I Dare You!

Liz had a wonderful, exhausting week and weekend. First quarter grades came out, and she made the A honor role again. :) It was crunch week for the Martin County West production of Thoroughly Modern Millie, and there were many late night rehearsals preparing for opening night this past Friday. (More on the play when I figure out how to post videos on the blog - hopefully tomorrow.)

After 4 performances this weekend, Liz was exhausted and tempted to pass on the Martin County 4H Awards Banquet. However two of her fellow cast members, Blake and Caleb, are also 4H Federation Officers, and they persuaded her to come. Good thing they did! Kia Harries, regional 4H coordinator, presented Liz with the "I Dare You" National Leadership Award! This award was created by William H. Danforth, the founder of the Ralston Purina Company, and is given to people between the ages of 15 and 18 who demonstrate leadership capacities, while striving "to be their own self, at their very best, all the time." Liz was thrilled, to say the least.

Liz also gave a presentation with her friends Alexis Janssen and Karen Suter on their 4H project last fall, when they video taped Christmas greetings to the troops from our area who were stationed in Iraq. They made a DVD of the greetings, and sent it to all the local soldiers in time for Christmas. As a way of saying thanks, the troops sent each girl an American flag that had been flown over their base camp in Iraq, and a small "Alladin style" lantern. The three young women gave a great presentation on the project. They showed amazing poise and public speaking ability! It probably helped that all three had been on stage all week.

Congrats on an awesome week, Liz!

"Ringing" with the Winter Wonderettes

With harvest pretty much behind us, Joe, Liz, Carl and I escaped to the cabin for two days. Highlight of the weekend was definitely the performance of "Winter Wonderettes", performed by the Lakes Community Theater at the Pearson Lakes Art Center in Spirit Lake, IA.

Community participation was a must! We laughed, sang along, and sympathized until the second act. Then the cast came into the audience looking for volunteers! Carl was drafted, even though he wasn't on the aisle. He was on stage ringing a bell whenever he heard them sing the word "Jingle" (or any derivation thereof!). Fortunately, I had my camera with me.

There's nothing like live theater, and we have never been disappointed by a production at the Pearson Lakes Art Center. We're looking forward to more theater there over the winter.

Speaking of home front...

Here's the front of my home!! haha

Awesome Day for Tennis!

Today was Liz's best tennis day of the year! Up until now, she's lost every match she's played. The coach has been trying different player combinations in doubles, and Liz didn't do well switching partners every other match.

Well, she's found a doubles partner that she loves to play with, Alexis Janssen. Alexis and Liz are already friends, and are in dance together, and their personalities really well matched.

Today Martin County West (our team - the Mavericks) played against Fairmont in "the Battle of Martin County". Liz and Alexis played awesome tennis, and won their match 6-2, 6-3. They were very evenly matched with their opponents, who also played well, but it was our girls' day. Overall, the Mavericks won all 7 of their matches today.

Even better, it was 72 degrees, sunny, with a slight breeze. What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning!

Liz's New Baby

It doesn't become hers until the weekend before her birthday, but Liz has a car! We sealed the deal this weekend. Here are a few pictures for you to check out the new wheels!

It's a Chevrolet Cobalt. It has ABS brakes, airbags, and some nice features like a stereo system with controls on the steering wheel, and a console shift. Needless to say, Liz is a very happy camper. She has nicknamed the car "MJ", which stands for "Maude Josie". Named after her great-grandmother, because Papa Joe suggested it, and Josie, because she just think it looks like a Josie!

I especially like the "Thanks Dad" picture!

It's a Small World After All...

You know how I've always said that EVERYBODY knows somebody from Trimont? Well, Carl's roommate, Nathan, is no exception. His grandmother came along to help him move in, and she asked Carl, "Are you related to John Rabbe?" He answered, "Well, sometimes, he's my grandfather!" Turns out that Nathan's grandparents, Pat and Gary Stark, live in Mora, Minnesota, and know John's sister and brother-in-law Mary and Ron, and his cousin Tom Heuer. They, in turn, introduced Pat and Gary to John and Joyce in Arizona. The Starks winter in Fountain of the Sun, and have played golf with John in the past. They also attend the same church as John and Joyce in Arizona.

Carl says Nathan is quiet, like he is, and a nice guy. Tomorrow is the first day of class. Carl hopes to hook up with the statistics professor tomorrow and try to get into that class this semester. And just for excitement, Carl gets his second Japanese encephalitis injection tomorrow afternoon. Gotta be ready for future study abroad, I guess!

