Ten Things I'll Miss Most About Duluth: #1 Our First Home

As I blog this, we have an offer pending on our house!  It seems unreal that it soon will belong to someone else. 

My all-time favorite Duluth memory is the morning we brought Kendall home from the hospital.  There was a blizzard on Christmas Eve, and there were massive snow banks lining our street.  When we went inside, there was Christmas music playing, our tree was lit and beautiful, there was a fire roaring (by video on the TV- no fireplace), and it smelled of apple cider (all thanks to my Mom and Dad).  I put Kendall down and took it all in.  Despite having lived there over a year, it was that moment that really made it feel like HOME.

We proudly displayed the beautiful wedding gifts we received as a reminder of that wonderful day.
We enjoyed visits from friends and family, and dinners around our table.
We worked tediously at making Kendall's nursery a soothing, safe place for her to sleep and grow. 
We have memories of many Kendall "firsts", all with that house as a backdrop.

Driving up to our house on Christmas Day, 2009

The beautiful gift we brought home from the hospital :)

Our living room, all cozy and cluttered with gifts!

Kendall won't remember it, but I will always cherish the time spent in that house- the place where I became a wife and a mommy.

Ten Things I'll Miss About Duluth: #2 The Vineyard Church

Oh, man.  Who's got blog guilt?  This girl.  Not even the "end of the world" could get me off the hook for this top ten!  But, I'm glad to return with vigor, as number two holds a very special place in my heart!

Vineyard Church.  Prior to finding my place in this community, I felt like I was hanging out with all of Chris' friends.  Not that that's a bad thing, I just wanted to have some neutral friends that didn't necessarily have a history with either one of us.  I also desperately needed a place to worship JESUS with other believers!  It took six months of church "shopping" to find the right fit for us.  Amongst many churches that seemed to be dying (or dead!), this one had momentum, energy, and love for Jesus oozing out the walls.

During our time at Vineyard, we got to be a part of an exciting move to a brand new building, and have subsequently watched the church grow and grow.  I joined a worship team, and later began leading one of four teams.  I used my musical gifts to teach a course on Keyboards in Worship for the Vineyard Music Academy.  I was blessed by the Women's Ministry and it's programs.  I watched Kendall thrive in her very own Sunday School class!  I enjoyed my time in a local small group.  I learned how to worship Jesus more authentically.  And, I met some people who changed my life for the better.  That's what church is about, right?

Love God, Love People.  Period.  ; )

Thank you, Vineyard Church, for your ministry to me.  I am a better, closer follower of Jesus because of you.

There's a Bun in the Oven!

We interrupt this blog to bring you a special Mother's Day announcement:

There's a bun in the oven!!

And for the metaphorically challenged, 

by "Bun," I mean baby.

And by "Oven," I mean my uterus :)

Due to complete baking by Thanksgiving Day!

Mom is Always the Best Educator...

10 lessons that only moms can teach us (because college is way too busy being academic).

1. College teaches you how to look at the world. Mom teaches you how to look at your own behavior.
2. College teaches you how to structure your time. Mom shows you what to do with your spare time.
3. College teaches you to appreciate a well-thought-out presentation. Mom teaches you to appreciate a Mickey Mouse-shaped pancake.
4. College teaches you about gravity. Mom teaches you how not to fall off a bike.
5. College teaches you how to drive home your point. Mom teaches you how to drive a stick-shift.
6. College teaches you how to make plans. Mom teaches you how to be flexible when those plans don’t work out.
7. College teaches you how to get to the heart of broken management. Mom teaches you how to manage a broken heart.
8. College teaches you to respect deadlines. Mom teaches you to respect others.
9. College teaches you accountability. Mom teaches you reliability.
10. College teaches you how to think. Mom teaches you how to love.

Happy Mother's Day to the greatest teacher I've ever had :)

Ten Things I'll Miss Most About Duluth: #3 Mount Royal Fine Foods

I don't think I can adequately express just HOW much I disliked grocery shopping.  Then two things happened in my life to change that opinion:
1)  I had a baby, and grocery shopping became my only alone time.
2)  We moved a couple blocks away from the greatest grocery store ever.

