Home Sweet Home!

We pulled into Tucson Saturday afternoon (June 9th) after losing the AC in our moving truck about 150 miles out.  We decided to take the Element off the trailer so I could drive the cats the remainder of the way as the truck quickly grew to 108 degrees inside the cab (poor Matt!).  Upon our arrival friends and family were there to greet us and help us unload the truck even though our poor timing brought us into Tucson during the hottest time of the day.  Sandi had cleaned up our house and stocked the fridge with important things like milk, almond butter, wine, cheese, and fresh vegetables from her garden.

Yunuen came over and brought the fixings to make us dinner but by the time she was done cooking I was taken over with dehydration and thoroughly overheated.  Friends and family ate up while I pounded gatorade.  I had planned on drinking my Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne to celebrate our return to Tucson but instead I found myself in bed at 7PM feeling absolutely dreadful and wondering if the desert was going to kill me my first day back!

The next morning I awoke feeling better and Sandi came over with monkey bread fresh from the oven  It was Sunday morning and Matt and I were finally able to go to our home church, Rincon- what a blessing!  The last few weeks have been busy with all sorts of fun things like unpacking and setting up our house, catching up with friends, swimming and BBQs with Matt's family, enjoying our first monsoon storm in years, worshiping at Rincon, buying a wine fridge, shopping at our favorite stores, eating at our favorite restaurants, Matt starting his new job and us celebrating his first day of work in Tucson with Nicolas Feuillatte, marveling over our view and the sheer beauty of the Sonoran desert, having a wine and cheese party on the porch for Matt's recent birthday and of course playing spades with the Jankowski's (who, to their credit, are the second best spades players in the world!).  

We have been back now just over two weeks and to our surprise we are still trying to adjust to this desert which I am calling harsh, but the most beautiful place on earth as far as I am concerned. I love Tucson and know it is where I belong.  That being said I miss my Minnesota people terribly and am ready for their visits!!

Minnesota Blues

Things I will miss in Minnesota
My Mom
Joe
Jamie
Steven
Regan
Pete
Jace
Levi
Liberty
Jax
Monday night Bible study dinners with Katie and Joy
Wine study group with Barbara and Ruth
Working at Cap N Cork Wine & Spirits
Going up to the cabin
Hanging out at Regan's
Nelson's Ice Cream in Stillwater
Doing drive-bys of the house I grew up in
Thinking of my Dad everytime I pass Koch on highway 52
Roma Market in Mahtomedi (gorgonzola & candied fig wood fire pizza!)
Butter chicken from India Garden in Rochester
The giant jack pines on the north side of my house
The smell of lilacs in spring
The lightning bugs in summer
Mowing the lawn
The crisp air in fall
The leaves changing color in fall
The first snow of the season
Watching Jax do his tricks
Hearing funny Levi stories
Eating my Mom's cooking
Eating Regan's cooking
Hearing everything I never wanted to know about the Twins from my sister Jamie
Watching Jace grow into a young man
Seeing Liberty and Levi in their plays
Watching Levi's baseball games with my sisters
Hanging out with my sisters
Drinking wine with the ladies
Trying new wines at work
Valley Fair
Talking food and wine with Jane
Hearing hilarious chiropractor stories from Bransons
Smoking hookah with y'all
Visits to Cowtwn to see the rellys


Things I Won't Miss in Minnesota
Tornado weather!
Freezing cold temperatures
Overcast days
Mosquitoes, gnats and woodticks at the cabin

Last Day in Minnesota

This week has been crazy busy with packing and making the house rental ready.  I have also spent much time over the last week with friends and family saying good bye- which I hate!  I take great comfort in knowing we will be together for eternity but it is still hard to say goodbye.  I have some great pictures from the going away party last weekend with my family and once I am not too sad to look at them I will post some.  

In the mean time I thought I would share this fun picture with you.  Once Matt picked up our 26 foot rental truck with attached car trailer he thought it only appropriate to play the part.  So he shaved himself what he calls a "trucker-stache" for the drive home in the big rig.  10-4 over and out Minnesota!

Last Cabin Adventure

Matt and I went up to the cabin over the weekend for our last time before we move.  We wanted to see Joe and hang with the family.  We got to play some badminton, go for a canoe ride up the crick, take Joe out for breakfast at the Log Cabin, have fires, eat my Mom's delicious food, and flee the cabin at the sound of tornado sirens which accompanied some severe storms common this time of year.  We also got to hang with Jax and watch him play with his favorite toy at my Mom's house: Grandpa's oxygen cord!

Ron Paul in Minnesota!

Its been a couple of exciting days here in Minnesota as Ron Paul was in town!  I found out Friday that Paul was going to be here Saturday speaking at Mayo High School and thankfully Matt and I were both off so we could go.  We showed up and hour and half early and got front row seats.  The auditorium was packed by the time Paul came out and the crowd was excited to see him.  He spoke for over a half an hour on his usual topics- liberty, the constitution, the fed, ending the wars and nation building and restoring America.  It was awesome.  Afterwards he hung around a bit and signed autographs.  We got his autograph as well as a number of great pieces of Ron Paul flare.  My favorite is a bracelet which says "I (heart) Ron Paul" and "Champion of the Constitution" as well as Ron Paul family cookbook!

Tuesday night was caucus night in Minnesota.  Matt and I went out and caucused for the first time ever.  It was kind of fun and reminded me of being in high school civics class.  Ron Paul won our precint straw poll and Matt, after giving a great speech, was one of eight elected to be a delegate for our precint.

May God be merciful to America and give us Ron Paul for President!

First Fruits of My New Labor

I got a part time job at a wine store!  

Don't worry, I am not giving up domestic engineering.  I just thought it would be fun to use my extra time to work in a field I love such as wine.

I am excited but not as excited as Matt.  We stopped in to the store today so he could see it and meet my new boss.  By the end of the conversation Matt was offering  to come in and help out at the store.  He was thinking he was going to help with stocking or something of that nature but my boss said Matt could come in and help out with wine tasting.  I mean we do need to make sure this store is selling the most delicious wines.  Then he sent us home with a bottle of wine to test out...  I like this job already!