Posted by Tagged with family US roadtrip, familytravel, Florida, Naples Posted in Uncategorized

Florida Sun ☀️

After 44 years of cold Minnesota winters, I’m experiencing a new climate this December. Wow! It makes a huge difference in my mood and outlook.

Ocala, FL
We left Georgia on December 10th and headed south, stopping for one night in Ocala, FL at a cute farm called Enchanted Oaks. As we drove down the long gravel driveway the girls squealed as they spotted goats, horses, and a zebra. The property had a half dozen or more glamping tents and a rental house which is used as the bridal suite on the days the property hosts weddings. We stayed in the rental house. Big thanks to one of my piano families, the Bierwerth’s, for their air bnb gift card for this stay.

Enchanted Oaks was one of my favorite places we have stayed so far. I would have loved to sit under those glorious giant oak trees all day, but we had to hurry out the next morning.
We were scheduled to meet my piano teacher friend, Anna Fagan, in Arcadia, FL for lunch.
I met Anna on Instagram through another piano teacher.

One of my hopes on this trip was to connect with a few piano teachers on the road. Anna is literally on the road since she teaches online lessons to about 30 students each week from her RV. It was fun to hear how she and her husband decided to sell their home and become full-time RV travelers.

Naples, FL Our next stop was Naples. We stayed at the home of Joe and Barbara Wall for a little over a week. It was such a relaxing stay. I enjoyed having a large kitchen to cook in and the kids loved staying somewhere with a pool. Mark flew back to Minnesota for 4 of those days to DJ a wedding. He got a taste of the snow again, but left before it dipped below zero.
Some of the things I liked about Naples besides the weather were

🌴The sandy beaches

🌴The consignment shops

🌴Sitting outside drinking coffee in the
mornings

🌴Seeing all the palm trees and flowering
tropical plants.

We loved one of the outdoor restaurants we ate at called Lakeside Diner. We had lunch there with some new friends, Lynnea and Ken, after attending Grow Church and again with our friend Dale after playing tennis.

The sunsets and the sound of waves were by far the highlight of being near the gulf. It was like having a front row seat to a masterclass with the painter of skies.

Not everyday has been smooth sailing and glamorous. We’ve had some boring days, some stressful days, and a fair share of screaming and crying from the back seat: “Why do we have to go on this trip?” and “I just want to go HOME!”
The transition days when we pack up and switch from one location to the next are usually the hardest days. Our 19 year old, Tabby, flew from NYC and joined us for the holidays. It’s been wonderful having her along. In my next post I’ll share more about our 10 days together in the Florida Keys over Christmas and New Years.

Posted by Tagged with Artists, family US roadtrip, familytravel, Georgia, Macon, parenting Posted in Uncategorized

Macon Memories

We spent a whole month in Macon, Georgia. We decided that staying somewhere for a longer period of time would allow us to settle in and live more like locals than tourists.

My husband met Aaron, who works at Visit Macon, through a Minnesota connection. Because of Aaron, we met Paul, who manages Airbnb properties. Paul got us situated in our airbnb when we arrived and made sure we had everything we needed. He brought us some extra household items that one-night guests don’t usually need such as a card table, larger pots and pans, and a crockpot. We settled in and made it “home”. Our favorite TV shows to watch in the evenings were Wheel of Fortune and America’s Got Talent. Living in a small space made for a lot of family bonding time. Since we weren’t busy with homework and regular activities in the evenings, we were able to play scrabble, do puzzles, watch movies, and just talk about life.

Macon is a home to Mercer University. I came to realize while staying here that I love a college town. I saw students everywhere we went. The first weekend we were here was homecoming, and the campus was buzzing with excitement. The pep band played as the football team paraded through the crowds of fans, tailgating before the football game.

There is also a strong arts and music presence in Macon, which you pick up on right away when walking through the downtown. Famous artists who came from Macon include Little Richard, Otis Redding, and the Allman Brothers. You can tour the house where the Allman Brothers lived and the studio where their records were made. Mark dived deep into music history while we were here, taking several tours, and doing a lot of reading.

Here are a few of the places I remember visiting this month in Macon.

