Fans o' Matthias Lee, Flannery & Zora

January 2012

2012-01-22T17:55:00.004-06:00

"Surprise!"

Chillin' with dad

Helping dad with dishes

More playing in the tent

Getting ready for a "trip"

Raking snow #1

Raking snow #2

A "decorated" dino

Eatin' "yurgurt"

With his two snowmen

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T16:57:00.006-06:00

Cars (#1)

Cars (#2)

Cars (#3)

The Super Track

Scootering on Christmas Day (#1)

Scootering on Christmas Day (#2)

With his new puppy "Scout"

"What's inside my stocking?"

New Rockin' Attire

A surprise in the mail

Getting ready to swim in December? (According to Matthias, the portable DVD-player straps serve as his "safety harness.")

A big tractor puzzle

All decorated for Christmas

Fall

2011-10-31T19:14:00.008-05:00

Look, I found a toad!

celebrating Daddy's birthday

I still fit in a laundry basket.

taking a llama for a walk

John Deere tractors make me smile.

at the llama farm

at the llama farm II

hanging out with Daddy and Flannery after daycare

Trying out my hat...I'll need that soon. Mommy and Daddy say I should put pants on, too.

Daddy and I built a tall tower.

I put this puzzle together all by myself! I DOOED it!

See my jack-o-lantern?

Dog Days of Summer

2011-08-26T18:03:00.005-05:00

Bare-chested Chef: I

Bare-chested Chef: II

Sandusky: I

Sandusky: II

Pretending to call Grandpa Buster

Ready to Rock?

The concert was so wild he got a drum thrown on his head

Royalty

Ready for the sunshine

Future Firefighter?

Muddin': I

Muddin': II

Muddin': III

Muddin': IV

Muddin': V

Good Times in MinnSoDak

2011-07-11T08:07:00.006-05:00

Riding a whale

Playing at a rest area

Traveling on the interstate

Getting ready to leave for MinnSoDak

Becoming a fan of SE

Making Grandpa Buster and Grandma Carrie proud

Training to become the next Neil Peart or Gavin Harrison

Enjoying the Hartford Beach State Park golf course (Part 1)

Enjoying the Hartford Beach State Park golf course (Part 2)

Pretending to be a construction worker

Cuddling with a kitten

(Sort of) riding a donkey

Working too hard to look at the camera

Cruising on a new bike

Leading a miniature horse

Driving Grandma Barb's lawn tractor

Posing with Grandma Barb and Grandpa Paul

Posing in the loader

Playing mandolin with Grandpa Buster

Helping with chores on the farm

Matthias Pics--Spring 2011 Edition

2011-06-19T14:13:00.007-05:00

"Driving" a Fire Truck

"Driving" a train

Chatting with an orangutan

Relaxing in the world's stinkiest flower

Working the CB

Chilling in a baby bathtub

Putting the final touches on a tower

The sign Matthias made for the completion of Nate's oral defense

Working hard on Daddy's sign

Practicing roadie skills

Enjoying the fountain at the MV children's garden

Preparing for the slide

Contemplating

Buckling up for a ride in the new bike trailer

Cuddling with Daddy in the new house

Matthias Lee Spring Photos

2011-04-03T18:47:00.003-05:00

Trying on Dad's hat

Building blocks with Dad

Playing out in the rain

Watching NBA highlights with Dad

Playing football in the backyard

Reading a Richard Scarry book

Watching Flannery eat dinner

The little man

That was one serious dunk.

December in Mount Vernon, OH

2010-12-17T16:39:00.004-06:00

Playing in the snow

Savoring the winter weather

Matthias next to his beloved Christmas lights.

Concentration

Future builder?

Future artist?

"What's in the bag?"

"This looks like fun."

"What's better than all the cool presents Mom & Dad bought me? The trash can lid!"

"A kitty makes a great pillow."

There's a reason for the lack of ornaments.

