A Lot Can Happen In 24 Hours

Ok, finally sitting down to recap you on the adventures of our road trip.

What originally was going to be a 14 hour drive split between two leisurely days turned into an all nighter, after Braden came home from work on Friday threw out the idea of driving through the night.

I was feeling pretty good (for a 28+ week pregnant Mama) and thought the extra time, plus having the boys sleep in the car all night sounded like a good idea.

Surprisingly, IT WAS!

Ryder and Lynden were champs. 

They both slept most of the night with minimal fussing.

I managed to stay awake at the wheel from 9-11pm and then from 1:30-5am (with the help of a lot of coffee and a little bit of ice cream) and we got to Seattle, WA on Saturday morning in time for breakfast.

Just for fun, we stopped at Green Lake Jewelry Works to have my rings cleaned (we're coming up on 4 years!) and then we headed to Barnes & Noble for some quality time.

Finally our sleepless night caught up with me and we headed up to Whidbey Island 

to check into our hotel. 

Of course, we couldn't turn down the Mukilteo Ferry. 

Ryder was beside himself with excitement to be on a real ferry boat.

Then after a much needed rest, 

bowling, pizza, and games at the Convergence Zone on base.

A lot can happen in 24 hours. 

It was a great start to our 10 day road trip!

Wish You Were Here!

We're looking forward to a little road trip getaway.

Stay tuned for pictures in a week!

Snow Play

Wohoo!

We're loving all of the snow at our Tahoe cabin!

 This was after quite a bit of melting.

Our cabin has been cozy and warm -

the perfect spot for our long weekend retreat.

Ryder has been thriving outside in the fresh air.

The back of our property opened up into the perfect sledding hill.

Braden even made a few runs down on his snowboard, landing the jump and everything.

Then we went on with the usual.

Vanesa helped us colour our Bible story photos in preparation

 for teaching Sunday School this morning.

This is something I love to see.

The guys' Bibles sitting on the table together. 

Love my man and his heart for the Lord.

More time with Mrs Davis before she leaves us for the Pacific Northwest.

I'm jealous!

 And this little character just wants to be like Daddy.

Snowboard boots and all.

Goodnight from Lake Tahoe!

Lake Tahoe Long Weekend

We're enjoying the weekend away in a winter wonderland with a few dear friends.

Saying goodbye - so much more common in the military - happens much too often for my liking.

A sweet couple from our church are heading back up to our beloved Washington. 

We will see them again, but for now we're enjoying a cabin up at Lake Tahoe.

Not this friend though, she's hanging around to love on my sugar bear.

 There's nothing quite as fun as board games to the sound of a crackling fire with yummy Tazo Bramblewine tea and great company. 

Our cabin has some fun beams that the guys did their morning exercise on. ;)

Oh There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays!

We went on our second annual Lake Tahoe Christmas Tree Hunt!

Local friends, this is a tradition we love and tree permits are available at the USDA Forest Service Office for $10.

This year we had Pop & Mimi with us - plus a LOT of snow!

 We picked up a sled and gloves for Ryder in South Lake Tahoe.

They ended up being essential to our happy tree hunt.

 Plus, after the tree was loaded up, we had a fun time taking a few runs in the sled.

We love Lake Tahoe!

And our winter wonderland outing was followed by a fun sweater party with friends - 

who also helped us decorate our new tree.

Here we are - ugly sweaters and all.

 And every toddler needs a friend like Mrs Davis!

It's good to be home for the holidays - 

And, It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here!

Home Sweet Home!

Well, we said goodbye to all of the fun toy stores -

rides - 

gourmet hotel room dinners - 

and local attractions.

 There's no place like home, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention a few milestones that happened during our 2 week stay in Las Vegas.

1. Lynden can now push himself up on all fours - though he hasn't yet crawled.

2. Lynden's first tooth finally popped through on the bottom. 

He's been a teething champ so far!

I just can't help myself, 

I've been taking so many pictures since we got home. 

Tree hunt and Christmas sweater party pictures coming soon!

The Hoover Dam

Today was a day of meltdowns.

We had a meltdown over getting dressed, driving in the van, 

and then again at the sweet little church we were visiting.

Can any of you Mamas out there relate?

In spite of it all, I had really wanted to see the Hoover Dam with Ryder.

We persevered -

And made it!

It was a beautiful day - perfect for a little walk down to the dam.

Ryder loved seeing all of the water and that awesome bridge.

I was remembering all of the dams we visited on my childhood holidays. 

It was a loooooong way down!

Once we were there, this little mister was all cheese.

Unfortunately, no children were allowed on the dam tour, so all we were able to do was walk and enjoy the sights that were visible from the bridge and walking area.

And the boys crossed the Arizona state line for the first time, 

so of course I had to get a picture of that!

After over a week and a half of living out of a suitcase, 

I think we're all vacationed out and ready to get back home and normal life. 

But first, we need to pick up Pop & Mimi!