We’ve certainly been soaking in our share of family adventures and vacation this month. I’m writing from the front porch of our little cabin at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, the very town where I was born. In fact, my dad worked here when I was a baby and we lived maybe a mile away. Then, when we moved back to the area when I was just about to finish junior high, we lived so close that my sister and I would bike here in the mornings to play tennis on their courts. Coming back now with the family is such a treat. We’re here for just a few more hours and then head back to Duluth before a camping trip at the end of the week. I would post photos from the last few days, but that takes time and we have an ice cream date in 30 minutes, so I’m going to finish this post that I began earlier.
I do hope you’re having a lovely week and are staying cool! This heat is intense!
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The first week of August was the very first Olsen Family Staycation. What exactly is a “staycation,” you may wonder. A staycation is a vacation that is taken in your very own town or nearby area, which we realized would be perfect for Duluth. After all, we have incredible numbers of people visiting our city every summer. Why not join in?!
Our staycation began on Tuesday at noon. Who was excited? This girl!
I did a lot of the planning for the week but only shared it with Pete. I adored the look on Ella’s face as she discovered each new adventure! Our first was a cruise on Lake Superior.
We began in the harbor…
went under the lift bridge…
and rode out onto the lake.
Ella was tickled to be able to meet the captain of the boat at the end of our ride.
She was sure she could hold down the enormous William A Irvin as we walked through the harbor.
After dinner, we dropped Sam off with our friends, Eli & Krista, so we could take Ella to her very first movie on the big screen! Pete & I were pretty giddy about it. I was relieved to see the theater was filled with other families, meaning the pressure was (mostly) off to keep Ella quiet and still the entire movie. She did a really great job, only forgetting to whisper a couple times and was good with at least staying in our row of seats when she felt the need to move. I’d give her a strong A for her first big screen experience.
We had to get in a little game action after the movie.
Our first night we spent at a hotel in Canal Park. We decided it would be much more like a vacation if we didn’t spend all our down time at our house. What happens when we end up at home? I clean, Pete works on projects, and it’s like every other day. We had far more fun in a hotel!
The next morning I took Ella down to the water to throw rocks. Our hotel was right on the shore, so the boys got to take morning naps while the girls went out.
Old planes kept flying low overhead. They were fun to watch.
After a little while, Ella & I walked down to the candy shop. We also found the Canal Park fountains.
After a short time at home in the afternoon for naps, we went to our first Duluth Huskies baseball game. Eli, Krista, and Caleb joined us. It was really the perfect, summer evening outing.
That, my friends, is the first half of our family staycation. We LOVED being able to stay in our own city and play tourist!
Can I just tell you how much I love me some summa’? (That’s summer, for those who weren’t catching my very cool, beachy vibe.) I feel like we’ve crammed our entire summer into the few weeks that make up the month of August. And man, oh man, are we having a good time. Since Pete finished residency, we’ve been adventuring as much as possible. I posted just a few of our staycation photos, but I’ll soon be posting a whole lot more along with some of our other adventures from the past few weeks. And you know what? We’ve got an entire week coming up of out-of-town amazingness. Then, September 3, we all grow up. Well, at least Pete & Ella do. Pete officially begins his ER contract in Cloquet (though he’s been working full-time the last two months already), and Ella heads back to Montessori. Sam & I will be left to our own shenanigans. Yay, us! No school for me, baby!
Clearly, it’s been a slow blogging month. Sorry. Even though I may not have been writing in the midst of all our gallivanting, I was definitely taking pictures. Through the next couple weeks, I’ll work to get everything posted. I love being able to share everything with all of you, our dear bloggy friends, but this blog also serves as our family journal of sorts. I don’t want to miss documenting the fun we’ve during the last few weeks.
