We're thankful for...

...in no particular order...

1. Jobs
2. Each other
3. A very warm fall
4. A house we love
5. Down comforters
6. God's love and guidance
7. Tuesday night game nights
8. The soon-to-be sweet potato inside
9. Breyer's mint chocolate chip ice cream

17 weeks!

Oh Baby!

Even though strangers can't tell I'm pregnant yet, we took our first belly profile picture last week! In the picture I'm 13 weeks along. It kind of just looks like I'm sticking my belly out, doesn't it? Nate has thoughts of taking a picture of me every single day in the same location, wearing the same outfit so that he can make a flip book. I'm thinking we're gonna miss a few days.


Nate is feeling more like a father these days driving around his new 2001 Prius. In anticipation of rain, snow and a more chaotic life, we gave in and became a 2-car family. The good news is that it was Nate's dad's car and still sports a bumper sticker that reads, "Ultimate Dad." I do think he'll be the ultimate dad for our little bitty baby, but its more about ultimate frisbee than it is about bragging about his fathering skills. It's fitting because as the baby grows into an ultimate frisbee player, Nate is taking off for Club Nationals this week. His team is thrilled to be going again this year!

The Beat Is On!

It's my 28th birthday and the 10th week birthday for the little kumquat inside! Today Nate and I went to the doctor to hear our baby's heart beat. They say that you have a pretty good chance of hearing it between 10 and 12 weeks. I'll be 10 weeks pregnant tomorrow. When I explained to the nurse that I've been feeling pretty darn good so far, I think she got nervous that things might not be good. But within a couple of seconds of pushing a little probe around on my belly, we heard it - the whoosh whoosh whoosh of a tiny heart! As it beat along I felt a couple of tears roll down my cheeks. Exciting! Nate was pretty pumped too. He took out his mp3 player and captured the "whoosh" so we could share it with you.



We're thrilled to be parents, but also very aware that our lives are going to change drastically. To help prepare, we're making a list of all the restaurants in Madison that we've been wanting to try. We'll do our best to enjoy good food and virgin cocktails until it becomes a little bit harder to do so. Once the list actually materializes, maybe we'll share it with you so you can hold us accountable. :) Tonight we're off to Graze - a new "gastro pub."

We Survived ACT 8!

 

300+ miles later, we're back in Madison with tired legs and new friends! The ride was great - up to Baraboo, across to Spring Green, down to Albany and finally back to Madison for a big celebration in front of the capital. There were a few challenging hills, but for the most part we felt ready for each and every mile that we peddled through.

Thank you to everyone who supported us with good wishes and/or dollar bills! People living with HIV/AIDS in and around Madison will be better taken care of because of you.

Please join us at a benefit house-concert this Saturday, June 26.

If you can't come but would like to donate, you may do so online here.

Devil's Lake!

The weather continues to amaze me. A group of us went camping at Devil's Lake last weekend and Andrew and I rode our bikes from Madison. Two hours before leaving, we weren't sure if we were actually going to ride since there was rain in the forecast. The chances of heavy rain dwindled, so we took a chance. The ride was challenging, but awesome. Nate and Anne drove the camping gear and had pie iron pizza assembly all set up when we arrive just after sunset. Apparently Nate had the camera all ready....
We enjoyed a relatively fancy breakfast on Saturday morning before leaving the campsite for 2 beautiful hikes - Parfrey's Glen and the bluffs around the lake. Its been a while since I've posted a picture of my miracle dog Ries, so here goes :) (She's a miracle dog because she got hit by a car 2 weeks ago and is still alive!)

300 Miles July 29 - August 1

The farthest I ever rode a bike in one day was 40 miles. That was a few weeks after getting my bike...a gift from lovely husband-to-be, at the time. Now I have 2 bikes. After riding my heavy commuter bike around town, I realized how much I LOVE my eBay bike that Nate gave me - its black, light, and as far as bikes go, I think it's hot.

That's part of the reason I just signed up to ride 300 miles in 3 1/2 days. The other reason is that I like my job - working as a dietitian and treatment support services coordinator at AIDS Network. One of the ways that AIDS Network raises money is by hosting a 300 mile bike ride every summer. Each rider is required to raise $1200. Lots of people raise more than that, but for our first ride, Nate and I are shooting for the minimum. Who knows - maybe we'll raise more.

If you would like to donate, visit our donation page:
www.actride.kintera.org/aliciab

We'll get some biking pictures up soon!

Spring in Madison

I don't really remember last spring being particularly late here in Madison, but I still seemed to have this attitude this year that in Wisconsin, warm weather doesn't arrive until June. Its April 28th and we've already had many warm days. The grass is green, there are interesting flowers everywhere, and I've enjoyed many outdoor runs, bike rides and ultimate games.

When I got home from work today, the sun was shining on the front of the house and lighting up the crab apple tree in our front yard. By the time I got the camera, the light was less ideal, but I still like this picture. I like our house. I love our neighborhood. Spring is here.

The British Virgin Islands

We went on a fabulous vacation January 1-9. Nate and I spent New Year's Eve in Chicago before boarding a plane to San Juan, PR at 8 am on January 1. We enjoyed the humidity in the San Juan airport before catching a small plane to Tortolla where we met up with the rest of my family - everyone was there!

After 2 nights on land and a few competitive volleyball games, we packed our catamaran sailboat and departed for 5 nights on the water. We had a wonderful time - lots of photography, reading, gaming (Bonanza! & Citadels), chatting and (of course) good food and drinks.

When we returned to the cold on January 9, we felt refreshed and ready to get back to real life.

Click here to see a set of our favorite pictures from the trip.

Looking for a Ugandan Husband?

Last December, before Nate and I left Uganda, I promised two friends - Michael and Gordan - that I would try to help them find American wives. It's ridiculous that I have not posted their pictures yet, but here they are - 2 great guys in their mid-twenties. Email them if you want to learn more about them! Michael can be reached at michaelkater2000@gmail.com and he can also give you Gordan's email address.

Gordan

Michael