150 miles over two days of beautiful Minnesota trails, highways and byways.  It sounds like a lot of hard work and sore muscles, and it is (!), but it is also my favorite event of the year, and I always look forward to participating in it with my dad and two brothers.  2010 was my first year of riding in the MS 150, and I'm going to now start training and preparing for my 6th annual ride this summer on June 12-14.  I usually ride between 750 and 1,000 miles per year on my Specialized Allez, and tend to get 50-75% of those in by the time I finish this bike ride in June.

Why do I love the event so much?  Well, it is built in time together with my dad and brothers, and we celebrate our Norwegian heritage by wearing matching jerseys on Sunday.  The rest of our family drives along with us on the route, our own personal "sag wagon", and are there at each rest stop to greet us and encourage to keep on pedaling.

But the event is for a great cause, supporting the National MS Society and their fight against Multiple Sclerosis.
Nearly 4,000 cyclists are joined together for one cause, raising around $3 million every year, and there are hundreds of amazing volunteers that are incredibly supportive and helpful along the route.  It is such a great feeling of personal accomplishment crossing that finish line on Sunday!  My brother's company, C.H. Robinson (the ride's title sponsor), is the team that we ride for, and they are incredibly supportive of all of their riders, too.

I've raised $8,200 so far over the last five years for the cause through this ride, and I hope to raise my biggest annual amount ever this year, setting my goal at $1,800, or $10,000 in total contributions, which would be incredible!!  Every year I have around 35 different people contribute to my campaign; this year I'm hoping for 40 contributors.  Not only do I ride in the event, but I also donate financially to my and other rider's campaigns.  I believe in this cause.

Here are some examples of what different gift amounts can do for those living with MS:

• $35 - could help deliver self-help groups to support people affected by MS in our community
• $65 - could fund wellness programs aimed at treating the mind, body and spirit
• $120 - could help pay for a physical therapy session to manage MS symptoms by enhancing strength and mobility
• $200 - could fuel our cause to help influence change by engaging elected officials to make MS a national priority
• $400 - may help fund a researcher working toward a cure
• $1,000 - could provide two consultations with an MS Navigator for nearly 30 people living with MS.

If you would like to donate to my campaign this year, just follow the link on my about page, or click on the link below.  As always, I thank you for whatever you do to support my ride, financially or otherwise!  Pedal on for MS!

Since our beloved yellow lab, Phil, passed away nearly 4 years ago, there has been a lot going on in our family: job transitions, buying, moving into, and adjusting to a new house in Eagan after leaving our first house of 16 years, the kids actively growing up and starting new schools, etc.  We weren't necessarily in a hurry to jump back into dog ownership, as we knew all too well how much is involved, and how big of a responsibility it really is.  But we were starting to get the itch now that we were feeling a little more settled in our house and neighborhood.

I'm very fortunate to have many great friends that are dog lovers, and many more that are heavily involved with adopting or fostering dogs.  We initially found a Weimaraner through SecondHand Hounds, and were very excited about the possibility of getting one of our favorite breeds, but soon realized that the personality characteristics of the dog would not be the best fit for our family and for our kids.

There were two additional dogs that caught our eye.  We applied for Dakota, and heard back from her great foster, Kelsey, right away.  After meeting her at Kelsey's house, we fell in love, adopted her, and brought her to her forever home on 12/30/14.  We couldn't be happier!!  She is so loving and affectionate, and so good with the kids.  We can't thank Kelsey and SHH enough for all of their support and advice along the way!  They are so organized and on top of the entire process from beginning to end, and made us feel so comfortable with our decision.

We had the option of changing her name, but thought that Dakota was perfect - we even live in Dakota County!  She has adjusted very well to the Storlie household, and we're thrilled to have her and look forward to many wonderful years together!  If you have any questions about adopting or using an agency like SHH, please let me know.