oh these rainy days!

Last Thursday, it just to happened to work out that I could head out for a bike ride on the trail! I haven't gone for a good ride in quite awhile. "People" say pregnant gals aren't supposed to due to balance being off. well, this little gal is stuffed

so far up into my torso that my center of gravity has barely been affected.

(the 29er)

so anyhoo, i biked 10.25 mi

and it was gorgeous. overcast, breezy, and cool:) boy did my butt hurt the next day!! my word!!! if i'm going to do the 5 hours 4 orphans my little butt is going to have to get tough. literally.

Saturday, my little sister alair came over to play, but instead just ran errands with us. we were quite close to lunch time, so we went to McDonalds. we really don't eat fast food that much because it doesn't agree with me, but sometimes a cheeseburger just tastes SO good:) it did saturday....

I was really excited to go for a long hike today, but the sky looks threatening. I don't want to go without carly or dakota because they love it so much, and the jogging stroller has a hole in one of the tires/innertubes.

Thus I will be trying to figure out how to mend that without heading all the way to mankato or faribault, though waseca is a viable option.... and we will head out!

summer on Sakatah State Trail:)

Carly Dakota and I have been trying to hit the trail as often as possible, even if it's just for a quick jaunt. I cannot express how much i love this trail. it smells like lush green undergrowth and black dirt, you can hear the lake and the birds, and so many times i see no people:) solitude is wonderful! But if we head out on a saturday or sunday, or around supper time, there is bound to be bikers, runners, and hikers out which is nice too! folks are friendly and usually holler out their whereabouts and smile a "hi."

This is my view lately:) mostly baby bump with some legs popping out from underneath.

what a good trail buddy! as long as mom remembers the snacks and drinks...

here's an action side view...some indiana pals have been asking about the baby belly. looking at this, i think i need to work on the posture.

here we are after the BEST walk on Tuesday. cool, humid, and moderately sunny.

vets, pets, & dreaming dreams

so since we got back from the boundary waters/Shucks' cabin, Dakota has been itching/biting/gnawing at his hip. its really quite gross. today i called the vet and took him in. some sort of staph infection but they shaved part of his furry hip, cleaned it up good, and sent me home with salve & pills. you know, for as much a pain in the neck as this dog is, i can't believe we spend so much money on him. i do like him, which i guess is the problem:) anyway, he's assumed his lay-on-the-back-legs-splayed-wide position, so i'm guessing he's much more comfortable.

one funny thing that passed through my head while i was driving home (despite the fact that i killed the car 8 or so times in waseca, so that was still freshly embarrassing) was that i was going to go running when i got home. but i'm not. i'm pregnant. it's just funny that i can forget that sometimes! i will go for a walk down the trail later, maybe with dakota, but myself for sure.

runaway dogs & new running skort

today andy, carly, the m-i-l & I went to mankato to shop, which turned out well because m-i-l watched carly while we were able to look at things;) i am still clinging to athletic clothes (you know, "kinda sporty, kinda trendy") so i found a really cute new balance running skort at Scheel's on clearance. I then of course felt quite ambitious and was going to take Dakota for a nice long walk when we got home. the weather was perfect for me: humid, cool, and misty. my fave:) i took the dog out to get his harness on which was in the car. the turd took one look at me and took off. i mean sprinted with ears down and tail straight up in the air. he circled the houses in the neighborhood peeing on peony bushes and blasting through gardens. I saw him twice and snarled his name through gritted teeth. but freedom tastes sweet to this dog. so he ran to the catholic church which just so happened to be letting out its saturday evening services. through the old ladies and hobbling couples, receiving curious looks and glares from younger folks. well, i was getting those looks. next i heard horns honking and he came zooming around a house back up to our yard. i was pretty p-o'd at this point. i went to our house and informed andy that i'd be walking on my own......

it was a gorgeous walk down the trail, and i saw the neighborhood rogue chicken walking into the woods as i got back. i'll have to write about that chicken sometime. the skort worked like a charm and will fit under the baby belly as it grows. i wish there were more options for maternity workout clothing, but it's probably not the highest on manufacturers lists.

giving it another go...

ah. life really gets away from me sometimes! We moved to minnesota in September 2010, to waterville where I grew up. what a change. anyway, we are here now, i'm pregnant and expecting in october, and andy works in faribault. it's a good life, but wonderfully busy! i really hope i can keep the blog going this time:) it's updated and i'd like to have this to keep in touch with family & friends around the states/world! here i go again...