One happy customer

Riding the merry-go-round with Mom

Photo #2 of the Great Christmas Train

A solo ride on the merry-go-round

Pre-Thanksgiving Photo Montage

2010-11-21T15:49:00.007-06:00

Lookin' smiley as usual

"Petting" Flannery

Wearing the royal robe

Practicing piano

Cuddling with Dad and Peter the polar bear

Playing a duet with Dad

Stylin'

Playing in the leaves

Raking

Shoveling leaves

Late October & Halloween

2010-10-31T05:20:00.006-05:00

Sporting a mixing bowl

Sporting a green hat

Doing laundry

Reaching out

Playing with gourds, the new favorite non-manufactured toy

Trick-or-treating in comfort

Sitting with Dad in preparation for Halloween

Eating one of the spoils from trick-or-treat

Posing for a senior picture

Looking sharp

Enjoying the leaf pile in the backyard

Sightseeing with Mom at the Columbus Zoo

Writing the first word of a novel

Hanging out with a goat at the Columbus Zoo

Working on a solo

Autumn in Mount Vernon, Ohio

2010-10-10T07:54:00.014-05:00

A future MVNU student?

A future Steak 'n Shake employee, pen at the ready for your order

Boy among leaves (version 1)

Boy among leaves (version 2)

One happy boy (version 1)

Looking at the trees

One happy boy (version 2)

Father and son

Mother and son

Camera-shy

On the MVNU campus

Reading the Wall Street Journal

Doing a test run for Halloween

Summer Fun

2010-08-22T15:34:00.016-05:00

Amy & Matthias at Lake Erie

Baby with feather at Lake Erie

The moving company packed everything

Matthias asleep from SoDak to MtV

Matthias enjoying one last visit to the play are in the Empire Mall

Nate & Matthias at the falls in SF

Big Stone Lake (SoDak side)

Big Stone Lake (SoDak looking at Minnesota)

Amy & Matthias (Big Stone Lake)

Outside the cabin at Hartford Beach State Park (SD)

Nate & Matthias

Matthias: 3 months

2009-10-23T13:21:00.002-05:00

Our infrequency in posting is an indication of how busy things are here. We both went back to work/school at the end of August, and bewteen that and Matthias, we don't have much time for anything else. Things are going well, though. Matthias is getting big and developing more abilities all the time. He is generally a happy guy, but he has had some colic, which we think is due to sensitivity to dairy and soy. He has been feeling better since Amy cut those ingredients out of her diet.

We are trying a new method of sharing photos, through Walgreens Photo. Let us know what you think.

Matthias (21 photos), by Amy Hansen

2009-10-23T13:15:00.001-05:00

I'd like to share my Walgreens Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

"It's About Time"--More photos of Matthias!

2009-08-29T03:10:00.005-05:00

The requests have indeed been heard. Here in FOMLF&Z-land, we've been inundated with demands, pleas, and threats for more pics of Matthias Lee. Well, everyone, this here post is chock-full of heart-warming images. So sit back, keep your finger on the scroll button, and enjoy!

Fussin' with Grandpa Buster

Hangin' out with Dad while he drinks his morning cup o' java.

(Not in picture: Miles Davis on the hi-fi.)

The obligatory almost-naked baby picture

In his cool farm outfit from Mom & Dad's cool PDX friends, Jason & Amber

Gearing up for the exciting close of the 2009 MLB season

"100% Fun"--Indeed

The shirt says it all

Smiley Dude Picture #1

Smiley Dude Picture #2

Smiley Dude Picture #3

First-Week Photos

2009-07-25T09:10:00.010-05:00

Mom and Dad giving Matthias his bath before the big hospital photo shoot. He doesn't appear to like this particular portion of the bathing process.

The shirt's words are sufficient.

"Yeah, I know I'm a cutey."

"I'm about ready to start eating my hand. Yum!"

Just relaxin'

His favorite place to sleep right now

Nursery

2009-07-04T20:40:00.002-05:00

Painting the nursery was a bigger job than we anticipated, but we have had it done for a while and are pleased with how it turned out. My mom made the beautiful quilt. Now I just have to make some new curtains--we have never liked those lace ones, anyway!

Zora tries out baby gear

2009-07-04T20:17:00.005-05:00

Zora has been enjoying exploring all of the things we have purchased or received for the baby. We wonder if she will have trouble with the realization that this stuff is not for her! This week, she discovered how comfy the crib and changing table are, and we are trying to break her of the habit of napping on the baby's stuff. It's hard to yell at her when she's so cute, though.

