Cali/Oregon/Tahoe

Shall I change the title of my blog from "Joan's Life" to:  "Joan's Vacation Travelog Blog?" I'm feeling a little silly about all the vacations I've been on lately. Not that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed myself but enough is enough already?! First it was Bear Lake then a week(ish) later it was Lake Powell then our California/Oregon/Lake Tahoe trip which I will be reporting on now...

I piled the boys in the car and drove away from my cute husband on Friday the 13th (eeek?!). It was a loooong drive to Auburn, CA (30 minutes outside of Sacramento) to see my brother Richard, Kristen, and their three beautiful kids. Fourteen hours later, including one solid hour of bumper to bumper, stand still traffic, we arrived and were greeted with a homemade neon pink poster covered in love notes and welcome wishes and squealing children on the driveway. It was a happy reunion!

 

Can we die about this pic? I LOVE these angels!

We spent four full days with Kristen and the kids (Rick had quite a few cases--he's an anesthesiologist--on Monday and Tuesday so we didn't see him much those days--but we enjoyed time with him over the weekend). We went swimming, hiked, picnic-ed, played in the park, enjoyed the farmers market, Kristen's PHENOMENAL cooking and watched THIS clip from Flight of the Conchords. Oh you will laugh your pants off! We sure did, anyway.

Sweet Sofia took such tender care of Benson.

Little Snuggle Buddies:

 

 

 The kids petting "Fifi." See the guinea pig under Max's hand?

Sofia animatedly reading to James, Max & Gabriella

 

Love these two clowns! :)

Picnic after our hike.

Kristen munching.

PRESENTING:

Benson

Lorenzo

 Maxwell

 Sofia

 James

 

& Gabriella

 

On Wednesday morning we hopped back into the car heading for Nan and Gigi's house. Ps: Exciting news--my parents are moving back to Phoenix this month!!! They will be here the 17th. So, SO happy to have them close to me again.

The trip from Auburn, CA to Central Point, OR is only five hours so it was a breeze compared to the first leg of the trip. We so much enjoyed our time in Oregon. My mom is so good about dropping everything and dedicating herself to us for the time we are with her.
Brandon flew from Phoenix and arrived Thursday night. So he was able to spend time with everyone too--but was bummed he missed out on seeing Kristen and Richard.

We had WAAAYYY too much fun with these cousins!

I think half the guest at Red Robin were eavesdropping on our stories b/c we were having such a good time and laughing the whole way through. 

 

Here is the low calorie cake that B enjoyed...I didn't share it with him. I got my own dessert!

Large mint brownie milkshake, thank you very much.

We had a picnic in Lithia Park (the most STUNNINGLY beautiful place on earth--ZERO exaggeration--sorry, no pics to prove it), enjoyed multiple cousin pool parties, lunch and shopping in downtown Ashland, adults only late night date night at Red Robin (laughed until our bellies ached!) and movie night with Gigi and my mom.

Carter and Benson

Look at these sillies and their forced smiles. haha.

Curse the ipad.

More Oregon cousins! Pool party at the Hall residence :)

 

On Tuesday, (are you exhausted yet?!) we packed up and headed to the Northstar Resort at Lake Tahoe. My sister, Nikki's husband's parents own a cabin up there. It was a Longacre, Tanner, Koplin reunion complete with my oldest brother and sister Nikki and Chris along with their lovely families.

 

We spent the first night celebrating Scott's (Nikki's husband) birthday, a few days at the resort pool lounging, dinner with my old BYU roomie and dear, dear friend Rachel, a day at Sand Harbor at Lake Tahoe and our last day river rafting down the Truckee River. It was SUCH a fun trip and so nice to spend some one on one time with my sister, brother, their spouses, and sweet children.

 

 Here we are at Sand Harbor

 

Nikki taught the boys how to fish for crawdads and they caught a few!

 

My brother, Chris, his little girl Brynn, and his lovely wife, Erin (13 weeks pregnant)!

 

Nikki, Ella, Hudson & Scott

The group minus Hanna (at dance camp) and Tyler (on his mission in Germany)

Ella eating a s'more

Me and my sis

 

Cute kids: Brynn, Max, Ella, James, and Benson

Me and my love

On Sunday the 29th we woke up at 4:30am and were on the road by 5am. And even with 45 minutes in traffic due to a terrible accident we made awesome time and were home before 7pm, exhausted of course and SO glad to be home--even though the sweltering heat isn't particularly welcoming.

Now we are home for good (at least until late November). Our road show rehearsals for the play we are putting on at church starts August 14th. The script, music, etc is written and finalized--we are mostly done casting and so we are ready for the party to begin! :)

I promise my next post will be less of me gloating about yet another fun filled trip and more of me venting about my chubby tummy or the woes of PMS. You're excited, aren't you?


'Till Then...