Mo Molly

As you know a few weeks back when I was in Kentucky I adopted a dog from an unwanted home named Molly. She immediately came home to Illinois with me where she was greeted with lots of love from Jack James and my mom. My dad on the other hand was very upset that I had thought this was a good time to bring home a dog considering I would be moving 2000 miles away in a week. He also did not like the idea I was bringing her home into his house, but more importantly, "Jack James' Home". His first reaction was a little over kill, stating I needed to leave for Idaho once the weekend was over, once the intial shock wore off he was much more open to the situation.

Due to other circumstances I wasn't able to leave for another month. During that time he was definitely frustrated with me and my decision since the timing was off and both dogs were rambunctious. The day before I was set to leave I took Jack out for a run and when I returned my dad said he needed to talk with me. 

At first I had no idea what he wanted to talk to me about but it seemed somewhat serious. Instead he wanted to inform me that Molly was staying in Illinois with him, my mom and Jack. The little stinker had weasled her way into his heart. While my mom was gone Molly went on a little vacation of her own staying with my good friends, Brandon and Jenny until my mom returned.

Over those two weeks I missed my smiley bundle of fur. Next Thursday she makes her way west with my roommate's parents and 3 other pooches. This little girl has won the hearts of so many and enjoys whatever moment she is in. I can't wait to have her back in my arms. 

She'll have two other fur mates in Boise, Brewster, a golden retriever, and Yaz, a black lab who works as a service dog. 

Check out this awesome post my friend Kelly put together documenting the Chronicles of Molly. She was the one who originally found/saved Molly!

Update:: Scroll over Chronicles of Molly and click to get to Kelly's Link

Just a couple cute faces. 

Tour de Midwest:: Stage 3

Once I had returned home from my whirlwind of a trip down to the hot and muggy land of Kentucky, I was greeted with a few hours of normalcy before my next adventure. Craving some endorphins, I headed to the gym to get in a quick workout before Molly and I traveled to Effingham for a girls weekend on the pond. What was supposed to be a refreshing workout at the gym soon turned into a thrown out back. As soon as I felt that small pull sensation in my lower back I knew what I would be in for. Lots of advil, some heat, rest, and the awkwardness of being a bent over hunchback. I knew I could handle it (as this had happened before a few months prior) so I packed my bags, threw Molly into the car and off we went to meet the other girls.

Saturday morning we had a grand surprise. The summer before when we visited, Jenny's father was more than pleased to show off his baby, a canary yellow Daytona. We begged and pleaded for him to fire up the engine and take us on a ride somewhere. Papa was happy to showcase his baby, but taking her out on the road was a different story. The car is in pristine condition after being restored to its original state. It's a rare occurrence for this beauty to be taken out to stretch her legs and when she is it's a sight to be seen!

Knowing the three of us had always wanted a ride, he let us accompany him on a ride around town on his way to a photo shoot for a friend. Thanks Papa Dan for allowing us the pleasure of experiencing such a beautiful and historical vehicle! Pictures are scarce from the weekend since I really wasn't in the mood for pictures but I was able to get a few of our Daytona adventures

We finished the rest of the weekend in the sun at the pond. Unfortunately my back became worse than I had expected and I had to be driven home while I laid in the backseat, praying for a quick arrival home.  The last couple of weeks were extremely brutal as I couldn't really do much. Simple tasks such as sitting and walking were excruciating, I spent most of my time napping and watching tv while my back recouped. Thankfully the worst is over and slowly life is getting back to normal. I still have a bit of lean and haven't been able to get back exercising yet, besides stretching and my strength training for my back. I've never had such a debilitating injury before and let me tell you it isn't fun having to depend on others. We take for granted our health and being active. I can't wait for when I am strong enough to begin riding my bike regularly and being able to run! Thanks to Molly, Jenny, and her parents for being  hostess' with the mostest, taking great care of me and making sure I was doing alright!

Big thanks to my momma for putting up with me these last couple of weeks and making sure I was comfortable.

Tour de Midwest:: Stage 2

After a quick weekend up north I had a short turn around before I was headed back to my alma mater to visit my grandmother. I had an opportunity to catch up with a few old friends before I headed to Kentucky to catch up with my cousin Amy and her roommate Kelly. It just so happens this leg of the trip would change my life. Kelly had taken her dog Bela for a walk when a stray followed them home. She returned the dog to its fenced in yard where she preceded escaping again. Fearful she would get hit by a car she brought the stray dog home and called the owner. The owner had taken her from a friend who was moving into a new place that did not except dogs. Long story short, her new owner was not a nice man and she came to live with us for a few days. During those couple of days she won our hearts and before I knew it she was packed up in the car with the rest of my belongings headed home to Champaign. Say hello to Miss Molly!!

Kelly and I ventured west to catch up with my auntie and uncle. We visited for a short while over bbq and black cobbler. My aunt's gardens are beautiful and we had the opportunity to harvest some lavender! Lavender is one of my favorite scents!!! I'll let the photos speak for themselves!

How could anyone pass up this brown eyed beauty?

The Beach to the South

I've finally put together the second installment of my Miami pictures. On my second day of being in the sunshine state I ventured out to meet up with my Aunt. Ironically my mom was visiting in another part of the state so they made of day trip of it by driving down to see me. I loved the shores of South Beach and wish I had been able to spend more time there. The vibe is much different than the rest of the city. The architecture is very reminiscent of Cuba and has been restored beautifully. Together we spent the day on the porch of a crab shack catching up and drinking some refreshing margaritas.

This was a very special trip because the last time I was with my aunt she was pre-hip replacement. During the last 2 years she has undergone a huge transformation and is able to be much more mobile. It was such a refreshing sight to see her without her canes and honestly it was a miracle at how well she was walking. I am extremely proud of all her hard work and it was really an amazing day for the 3 of us to walk on the beach and get her toes in the sand. I know she never would have dreamed of being able to touch the ocean. It was a beautiful moment and I am really thrilled I was able to be there with her.

Thanks for the visit, it was a beautiful day and I couldn't have asked for better company! 

walk in the park

We had a family outing at the park today.
Even Dad made an appearance..
It was a big deal.
Plus Jack was well behaved.

This was the first time in a long time I can remember us doing something like this as a family. It was really refreshing. We need to head outside to play more often. With all the fresh air I know we will have sweet dreams tonight.

Today I walked in the same footsteps I did more than 10 years ago.  Mom photographed me in the same location with my first pup Toby. So many things have changed since then. Toby is no longer with us and  looking back I had no idea where I would be now. I was just concentrating on finishing grade school and moving on to high school. Here I stand all grown up, a college graduate.  Just yesterday I accepted my first big girl job. I hold the future in the palm of my hand.

I'm going to have to do some digging and find the other photo.

Dad surprised us and made an appearance. He walked with us awhile but came back to the car to wait for us while we finished exploring the rest of the park.

 Jack has grown up so quickly. I still can't believe he is almost 9 months old. Today we let him have free rein of the backseat, crate-less. Surprisingly he very well behaved and even napped on the way home. Once we returned home, I noticed the peonies will be blooming in a couple of days. They are one of my favorites, minus the ants.

You'll be sure to see some here on the blog. Peonies, not ants.