Flannery and Zora enjoying the Diaper Genie box

Zora in the Diaper Genie

38 weeks

2009-07-04T20:08:00.003-05:00

The due date is close, and the doctor says the baby could come any time now. I am feeling relatively well. Everything is pretty much ready for his arrival, except for some housecleaning projects that we would like to get accomplished. Nate has been able to do a lot around the house since he got done teaching his summer class. I am working in my office instead of traveling for now, and I will take 6 weeks or so off after the birth.

35 weeks

2009-06-13T15:57:00.003-05:00

Things are beginning to come together for Baby's arrival. This week, Nate put the crib and stroller together, and Amy's coworkers showered her with more baby things. We also toured the birthing center at the hospital. Amy is still feeling pretty well. We are getting excited to meet our little guy in about 30 days!

33 weeks

2009-06-04T08:44:00.002-05:00

feeling a little bigger, but still pretty well

more cute cats

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31 weeks--still feeling fine!

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27 weeks

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I had routine blood tests (for gestational diabetes and anemia) on April 17. They turned out fine, and the nurse said my weight gain is appropriate and my blood pressure is good. I continue to feel well, but I notice a few more aches and pains lately.

Pregnancy: 25 weeks

2009-04-04T20:52:00.003-05:00

The pregnancy is still going well. We had another ultrasound on March 20 because the doctor couldn't see all 4 chambers of baby's heart at the previous appointment. This time, they were able to see everything, and they said it all looked good. We asked the sonographer to check the sex again, and of course they will never say they're 100% sure, but it is almost undeniably a boy. Amy is still feeling well, and is getting bigger.

From a card sent by Amy's aunt: "For nine months, you get to eat and cry and complain and sleep and be completely and totally unreasonable.

And then it's your baby's turn."

Catching up with Flannery and Zora

2009-03-29T19:18:00.003-05:00

Zora is growing up! She is about 11 months old now, and is getting more mature in some ways. She still has that kittenish penchant for trouble, though. Her latest antic is getting into an off-limits basement room through one of two holes in the wall near the ceiling. We hadn't paid attention to those holes (don't even know why a previous owner cut them) and we don't know how long she was using that hiding spot before we caught her. She and Flannery get along pretty well now that Flannery has gotten used to her.

They're buddies sometimes.

Zora loves to play in plastic bags.

Flannery helps Nate with his schoolwork.

Albuquerque

2009-03-29T18:22:00.006-05:00

In late February, we enjoyed a few days in Albuquerque, New Mexico while Nate was reading one of his short stories at a conference there. We had a great time exploring the city and soaking up some sun and warmer temperatures. (Back in South Dakota, they were having an ice storm). We stayed in a motel right on historic Route 66. We visited the aquarium, the zoo, and Old Town.

Baby's First Pictures

2009-02-21T09:49:00.004-06:00

The top picture is the head (on the right) and stomach (on the left).
In the bottom picture, you can see a hand giving a "thumbs up."

We had our first ultrasound on Feb. 20, and the sonographer said everything looked good. Because of the way the baby was positioned, the sonographer was not able to see all four chambers of the heart, so she would like to do another ultrasound in 4 weeks. She's pretty sure it's a boy!

Pregnancy Photos

2009-02-14T15:23:00.003-06:00

not showing yet...about 10 weeks?

Feb. 7, almost 18 weeks

The pregnancy is going well, as far as we know. We are looking forward to our ultrasound appointment on Feb. 20, and are hoping to find out the sex of the baby. You can see that Amy's body is going through some changes.

Hobbits

2009-01-04T18:29:00.002-06:00

I (Amy) recently realized that I eat like a hobbit. That is, I eat about seven meals a day. An hour or two after breakfast, I need a second breakfast, and I also typically have elevenses between second breakfast and lunch. When I head out for a long day of work, I carry a lunch bag plus an extra plastic bag of food to get me through the day.

These strange eating habits are due to what Nate and I affectionately refer to as "the little hobbit." Yes, in case you haven't heard, I'm pregnant. Fortunately, I have not had much nausea and have been able to enjoy food a great deal. As of today, I am at 12 weeks, 6 days, with a due date of July 13. Nate and I are very excited! We heard the heartbeat on Dec. 19, and we are looking forward to more milestones in future weeks.

