A Week In Review

I admit, I'm still a bit exhausted after the week that has passed. Even the thought of writing about everything we've done in the seven days seems daunting. It was all very exciting, though, so it's still fun to share it. Besides, it's good to think through everything that happened. I'll try to create a summary of the week's excitement.

Let's begin one week ago. We spent last Wednesday packing, packing & packing. It is our dream that this will be a more organized move than any we've done before. I have no question we'll beat our last move, since Ella was only 6 days old. (Thanks to Grandma & Grandpa Olsen, we did actually move!) We've already sorted through just about everything and have taken multiple boxes to Good Will. (I've tried not to go in during the drop-offs to avoid adding more to our packing.) Now we're just putting everything in boxes. The only trick is that we're going on our first family trip a week from today, so we're trying to keep things separate that we want to have on the trip. Oi. It's a lot to think about.

Thursday we got ready for Pete's graduation before catching a taxi with Mike & Jen and heading downtown to Kieran's Pub. The 4th year med class from Duluth was gathering for one last time as medical students. Ella got to spend the evening with Grandma & Grandpa Olsen, her aunts Kristin & Kathryn, and Pete's aunt Pat. Ella always loves getting to play with everyone. And it definitely wears her out!

Friday morning at 7am we headed to Northrop Auditorium on the U of MN campus (just a few blocks from our apartment, actually). We got our seats at 8 and were on our feet when the graduates entered at 9am. I admit that I was quite emotional during the ceremony. I just can't believe that we've made it to the end of 4 years already. So much has happened through that time. I do want to spend more time reflecting on all that it means to reach this point, but now is not the time. I wouldn't be summarizing! Therefore, in continuing on my summary path, the ceremony concluded at 11:15am, we took a few pictures, passed Ella around, and headed back to the apartment for Famous Dave's and cake. It was a day to celebrate DR. OLSEN! I'm so proud of you, Love.

Saturday morning, after a quick trip to St Paul for a hair trim (a relaxing intermission in the non-stop weekend) we headed north to Pequot Lakes for my 10 year high school reunion. Pete, Ella & I met up with my high school friends at a park to start the festivities. I was a little nervous about seeing everyone again, although Facebook has completely changed the whole concept of a reunion. After our time at the park (and yes, I used Ella as an ice-breaker when talking to other moms), we drove to Grandma & Grandpa Scott's where Ella spent the evening playing with her cousin, Malena, and helping Grandma celebrate her birthday. Pete & I headed to a pizza place/bar for the rest of the reunion. It was a lot of fun to reconnect with people and to introduce them to Pete.

To celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday, we went to Wadena to visit my grandma. We got to tour her new townhouse, which just happens to be right across the street from the playground we often played when visiting my grandparents when I was little. It was the perfect time to let Ella try out her very first ride on a swing. She loved it! She spent a long time swinging next to Malena before going down the slide a few times. It was a very fun way to spend my first Mother's Day.

On Monday we were supposed to close on our new house in Duluth, but something popped up, pushing the closing back a day. Instead we had another day to pack.

Tuesday we closed! We are thrilled to be the owners of an adorable colonial-style home in East Duluth. We will be moving on Saturday, giving us just two more days of packing. I have an idea that it will be a push to be ready, but I think we'll be just fine in the end.

So that's the summary! I'll try to post pictures over the next few days, so stay tuned...

Goodbye Med School

This is my last day as the wife of a med student. Tomorrow at 9am Pete will walk across the stage of the Northrop Auditorium and graduate. I am incredibly happy for him. He has worked so hard through the last four years and for many years before that. It's amazing to see him continue on the journey that he knows God has set before him.

A couple years ago, my friend Ky found this shirt for me at a thrift store. How appropriate. I've always wondered who else would wear such a shirt. I mean, they were sold at Abercrombie. Did high school girls seriously wear them? I'm just glad I had it to pull out at random times through the past few years.

Doctor Visit

In our family, a doctor visit for Ella isn't a quick check-up. For one thing, we're still going to Owatonna to visit the pediatrician. Pete developed a great relationship with "Dr Bob" while he was working there last year, and we've enjoyed seeing lots of other doctors and nurses during each trip down. That's the second thing. With trying to check in with so many friends, the check-up trips tend to last a good part of the day.

On this particular visit we had the opportunity to tour the brand new hospital and clinic. Gorgeous! I particularly enjoyed all of the beautiful artwork they've displayed. They also included tile work in many patient rooms. It's a pretty amazing place.

So, updates on Ella. This was her nine month check-up, but we didn't make it down until right after she turned ten months. Oh well. Our little peanut is a full 29 inches long and weighs 19 pounds 4 ounces. Silly me thought she was definitely over 20 pounds. Either way, she gives me a good arm workout numerous times a day. She still loves to eat and is venturing out into the world of "real" food a little more each week.

We're heading out for a couple days. Today we'll visit some of Pete's past professors at St Olaf on our way down to Owatonna. I'm running a half-marathon there tomorrow morning. I've got some spiffy new shoes and will load on the carbs at a spaghetti dinner tonight. The race will benefit two families in our old town. One includes a father battling a blood disease and the other will benefit a little guy in first grade who has leukemia. As I'm running on Saturday, please be praying for both of the families. I can't imagine fighting those kinds of battles. I'll be sure to post pics of the race next week.

Have a lovely weekend!

Plumbing

When we were house shopping in Duluth recently, we stayed a couple nights at a hotel just outside of town. Ella developed an attachment to the sink. She loved the pipes! And she was just the right hight to be able to stand underneath it and not hit her head. No worries - we checked to make sure things were clean and that she couldn't wiggle anything out of place. The sink was right in the room, not enclosed in the bathroom, so she was able to play to her heart's content. And play she did.

Brighton Beach

On a recent trip to Duluth, we spent part of an afternoon at Brighton Beach. It's one of our favorite places there, but seriously, we have a pretty long list of favorite places in Duluth. The day was gorgeous - blue water, blue sky, and a happy little girl. Ella thought that exploring the dashboard of the Jeep was great fun. In just a few weeks we'll be close enough to spend lots of afternoons at Brighton!

Ella's New Book

Last week Grandma & Grandpa Olsen visited us and brought Ella a special gift. It was an adorable Noah's Ark cloth book. I think that Grandpa Olsen even picked it out himself! Ella has enjoyed playing with it everyday since their visit. She especially likes the monkey that hangs on a string on one page and the elephant's trunk that sticks out on another page.

Ella really does have a fascination with books. As we read together, she touches all of the pictures, turns the pages, and laughs at brightly colored illustrations. Being a reading teacher and long-time theatre person, reading to Ella is one of my favorite things. It makes me very happy that she seems to love to read already!

a photo from Grandma & Grandpa Olsen

Ella's Stroll

The quality of this video isn't great since it was taken on my phone, but I thought it was pretty cute. Ella's friend, Amelia, lent this to her for a little while. She loves it!


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