Moving

I may not have much internet access for the next week or two. The last couple of weeks have been very busy with constant working, packing, and moving. I am moving into an old house that is within walking distance of the hospital. It has a backyard, garden plot, fireplace, dishwasher...basically, I may soon be spoiled. I will be living there with some other girls. Sarah and I are trying to explain to people that we are not living together because I was planning to move then changed my mind. We do still talk...though our landlord suspected that we didn't!

We moved all of our furniture on Wednesday, so I've been sleeping on a borrowed blowup mattress that loses air and needs blown up during the night. FYI: moving is much more difficult when you have furniture and it's hot and humid outside.

Famous Last Words

Yesterday, I boasted during lunch break that I have never cried at work.
Today, I cried at work.

Love Completely

"Each one of us here today will at one time in our lives look upon a loved one who is in need and ask the same question: “We are willing to help Lord, but what, if anything is needed. For it is true we can seldom help those closest to us. Either we don’t know what part of ourselves to give, or more often than not, the part we have to give is not what is needed...

...And so it is those we live with and should know who elude us. But we can still love them. We can love completely without complete understanding."

~A River Runs Through It

Northern Minnesota

I'll keep it simple...few words, many photos.

Our route: Rochester, Duluth, Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock Lighthouse, Ely and the International Wolf Center, Voyageurs National Park, Rochester.

Here's the crew at Gooseberry Falls!

The Aerial Lift Bridge at Duluth is quite unique in that it raises up for boats and ships to pass, then lowers again for cars to drive. Built in 1905, it was the first of only two such bridges built in the United States.

Split Rock Lighthouse is definitely worth the stop. Completed in 1910, all of the materials for the lighthouse, fog signal building, and three houses were hoisted up from Lake Superior. The lense that magnifies the light and rotates to send a light signal every 10 seconds was imported from France. It runs like clock work with the gears as shown in this photo.

In Ely, we visited the International Wolf Center. Ely is a major point of entry for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Who wants to go exploring with me? The boundary waters is the place to go for a few days of real wilderness river and lake canoeing. Perhaps our favorite part of the trip was the time spent in Voyageurs National Park. The first evening we took a tour boat to Ellsworth Island, where Mr. Ellsworth spent 20 summers working on his rock garden. I guess that's one way to spend your summers.

We stayed near Kabetogama Lake. The sunrise was irresistable, so I went out to watch the fisherman leave, the ducks swim, the beaver glide in the water, and just enjoy some time alone in one of the most peaceful places in the world.

Then we got a ride to an island, where we hiked a couple of miles to Locator Lake to canoe, where we saw no one else for the whole time. On Locator Lake, we relaxed, watched loons, ate blueberries, and even had a little fun!



Okay, what in the world did I do or say to deserve such looks?

Apparently, there is more than one way to canoe...Micah and Daniel had to give it a try.

I don't know what the above is called, but it was fun. The best part was Mama, our watchful lifeguard wearing Daddy's "I Dive" hat!

To conclude the trip, the family helped me move my couch and chair to the new house where I will be moving by the end of July. I took the weary travelers all around Mayo Clinic and St. Mary's Hospital on a tour before I let them rest up for their flights home today. All around, I would call the trip a success! Now, it's back to work, packing, moving, and planning.

Rochester

For those of you who don't already know, I've had a change of plans over the last couple of weeks...I'm staying in Rochester!!! I don't even know how to explain it, but I think the Lord has more to teach me and more for me to do here. So many things have confirmed this decision, and I am very excited about the new changes and challenges that this year promises to bring. The first major change is that I will be moving into a house with a couple of other young ladies. The sad part is that Sarah has already set up an apartment with another girl (in other words, I've been replaced, but it's my own falt for changing my mind at the last minute). The wonderful part is that I will be less than a mile from work.

I've been rather excited about all of these things in the last couple of weeks, but you know, one can only live on adrenaline so long. Mama, Daddy, Micah, Daniel, Anna, and Angela are coming to visit me tomorrow! They will be here about a week, during which time we are going up north. More to come...

Fly Fishing the Whitewater

On Saturday, I went fly fishing on the Whitewater River with a couple of my coworkers, Brian and Kelsey! It was a warm 94 degree day, but being in the cool water made it just about perfect. Perfect except for the stinging nettles...



Brian, our pro guide and instructor.

Though they may look harmless, when in contact with the skin they feel like a knives. The good thing is that the water soothes the stings and they leave no lasting welts or rashes. Because it was so warm, the fish were not biting well. Brian and Kelsey each caught one, and, well, I tried. I did catch some big trees, if that counts for anything! At least I got lots of practice casting, didn't hook any people, and never hopelessly tangled the line.

Kelsey's trout:)

Contentment

Let's just say, the past week has been a very interesting...more details to come.Among other things, I have eaten my fill of wild blackberries and thoroughly enjoyed the gorgeous weather while tramping around Quarry Hill Park. Butterflies, flowers, time alone in my secret place to seek the Lord.
I feel like there is so much to say, but I'm not in the mood to start. Just enjoy the pictures and know that I love you all.

See how these fungi growing on a log have a grain like wood?
For the 4th, I went to L'Abri to play ball, Frisbee, and just visit around the campfire and watch fireworks. It warmed my heart to spend time with such a great community of people doing nothing but enjoying each other and the perfect evening. Have you ever experienced a deep contentment that reaches to the core of your being? That's what I felt.

The view of Rochester from the hill where L'Abri is situated was breathtaking.