Our family lived in Allendale for nineteen years; raised our brood of kids there (oldest is still a student at GVSU…..sorta-kinda.) DH and I grew up in Coopersville and Marne, respectively.

I remember fondly of tobogganing down the hill next to M45 on what is now GVSU when I was a little girl. Also, remember vividly watching the the dog sledding teams run the fields where the main campus is now located.

Allendale’s small-town atmosphere was quickly disappearing in the early 90’s which was about the time DH was offered a job in a quiet little town in Indiana. Now this former small town is going through it’s building boom. Soon will be time to move north again, though think we’ll be looking at a bit farther north than West Michigan. Love that area, most of our family is still there, but it’s no longer home. The area has built up too much to feel like home to us. Ah well.