Yes.  A grocery store graces my top 10, and it would probably appear on yours, too.  I became enchanted with their delicious deli items, beautifully organized produce section (yes, these are the little things that make me happy these days...) and friendly service.  But the thing that I love the MOST the Caribou Coffee cart that greets me with familiar baristas and enough caffeine to endure the task ahead.  Oh, and at Christmas time, I can always count on the sweet stylings of a stringed quartet or a group of Dickens-clad, muff-wearing carolers wandering the aisles.

I doubt grocery shopping will ever be the same.

Ten Things I'll Miss Most About Duluth: #4 Lake Superior

"It will be just like living by the ocean!"  This is what Chris said to me after I agreed to uproot from Long Beach in order to move to Duluth.  Um, nice try honey, but not quite.  Aside from the egregious lack of beaches and the fact that it turns into a giant block of ice once a year, it does take the edge off being landlocked in the midwest.  And nothing beats driving over the hill in the morning to see the morning sunlight bouncing off a layer of mist.  Breathtaking, really.  Kendall and I have enjoyed strolls along the Lakewalk since she was tiny.  We'll certainly miss that beautiful, GREAT lake!

Ten Things I'll Miss Most About Duluth: #5 Book Clubs

Not that there aren't book clubs in Fargo/Moorhead, but I really enjoyed the groups I joined in Duluth.  I really wasn't a recreational reader prior to moving to Duluth- juggling way too many activities in So Cal.  I picked up my first work of fiction in almost ten years shortly after moving here (having no job and entirely too much time on my hands) and regained a love for reading. 

I was invited to a Young Moms book club by a friend of mine and, though I was newly pregnant with Kendall and technically not a "young mom" yet, I enjoyed some girl time away from home.  Recently, some friends from church put together Sir Book-A-Lot, a "sophisticated" book club for beings of higher intelligence (pffft!).  I'm sad that I'm moving just as this group is taking off...great discussion, scintillating book picks, and amazing food. 

Happy reading to all my book club friends!

Ten Things I'll Miss Most About Duluth: #6 Sarah, and the On The Canal team

Since I mentioned On The Canal in the previous post, I thought I'd go ahead and elaborate on my LOVE for this place.  Sarah, my stylist, was one of the first friends I made in Duluth.  I cannot tell you how much I love this girl, and how much she must love me to put up with my hair on a regular basis!  Sarah has listened to me vent, cry, and sing through some crazy stuff the last few years, and I've heard her share of trauma, too.  It was icing on the cake when we started attending the same church, and had yet another common thread weaving us together!

About a year ago, I converted Chris from his SuperCuts ways.  Though he felt his pride was in jeopardy on his first visit, it took one haircut with a neck massage and aromatherapy to hook him for life.  Now, he's a spoiled haircut brat :)

And as a regular customer, I've gotten acquainted with the rest of the staff at the salon- sometimes it's just nice to go "where everybody knows your name".  (NORM!!!!!) 

One of the conditions of our move (established by Sarah with my husband) was that I will get to pay her a visit every few months for my color appointment.  So, it's not goodbye to the salon, but "see ya later!"

Sarah at work!

Look at the way she traumatizes my child....

Ten Things I'll Miss Most About Duluth: #7 Canal Park

Canal Park is adorable.
I must admit, when Chris first told me that Duluth is a "tourist city," I laughed.  But all you have to do is visit Canal Park in the summer to see what is drawing people from all over the area to Duluth.
Grab some great food at one of MANY restaurants there.
Enjoy a Caribou Coffee and take a stroll on the Lakewalk.
Trek out to the lighthouse for a panoramic view of the port and expanse of Lake Superior.
Get yummy gourmet chocolates, grab camping gear from Duluth Pack, or peruse the "I Love Duluth" shop.
There's always time for a Coldstone ice-cream!
How about a little massage at On The Canal Salon and Spa?

It's become a favorite spot for walks with Kendall and dates with my hubby.  Don't worry, Canal Park...the Stavengers will be back to visit you ;)