With this post, we’re jumping all the way back to July 20 when Pete and I left the kids with a sitter (whom we greatly trust!) for the weekend to hit up a race we’d been looking forward to for well over a year. (Pete isn’t in to running road races with me but started gaining interest once I discovered The Warrior Dash a few years ago.) We first discovered the Tough Mudder while I was pregnant with Sam, but we didn’t know just when we’d be able to do it. At long last, we found a group of friends who were up for it. The team consisted of a nurse and a doc Pete worked with in Duluth and their husbands along with another friend. In all, we made seven. After a team meeting over amazingly fresh grilled fish (caught by one of the guys on the team), we decided we’d all head south to Somerset, Wisconsin for the race and stay in one of the couples’ ginormous campers.
One week later, we all met up and hit the road.
We may have stopped for snacks along the way. No judging; we were carb-loading for a big race. I’m pretty sure this is exactly what they mean by proper carb-loading.
These deliciously “organic” cheese balls continued to fill us throughout the evening and the morning of the race. We don’t mess around, people.
A little outdoor coffee in the morning to fuel our racing engines.
Enough messing around. We were ready to hit this thing.
Team shot. We needed one to compare to our muddy craziness that was inevitable by the end of the Mudder.
If you aren’t familiar with Tough Mudder, you can get a pretty good idea of it by checking out this video over on YouTube. It’s an event that travels around the world. It was first designed by British Special Forces. Each race consists of 10-12 miles of running/walking/hill climbing and 18-25 intense obstacles. Lots of the obstacles involve mud, a few have electricity, and nearly all require team work to complete. I was really excited when we first learned about it, but when the race came around and I wasn’t quite in the physical shape I had hoped to be, I nearly backed out. In fact, a couple weeks beforehand, I told Pete I had decided I wasn’t going to do it. After thinking about it for another night, though, I decided to give it what I could and see if I could get through it. I am SO glad I did.
At the end of most races, finishers get a medal and a t-shirt. We got a t-shirt, but the big reward for finishing a Tough Mudder is the orange headband. One other reward? Tough Mudder tattoos. Too bad all the artists were booked by the time we got through.
This race wasn’t easy. Mentally, I knew I could get through. Physically, I wasn’t sure my body was ready. That’s not a normal feeling for me, but I’ve struggled a bit with it since Sam was born. Now that school is finished and Pete’s schedule is smoothing out, I can really go after getting my pre-Sammy shape back. It’s been tough. In the end, my team…especially Pete…helped me get through this race. I loved it. And yeah, we may have been covered with bruises and welts by the end, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. Actually, the team started making plans for next summer right after we crossed the finish. I can’t wait.
You can click HERE for a great Facebook album from Tough Mudder Minnesota that has some sweet photos of the day we raced.
After post-race festivities, we headed back to our campsite for showers that couldn’t quite get all the dirt off, no matter how hard we tried, and relaxed the rest of the day. Sunday morning Pete and I drove back to Duluth. Another adventure in the bag. I can’t wait for the next!
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What’s been your favorite adventure of the summer? I’d love to hear about it! Just leave a comment below!
Then, check back soon to see pictures from all our staycation fun.
Six years ago today, I stood next to a very handsome man and promised to be by his side for the rest of my life. Best. Decision. Ever. I love being married to Pete. He has encouraged me to explore new things (motorcycles, scuba diving, baking, running) and has supported me as I’ve made my way through some big adventures (a two-year church leadership program, my first teaching job, two pregnancies, grad school, a baking business). Without question, I am a better woman because of the man he is.
Pete and I met when I was asked to write and direct a drama for a sermon series our pastor, Ryan, was doing. After it was written, I met with Ryan to share what I had and talk about who could be in it. I told him I wanted someone big to play the modern role of Jesus, not the tall, scrawny way he was often depicted. Ryan told me he had just the guy. A week or two later when I met with the cast for the first time, there was Pete. And yes, he definitely caught my attention at that very moment. We started to talk during rehearsals, went to the same Bible study for a little while, and eventually went on our first date on December 11, 2005. Seriously, it was the best first date I could imagine. We made things official on January 7, 2006, got engaged one year later on January 7, 2007, and set our wedding date for six months later on July 7, 2007. Turns out, that was 7/7/07. Not intentional on our part. It was one week after the end of his first year of med school. It was a little tricky to wedding plan since so many venues and services were already booked by couples who had been waiting a long time to get married on that very day, but in the end, we had a celebration that fit perfectly for us. Such good memories.