The Tubman African American Museum

Amerson Park

Ocmulgee Indian Mounds

Wear Thrift Store

Seussical the Musical performed by Miller Fine Arts Middle School

Reboot Retrocade

Macon Bagels

H&H Cafe (trying grits for the first time)

Fall Line Brewery – great outdoor seating with fire pits

Each weekday started out at the Washington Library where the kids and I spent a couple hours doing our homeschool work. We felt so welcomed by the staff in the children’s department of the library. There were days when the girls were not happy to be on the trip and feeling homesick for their teachers and classmates. I think the routine of going to the library everyday, sitting in the same spot, and seeing the same librarians working was therapeutic (at least for me!)

A few surprises in Macon were finding out Malia could play in a tennis tournament, getting complimentary tickets to a Mercer College girls basketball game, and attending a free Middle Georgia University choir concert. Another great surprise was being invited over to the home of a local family, Joey and Sherry, after visiting New City Church. After our visit, Sherry and her daughter asked me to teach them piano lessons while I was in town.

I didn’t know what to expect of Macon, but I can honestly say that I grew to love it. I know I wasn’t here long enough to learn its downsides (every town has downsides), but I don’t have a lot bad to say (other than the stop lights take a REALLY long time to turn from red to green. Also, I can’t get used to being called “Ma’am” and seeing everyone where jeans and sweaters when it is 80 degrees outside. They all say it’s “because it’s fall!”


Enjoy a few more photos of our time in Macon below.

Posted by Tagged with Chattanooga, family, family US roadtrip, familytravel, roadtrip Posted in Uncategorized

Chattanooga, TN

We stayed with Nate and Rachel Korhonen and their kids in Signal Mountain, TN for 2 nights. They live on the top of a literal mountain. We were told that if they get heavy rain or even a small amount of snow, they close the road. Thankfully, they rarely get snow. It was in the 70’s and sunny while we were there (in November)

Since we stayed on top of the mountain, we were given the tour of all the great overlooks. We even woke up early enough in the morning to go watch the sunrise.


We had the BEST food while we were with the Korhonen’s. Nate showed us how to make salsa and also the ins and outs of how to make the “perfect cup of coffee”.

We went into downtown Chattanooga, walked across the foot bridge, and ate pasta at Tony’s. It was an evening I will remember for a long time. The weather was perfect and the ravioli with sun dried tomato and artichoke cream sauce was impeccable. The laughter of our children as they enjoyed each others’ company warmed my heart.

I really loved this city and loved the Korhonen family. We will be back.


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Posted by Tagged with cumberlandfalls, danielboonenationalforest, familytravel, kentucky Posted in Uncategorized

Camping and Waterfalls in Appalachia

On day 5 of our road trip across the U.S., we arrived in Kentucky. This state boasts of impressive rock walls, waterfalls, caves, and the Appalachian mountains. We heard that Cumberland Falls was beautiful and found a campsite nearby after a quick search on Hipcamp.com.

Since we haven’t had much experience with camping and weren’t sure what to expect, we chose to stay in a cabin with a bathroom and electricity. The property was owned by a Kentucky native, Patrick. When we arrived, we were greeted enthusiastically by the neighbors, Alan and Linda, staying in the cabin next to us. Their granddaughter, Reagan, instantly grabbed onto Malia and Ivy, taking them down to the river to skip rocks. We learned that Patrick’s Point has 3 cabins as well as tent and hammock sites. In the summer, kayakers start their 14 mile paddle from there, through the Daniel Boone forest, to Cumberland Falls.

This video shows the view of the Cumberland river from our cabin.

We grilled burgers on Patrick’s grill, played ping pong, and visited with our neighbors until it got dark. We were fed sweet potatoes over the fire, introduced to rattler snake green beans, and asked to try fresh milk in a glass jar that was purchased from the Mennonite farmers down the road.

Malia was especially curious about the Mennonite children in their long dresses and head coverings, so we went and bought some strawberry jam and apple butter from their roadside stand.

Our sleep was on and off again in the cabin, since the air mattresses were horribly uncomfortable, and every time someone rolled over, the rubber made a loud squeaking sound. Mark finally decided sleeping in the van might be more comfortable. You’ll have to ask him to expound upon the lack of sleep situation in his own words.
The next morning, Patrick explained to Mark that there was a short cut to Cumberland Falls. The directions were obviously misunderstood because we ended up on a narrow, gravel road on the top of a mountain leading to nowhere.
When I started to panic, Mark finally agreed to turn around and backtrack to where we could get cell reception and follow google maps along a paved and well marked highway.

