PORTLAND

Hanna spent the past weekend at a conference in Portland, Oregon. The trip could not have been any better. First of all, it was in Portland, a beautiful, diverse, interesting city with lots of stuff to do and things to see.

View from the airplane on Mt Saint Helens, a volcano that erupted in the 1980s.

Right outside the conference hotel in downtown Portland. Hello, spring!

The conference was great. Fantastic plenaries, critical thinkers - 

inspiring scholars and scholarship all around.

Hanna's presentation went really well too. 

And it was great to catch up with some old friends/new scholars.

Work hard, then play hard: The giant group of (former) SLC people. Our program was extremely well represented. Go SLC!

Old and new friends at the post-dinner-party party.

 More play time: Hike through the beautiful Forest Park. It's a rainforest right in the city.

Thank you friends, thank you Portland!

LIGHT

Everything is better in spring. Everything feels lighter, easier, less serious. Our household has been an extremely cheerful one in these past days. Samu sings nonsense-songs all day and Sofia keeps shrieking with enthusiasm at all her new skills and discoveries. Good times!

Playing with pillows.

 One huge happiness factor is also Hanna's dissertation: It's done and submitted! YAY!

Sofia loved it.

Cap and gown were already delivered for the commencement ceremony in May.

Last feedback before final revisions. 

A big thank you to Kobi and Kathi who saved Hanna from formatting disasters!

 Weekend trips always make us happy. Although Samu has learned to associate "Sunday" with "zoo", we are trying to mix it up a little and went to the conservatory instead. 

Speed crawling 

Samu seems to talk about Sofia in daycare ;-)

 With Papa/Isi.

 Source of Samu happiness: Pink socks.

 Source of everyone's happiness: 

Wonderful late birthday brunch with Jenna and George. Thank you!!!

 St. Patrick's Day (April 17) will now be known as the day Hanna submitted her dissertation.

WEEKLY NEWS

Sofia is pulling herself up wherever she can.

 Sofia moved in with Samu - they both love it!

 Kitchen action.

Papa/Isi is the best.

 Our little artist drew Papa/Isi. We think he is gifted, don't you?

 Our usual trip to the zoo, but this time we went to the "big one" (Minnesota Zoo).

 Sofia liked the ducks.

 Samu insisted on wearing his tiger shirt - for the tiger, of course.

Crocodile!

 Sofia admiring flamingos.

 Mother and child tapir.

 Mother and child.

 The best news? The snow is finally melting! No more sub-zero temperatures, not even in Celsius! Hoooorrraaaayyyy!