South Lake Tahoe Trip, December 2012!!

 Such a beautiful drive!!  This was a trip that we've been trying to take and looking forward to forever it seems!  And pictures just don't do it justice.... 

 My favorite four little people!!

 I tried not to be on the computer too much!  I was still wrapping up last minute things for my classes and getting my final grades.  (Hallelujah for A's in both classes!)

 Rea was enthralled with our full kitchen (and washer and dryer hiding in those white doors to the left!)  she even asked if she could do the dishes!  LOL

 We ate at Base Camp Pizza Friday night after we arrived.  What a hoppin', happenin' place!!!  They have the BEST pear, gorgonzola, and candied walnut salad ever!

 They had etch-a-sketches and memory games at every table for kids to play with while we waited for our pizza!

 The girls watching the ice skaters, we had to wait till morning... BOO!

This was so pretty!  Everything all lit up at night, and it started to snow after we finished dinner!

 Who goes to Cold Stone Creamery when it's snowing outside?  WE DO!!!!

Can you tell  I was excited that it was snowing?!?!?

The girls played in this little window seat all weekend.  They were enjoying the view that we woke up to  the next morning after it snowed!

 What a way to wake up!

Rea was very concerned about whether there would be a table at our hotel room that would fit all 6 of us sitting around it at the same time so we could eat together.  She was very happy at breakfast...  :)

Finally outside to play in the snow!!

Where's my husband?  Out swimming......  Yep, he's the only one in the pool. But at least the water was 86 degrees!

 Snowball fight!

Ni'ke and Ya'shar worked really hard to make a snowman, but had to settle for a snow pyramid!  The dry fluffy powdery snow wasn't the best for making snow people!

My little snow angel!

Time to skate!  Ya'shar was fearless!!

I gave the boys haircuts Saturday morning before we hit the snow - hard to tell with their "hat heads"!

Yep, this is where we spent a lot of time - on our bottoms!  Oh the bruises....

 I LOVED this fireplace! It smelled so good and kept our boots warm while we skated.

Daryle and me!!

Ya'shar on the bungee trampoline!!!  UP!

UP!!

And AWAY!!!!

We ate at Fire and Ice on Saturday evening. TONS of fun and great food! Sort of a Beni-Hana type of place - interactive dining experience!

 Finally got to do some sledding at Van Sickle State Park on Sunday afternoon which was just a short walk from our hotel.  More bumps and bruises, and more fun!  Rea smashed into a log after this picture and bit her tongue open, but other than that it was a hoot!

Warming up after sledding!

 This picture got out of order but it's a good one to end on!  What a relaxing and fun and MEMORABLE weekend!  Can't wait to go back!!

One Semester DONE!!!

 Aaaahhhh.... I love this time of year!  I love the cozy twinkly lights on the banister and the chill in the air outside!  And I LOVE that I'm finally finished with school (till January 15th!!)  What a great experience the past few months have been....   I've learned so much and know that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be!  Thank you, Lord for blessing my socks off!!  Hey, did you notice that it's SNOWING on my blog?!?!?!  Cool, huh!

 I took all these random pictures last week when I was up waaaayyy late at night working on my final presentation.  Yes, it was absolutely a ploy to procrastinate and it worked really well.  :)  I've found my "study groove".  You know, that perfect combination of environmental factors that all have to present in order for me to have a productive study experience....  Let me explain. First, the given is that it has to be late at night when it's quiet and everyone is in bed.  I've always been a night owl and that's when i do my best work.  Next, it is absolutely vital to have great snacks.  It'll make your brain very happy and it will work much better, I promise.  So at 1:00 am I made a huge batch of Chex Snack mix, just like my Grammy makes every year for the holidays!

The next thing that I need is a comforting humming sound.....  You know, background noise!  (Like my fan when I'm sleeping....)  Something about working at the kitchen table with dishwasher running just makes for a very cozy work environment.  Really!

If I'm staying up late, I need a good cup of coffee in my favorite coffee mug!  But it's not so much the coffee as it is the CREAMER!  Yes, I know.  I might have a problem.  But what can I say?  I'm a girl who likes a lot of choices....

