Tennesseans in North Dakota

Since moving to Tennessee, Suzanna has made an annual road trip back to North Dakota in June or July during her summer break from the school year. She drives so that she can bring her sweet dog, Zoey, to visit us, too! Here are some highlights from Suzanna's two-week stay with us this summer.

(Click on any photo to enlarge it.)

Suzanna and Zoey arrived on Saturday, June 21. On each visit, it takes Zoey no time to get re-acclimated to our house (and the sound of the refrigerator's cheese drawer opening in the kitchen). Zoey alternates between being rambunctious and cuddly. I love playing with her, but I really love snuggling with her.

We know Zoey is here for a visit when we see the pile of dog toys and canine paraphernalia stacked up in front of the china hutch. Here, Zoey has the tennis ball ready for a game of keep-away, if only I will put down the camera.

While Suzanna was here, she and Susan, both secondary school educators, attended a professional development workshop for teachers. It was offered by Bismarck State College and involved three days (June 24-26) of hands-on experience in a variety of career areas, like robotics, unmanned aircraft systems (drones), cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and mass communication. The aim was for teachers to be able to help their students make decisions about their career options after graduation.

One of those nights, the college gave participating teachers tickets to a Bismarck Larks baseball game. Susan and Suzanna took me as their guest, and we had a meal and some drinks at the Bismarck Municipal Ballpark while enjoying the game. (I've got my cap tilted to use the lid to block the setting sun.)

Suzanna's fiancé, Jacob, flew in to Bismarck and spent a long weekend with us. We had a delicious meal at Huckleberry House, a restaurant in Bismarck that serves Nordic fusion dishes and creative cocktails. It's located on the Missouri River, right where people board the Lewis and Clark Riverboat for evening cruises. (The next night we ate at El Sombrero in Dickinson so that Suzanna could have her favorite: P5, which is grilled chicken on rice with queso ... ¡such bold Mexican flavors!)

On Saturday, June 28, we spent the day in Medora. We started south of town at Badlands Ministries, the Bible camp that all three girls attended for years ... and later worked at for years! Then we explored the town and drove up to the amphitheater where the Medora musical is performed nightly throughout the summer--a perfect spot for a photo. We ate at Boots Bar and Grill, a dog-friendly restaurant where our server fawned over Zoey.

The drizzly morning turned into a sunny afternoon, which we spent driving around and hiking in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We saw wild horses in the distance and bison and prairie dogs up close. Our photo folders are full of scenic pics like this one ... but I'll spare you the comprehensive slideshow.

Jacob, Suzanna, Kevin, and Susan in the Badlands

The next day (Sunday, June 29), we went to church in Dickinson (St. John Lutheran) and then took Jacob back to the airport in Bismarck. First we met Susan's dad, Roger, and his girlfriend, JoAnn, for dinner at Laughing Sun Brewing Company, another dog-friendly restaurant that made Zoey feel welcome.

Suzanna and Zoey had a low-key week in Dickinson, and then we spent the Independence Day weekend in Tioga with my dad and my sister Sandy. I had to work, so I drove separately ... and before I got there, Dad took Susan and Suzanna to Dakota Drug Company in Stanley for a Whirl-a-Whip. It's a whipped ice cream treat, like a Dairy Queen Blizzard or a McDonald's McFlurry, but made using a vintage machine that once was common at drug store soda fountains and ice cream shoppes.

I grew up 35 miles from Stanley but never had a Whirl-a-Whip as a child ... or as an adult, for that matter. Dad has taken all three of his granddaughters for a Whirl-a-Whip and now his daughter-in-law, too, but never his son. It's an outrage.

On the 4th of July, we gathered at my cousin Jon's for what in recent years has become an annual get-together for the Moberg cousins, aunts, and uncles. We spent the night trying to shield Zoey from the sounds of the fireworks being shot off by Dad's next-door neighbors on both sides.

On Saturday, July 5, Susan joined Suzanna and Zoey for the road trip back to Tennessee. Susan will spend a week there helping Suzanna with preliminary planning for the wedding (which will be in October 2026). I will fly down at the end of the week to join them there.

Meanwhile, I stayed in Tioga and joined Sandy in the Freedom Fest parade. Sandy works for Hess Corporation, an operator of oil and gas processing plants and infrastructure in northwest North Dakota. I donned a Hess T-shirt and joined her in following the Hess entry in the parade while tossing candy to the spectators.

Today Sandy hosted Dad and me for dinner on the family farm, where she lives. The three of us hopped in her UTV and drove around the farm, touring the property and listening to Dad's tales about his childhood on the farm and admiring Sandy's work at upkeep. This photo was taken out on her deck before I departed for home.