July 7, 2007 was a hot day in Duluth. The girls arrived at the church in the mid-morning to prepare for the ceremony at 1:30. Our ceremony was held at Sacred Heart Music Center, which was once a large, catholic church.
Pete arrived a short time later. On his bike, of course.
Going over a few last minute details with his best man, Jim.
I suppose there aren’t too many things to do while the girls are getting ready. What you can’t see is that Pete has my wedding ring in his hand. Oh dear.
All of the photos I’m posting today are from our photographer, Deborah Sussex. Deb was incredible and perfectly captured our personalities and our day. This is the first time I’ve posted our professional pictures.
This jewelry was given to me by my Grandma Scott. I found the matching necklace at an antique store in Canal Park.
Oh, my mom. I love her.
And my girls. In the top row is Megan and Mindy (my cousins), and Kristin (Pete’s sister). The front row is Jenny (my youngest sister), Becky (my maid of honor & my other sister), Erin (a dear friend from church), and Jessica (my matron of honor & long-time friend).
And the guys. Back row is Erik and Josh (Pete’s friends), Tyler (Pete’s cousin), Paden and Ryan (Pete’s friends). The front row is Jake (my younger brother) and Jim (Pete’s friend & best man).
At last, it was time for the ceremony to begin! All the girls hung out in a very cool room (as in cool ambiance, not temp!) upstairs.
The moms were ready to take their flowers to the front. The flowers represented our families and were placed in a vase together on the alter. We did that instead of a unity candle during the ceremony.
My dad wasn’t feeling well the day of the ceremony, so my dear mama walked me down the isle. It was wonderful. My dad walked me down during the rehearsal the night before, so I was able to walk down with both of them!
This is Pastor Ryan. He’s the one who introduced us and then did our wedding. That meant a lot to us.
The Olsen family with Pete’s parents and his sisters Kathryn (left) and Kristin (right).
The Scott family with Jenny, Jake, Becky, Mike, and my parents.
After the ceremony and a few photos, it was time to jump on Pete’s bike and head down to the train depot. I didn’t dare ride my own bike because of my excitement of the day. Anyway, it was far more romantic for us to ride together. And yes, I purposely bought a dress that would fit on the back of his bike.
Once we arrived at the depot, we jumped on board a very classy train with all of our guests and rode up the shore while sipping on mini bottles of Coke, just like I drank practically every day during my 1 1/2 years living in Honduras.
I know this background doesn’t look real, but that’s Duluth for you! We were on the back of the train.
After making our way up the shore and back down, the train stopped so all of the wedding guests could walk to our reception in a tent along the shore in Canal Park.
We had traditional Scandinavian musicians playing with us as we walked, which was beyond fun. Then, in the tent, a live jazz group played while we had barbequed ribs and chicken and corn on the cob. It was exactly what we wanted for a fun, summer wedding.
Pete’s buddy, Jim, gave a fantastic toast that turned out to be a re-enactment of what our first meeting could have been like if he had been there to play Pete’s wing man. I got to act at my own wedding! It was hilarious.
Our sweet little flower girl and my cousin, Alaina, was just three years old when we got married. She did a beautiful job! She looked just as I had when I was her age. Adorable.
We had a little down time while we waited for the wedding party to gather for a group shot. Considering the 90-plus degree weather, it was a nice break.
Here you can see our ushers, Mike (my older brother), Brian and Seth (our friends).