Carl's Dorm in the Carlson International Center

What a day!

At Carl's request, we began the day going to worship at Dawn's church, where many of the congregation greeted him warmly by name. What a wonderful service. And they are such a welcoming group of people!

After a quick change of attire at Dawn's, we had brunch at Gustavus, and then proceeded to get Carl moved into his dorm. Vwaire, Carl's next door neighbor and suitemate, is a senior from Nigeria, who also happens to be his Collegiate Fellow (CF, f.k.a. Resident Advisor). He's a warm, fun, intelligent man who went out of his way to make Carl and all of us feel at home.

It was kind of a circus, trying to fit everything into his room. The wire mesh shelving units we had brought were not strong enough to hold Carl's printer and iHome clock radio, so Dawn and Liz ran back to her house and returned with a book shelf and low table courtesy of Grandpa and Grandma Nilsen's old Gramercy condo. They look great in the new room, the shelf supporting Carl's electronic gear and book collection, and the table holding up the fridge, microwave and providing storage underneath for the food box.

Carl left before we did, as he had an ice cream social and campus tour to get to, so we locked up after cleaning up the moving mess. When Carl called tonight, he seemed happy, tired, and excited to get started on his college adventure. He had been to dinner with the President, who then gave an "E Plurius Gustavus" speech to welcome the new transfer and freshman students.

We had one piece of bad news today. A family friend, Ken Treitline, who had driven a truck for us for many years, died last night. Ken was only 54 years old, and had a heart attack last evening. Two of his children are friends of Carl and Liz. In fact, Lindsey is on the MCW tennis team with Liz. On the way home, Liz, Joe and I stopped to visit with Zach, Lindsey, their older sister Michelle, and other members of the Treitline family. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to them! We will truly miss Ken.

Carl reports that he plans to set up a new blog to report on his Gustavus activities, so look for an email from him soon giving you his new link. In the meantime, have a safe Labor Day!

Liz Wins a State Fair Trip - But Has to Pass!

Liz took four projects to the Martin County Fair, and her Crafts project won her a State Fair trip - for the 3rd year in a row! This year, however, Liz has to pass on the State Fair trip - she has tennis tournies on the first and third days of the State Fair encampment. Liz takes her tennis very seriously! Here's a picture of Liz presenting her project to the judge, who promptly tried to convince her to go out for the school yearbook or paper, to go into graphic design or something for a living. Liz told her she just created it when she was bored one day! (Click on the picture for an up-close look at the project.)

The other photo is Liz and her friend Rebecca Steen.

Tennis schedule for this week - practice every day until the big Worthington Tournament (that's actually held in Pipestone!) on Friday. I'll post pictures of tennis as soon as I get some!

97 Degrees and "Raining"?

While the rest of Minnesota was sweltering this week, Phroggy and the Richfield Fire Department was providing some much needed cooling off for the kids in the Richfield Parks Summer Program. Dawn is the one at the top of the ladder! (Click on the individual pictures to see them full size.)

Home Waits to Welcome You, Carl!

Just a reminder of what home looks like after all these weeks! The house, the dog, and a lot of excited family members are anxious to welcome you back home! Even the apple tree (Liz's) got all decked out in your honor. (Only the grass is pouting that you were gone so long - it stayed brown and crunchy. Maybe you'll bring rain back with you from Peru.)

Liz's itinerary for Friday, Saturday and Sunday

So, what does one do in Spain over the weekend? Well, if you're Liz, it looks like this:

Friday, July 20, 2007, Madrid, Spain, Day 2

Bienvenido en España! Welcome to Spain! Upon arrival in Madrid, the lively and cosmopolitan capital city of Spain, your People to People delegation manager and coach driver will greet you. Enjoy your lunch at the Hard Rock Café Madrid!
Madrid has a seemingly unending supply of things to see and places to visit, many of which will be discovered during this afternoon’s guided orientation. Visit the world-famous El Prado Museum, where you can marvel at paintings by some of Spain’s most famous artists, among them pieces by Goya and El Greco. Your visit to Madrid would not be complete without a stop at the magnificent Royal Palace. This splendid structure contains 2,800 rooms! In the later afternoon you will head off to enjoy a fantastic People to People Moment. Meet players of the Rocena Youth League and enjoy a soccer match or other sporty activities together. Afterwards enjoy dinner together with the Spanish students and get to know them better!

