great idea; bad timing!

Brian and I have always loved camping, but haven't been since we were pregnant with Alex three years ago. Since the girls are getting a little older however, we decided to brave the great outdoors and head to Graeagle this past weekend for a little camping trip before summer comes to an end.


It was a great idea, but we exercised horrible timing. Both girls had been battling colds, yet we decided to ignore their ailing bodies and proceed with our plans. There was no way we could cancel, right? We were meeting our friends the Cranmers....Brian's parents were already there waiting for us....Judy and Rocky (my sister and brother-in-law) graciously let us borrow their trailer....and the weather is starting to get cooler, so this was probably our last opportunity to go camping this summer.

Lets just say we gave "roughing it" a whole new meaning. Both girls got sick Friday night (don't worry J&R, the camper didn't take any direct hits), and we spent much of the two nights hearing two little girls cough up their lungs. Not to mention, we woke to a water leak Saturday morning that had the dinette storage area flooded (don't worry J&R, handyman Brian got things under control in no time).

Although I've painted a horrible picture, it really wasn't all bad. There's something about mountain air, and apparently dirt according to the girls, that makes everything better. We had a lovely time hanging out with our friends and Mom & Bob. The kids played great together. And we went camping with the girls....we really did it!

summer, please don't go

We love fall here in the the Truckee Meadows. The weather is glorious....crisp mornings, warm afternoons, and cool nights. There's only one problem with fall....it means winter is just around the corner. The good news is, although fall is quickly approaching the weather hasn't quite shifted yet. So to take advantage of what's left of these sun filled summer days we decided to load the car with our sand toys, towels and umbrella this past weekend and head to Lake Tahoe.




We had a great time digging in the sand, splashing in the cool water, and just soaking up the sun on the beach of Sand Harbor. We definitely feel so blessed to have such an amazing piece of nature at our doorstep. Sometimes we actually feel guilty about not taking advantage of it as often as we should. Thankfully however, summer decided to stick around just a bit longer this year and our family got to spend a beautiful afternoon in this beautiful oasis.

up, up and away

Thirteen years ago Brian and I were having so much fun together after a Friday night softball game that we decided to stay up all night and go to the Reno Balloon Races at dawn. What an amazing first date!


Naturally, this spectacular fall event holds special meaning for us; a symbol marking another year of commitment, love and happiness together. And although we aren't the spry kids that can burn the midnight oil any longer, waking up a little early for this special occasion every year is a treat.




One of the best parts about attending the Balloon Races now is getting to see the wonder in our girls' eyes. The sights, sounds and smells of more than a hundred hot air balloons at your fingertips is certainly awe inspiring! If you've never been to such an event you should put it on your bucket list.

mmm...mmm...mmm

We had a really nice Labor Day weekend. Friday night we took the girls to see the Grambling State University marching band - definitely a treat to see them in person.

Saturday morning we took a nice little bike ride. Avery is finally getting comfortable wearing her helmet and sitting up-right in the bike trailer.

Sunday my Mom and I got to get away for a little bit and do a little shopping. It felt just like old times, except when I was a teenager I got to spend all her money!

Lastly, we attended the rib cook-off in downtown Sparks on Monday. We loved sampling a bunch of ribs, and the girls especially loved getting to take a spin on a couple of carnival rides.