Pete designed this gorgeous ruby ring for me at Knox Jewelers in Minneapolis. Many people have asked why I chose to have a ruby instead of a diamond. Now it’s a bit more common to select unique stones, but not many brides had them in our area six years ago. We chose the ruby for a few reasons. One was that we hoped we would move to Africa someday and wanted to have something that didn’t include a diamond. Another reason was the imagery of a ruby in the Old Testament. It represents knowledge and wisdom in many places. And finally, a ruby is mentioned in Proverbs 31 verse 10, “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.”
Eventually, we got to dig into our cake, and yes, it was an ice cream cake! We had our cake made at Cold Stone, who served a few flavors of sheet cakes to all the guests. It was so hot outside that we went into the air conditioned hotel to take photos with it.
Turned out it was a pretty good option for us! We found a couple plastic spoons and ate to our hearts’ content. How many brides get to do that?
At last, it was time for us to leave. I hopped on the bike… Well, I hopped on and waited for my man, of course. Once on, I tossed the bouquet to the girls from the back of the bike…
guests lit the sparklers…
and we were off!
We stayed in town for two nights before flying off to Jamaica for a week on the first part of our honeymoon. The second part was a week in complete solitude paddling and camping through the Boundary Waters. It was wonderful.
Happily ever after? I’d say so. Of course we have our ups and downs, but who doesn’t? We’re on a pretty big adventure together, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. Six years down and many, many more to come.
Welcome to Ella’s Ice Cream Shoppe! Saturday was our big birthday celebration with Ella’s friends. The weather was perfect, especially after I spent days thinking it was going to rain and we would all have to be inside. Instead, we spread out through the back yard to play for the first half of the party, and then moved to the front for ice cream and gifts.
Ella and I had a lot of fun planning her party. Yes, I dealt with most of the actual work, but she helped me plan the details of what to eat and what we should do at the party. Play on the swing set? Okay! And that became one of the main events of the party. The photos tell a great story of Miss Ella’s celebration. Thanks to my brother, Jake, for grabbing my camera for a while and taking some great pictures.
Pete found a little root beer keg!
Ella’s cousin, Maira
Ella’s cousin, Malena, making an ice cream party hat
Pete gave the kids Jeep rides around the block. That’s better than renting a pony!
We were so happy to have so many of our friends and Ella’s friends join us for her party. This was one of my favorite birthday celebrations!
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After the party, we did a little cleaning up, but some things just ended up in the kitchen for later. It’s amazing how much energy it takes to have a party! I love planning and putting them on, but it’s always lovely to relax afterward. So that’s what we did. We stacked things in the kitchen and popped in a movie.
Pete left at midnight Saturday night to begin a 24-hour shift delivering babies. We’re quite used to this, so I got the kids ready for church in the morning and planned to head out for the service at 9am. A little after 8, I plopped Sam in the middle of the living room floor with a few toys and took Ella up to pick out something to wear. On the way back down to Sam, Ella was ahead of me. As she turned in and saw him, she let out an exasperated, “Sam! Noooooo!” I looked in to find this.
One happy little boy shoveling blue sugar sprinkles into his mouth as fast as he could. Apparently, Ella had swiped a cup of sprinkles from the kitchen and was eating them in the living room before I took her upstairs. She left the cup on the floor, much to Sammy’s delight. As soon as we left the room, he rolled his way over to her brightly colored cup and helped himself.
All I could do by that point was pop him in the bathtub in the hopes that his blue-stained hands and face would fade with a good soak.
So much for making it to the nine o’clock service. After playtime in the water and a cuddle in his monkey towel, all was fresh again.
And, two hours later, we actually did make it to church. Thankful for that eleven o’clock service with a nice cup of coffee.
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Happy 4th of July! We’re going to head to Pequot Lakes for a couple days to celebrate with my parents. Pete will be working, so I’ll just be going with the kids. I love parades, fireworks, and picnics. What will you be doing to celebrate? I love hearing from readers. The community that I feel when writing and sharing so much with each of you and then hearing back is exciting! Feel free to leave a comment below!
