Wisdom Teeth, Conference, and Lake Superior

Julia gave her first presentation as a Ph.D. student for a virtual atmospheric/land conference. She's creating a lot of buzz around her upcoming research paper...stay tuned for the publication! Benjamin accompanied Julia to get her wisdom teeth extracted on September 29. We talked to her once she got home--still a little loopy and still a little bloody (scroll down). So glad she is not alone. Over the weekend, they went to the shores of Lake Superior and took some great pictures. I see brisket! Yum. They found some unique dining room chairs that go perfectly with the couch and table. The apartment is so cute. :) Steven went to the lake to help Tony winterize. 

Adjusting and Meme's Birthday

Since our return from St. Paul, it feels like we have been busy. Julia has been emersed in classes, meeting with her advisor, and meeting up with fellow Ph.D. students. One outing was on a bike ride to a beach. Another was a get-together at a park behind Peter Neff's house. Julia is finding and creating her own little community. One young woman is actually from DC, graduated from Holton in 2008, and was a coxswain for crew. Small world. A highlight for us was celebrating mom's 79th birthday with the family--in person and via Zoom. Lisa made a delicious leg of lamb dinner with tons of delicious vegetable options. We had some catch-up time with Dana and Aaron, hearing the latest on the kiddos and how they have adjusted to being empty nesters. I made a lasagna dinner for a colleague; it has been YEARS since I made a traditional lasagna. This was an all-day, stressful event, but I'm glad I did it. Many thanks to Benjamin for getting Julia a new oral surgery date, September 29! We're glad he will be there to help and comfort. 

 

Moving to Minnesota for PhD

We drove to Chicago on August 31 and stayed at the Hines' condo (luxury!). September 1, we made our way to St. Paul, MN, to move Julia into her new apartment. We had so much fun shopping and setting up her place. It has 1940s charm with her unique style in furniture, bedding, and plants. Love it! We made time to explore the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus, Minnehaha Falls, and nearby parks. The highlight was dinner with her advisor (Peter Neff), his wife Heidi, and their daughter Abby. They are so kind, genuine, and really reassured us that Julia is in good hands and definitely not alone. We also enjoyed one last skate together on the morning of our departure. It was very hard to say good-bye...but we are so proud of her and know she will smash this opportunity! Cheers to her next adventure in getting a Ph.D. in land and atmospheric science, glaciology.