Yosemite

On Monday we made the trek over to Yosemite.

Talk about beauty!

Our picnic lunch spot was next to a cool river.

And happened to have a stunning view of El Capitan.

Friendly ducks too.

Much better than the Canadian Geese we encountered at Lake Tahoe last weekend.

 This fella wasn't crazy about 8+ hours in the car.

Half Dome

Love these two. 

Yosemite Falls

The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Psalm 19:1

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Hiking the Red Rocks

One of the fun perks of military life is getting to travel and explore places we would not otherwise visit. This last weekend was just one such occasion.

On Sunday, after visiting a local church with a few friends, we headed up to the Red Rock Canyon Conservation area  just west of the city. 

The colour of the rocks was stark agains the backdrop of the desert. 

We climbed onto the rocks for a few photos.

This guy climbed the rocks just because he's cool and tough. <3

It sure was beautiful!

Oh how I love hanging out with these boys!

And on our own, we most certainly wouldn't have visited Las Vegas just for fun - it's not really our scene. But, we saw a beautiful aspect of God's creation and enjoyed such a great day of family time and activity out and about. 

Family Hiking Adventure to Marlette Lake

Yesterday happened to be a rare weekday off for Braden. At his suggestion, we made plans to head out to Lake Tahoe for a hike. And what a day it turned out to be!

Leaving Lake Tahoe

We found the perfect trail on a hike website - 5M round trip, moderately steep, and ending at Marlette Lake. So, off we went. It was a little challenging to find the trail, especially without wifi up in the mountains, but we finally found a parking lot and what looked (from the vague directions) to be trailhead. 

The air was crisp and the sun was out. We were all set with Ryder in the ergo, Dixie running about excitedly, and of course lots of layers, water, and snacks packed along. And it's a good thing we were prepared because Marlette Lake ended up being a 5+ hour and almost 10 mile round trip. 

Ryder fell asleep after an hour of riding.

Our first glimpse of Marlette Lake.

We made it!

This little cutie was excited to get out of the confines of the ergo and explore the beach for himself.

Before we were ready, we had to turn back to beat the sun.

 Today, as I count my blessings, I'm thankful for the freedom we have to enjoy God's beautiful creation. For men, women, and their families - past and present - who have and do sacrifice. I'm thankful for our family and the ability we have as parents to foster a love of nature in Ryder.

Happy Tuesday!

Our Friday Adventure

We did it!

Ryder, Dixie and I had a great hike on Friday. I was a little unsure as we set out, but the trip was a huge success.  Ryder was content in the Ergo, hanging on to his little stingray, and exclaiming 'Da-yee' with a finger pointed skyward every time an airplane flew overhead.  Since the trail was near base, that was a common occurrence, but made this Mama's heart very glad that our little guy loves his Daddy so much. Plus, we knew Daddy would be in the air while we were out, so if you look closely, you can see Braden...

Dixie had a blast running on and off the trail, chasing lizards, and keeping a lookout for rattlesnakes. ;)














By the time we made it back down, everyone was happy but tired. We'll definitely have to make this a regular excursion - while my pregnant self can handle carrying the entire family, that is!

Of course, Stingy travels with us everywhere.

20 weeks today!

It was a quiet ride home.  Zzzzzz....