Go, Go, Goers!

I'm definitely still recovering from May. I'm actively avoiding situations where I'll be around more people than I need to. And that's ok. This introvert needs extra time to recharge. Luckily, it's the perfect time of year to sit on the deck, reading, and enjoying the sun. Sometimes Pria joins me, and sometimes she wants to be inside. And that's also ok! Arya started working more hours this week, but we've been keeping her on track by writing thank-you notes and focusing a bit on the future. We are building out her Amazon list for college items and finishing up the legal forms we want in place for when she turns 18. We've also got an appointment to renew her driver's license and get a new passport this week. We're checking some big things off the list, including becoming a legal adult! G has been thoroughly enjoying his first week at home with no school. He's been exploring a bit more of our extended area on his bike, which helps get him out ...

We made it! May was extra busy this year, leading up to Arya's graduation. And now that we are a week out from the chaos, I'm happy to report that we survived and are enjoying a slightly less busy pace in our days and nights. On Friday, May 29, 2026, 601 Rosemount High School seniors graduated, with the ceremony held at the University of St Thomas campus in St Paul, MN. It was a new venue for graduation this year, and it went really well. We were allowed six tickets in total, but were provided with a link for others to stream it on YouTube. We ended up parking at St. Kate's and shuttling over to St Thomas, so the parking situation was easy peasy for us. The ceremony was so well done, focusing on the triple A philosophy: academics, arts, and athletics. We are so proud of Arya, and can't wait to cheer her on in the next phase of her life! We did a pre-graduation photo shoot with a few friends from school Last day of high school! Red Pine is a special school in the distric...

Oh man...these past few weeks have been so busy that going back to work on Mondays has felt like a break. I'm not kidding, it's been insanely busy lately. Arya squeezed in another prom last Saturday night (RHS, dinner with friends at Freddy's, prom on the U of M campus - East Bank). She looked so pretty! But just hours before that, Arya and I spent 4+ hours on the UWRF campus, getting her registered for next fall and sitting in on new student registration sessions. She is super duper excited to be taking glassblowing in her first trimester! As a result of that session, though, we have a long list of tasks we need to do to keep up with the never-ending pile of prep for college.  Shared with RHS for National Decision Day She was also granted another scholarship from the local teachers' union. We are SO excited about this one - only two people were selected out of all of the applicants! We just found out this morning that it's for an even higher amount than what was pr...

It's the time of the year when our schedule is even more packed with end-of-year events, parties, celebrations, etc. I took last weekend off from blogging to spend some time with my mom for an early Mother's Day tradition. We generally pick a Saturday before Mother's Day, and head to a near-ish town to explore, eat, shop, etc. We were planning on heading to the west side of the cities to explore Excelsior, but I wasn't feeling up to battling the traffic. So, instead, we went east to River Falls. It had been decades since my mom had been there, so now she has had a chance to see where Arya will be going to college this fall. I was able to squeeze in a screening of The Devil Wears Prada 2 with my friend Tina. I asked Scott if he was happy that I had friends who would go to movies like this with me, and he told me all I had to do was ask him if he wanted to go. So I asked if he wanted to see this movie, and he was a firm NO, ha! It was a great sequel to the first one, and ...

I celebrated my 50th birthday this past week! When I was younger, 50 sounded reaallllly old. But now that I'm there, I recognize that it's really not. As I mentioned last week, the iron supplements I'm taking for my anemia have kick-started me feeling a million years younger, as well.  We had a wonderful birthday dinner at my parents' house last weekend (complete with my favorite kind of birthday treat - yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Basic, yes, but I love it so much!) I had a really busy week planned at work, so taking my birthday off (Tuesday) was a relief and gave me a chance to slow down and reflect on my life. The weather was sunny and warm (I've had my share of rainy birthdays, so anytime the sun is out on my birthday, I'm grateful.) Scott picked up flowers and a Starbucks gift card for me, so I had breakfast courtesy of Starbucks and read while sitting on our front porch. Pria loved having me home on a Tuesday and wanted to sample some of the goods...