We are happy to be back in Minnesota. Although the first several weeks were busy and full of major decisions (choosing a house, car, child care, insurance etc.) we are now settling nicely starting to look forward to new adventures at home. It is good to be nearer to family and old friends.
Gus has finally gotten to meet some of our most important people and Maarit has been very happy to be reunited with her cousins and close friends. We have been able to spend time playing, swimming and reacquainting ourselves with favorite people and places.
Maarit likes to tell us what she thinks is better about Minnesota versus Norway. "Swimming is better in Minnesota than Norway" or "Getting to understand what people in stores are saying is better in Minnesota" are some of the declarations we have heard. However she has determined that carrots and dip are "way better in Norway" and the other day she decided she wanted to move back to Norway immediately because she is done with mosquitos. She has not been a fan of the biting bugs- something she never experienced in Norway, and they have caused her to loose her mind temporarily on a few occasions. I can relate, I am not a fan of being mosquito and biting fly food either.
Despite the bugs, overall Maarit is very happy with our decision to move home. Seeing her with her cousins and friends confirms for us that we made the right choice. She is definitely at a point where she craves roots. Now we just need to close on our house (purchase agreement signed and settled!) and move our family to our own home. Then we will truly feel that we are back for good.
Maarit and Chloe at the beach
Cousins on 4th of July
Swimming is better in Minnesota!
Gus in the sauna
Gus has grown a lot since we have gotten home. He is rolling over more and sitting up for longer and longer periods of time. He continues to try hard to crawl, but he just can't quite get his legs and arms to cooperate!
We left Maarit with her friend Aiden and his dad for a day while we went to look at houses and cars one day. When we came back we found her in her swimming suit with a large fillet knife in hand dissecting fish. She caught them with her own new fishing pole!
For Two Harbors Heritage Days Maarit decorated her bike and rode in the kiddie parade. This was her third time in the parade....she takes it very seriously!
Our friend from Norway, Correen, (one of Maarit's preschool teachers in Stavanger) drove all the way from British Columbia to visit us for Gus's Welcoming party and the week after. Maarit was so excited to see her, especially after missing her for this past semester after Correen moved back to BC. It was incredibly special that she came to visit from such a long way.
We were doubly blessed because our dear friends from Norway, Aaron and Annemieke, also came to visit during the same week. They travelled over the ocean to be Gus's guide parents and have a Minnesota adventure with us. With friends coming from so far away to visit and family and friends from MN and WI coming to Gus's Welcoming, we felt really loved this past week.
Correen and Maarit in the Rose Garden in Duluth
Gus and Lake Superior
Annemieke, Aaron, Correen and Maarit in Duluth
Maarit had many fun playmates this week!
We had planned a Boundary Waters adventure, but with storms and rain of significant amounts in the forecast we opted for a Houseboat trip on Crane, Namakan and Rainy Lakes. It was a beautiful, buggy, happy trip.
Gus swimming in sister's old life vest
So happy to be together!
We went all the way to Kettle Falls and braved the buggy trail to visit the old hotel.
The girls all had ice cream and the guys stopped in at the old hotel saloon. The floor of the saloon is heaved far more extremely than you can see in this picture. The pool table is on a special stand so that it can be level. Apparently when the hotel and saloon were first built there were no foundations, with the extreme temperature shifts all the floors in the building looked like this. After renovations they decided to keep the bar floor original.
When the bugs weren't eating us, and to escape our little toilet problem, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery from the roof. Dinners on the boat roof were the best...fewest biting bugs and almost no toilet smell. The next day the Houseboat staff had to meet us on Rainy Lake to fix our toilet. Apparently it hadn't gotten pumped before we took the boat out....oops.
Breakfast at the Kettle Falls hotel.
Maarit made a good Captain.
Difficult to distinguish pictographs in red on the rocks.
Daddy and his babies on the boat
Maarit and Daddy built a nice fire on our last night out. Maarit was really proud of her fire building skills.
The Edie Marie, never the winner in the all boats trivia games... and a bit stinky due to toilet issues, but over all a steady vessel and our home for 3 days.
It was hard to say farewell to our friends from Norway, especially because we are not sure when we will get to spend time with them again. Seeing them off this past Friday made the fact that we are back in Minnesota permanently more real for us. We will look forward to when we can see them next and treasure the good times we have had with them. It will be wonderful to be able to be closer to old friends and our families here and have new adventures.
The next few weeks we will be anxiously awaiting closing on our new house and hopefully getting settled there before school starts. Justin and I have both had a chance to visit our schools and meet with our principals... Justin will be returning to Mesabi East and a position similar to the one he held there for 8 years...with some positive and exciting differences. I will be starting a new teaching adventure at the Kids Peace Mesabi Academy, a residential therapeutic treatment/correctional facility for adjudicated youth. I am very excited, working at a correctional facility has been one of my top 3 dream jobs since I started in Special Education. After touring the school and meeting some of the staff and students yesterday I can safely say that I know I am going to really like my new job.
We are waiting for news about whether Maarit will join a kindergarten or prekindergarten class and we have found a great in home care person for Gus. Things are starting to come together for our little family! Happy Summer.
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