In addition to SAVORY snacks, I must also have SWEET snacks!  My favorites are gummy lifesavers and butter rum lifesavers!

Now I'm ready to work.....

 After an hour, I need a distraction.  I usually hit a rut about here and start to feel like I'm not being productive any more.  So how better to feel productive than to go clean the bathroom?

The productivity continues with doing a load of laundry - I got a $3 return on my investment!  (I must remember to empty my scrub pockets after work.)

And here's the thing that's been the light at the end of my tunnel for a couple months!!  We leave for Tahoe today for a wonderful 3 days together!!  I finished my presentation, got an "A", and now I'm ready to play in the snow!  My obsessive weather checking this week has shown that they got several inches dumped on them the past few days, so HOORAY!!!!  The little ones are beyond excited, and I'm ready to curl up by the fire with a FUN book!  :)  We're off to the mountains, and I'm hoping this picture didn't do them justice. 

Out With the Girls (Another Baby Shower!)

 Wow, I'm so behind on blogging!!  These are from the weekend after Thanksgiving!  The girls and I went to my friend Giulia's family baby shower in Geyserville.  They insisted  on wearing hats!!

 Giuliana with STRAIGHT hair!!!!  This never happens....  I love your curls the best! :)

 Me and my girls!

 Ni'ke practicing with Emily's camera!!

She took one sorta like this but I'm sure that one looked better!  (Now she wants a camera!...)

 Baby gifts!!

 Getting ready for some baby shower games!

Beautiful quilt, Emily and Heather!!!

Ni'ke Versus the Flagpole!!

 This past Monday, Ni'ke had a "smashing" encounter with the flagpole in the school yard at recess time!  Thankfully she didn't hurt herself worse than she did, but a bloody lip and two broken front teeth were plenty!  I took her to the dentist the next day and they bonded the back to cover the sensitive areas, she could hardly eat due to the pain from the back of her teeth being exposed!  That got her through the next couple days, and then today I took her back to Dr. Berger for some more repair.  He has been our kids' dentist for at least the past 5-6 years, and he is fabulous!  He was able to sand and shape the areas that were broken off at the bottom, and they actually look pretty normal.  Her two front teeth were very long, and they now are just a bit shorter!  She'll need braces eventually anyway, so we're just waiting for them all to grow in.

I love the screen saver on Dr. Berger's computer - it's an underwater scene with fish and a beautiful reef - he shares a love of scuba diving with my husband, which is usually our favorite topic to discuss when we're all there!

Ni'ke displaying her prize that she got to pick on Tuesday for being such a fantastic patient!

Here's a "before" picture (it's after she ran into the flag pole, but BEFORE he fixed it!)

And today, AFTER!!!  

Ni'ke doing what she loves to do - reading! - while we wait for Dr. Berger!

Practicing for Thanksgiving!

It's the season for yummy cooking!  It finally started feeling cool outside this week after an entire week in the mid-80's last week (no, not complaining at ALL!)  I just enjoy cooking and baking and find it quite therapeutic.  Not that I need therapy....  But maybe I would if I didn't bake??  Hmm, points to ponder.  Anyway, I made TWO pumpkin pies with the help of my little man, Ya'shar!  He's quite savvy in the kitchen.  It's raining off and on outside, and I always am in the mood for soup when it's rainy out, so I'm making split pea and ham soup with corn bread - doesn't that sound like a cozy, comforting meal?!

Happy Birthday, Giuliana!

This past Monday some of us girls from work got together at BJ's to celebrate Giuliana's birthday!! She's on a countdown, waiting for that sweet little baby to arrive - only a month and a half to go!  Was good to see each other since most of us have been off for a week or more. We thoroughly enjoyed our "Pizookis" (pizza/cookies!) for dessert!

Just a Friendly Reminder to "Fall Back"!!

Don't forget to turn your clocks back this weekend!!!  Daylight Savings Time is Sunday at 2:00 am!!!!