Three states, 12 months!

We are officially settled in Minneapolis. Dan finished up his 1st year of Grad school at Tepper on May 5th. While I was so excited for Dan to finish his first year, I also knew it would mean saying goodbye to my friends that where spouses of graduating students. I met them through the Tepper Partners club. They were such dear friends to me despite are different back rounds and phases in life.They are honestly some of the best women I have ever met, and I have met some amazing ones. I hope to see some of them this summer in Minneapolis.
As soon as Dan finished his last final, we packed up the trailer and prepped the house for our sub renters. That following Monday we headed off on our long drive from Pittsburgh to Minneapolis. Within minutes of getting on the freeway we realized this was going to be a much longer trip then we had planned. If Dan drove over 50 mph the trailer would sway violently from side to side taking the car with it. Do not ask how long it took to get to Minnesota! We will just say that we bonded as a family. It was actually pretty fun. Ava and Kat are real road warriors. Kat was a bit of a stinker to Ava. Every time Ava fell asleep and tipped to the side, you would see this little baby hand creep up and snatch Ava's hair. Ava would wake up crying. Katrina would do this over and over till I moved her car seat. It was like torture for poor Ava. They are such siblings! Overall they did really well. We stopped in Oshkosh to visit friends for a few days, which helped make the trip a bit more exciting. We rolled into Minneapolis the following weekend. Our new place is on the 32nd floor of a high-rise in downtown Minneapolis. It has a pool, hot tub, gym, party room, playground, and is across the street from Loring park. It really feels like we are on vacation. Even though Dan is working, it is nothing like his intense school schedule. We play as a family on the weekends, and even sometimes during the week. Kat has gotten so used to seeing him, that she crawls to the front door everyday when he leaves and cries. Dan loves it. Kat has her 1st birthday on Friday. I can't believe it has been a year. She looks like a little baby still. She is so bald compared to Ava. She does have 5 teeth, three on top and two on bottom. She has a little hair, but just right down the middle of her head. Dan puts it in a little faux hawk. She is a spit fire. She is very clear with what she wants. She is very friendly with everyone, and is easily entertained. It is amazing how quickly she and Ava formed a sisterly relationship. As soon as Kat could sit up Ava was trying to play with her. They chase each other (Ava crawls), play with toys together, yell, dance, and cuddle sometimes. It is pretty funny watching them fight. You would be surprised at how well kat can handle herself when she wants something:) We are really enjoying them at this age. Dan is enjoying his internship. Soon after we got here, he received an amazing honor. He was awarded the McGowen Fellowship. This carries with it some really amazing opportunities included a full ride to Tepper next year. He applied for it as a shot in the dark, at least in his mind. The requirements of the fellowship include showing leadership and service in the community as wells as high academic achievement. Dan was really blown away to win. We are so proud of him. We are so excited for what the future may have in store for our family.Have a great summer wherever you are!