Tahoe in the Rain

We woke up to crisp, cool, damp Tahoe air. Tiffany thought it would be the perfect time to go for a morning jog. As she walked out onto the balcony she saw a bear right across the street eating our neighbors' garbage. We watched it from the safety of our rental for quite some time. The kids thought it was wildly exciting, even after he escaped back up the mountain. Needless to say, Tiff decided not to go running. And it was a good thing too, because a short while later after breakfast and games another smaller bear started digging in the next neighbor's house.

After some time of bear watching we got dressed and packed sandwiches to hit Zephyr's Cove. It was a little drizzly, but that didn't stop us from building sandcastles, swimming in the clear lake, and playing a game of family wiffle ball. Afterwards, some of us went shopping and others headed back to the house to swim.

The best part of the day was visiting with the Arhets at their family reunion. They are staying at a beautiful mansion of a home just a few blocks away. We played, caught up on life, and made some introductions. After hugs and kisses good-bye we headed for dinner and ice cream.

The only thing that could have made the rainy day perfect was a little more time in a cozy bed (minus wiggly flailing sleeping child-sized bodies) and a good book.

It was another great day.

Nature Hike

We attended the South Tahoe Ward sacrament meeting this morning and then drove to Emerald Bay for a hike. We headed up the trail to some beautiful waterfalls and rock formations. The kids loved climbing and exploring. Then Tiff and Justin took the "Ninja" hiking group down to the shores of Emerald Bay while the rest of us returned home to cook a nice Sunday dinner. I am feeling so grateful today--for family, for all of God's creations, for my body that allows me to enjoy it all, for my testimony, and for my life of joy. When Jared and Christine surprised us by joining with our group, it was the cherry on top of my perfect Sunday.

Tahoe Bound

After an hour and a half detour (road closed from wildfires) we arrived at our dated little rental in South Tahoe. The first thing we did after seven hours in the car was hop in the community pool and hot tub. Then we headed to dinner at a cute restaurant, the Red Hut, which serves breakfast all day..lots of happy children. Following that we walked to the Tahoe Lake shore for some relaxation in the sand and a stunning view of the sunset. Then it was board games and fun for the rest of the night. Just love it.

Nikki Naps

Nikki naps are no good for bedtime. She spent hours making these shadow puppets tonight after taking a much needed three hour nap today.

San Bruno Gathering

Our friend from San Bruno, who joined the church in college, was driving down with his family from Washington to California. On the way he stopped in Medford to visit. We got together at a barbecue at Beka's and caught up while the kids swam. He has a beautiful family.

River Rafting

Aaron took the kids on a rafting trip while I spent the day catching up on some church assignments and house chores. It was so nice crossing off some things on my forever long to-do list. But the best part was that the kids had a fantastic time in the rapids, despite being stuck up on a rock for about five minutes. Then we all headed to Justin and Tiff's for some dinner my mom made for the crowd. I can't wait to join them next time.

Cashing in our Auction Purchase

At our youth auction this year we purchased a soccer camp with Dave DeRurange. The kids have had practices for an hour each day this week. Even though Mary and Noah are the youngest Dave still makes it challenging for all the ages that bought the auction item. I think we really lucked out on this one.