their donor recipient this year, so all proceeds from beer sales tomorrow night will be donated right back to our deserving family! We will also be providing soup and a loaded baked potato bar starting at 5:30pm (first come, first served; while supplies last) and Holiday BINGO begins at 6pm!

Tomorrow marks the FOUR-YEAR ANNIVERSARY of our relocation to Kewaunee County, and we couldn't be happier to have chosen this wonderful community as our home. When we look back at the partnerships, friendships and genuine relationships we have formed in our short time here, it is both heartwarming and humbling. SO, with the sincerest of hearts, THANK YOU ALL for helping us to grow The Wish into something so much bigger and more impactful than what we could have ever dreamed. For every bad day we encounter, you remind us that there are better ones on the horizon. We can't wait to continue our mission here in the coming years ... with all of you by our side.

So, be sure to stop out and join us tomorrow night as we celebrate the true joy of this holiday season! Dust off those ugly sweaters and Santa Hats... It's time to Jingle, Mingle and get down with some Holiday BINGO!

🩵 🎄 The Wish 🎄🩵

Wilson's Wish is a five-acre animal sanctuary located just north of Luxemburg, WI. Founded in 2019 by Dave and Tonya Edwards, the sanctuary is currently home to just over fifty-five animals who have arrived from a variety of circumstances: from neglect, to special needs cases, to needing a place to enjoy their "retirement years'. Their primary focus is to provide respite and healing to farm animals in need. Currently in their care are alpacas, a llama, mini horses, mini donkeys, pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, dogs, barn cats, cows and their resident sheep, Shelly! Wilson’s Wish was brought before the Nicolet National Foundation, for a donation request, by Foundation member Amy Stobbs, who is pictured here with Dave and Tonya Edwards. Nicolet National Foundation, Inc. is a public charity directed by the employees.

12/06/2024

🩵 Oh my heart… just a little Baby Lyle for y’all this morning.

He may have been tiny… but his personality has always been larger than life! We love ya buddy… just the way you are!!

🎶 FA LA LA LA … LYLE!!!!🎶

12/06/2024

Annnnd…. I think it’s safe to say that Beverly has officially started her winter protest…

“Bring on summer and pool time … I’m here for it.” ~ Beverly Rose

12/05/2024

Happy Chilly Thursday, Everyone!!! We are hoping y’all had a chance to check out last night’s post highlighting Lily’s recent visit to Door County Candle Co. & Candle Bar!!! She had a great time exploring the store and sniffing out all of her favorite smells for the holiday season; safe to say the pine scents were her favorite!

We are soooo excited to partner with Door County Candle on our next fundraiser! Nick and Christiana are widely known for their philanthropic nature; their Candles Creating Change initiative has raised over $1 million for 20+ nonprofits!

The process is simple… shop online (or in store) using our event code “WWISH-EV1” at checkout and a portion of your purchase will be donated directly back to The Wish! (You will see our name pop up as the benefiting nonprofit after you enter the code.)

Their candles make wonderful Christmas gifts, and there is definitely a scent for everyone! So head on over to https://doorcountycandle.com/ to start shopping; we appreciate your support so much! It is such a blessing to us as we move into this Wisconsin winter season!

☮️🩵The Wish 🩵☮️