(Happily) Status Quo

It may not last for long, as life can definitely throw curveballs and is not stagnant, but I have been enjoying the past few months without "big changes." My focus has been family and work, and I am trying to find time for friends too! I usually get home from work around 6:15/6:30, then the next 1.5 hours are spent making dinner and/or feeding Freyja (with Nick's help), playing with her, and overall household stuff. I would love to say we get out for a family walk, but it doesn't happen most nights.

The biggest change with being busy now as compared to 10 years ago is that as I've gotten older, time doesn't equal energy. When I was younger I would see how much time wasn't scheduled with commitments and I would fit things in. I could be busy day after day and evening after evening; even though I liked my occasional afternoon nap, I could survive in college on anywhere from 4-6 hours of sleep per night. Now I do much better with at least 7 hours.

This change brings me to this conundrum: I may have time to clean, but not the energy, and sometimes vice versa. Since bedtime used to be more of a struggle, I really have enjoyed this time and lately have been spending the majority of it as "me" time or time with Nick. I also fit in some time to clean the kitchen, do laundry, pick up, and relax...but it has been hard to get things done with Freyja even more now that she is walking. She doesn't sit still, needs constant supervision, so I'm very glad I have the support of Nick. It's a two-man job!

Something Nick and I have enjoyed is getting "free time" when Freyja goes to bed at 8pm. I feel like most of the day I do fairly well energy-wise, but by the time we put Freyja to bed my productivity falls. Sometimes I find my second wind, which usually then causes me to stay up too late, but often I tell myself if I need to do something that night I should really get it done before 8, otherwise it is a gamble if I will find the energy to do it.

It's crazy how fast the house can get messy after a weekend away, or multiple weekends in a row! We have had a fun summer with family and a few different cabins in Minnesota. Freyja, too, has loved the outdoors, the water, and the time with family.

As I mentioned recently, Freyja celebrated her first birthday at Camp du Nord, one of my favorite places. Just a few weeks later, we drove back up to Ely for my best friend Julie Ann's wedding to Dan this past weekend. It was wonderful to be part of her special weekend and to be surrounded by friends & family. My parents, brother, and sister-in-law came too. Julie Ann has been a close friend for many years and is like family to me. I am so happy that she found the love of her life and gets to share her adventures with him. I am lucky to have her as a friend, and Dan is lucky to have such a wonderful wife!

The bridesmiads/matrons

Mother-daughter

Being goofy

All dressed up!

Auntie Michelle & Freyja

Playing with boxes is fun!

I feel much more connected to nature when I am near the Boundary Waters.  I feel more like a carefree child as I wade and splash in the clear lake water, as I sink my bare feet into the sand and draw pictures with my toes, and as I breathe in the clear, pine-smelling air as I look up to the magnificent sky. At night it is hard to make your way without a flashlight, unless you walk slowly and wait for your eyes to adjust. The night sky has its own magic, with the expanse of stars and the moon reflecting off the water. "Up North" as I call it, I temporarily forget about global issues and local news. With the pervasiveness of technology, it's hard to get away--but at Camp du Nord it's possible as my cell phone doesn't work except on top of a rock that seemed to also be a gathering place for all the mosquitoes in Ely. It was nature's way of telling me to turn around and turn off my phone.

We stayed Thursday until Sunday and had a great time catching up with friends and enjoyed delicious food at the Groom's dinner and at the wedding reception. Freyja went to bed at a decent hour and my mom stayed back at the cabin so that Nick and I could hang out with our friends. That was a great gift to us! I was a bridesmaid in the wedding, so on Saturday we started the morning in Ely at the local salon to get our hair done (complete with pastries and mimosas courtesy of Julie Ann's sister-in-law). The day started out cloudy but quickly turned to sunshine and was a perfect day. Freyja dressed up and attended her first wedding. After the wedding the bridal party paddled a few canoes and got pictures taken on the beach by our friends James and Kelly, who are married and live out in Colorado (as I learned, the part of the state she is from they pronounce it Call-o-rad-o (the ending like it rhymes with bad and then add an O). I also learned that I can be an honorary Broncos fan if the Vikings don't do well, and the Broncos will be going to the Superbowl this year (did I get that right Kelly? ;).

Brian and Michelle paddle boarding

The wedding weekend brought back memories of my wedding to Nick, and when I got back home I enjoyed looking through pictures from Nick's and my honeymoon. It was fun to reminisce. The pictures also remind me how lucky I am---to have traveled and to have enjoyed it with a wonderful guy! I haven't been good about uploading and organizing pictures this past year, so I started working on that last night. I wanted to make a surprise photo book for Nick for Father's day, but that unfortunately didn't happen...hopefully I can do this sometime soon!

"I'm a Happy Camper" onesie from Tony & Abby