Reno Trip 2016

One of the best things about summer vacation, when everyone is out of school and the schedules become a little less rigid, is the ability to make spontaneous decisions. So we did just that when, a few weeks ago, we decided to pop up to Reno. We hadn't planned on going this summer, but we found out my sister and her family were going to be there before they went on a big camping trip with my parents, and we realized it may be the only chance for all the little cousins to see each other this year.

So we packed up the car with three kids, two portable DVD players, about ten Disney Movies, Several books on tape, and enough snacks to feed an army and drove across the desert for ten hours. It's not a fun drive, but it's always worth it!

Visiting friends that are pretty much family:

We ended up getting into town a few days earlier than my sister, so we got to spend a lot of time with my BBF and her family. I love her kiddos (her oldest is the same age as L2 and her youngest is the same age as R) and I also got to visit her gorgeous new home when we went over for a family BBQ.

(R wanted a hug, and she was not as into it!)

The kids played, and the husbands talked sports and jobs and we played corhole and drank beer! 

I think our kids especially enjoyed the novelty of actually being able to do so much outside in summer! We end up stuck inside in AZ all summer because it's so hot, so being able to run around and eat dinner on the patio in this beautiful weather was pretty great for all us.

Family:

Our boys were ecstatic once their cousins arrived. The house was packed with six adults and six kids, but we loved every second of the craziness!

Camping:

We had planned on camping with my family for one night. on the first night of their camping adventure. We went up to Antelope lake, which is just a few hours out of town, and i was so excited because it is the lake we used to camp at all the time when I was a kid. It's so pretty and I couldn't wait to show the kids where I swam and jumped off rock and the little trailer that served as a general store that we rode bikes to to get ice cream.

Well…. the lake was just as pretty as I remembered. And the rickety old trailer/general store was still there. The only downside was it was freezing. Like ridiculous cold… not just "were-super-big-wimps-used-to-arizona-weather-cold" but legitimacy, 50 degrees cold.

My sister, mom and I pretty much spent the whole trip huddled by the campfire or going into the trailers, but the boys braved some kayaking and fishing and the kids had a blast running through the field and playing all sorts of pretend games. I may have been close to getting frostbite, but it was worth it to watch the kids play in a way, and in a place, where i played when i was a kid.

(And can you believe how pretty this is?)

I wish these cousins got to see each other on a more regular basis, but they always pick up  right where they left off!

I have to admit though, with the frigid temperature and sleeping in the back of a car with a certain little two year old made me happy we only stayed one night. My family moved on to Oregon the next day and we headed back to Reno for a few days.

Oh, and also, do you see that campfire? That work of art that kept us all warm? I built that and got it going! Two summers of girl scout camp definitely paid off!

Friends and Food:

Of course we had to hit all the fabulous places to eat before we headed back to Az, and luckily I have friends that are always willing to join us!

I don't have a ton of pics, but i had to share these adorable ones of the two littles at my favorite pizza place! I carved my name into the wood tables of this place, along with my best friends, when I was in high school, and it's pretty crazy to see our kids sitting their now!

The Children's Museum:

And last on our itinerary was hitting up the Children's Museum. It's one of the kids favorite places, and we always make it a point to spend a day there!

So, that's it. it was a quick trip, and it always feels good to come home (to Az), but I love going back to my "other" home.  I'll leave you with a few last pictures that show just how beautiful Reno is, especially this time of year. This is the Truckee River, and these pictures are taken walking distance from the house I grew up in.

Father's Day 2016

I don't have a ton to post about our recent Father's Day. It was a fabulous and low key day, spent with the three most amazing little boys and the man who they worship. I love any day that gives us a reason to celebrate, but I can't imagine a man more worthy of a day meant to celebrate what it means to be a Father. S is the best role model I could have asked for for our sons, and he's always willing to wrestle, or help with homework, or read a story. He's truly the best.

Our plan was to spend the day relaxing at the pool, but we ended up having to pack up quickly when we discovered some gophers looking for water had drowned in the pool and got sucked into the drain. (I know, sad and so, so gross!) We made the best of it and headed to the neighborhood community pool and thankfully it wasn't too crowded. After the pool we watched a movie with the kiddos and ate popcorn, and then ended the day with homemade nachos and Game of Thrones after the boys went to bed! Like I said, super low key, but a perfect day!

I leave you with a few more photos of my wonderful little family. As per usual, they are all in either underwear or PJ's (to be fair, it was 120 degrees here!) and are wrestling.

Happy Father's Day to all the amazing men out there are are raising good little people!

Stay-cation 2016

So, summer descended with a vengeance this weekend, with record breaking highs of 118 degrees. Yes, you read that right. 118 degrees.

Luckily, we had planned about a month ago to do a "stay-cation" with some friends of our, so instead of melting at home, we spent the weekend like this:

The resorts in Phoenix are great because they tend to run really good deals during the summer months, when most sane people do not visit Phoenix. We took advantage and stayed at a beautiful resort (the one we spent our wedding night at, actually!) and spent two wonderful days at the pool!

It was amazing. Seriously, a vacation that I think we will remember forever. having five boys six and under around a crowded pool can be stressful, but this trip we really saw that the older boys are starting to become a little more self sufficient and we didn't feel like we needed to "be on them" the whole time. The pool also had a beach entry, which is pretty much the best thing ever when you have little kids that can't swim!

After spending all day at the pool we actually had a babysitter come out to watch the kids and give them dinner/put them to bed so the parents could get out for awhile. We stayed on the resort and just went to dinner and then spent the rest of the night at the "adults only" pool.  It was the perfect mix of an amazing family fun day and a "date night!"

And then we came home to the sweetest sight I have ever seen. Three little brothers all cuddled together in a single pull out bed. It made my heart melt a little.

We spent the next day at the pool again, soaking in as much as we could before we had to go home.

It was such a great weekend, and I was sad to leave today. Making memories like this with these kiddos is pretty much my favorite thing ever!