Home.

Finally, I made it back home - Wisconsin!

First order of business: celebrating Ben [my brother] and Chiemi's marriage.

The weather the day before was terrible, but the day of the celebration was just beautiful. The casual event included lawn games...

...barbecue chicken and Texas toast from Mike's Smokehouse...

...family and old friends relaxing and chatting...

...and ADORABLE BABIES.

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Mom, Dad, Abby [the dog], and I spent a day at the cabin.

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Mexican and giant margaritas with my grandma, my mom, and my aunt.

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I hopped on my good old bike and went for a ride around the countryside, including some parts that I had never been to before - amazing what you can find even in your own neighborhood when you explore a little.

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Kickin' it with Abby and Pokey.

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Otherwise I spent a lot of time sleeping, watching trashy TV, running [including the Buckshot Run, an Eau Claire tradition in Carson Park benefiting the Special Olympics - I was so excited to finally run a race in my hometown...and then show Chiemi the statues in the park of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox and Hank Aaron, who played baseball with the Eau Claire Bears], etc. Exactly how time at home should be.

I also went back to the Cities twice - once to watch Wicked with my parents and once to see friends. One of them, Nate, works at Summit Brewing and has his own concoction coming out soon for a limited time - an imperial pumpkin porter. Yeah, that's right, sounds delicious and autumnal, doesn't it?!? If you're in the Twin Cities area and like beer, check out the link, go to at least one of the release events, buy his beer, and tell me how it is, because I probably won't get to try it and I'm very sad about that.