Ten Things I'll Miss Most About Duluth: #8 On3Design

We found Al and Lyndsey Johnson through Vineyard Church, and promptly scheduled them for Kendall's newborn shoot at 3 weeks old.  Lyndsey came to our home and patiently endured a shoot with a fussy baby.  Somehow, she captured some magical images on film, and we have a wonderful souvenir from our first weeks with our baby.  We enjoyed our time with Lyndsey so much that we scheduled a family session in the fall of last year.  Baby announcements, Christmas Cards...we have On3Design to thank!  To see some of their incredible work, including pictures from their recent adoption in Ethiopia (wow!), check out their website!

Ten Things I'll Miss Most About Duluth: #9 Hawk's Ridge in the Fall

If you've been lucky enough to visit Duluth during the 3-week climax of autumn, I'm sure it took your breath away.  You have to time it well...it seems to come and go as quickly as cherry blossom season in D.C.  And if it's too cold, the colors aren't nearly as brilliant.  But when all the conditions are right, WOW.  It *almost* makes the 8 months of winter we endure worth it! 

Hawk's Ridge overlooks the city of Duluth from the hillside, and also provides a sweeping view of Lake Superior.  We like to stop and hike the small trails to hidden scenic overlooks, and frequently make stops along Seven Bridges Road for beautiful pictures.  Waterfalls, streams, stone bridges, gorgeous views....all just a few minutes from our house!

 

Ten Things I'll Miss Most About Duluth: #10 Fitger's Brewhouse

As our days in Duluth wind to a close, I thought I'd take some time to appreciate all the things I've grown to love about this city. 

If you have come to visit us during our time in Duluth, you HAVE BEEN to Fitger's Brewhouse.  It's our go-to Northland dining experience for visitors, date nights, and gatherings with friends.  It was the first place I ate when visiting Duluth.  In fact, on that fateful day, our table was positioned under the "You'll Love Duluth" sign.  I made jokes about it at the time, but it was truly quite prophetic.  And it was the first meal I had after my labor with Kendall (in the hospital, thanks to my loyal runners!). 

I have devoured more of their beer-battered fries than I care to think about, each one totally worth the souvenir calories it comes with.  Chris' mouth starts watering at the mere mention of the "Beau Burger", and though I'm no beer connoisseur, the unique flavors and brews are the best around. 

There WILL be weekend trips to Duluth in our future, if not only to re-visit one of our favorite restaurants, Fitger's Brewhouse!

Dance Break!

Observe the following awesomeness:
1.  My daughter's affinity for punk rock.
2.  Her attempt to breakdance at 1:45.
3.  The fact that she has surpassed her father in coolness at fifteen months.

Happy Blogoversary to ME!

If you can believe it, tomorrow marks the FIFTH year of this blog!
Now, I was blogging a bit before that on another domain, but this particular blog kicked my commitment into high gear.
You can travel back to that first post here.
And many of you have been following for YEARS! 
Thank you for keeping up with me and our growing family. 

Here's to many more happy blogs to share!

I'd love to know if you've been following for a while- leave a comment (maybe you've never done that before...it's easy!) and share some love!  And if you have a blog that I don't know about, do share your link!

K.S. Phone Home

Yay!  Gonna call Grandma!!

It's ringing...

Wait a second...I can't hear anything....

Connection lost!?  Dang it, AT&T!

Fifteen months old, and she can power on my phone by sliding her finger across the screen.  She particularly loves scrolling down on text messages.  By five, our kids are going to be schooling us on the latest technology- it's pretty scary! 

I Got Skills.

I was reflecting today on all the various jobs I've held in my life, and how each of them supplied me with life skills that have long outlasted my employment.  It was a fun walk down memory lane!  In chronological order, here they are:

The Bible House (Stockton, CA)
-How to work a register
-How to gift wrap a package
-How to discern between different translations of the Bible
-How to supervise a team
-Familiarized with Christian authors and artists
-How to execute EXCELLENT customer service!

Nutcracker Sweet (Stockton, CA)
-How to create a gourmet gift basket
-Tasted every kind of chocolate imaginable :)
-How to work humbly under difficult management
-How to deal with crazy Beanie Baby collectors
-How to bum sandwiches off of the cafe workers for lunch

Alder Market Catering (Stockton, CA)
-How to create wonderful food presentations
-How to fold a napkin :)
-Gleaned numerous ideas for my wedding
-Took away secret hors d'oeuvres recipes

Bath and Body Works (Stockton, CA)
-How to annoy customers with pushy sales tactics
-How to respond after being assigned one night a week (quit.)

Pottery Barn (Sacramento, CA)
-Team-driven retail
-How positive incentives affect employee motivation
-Retail has big perks (40% discount, people!)

First Baptist Church (Stockton, CA)
-Responsibility and authority in Ministry
-Ability to organize programs
-How to lead worship authentically
-How to care for the spiritual needs of children

Lakeside Christian School K-8 (Stockton, CA)
-How to put together daily learning experiences for a classroom of children
-How to work with and establish trust with parents
-How to engage children in meaningful activities
-How to successfully manage large groups of children

Biola University (La Mirada, CA)
-How to inspire prospective teachers
-How to keep a paper trail for EVERYTHING
-How to use a MAC computer (life changer!)
-How to be attentive to detail in paperwork
-Understanding the teacher licensing process in multiple states

Mommy (Duluth, MN)
-How to make a baby giggle
-How to meet daily needs of children
-How to balance being a wife and mother

How about you?  Have any of your previous work experiences given you useful life skills?  Any that stand out to you?

Kendall and the Purple Crayon

We enjoyed Barnes & Nobles' children's storytime the other day, featuring the children's book "Harold and the Purple Crayon".  Kendall enjoyed the opportunity to make her own artwork with her very own purple crayon.  Although, she spent more time fixated on how to get her neighbor's orange crayon...