Less than a week engaged and there's been some progress

I have been engaged for less than a week and am in full planning mode.  One thing at a time.  I have to remember to pace myself, because I'm definitely running a marathon with this one. 

So far nothing is finalized but here's what's happened so far:

1. Priest - check
2. Church - check
3. Reception Hall - almost check
4. Photographer - almost check

Those are my top priorities at this current time.  12.1.12 is looking really good right now.  Wowzers!

This is Mike.

This is my friend Mike.

He's a pretty cool guy.  I met him and have fallen deeply in love with him.  He's everything that a best friend and partner can be and more!  He's an awesome Mountain Biker and totally sandbags when he rides with me.  He doesn't complain when I ride too slow or almost crash into trees while looking at the wildflowers in early Spring or while I'm bird watching on the trail.  He's such an awesome man!  He cooks, he cleans, he works on my car...I could keep going, but I'll get to the main reason for this post.


He gave this to me on Valentine's Day.

 Isn't it pretty?  It's sparky and beautiful!  We are engaged and very much looking forward to our future together. More wedding plans later.

Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park, Milwaukee WI

In January, I went to Milwaukee to visit the little sister and her husband AND to go to Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park, http://www.raysmtb.com/mke/.  It was totally awesome!!  I just got the pictures from a friend tonight and had to post them. 

Ray's in Milwaukee (There's also one in Cleveland, Ohio) was an old Menard's building made into a wonderland of bmx ramps, a foam pit, sport and expert technical mountain biking stuff, a pump track (where I fell 4 times out of 5, the only time I made it I proceeded to scream through each turn) and it also had cross country courses.  It was a mountain bikers & bmx bikers dream for a winter bike land.  My goal was to practice on the skinny's because that is where I need more confidence. 

The first pic is of the beginner mountain bike technical area with rocks & other various obstacles & skinny's.

Pic 2 & 3 are of me on the sport technical sections that had rocks, teeter-totters & skinny's.

Goals

My goal is to do more mountain biking and quilting this year.  I want this blog to be where I post these adventures.  Since it's winter and I got a new sewing machine, Pfaff Ambition 1.0, I've been focusing on quilting and learning the new things with my machine.  My old machine really wasn't meant for quilting and now I've escaped beginner quilt land and am exploring this new world.

My biking this winter has primarily been on the trainer indoors which I am hoping will help with my endurance when I can get the bike on the trails this Spring.  I want to do two races this year.  I have only done 1 mountain bike race in Palos Park, Chicago back in 2007.  But I've been wanting to race on my home trails for years.  So, this is the year.  May 20th & September 23rd are the dates.  I expressed my desire to race this year to a friend and she offered to ride with me which gives me some relief.  She is part of the Mountain Bike Patrol so it will feel like just a ride.  Which is cool and will give me the confidence that I need.  I always chicken out.

Two Worlds Combined

I've been on the look out for fabric that is tasteful and has bikes combined.  I found this Michael Miller's Cruise Control Line and just thought it would be perfect for my first bike quilt that I've been dreaming of making.  I haven't found the perfect pattern yet, but I have no doubt I will find one eventually.