We just keep going and going

Everything seems like a whirlwind lately.  Lots going on at work with travel and changes, and just enough going on outside of work to keep things interesting.   

Monday, work travel took me to Grand Rapids.  We were up early to head that way so that we could stop in Lowell along the way to get in a hike on the North Country Trail.  It was a beautiful, quiet morning and we were able to hike 2.5 miles before my work day started.  

I did my first call of the day from my car before leaving Lowell, and then I headed out to drop the girls off at Camp Bow Wow for their overnight stay.

Then I headed to a nearby Panera to borrow the wifi and get some work done. I sat outside enjoying the weather and getting lots done.  After a few hours of work, I grabbed lunch and then headed to the hotel for an early check-in and to finish my work day.

The weather was beautiful, so when my work day was done I headed out for a walk around downtown.

I had a really nice walk and enjoyed being out exploring. 

When I finished my walk, I ordered some dinner for delivery and headed to my room to relax for the night.

I enjoyed a quiet evening in and headed to bed early because I had an early day Tuesday. 

 

Tuesday I was up early to get to my work meeting at Meijer Gardens.  Then after a long, busy day of work, I picked the girls up from Camp Bow Wow to start our drive home.

Along the way, we stopped in Lowell for a quick 1 and 1/2 mile hike on the NCT.  Then we hurried home so I could vote before the polls closed.  We finally got home just after 8pm after a really long day.  

Wednesday was another busy work day, and I was happy to head to the shelter for our Wednesday night dog walk at the end of it.  We had a really nice group of dogs join us.  

The girls had joined me for the drive to the shelter and I was glad I was be able to get them out of for a walk on the Hayhoe Trail before heading home.

It was a nice night along the Hayhoe Trail and I was really glad that the girls and I made time to enjoy it.

On Thursday I was ready for another full day.  I was also excited to take advantage of a special deal at Canine College.  

In celebration of their 20th anniversary, they had specials every day of the week, and Thursday was throwback pricing for a day of day care.  I decided to treat the girls to a day of fun and spend my day working remotely for the day. 

It was a great change of pace for us all.  They enjoyed their day, I got a lot done, and then we came home to spend a really quiet and relaxing evening at home.  It was just what we needed.

Finally Friday arrived, and I was ready for it.  The most exciting part of the day was when I headed to the shelter on my lunch to pick up our new foster, Bumble Tub.  Bumble was struggling at the shelter and in danger of not making it out, so even though timing isn't perfect for me to bring a foster home, I couldn't ignore the plea for help.  Thankfully, he's a great fit for our house, and he, Mina, and Peaches all get along really well.

He was anxious most of the afternoon, so I knew we needed to get out for a walk after work to help him settle a bit.  While I hadn't planned on it, I ended up deciding to make the drive to Albion for some time on the North Country Trail. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how well the three pups walked together for their first walk.  It was a really enjoyable walk, and we were able to walk for 3.5 miles, bringing our total for the year 93 miles. 

We got home after our hike, and Bumble followed me around everywhere I went.  But when I finally sat down, he relaxed and took a nap.   We were in bed early because it had been an exhausting week, and we all slept really well.

Saturday morning,  we only had two dogs available for our shelter dog walk, so I brought Bumble along so he could join the walk too.

Then after the walk, he joined me as I ran several errands.  He did great in the car.  

When we got home, he stood in the kitchen with me as I made lunch for the dogs and as I put away groceries.  He was constantly underfoot.  Then I noticed I was no longer tripping over him, and went looking for him, only to find him happily curled up on the loveseat sound asleep.  

After a short break to eat my own lunch, we all headed outside to mow the lawn and work in the yard for a bit.  Then it was back inside to do laundry and a couple other things around the house.

It had already been a really busy day, and I hadn't even started the prep for the food I was responsible for making for our Mother's day cookout.  But before I could start cooking, I had to take the dogs out for a trip to Preuss because they were going to feature Bumble in a Facebook Live video on the Preuss Facebook page.  It was a fairly fast trip, and the dogs happily settled in for the evening when we got home.

I spent the next couple of hours making food and prepping for our Mother's day cookout.  Boy was it a long day!

After a good night's rest, I was up early on Sunday to make a carrot cake and finish a couple of items for our Mother's Day celebration, get ready for the day, and pack up the car.  

I also had to get Bumble ready because he is going to be spending the next couple of days at another foster home while I have some other commitments, and Sue was kind enough to take him today so I didn't have to worry abiut him while I was gone for Mother's day today.

The girls were settled in at home, I dropped Bumble with his temporary foster, and then headed to my mom's for our cookout with a car full of food.

We had a wonderful cookout, enjoyed spending time with family, got bossed around by Fiona, and had a nice day.  It was a long, full day, and after being gone for 8 hours, I finally arrived home, put away the leftovers, and then spent a little time with the girls.

I made a salad quickly for dinner, and then I packed for my next couple of days of work travel.  The week hasn't even started, and I'm already exhausted!

While everything is crazy right now, and the next week and a half will continue that trend, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  I can see it off in the distance. 

I hope you all have a great week!  Wish me luck getting through it!