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!
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!
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.
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