Mina is three!

It's been pretty boring and uneventful around here this week.  With work travel early in the week, rainy weather on a few days, and my dad being back in the hospital, we really haven't had much time for fun.  Most of our days, getting the girls our for some exercise became more of the check-the-box activity squeezed in on my lunch or between work and other responsibilities.  Thankfully, the girls are pretty forgiving, and they don't always need a long walk or big adventure to stay happy.  

The most exciting day of the whole week was Monday because on Monday, Mina celebrated her third birthday.  It is hard for me to believe that three whole years have passed since I first learned that the puppies had been born and I saw that picture of the first born little girl puppy.  I had no idea at the time that little puppy would soon become mine.  She is sassy, spunky, and full of attitude, but also sweet, smart, and always ready for an adventure.  I sure do love my little Mina and I'm so happy she's mine.

It was also my first day back at work after a week of vacation, and I had lots to catch-up on plus a day full of meetings.  To top it off, I had to drive to Grand Rapids for the evening for a work meeting the following day.  It was a crazy day, and I left for Grand Rapids later than I had originally planned.  

Since I hadn't even taken a break for lunch, I decided to make a stop along the way and let the girls run. I wanted to give Mina a chance to play with her new squeaky, glow-in-the dark Chuck-it ball.  We stopped at the dog park in Lowell and probably spent about 30 minutes there before getting back into the car to continue our travels to our hotel.  

After settling into the hotel, I headed out for dinner.  I did a little research and found a great European Cafe, Al-Bo's, for dinner.  The Geschnitzel was delicious!  Afterward, we headed out to get ice cream for Mina's birthday celebration, but the line was so long that we skipped ice cream and visited a nearby pet store for a special treat instead.  Then we headed back to the hotel for the night.

I was up early on Tuesday to get the girls out for a short walk before heading out to drop them off for their interview day at Camp Bow Wow.  They have never visited a Camp Bow Wow before, and the interview day is required before the can attend regular doggy daycare and boarding.  With the interview day, they get a full day of doggy daycare at no cost, just to make sure that day care at their facility is a good fit.

The girls had a great time during their stay, and I received several pictures throughout the day.  They had a beach day with special enrichment, got to make lots of friends, and had a great day.  

While they were having fun, I was running around at my work meeting.  It was a crazy day, and around noon, just before our lunch, the power went out in the area.  The hotel staff jumped into action to bring in some battery-operated lights, and we ate lunch, hoping the power might be restored.  Unfortunately that didn't happen, and we decided to end our meeting early.  Several group broke off for drinks, and since the girls had to stay at Camp Bow Wow until 3pm for their interview day, I went out to visit with one of the groups of advisors until I could eventually leave to get the girls.  I'm thankful that my work travel is done for a bit now.

I also received a call from my mom that afternoon that my dad was having issues with low oxygen levels again, and they were heading to the emergency room.  He was eventually admitted to the hospital again for monitoring.  

Wednesday, I had a busy day of work.  The day was crazy, and I didn't get a break for lunch until late in the afternoon, so I decided to get the girls out for a run at the dog park.  I needed a walk in the woods and so did they.  I was so happy that I had made this decision because several of the spring wildflowers were in full bloom-trillium, Dutchmen's Britches, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and more.  I enjoyed the flowers, fresh air, and a nice walk, and the girls had a great time as well.

By the end of the day Wednesday, I was exhausted and dealing with a headache, so we just stayed home resting for  the evening. 

On Thursday, we had rainy weather.  My work day was once again busy, and after work I was planning to visit my dad at the hospital.  I brought the girls along hoping to get out with them after visiting my dad.  Instead, we made a short stop at the Owosso dog park before I got to the hospital, and then, while I was visiting my dad, storms moved into the area.  The girls napped in the car while a spent a couple of hours visiting my dad. We had a great visit and then I made a rainy drive home.

Friday I had really hoped to have a little quieter day at work and maybe to get the girls out for some fun after work.  That did not happen.  I had a quiet morning, but my afternoon was full of meetings, so I took an early lunch and made a trip to the Dewitt dog park so Peaches could run and Mina could play ball.  For most of the visit we were the only ones at the park and the girls had a great time.  The rest of the day was a blur!

Our Saturday started with some decent weather and big plans.  The warmer temperatures and all of the recent rain has caused the grass to grow and the spring weeds to really begin to pop-up.  My grass needed to be mowed and I really needed to do some other yard work, but I also had promised my dad I would visit him.  I had a lot to get done.

I started the morning with a quick stop at a geocaching event at a local park.  I figured this would give the girls the chance to get out for a little fun before the rest of our busy day.  Next, I headed to the hospital to visit my dad.  My mom was at the hospital as well, and we all had a good visit.  Finally, I headed home to get some stuff done.  I was able to get the lawn mowed and a few other things done, but I still have a ton of work to do!  I definitely felt better after mowing the lawn though.  

The day flew by, and before I knew it, it was time for the Kentucky Derby.  The girls and I sat down to watch the Derby and then I made dinner and settled in for the night.  I didn't get as much done has I had planned, but I felt good about what I had gotten done.

I woke up Sunday expecting a rainy day, but after looking at the weather forecast, the rain wasn't going to move in to the area until early afternoon.  That gave us time to get out for some fun before the rain arrived.

We started with a 2 1/2 mile walk along the Bear Lake Pathway.  This is a really pretty area and it's pretty quiet too.  

We don't often walk on this trail because it is paved and too hot when the weather begins to warm-up, but today was the perfect day to take a walk here.

We all really enjoyed our walk here.  I loved the flowering trees, May Apple, and the little leaves starting to unfurl in the woods.   We even found an antler shed while on our walk, so I brought it home to clean up for the girls.  I've never found a shed before, so I was pretty excited about this find!

Afterward, I decided to head to campus for a short walk around the horticultural gardens.  We haven't been to campus for a walk at all this Spring and I wanted to make sure we didn't miss all of it's spring beauty.

We parked and started our walk near where my favorite lilac bushes are located.  I was so excited to see them in bloom.  The smell filled the area and just made me happy.

We walked a little farther, and I was so happy to see that the magnolia trees there still had some blooms.  I love magnolias!  As we continued to walk, I realized we couldn't go any farther because they had the sidewalks blocked because they have torn apart the rose gardens and are doing work on them.  So we went back to the car, and drove to a parking lot on the other side of the gardens to continue our walk.

I had to take the obligatory annual picture of the red bud trees in front of the Plant and Soil Sciences building.  I love them so much.

And not far from there are the dark purple lilac bushes.  Dark purple lilacs are my favorite.

Then we walked through the perennial and annual gardens.  The Lenten rose were in bloom.  So pretty.

The white cherry blossoms are nearing their end, but they smell divine.  I love walking through this part of the garden because the air is just filled with the scent.   

Before heading back to the car, I made Mina pose on the butterfly bench.  She wasn't very happy about it.

Then I got the most adorable picture of Miss Peaches.  She was very excited about the treats I was holding so she stood still long enough to get a really cute picture.

At the end of our one mile walk, we got into the car to make the drive home.  We made a small detour through Spartan Village so I could visit the lilac bush by my first apartment so I could cut a few flowers to bring home.  My house now smells divine.

It's been a quiet, rainy, Sunday afternoon here, and I've really enjoyed it.  Hopefully it will help me feel a little more rested for the week ahead.  I really wish the weekends were longer!