Christmas Festivities

2008-12-16T20:24:00.004-06:00

Here's our Christmas tree as it looked for about 4 hours. This is little Zora's first Christmas with us, and she, well, got pretty excited about all of those ornaments, especially the soft ones. In fact, she wanted to take down each one (as well as the tree) and play with it. Now the Christmas tree is in the living room again, sans ornaments. She's behaved appropriately since the re-installment.

Our lights, which Amy and I strung up on the day after Thanksgiving (when I was also strung up because of student papers).

Check out Peter the Polar Bear. He looks even sharper now with the snow we've received since this picture was taken.

And two pictures of the two bestest kitty-kats in the whole wide world.

Photos from Fort Ridgely

2008-10-31T13:08:00.007-05:00

From a couple weeks back. Oh, the glories of Autumn in Minnesota. Gracie, the American Eskimo, belongs to Nate's parents.

Amy & Nate Give 5 ouf of 5 Stars to the Dano Circle Bed & Breakfast

2008-10-26T18:11:00.002-05:00

We were in Marshall, Minnesota, for a wedding this weekend, and we had the pleasure of staying at a fine establishment. The accommodations were comfy, the Wii was fully functional, the coffee was freshly ground, the apple pie was tasty, the Opeth was pummeling, and the hosts were both entertaining and generous.

Unfortunately, we can't disclose anything else about this B&B because we want it to stay our little secret.

So to the Dano Circle Bed & Breakfast we give our rarely awarded 5-out-of-5 star rating!

More Photos!

2008-09-01T19:25:00.006-05:00

We've had Zora about 1 1/2 weeks now, and she and Flannery are adjusting fairly well. Here are some pictures Nate took in the past couple of days.

"Such a thoughtful kitty"

"Aren't I the cutest thing?"

"Family Cuddles"

"We may look as if we're resting, but don't mess with us!"

BIG NEWS!!!

2008-08-21T19:17:00.005-05:00

As you may have gathered from the new title of our blog, as well as from the picture above, we have a new addition to our home: Zora. So named after one of our favorite authors, Zora Neale Hurston.

We've owned her for about 45 minutes as of this posting. After filling out paperwork for the Heartland Humane Society, we scheduled an appointment to have "Zora" brought over to our house. A woman from the shelter came, as did the foster mom of Zora.

It was quite a treat to watch Zora explore the house with Flannery following right along beside her. There was no hissing whatsoever. We couldn't believe how well they were getting along. Right now as I'm writing this, they've started to play with each other a little. We haven't seen Flannery move this much in a LONG time. They've batted at each other a little, but that's to be expected.

Because Zora is only 4 months old, she's in that rambuctious kitten stage and is already testing limits. I can hear the two of them tearing around upstairs right above me--Flannery's gonna be a little bit thinner in the coming weeks and months.

More house stuff

2008-06-09T19:53:00.002-05:00

We recently decided to get a little creative with our two upstairs bedrooms. The one the previous owners had used as a master bedroom was too dark for us, so we settled in the other bedroom. (They are about the same size.) Feeling a desire for change and becoming annoyed by noise from the neighbors' backyard, we decided to move to the other room, after painting it a lighter green. Amy did all of the painting (1 coat of primer + 2 coats of paint) over Memorial Day weekend, and we moved the furniture on Memorial Day, before leaving for our trip to Portland. Nate is ecstatic about having a room that serves as a library!

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Home Repairs

2008-05-21T21:37:00.002-05:00

Back in March, we noticed a lot of water on the floor of the basement bathroom, which we rarely use. A plumber came and was able to get into the wall by sticking his fingers through it because it was so wet and warped. He fixed a leak behind the sink, and we have lived with the mess for a while now because Nate and the neighbor had plans to patch up the wall when Nate's semester ended.

Our neighbor Delmer is a former contractor and now is in the business of testing and lowering radon levels in homes. He installed our radon mitigation system in January, and has been very kind to us throughout the long process of tinkering with it to get the radon down to a harmless level. He recently offered Nate a job as his assistant, so Nate is having fun learning a lot about all sorts of tools and the radon mitigation process.