The Cumberland Falls are located in the Daniel Boone National Forest. The falls’ claim to fame is its moon bow which can be seen on a night of a full moon, when the light is falling just right onto the water.

Here is some video from Cumberland Falls.

And a few more photos of the area around the falls.

Posted by Tagged with familyroadtrip, familytravel, lifetransitions, moving, parenting, Stpaulfamily Posted in Uncategorized

Saying Goodbye to Juno Avenue

In a little over one week we will be moving out of our house of 10 years. How can I sum up a decade of memories in a few short paragraphs?

Here’s a fuzzy photo from our move in day on September 1st, 10 years ago. Finding this house to rent was nothing short of miraculous We knew the moment we walked in the door that this was what we had been waiting for. It was after a summer of the kids and I living in Marshall with my parents while Mark worked to make enough money for us to move to St Paul. Fast forward 10 years and so much has changed.

We had a 4th child who is now 8. – Ivy!

We got to see our oldest two graduate from highschool at St Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists.

After several job changes, Mark re-branded his business as Mark Haugen DJs
and is finding great success in officiating and DJing weddings and other events.
I, Anna, have continued to teach piano lessons all these years. It is something I love and will probably never stop doing.

We are fairly certain we will be coming back to the Twin Cities at the end of our trip, but it may not be to the same neighborhood, so we are saying goodbye as if we may not come back to West 7th.

Here are a few things I will miss

The Parks and Trails we have grown to know like the back of our hand
West 7th Community Center, Adams, Palace, Edgecumbe, Mattocks, Wabun, Crosby Farms, Hidden Falls, and Victoria Park. I walk the neighborhood streets everyday and go on a longer nature walk at least 1-2 times a week.

School

We will miss the schools my kids have grown to love and the teachers that invest in them. We will miss the playdates, and parkdates, and birthday parties that come with staying in one place.

Neighbors, neighbors, neighbors!

We have gotten to know many neighbors through the years. I never knew a city could feel so much like a small town in how friendly everyone is. Art House (a renovated church that hosts concerts and plays and is the home to Humble Walk Church) is just down the street. Businesses like Tavial, Mojo monkey, Colossal Cafe, and Cadenza music are regular weekly stops.

We have hosted a few neighborhood bonfires which gave us a reputation as ”the bonfire people.” Halloween and National Night Out as well as the neighborhood square dance at Art House are anticipated gatherings.


Hard days

No, not everyday was smooth sailing. There was the year of the mice, the head lice, the traumatic dental visits for teeth extractions and root canals. There were seasons of anxiety and depression, online school and teaching during Covid, two surgeries, marriage challenges, questions over faith, politics, and wrestling with the changing times.

This was the burning of our couch which finally did get rid of our mice.

A lot can change in 10 years. My biggest change personally has been learning to love myself. I have always put my family and church family’s needs before my own. Because of this, I was living with a lot of bitterness. My need to please people began to come in the way of my ability to enjoy life. I was constantly worrying about whether I was DOING enough instead of asking myself who I wanted to BE. It has been a long and slow process of unlearning some beliefs that were hindering instead of helping me. I am now in a much more joyful place with boundaries set that help me ask myself some good “why” questions before saying yes to things. I know the world won’t fall apart if I step away for a few days or weeks. Speaking of stepping away, we are about to take a giant leap with this roadtrip around the U.S. We will be homeschooling and staying with a combination of family, friends, and airbnbs from November-May. Our travels will take us across the Southern coast from Georgia to Florida to Texas and then West to California. It is going to be a great season for our little family of 4, now that Elliot and Tabby are at colleges on the East Coast.

This quote from one of my favorite authors seems fitting for the start of our next season.
It is scary to take a leap like this, but those who have done similar crazy things have all said things like “Its the best decision we have ever made” or ”you won’t regret it”

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Here are a few more of my favorite photos from our Juno Ave house in the form of a photo slideshow. Enjoy!