Duluth!

Wow I’ve been busy lately & haven’t made time to write (okay well write here…).  Anyway, we took a trip to Duluth just before Halloween & it was so wonderful to see family.  My bro-in-law was home on leave from Iraq & it was fantastic to see him.  We spent a couple days with him and his family which felt “normal”.  We used to spend so much time with Pete, Beck and the kids that not seeing them for months at a time feels unnatural.  The Saturday we were up there we spent in Duluth walking in Canal Park along the lakewalk.  It was a crisp, sunny fall day (temps were in the 50s) with a slight breeze coming off Lake Superior.  We walked, watched the kids play, introduced Magnus to the Lake & watched a ship enter the port through the Aerial Lift Bridge. After we were all tired & chilly from our walk we headed over to Old Chicago for drinks & food.  It was so nice to just be in that space.  It made coming back “home” hard.  I feel like I’m only living half of my life here.  We go out sometimes & we see my family but a big piece of my heart still lives near Duluth.  I was SO homesick for the sight of the tamaracks, golden in the dying light of fall and that expanse of blue water on blue sky… I took a lot of photos which I’ll share in a separate post. Time was too short of course but it was restorative to see everybody & introduce our little Marit to them.  Magnus adored playing with his cousins & they all got lots of spoiling from Grandpa Bob & Grandma Trudy.  We have lots of nice memories added to our older ones & they will be pulled out often as winter sets in…seven more months until Pete is back home safe & then we will celebrate!