Taking some time out from radon jobs, Delmer and Nate have spent several days fixing the bathroom. When the wall was opened, we discovered that someone failed to pour concrete on that section of the basement, under the stairs. So Delmer and Nate mixed and poured concrete before they closed up the wall. In the process of taking out the rest of the rotten wall, they discovered that another wall was rotten and termite-damaged, too, so they replaced that one as well. They also enclosed the radon mitigation system so we don't have to look at that green tube anymore.

The walls are back up and just need a little more mudding before we can paint them. We're really thankful for Delmer's expertise and willingness to help. The next project is to replace the monstrous utility sink by the washer and fix the plumbing so we don't have the washer draining into the sink.

This is part of the adventure of being homeowners, right?

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2008-02-25T20:35:00.001-06:00

Flannery has a new bed, thanks to Nate's mom!

Updated Pictures of Our House

2008-02-24T19:06:00.003-06:00

We decided to post some pictures of our house with our things in it. We have been enjoying our new home very much, with the exception of the frequent attempts to clear snow from the driveway. We're ready for spring!

the upstairs office (Nate's writing desk)

2008-02-24T19:04:00.000-06:00

the bedroom

2008-02-24T19:02:00.000-06:00

the living room

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the downstairs office

2008-02-24T18:47:00.000-06:00

The Joys of Java (by Nate)

2008-01-02T21:23:00.000-06:00

Here you'll see a picture of a new addition to the kitchen in our new house. Yes, we now have our own coffee cart. Take notice of the bags of coffee and the coffee grinder. I thought that only brewing freshly ground coffee was the height of coffee snobbery, yet we have topped our previous snobbery with this cart. It even has a towel rack on the side and features locking casters. So if you happen to attend a lunch or dinner function at our new home, there's a good chance the cart will get wheeled out and will be put to good use.

Our first Christmas in our new home

2007-12-15T21:15:00.000-06:00

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Exciting news!

2007-12-08T15:39:00.000-06:00

This week, we waited to hear the sellers' response to our request for the installation of a radon mitigation system, since the radon test revealed a level not considered harmless by the EPA. They said they would pay for it (almost $1,000) if we would agree to close a week earlier than planned. We had no problem with that! The closing is now scheduled for December 14, so we will move a few things in beginning then and start living there on the 21st. It's hard for us to believe that it's really happening. We are so thankful for this amazing blessing.

The house hunt

2007-11-27T21:12:00.001-06:00

We have been planning to move to Yankton since Amy got a job there, and we were delighted to discover that it would be feasible to buy a house. We began looking at houses in Yankton toward the end of October. We found one that was suitable, and we made an offer on it. It had been on the market for more than a year, so we got a good deal. We knew it needed some major redecorating, but we were willing to do that. We were under the impression that any problems with it were mostly cosmetic, but the inspection revealed a crack around three walls of the basement. The other wall had been reinforced because it had bowed in slightly. We were shocked and concerned; we didn't want to buy a house with structural problems, or worse, try to sell that house when Nate finishes school. We got a concrete expert to look at the basement, and he said all four walls would need to be reinforced with pylasters to keep them from coming in. His estimate was $5,300. We asked the sellers to pay for it, and they declined, so we walked away from the deal and started viewing houses again.

There seemed to be only a few houses that were in our price range, and we saw several houses that we absolutely did not want to buy. However, our realtor was excited about a house that had gone on the market the day before; she said we would be the first to see it. We loved it, and we made an offer on it right away. The sellers accepted, so we are in the process of purchasing the home, with the closing date set for December 21. We had the inspection on November 26, and the things the inspector found were minor. We are really thankful for that!

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Yankton, SD: Our soon-to-be hometown

2007-11-27T20:40:00.001-06:00

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New Job by Amy

2007-10-14T15:53:00.000-05:00

On September 24, I started my job as a Children's Services Counselor at Lewis and Clark Behavioral Health Services in Yankton. I had not intended to counsel kids, but this job seemed to come to me providentially, and as soon as it was offered to me, I knew it would be a mistake to turn it down. Besides the opportunity to help people, it provides decent pay and good benefits and the experience and supervision I need to work toward counseling licensure.