Saturday, July 21, 2007, Madrid, Spain, Day 3

This morning it’s off to magnificent Toledo, the religious capital of Spain. Notice how the narrow, winding, cobbled streets all seem to lead to the wonderful cathedral. Inside, be sure to notice how the sun appears to magically shine between the cherubs behind the altar. Toledo is also famous for its swords, so you may wish to stop in at one of the many sword shops! Afterwards travel to a real Spanish Cortijo, also called bull farm and see how bulls are raised and horses are trained for the Spanish national pastime: bullfighting. Learn the various stages of the bullfight and find out what makes some bulls better than others. You’ll also see how young people train to become matadors. Later, return to Madrid, home to some of the country’s most important cultural institutions.

Sunday, July 22, 2007, Zaragoza, Spain, Day 4

Stop overnight in Zaragoza, the capital of Aragón, often said to be the most Spanish city in Spain. Explore the city during a guided orientation. Don’t miss the beautiful Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar. The cathedral takes its name from a pillar on which the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to St. James in 40 AD.

Wish we could all be there with her, but I'm sure she's glad we aren't!

Liz Heads for Europe

As Carl prepares to come back home on Saturday, Liz embarks on her new adventure! Europe, hang on, here comes the Trimont Tornado! Liz left this morning to head for Spain, France and Italy! She is traveling with People to People, an organization founded by Dwight Eisenhower, to promote understanding and peace amongst people from different nations.

Liz received some bad news this morning. Her good friend, Chelsea Johnson, who was scheduled to go on the trip with her, had her appendix removed late last night. So tonight, Chelsea is at home, instead of being on Delta flight 0108 to Madrid, Spain! Liz was disappointed, but handled it like a trouper. She and two other friends are bringing a teddy bear with them in Chelsea's place. They plan to photograph the teddy all over Europe, and put together an album and a journal to give to her when they return.

I left Liz at the MSP airport this morning, after she had checked in her luggage. She was excited to get started, and not at all sad to be leaving home. (Sniff!) She has an international cell phone with her, but she has been warned that she will only be able to use it a couple of times on the trip to call home. We just wanted her to have it in case of an emergency.

One of the parents from Liz's People to People group set up a blog so that the leaders and kids can let us know how they're doing as they go along. I'm not expecting any posts from Europe for a few days yet, but if you want to follow along, check it out at:

http://p2pjul2007.blogspot.com/

There are a few pre-travel posts, and some pictures on the blog already!

Carl called tonight. He is studying for his finals tomorrow, and packing for his trip home. He has to leave for the airport at 3: 15 am Saturday morning, so he'd better be ready! He's bringing home a loaded camera, and a computer full of journal entries, so check this sight next week for details of his trip! He can't wait to get home to unlimited internet access!

Guess who else came to dinner?

Your new "BOSS" in the Gustavus Chaplain's office thinks its time you returned home! She's awaiting your arrival as an apprentice this fall.

Yes, she brought her husband, Don, along...and about 20 others too. These pictures show Nancy and Rich Helgeson, Paul Aasen, Jan Jensen, Rachel and Don, and Monica Kraatz (oh, and me).

The doctors Baumgartner send their greeting as well. They were checking out R&L when the photos were taken.


First Lutheran's congregational council held a brief business meeting while standing in my living room. Once adjourned, we feasted on potluck treasures. What Lutheran gathering would be complete without hotdish? But we sacrificed...we had wine instead of coffee!

Great-grandpa's tool chest was the focus of their attention much of the evening, they all raved over its beauty.

More Tristan Photos...

Tristan and the Gang Say Hi!

Tristan held a photo shoot today to share his day's activities with you! We arrived to find Lucy camped out under the fuel barrel. Tristan drove up in the golf cart, complete with hand made "Hi Carl" signs. (Unfortunately, the signs didn't show up on camera very well - they are the white pieces of paper hanging from the golf cart.) He took Liz for a ride, to show her the new three hole golf course he and Grandpa John made last week. Then Tristan, Liz and Lucy posed for pictures. George Billy was a little more standoff-ish than Lucy - he had to have his own picture.

Tonight is Liz's last night at home. Tomorrow, she and I will go to the Cities to spend the night. We plan to see Grandpa and Grandma Nilsen before heading to a hotel. It will be easy to catch a shuttle to the airport in the morning, in time to meet the People to People group at the airport at 9:15 am.