I have already completed my third week, and I like the job very much, especially now that I have started working on my own with my rapidly-growing caseload. I get to set my own schedule, so I have been working longer hours Monday through Thursday and taking Fridays off. I travel three days a week to Scotland, Tripp, Wagner, and Lake Andes, which requires me to spend quite a bit of time on the road. I stay at the Yankton office one day a week for meetings and in-town clients.

The clients are kids (ages 3-17) who have been referred by their parents, teachers, or other concerned adults because they have been exhibiting emotional and/or behavioral problems. We assess them to see if they meet the criteria for "Serious Emotional Disturbance," (which really just means that they have some type of difficulty emotionally or behaviorally and in some other area of life), and if they do and they have Medicaid or meet income guidelines, they receive free services, which include individual, family, and sometimes group counseling. I think it's a cool program, and I'm glad that it involves the family in the healing process in a significant way.

Nate and I would appreciate your prayers in this exciting season. Our desire is to move to Yankton so we can split up the driving, and also because we like the town. Our lease in Vermillion is up Dec. 31, so we would like to move then, but we would need to get another car. We obviously need a place to live, too; we are currently exploring our options. Pray that God will give us wisdom and equip both of us to do our jobs in a way that honors Him.

My diploma finally arrived!

2007-10-14T15:51:00.000-05:00

Amy's office

2007-10-14T15:46:00.000-05:00

Amy's new workplace

2007-10-14T15:29:00.000-05:00

The Nebraska side of the Missouri River

2007-09-17T08:02:00.000-05:00

Finally--a picture of our car

2007-09-17T07:56:00.000-05:00

Amy's worksite

2007-08-24T08:37:00.000-05:00

We get awesome storms on the plains.

2007-08-23T21:40:00.001-05:00

The sunshine after the storm

2007-08-23T21:27:00.000-05:00

Miss Feline South Dakota

2007-08-23T21:20:00.000-05:00

Contentedness (by Amy)

2007-08-23T20:41:00.000-05:00

We have been living in Vermillion for six weeks now. In some ways, it has been easy to adapt to this life. After all, we both grew up in small towns not too far from here; it feels like coming home, especially with our families within easy driving distance. In other ways, however, it has been challenging. We sometimes feel cramped in our little apartment, and we hate being awakened by the patrons of the bar next door. We are just beginning to make friends in the community. It seems like a long time since we had friends over for an evening. For me, the loneliness is compounded by the fact that I haven't been able to get a job in my field and have been spending my days packing parts at the local Polaris warehouse.

These circumstances present a great opportunity for us to practice some of the principles we learned about in Gary Thomas' book Authentic Faith, particularly the discipline of contentment.

Three weeks ago, we went to a family camp with our Fargo church, and it was a blast. It was a joyous occasion to catch up with people we hadn't seen in a long time and to make new friends. When we left, I felt sad that I cannot fellowship with these people on a regular basis anymore. I was already feeling the same grief about our church and other friends in Portland. I decided that moving is too painful, so we should just stay in one place hereafter so we will be spared the pain of leaving friends. Soon, I realized that even if we stay somewhere, we will continue to get separated from friends as they move away or, (we hope not for a long time) pass away.

I realized that what I have experienced and desire so much is the gift of love that God has given to all of us, but which will not be perfected until Jesus ushers in the next age. Until that time, I will always be separated from some of the people I love. But when that day comes, and for all of eternity, I will be able to enjoy their company and that of the Lord who has made this kind of love possible.

Photos from the Painted Hills in Central Oregon

2007-07-23T20:19:00.000-05:00

Following are some photos of our trip with our good friends Jason & Amber to the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. This was our pre-moving "trip," which took place toward the end of June.

We're in Vermillion, SD!

2007-07-21T20:43:00.000-05:00

Here's part of "historic" downtown Vermillion.

Our apartment is the corner one, which is above an art gallery.

A snapshot of the inside of the "cubbyhole." Note Flan sitting in the window.

Old Main on the campus of the University of South Dakota where Nate will be going to school.

Spirit Mound, six miles north of Vermillion. Lewis & Clark "climbed" this on August 25, 1804.