We had a going away party for the Trimont folks tonight. Grandpa and Grandma Rabbe came, Jay, Deb and Tristan, and Joanne. After supper Liz and Goofy Grandma showed Tristan how to work the stilts. He did awesome for his first time on stilts, and would have made it across the whole driveway, except that it was so hot and humid they eventually called it quits. When we came in to cool off, Tristan had a blast figuring out how to work the zoom on the digital camera. All in all, it was quite a day!

Now that you've seen Tristan's pictures, he's excited to see your pictures when you get home!

Look Who Came to Supper!

Your other family says, "Come Home Soon!" It's just not the same without you!

Just to Make Sure You Come Home...

Liz and Goofy Grandma got together to make Swedish Meatballs today. I set aside a round dozen for you to have when you get home. That shows you how many of these we plan to eat before you get here!

The Old Millionaire and His Lovely Bride Say Hi!

From Fairmont to Lima - Greetings! Aldor and DeElda have been busily preparing for an onslaught of family next month. You should see their latest creations. They are enjoying keeping up with your travels through your blog.

Grandpa and Grandma Nilsen say Hi!

Grandma Nilsen and her bridge group all send their greetings, as do Grandpa Nilsen, and Gordy, Grandpa's favorite server at the VFW in Richfield. Grandpa asked "How's the world traveler?" as soon as I walked in the room today. He was very interested in your web posts, and I showed him pictures of Machu Picchu on line. We're all getting anxious to hear your stories when you get back. Safe travels this weekend, Carl!

NCS says hi!

Amy, Connie and Mary all send their greetings! At the office, we're all anxiously awaiting Ben's return from Iraq. The first Minnesota men returned yesterday, and now it seems real that everybody is coming home.

And in 10 days, you'll be home, too! We can't wait, Carl!

Skyline Citizen Says Hi!

And a good time was had by all!

Oh, Carl, we wish you had been here. Skyline Citizen was awesome, the food was incredible and overwhelming, and the company fantastic.

When Skyline Citizen came, Stephen brought his new girlfriend, Lindsey. She was spending the day at Fox Lake with Stephen and all the Helvigs, but this was her first time with his family, and he didn't want to abandon her with them for 4 hours while they came down to Spirit Lake. So Lindsey came along! The guys all said to tell you hi (see the sign? that's Lindsey with SC and me). I'm also including a couple of pictures of them singing, and a group shot with me.

The last photo is the whole Redneck Yacht Club, with the exception of Susie-Q's brother and sister in law. So from all of us to you, Happy 4th of July, Carl!

The Not-So-Redneck Yacht Club Arrives

Hello from Okoboji! Our friends from Illinois, Iowa, and Las Vegas, Nevada arrived last night. Tomorrow we take them to Minnesota to do the Trimont, Ormsby, New Ulm, and Sherburn tour. Tomorrow night, Sue's brother, sister-in-law, son, and son's friend join us at the cabin. On Wednesday, Rodney and Myrna Heimansen and Slim join us for the 4th of July festivities.

Pictured here are (left to right) Sue and Danny (Vook), Bill and Rose.

Yupper Yupper!

Popcorn Day at Minnesota Masonic

OK, Carl, you know how you can't be a Nilsen and not love popcorn? Dawn and I arrived at Grandpa Mick's right at popcorn time, and Grandma came a few minutes later, so Dad joined us in the "fish tank" lounge for popcorn and lemonade! We thought some pictures might make you jealous!

Liz is at Tennis and Life camp at Gustavus, soaking up enough sun to last you and her for the next 3 weeks until you get home. She says she is WAY sunburned! She gets to the lake tomorrow night.

The "Red Neck Yacht Club", as you call them, arrive tomorrow night. We can't wait! We'll take pictures ASAP, and post them for you to see. Hope you receive the wireless on Monday, and can get it up and running to everyone's satisfaction some time next week!

A Gustavus Greeting

Carl,

In case you don't recognize the number, the 413 behind our shoulders is the door to your Gustavus dorm room. Cathie is residing a couple floors below this summer while running Lutheran Summer Music. Don't worry, its all staff and faculty using your new "house," they promise to leave it neat and tidy!

Cathie and I had an entertaining supper on the shores of Lake Washington (a whole 4 miles from my house...why haven't I discovered this place yet??). Very reminiscent of the shores of 'BOJI.

I trust you're having a great week! Keep your blog posts coming...I'm living vicariously through them.

GIP, BYCb, TBTQ

Uncle Fred and the gang at Cenex

Hi, Carl! Cenex just isn't the same without you, but the usual gang of morning coffee suspects are trying to keep things going in your absence!