Lake Tahoe

I seem to perpetually be behind on writing about our adventures, this one is about our second road trip of the year- to Lake Tahoe! Also a note, most of my writing has the same main entry in each blog, but girls you will find specific messages in your blog and Deacon you will find them in yours at the end of each of my entries- just so you don’t miss them.

We have friends, the Barrett’s who travel to Tahoe every summer. Their pictures always looked so great that this year we indevoured to join them, and boy am I glad we did. We went in late July, it was a 12 hour drive door to door but we made it in one straight shot. You guys did great in the car, maybe you got used to it from driving to Idaho. We rented a nice little house in South Lake Tahoe, we were all very happy it came with a hot tub- my muscles were especially happy after that drive. The night we arrived we actually joined the Barretts on Baldwin beach for dinner. Watching the sunset while you played in the sand enjoying the 70 degree weather was a nice change from 115 humid degrees back in Phoenix.

The week was just a wonderful mix of adventures. We rode our bikes to the beach, stopped by and got ice cream from Camp Richardson almost every day, had lazy mornings and late nights. One of our favorite days we went to Heavenly Ski Resort. During the summer they have ropes courses, a mountain roller coaster, and tons of other activities set up. Cora, you and Mom did a ropes course that there is no way on earth I would have done as an 8-year-old! It frightened adults, you were afraid, but you did it anyway and overcame that fear, which made me so proud of you. Deacon you loved the mountain roller coaster- as did Quinn- you guys don’t scare easily either. All of you got to pan for jewels which was fun to watch, that night some trading took place, somehow Cora ended up with a lot more than when she started…. We had such a great day as a family running around the mountain.

Lake Tahoe is stunningly blue and clear, so of course we had to rent a boat and check it out. We shared the boat with the Barrett family, and did a lot of tubing. Deacon your ideal speed was about 3 ½ miles per hour, you rode with Will. Quinn, you rode with mom and decided 2 miles per hour was your cutoff, guess you didn’t trust my driving. Cora, you and Anna Jean wanted full speed ahead and got it! I didn’t manage to shake you two off, but I got close a few times. We checked out quite a bit of the lake and found an awesome cove on the north-east shore to do some swimming in the clear but chilly water. On the way back we got caught in a bit of high seas adventure when the wind stirred up some pretty good swells. There wasn’t one of us left dry by the time we made it back, we were all so cold I think we forgot what summer even felt like for that hour! It was kind of fun riding the waves though, just another adventure.

Bike rides were really great, the weather was so nice it felt good to get outside as much as possible. Deacon I want to say you did awesome riding a lot further than I thought you could manage. You are already outgrowing the bike we got you two years ago. Quinn, you were in the trailer hauled by yours truly, often with our beach chairs and your trusty horses you never wanted to leave behind. It was always satisfying passing long line of cars waiting to park as we zoomed by to the beach. We also did a hike down to Emerald Bay, it was about a mile down, which meant it would also be a mile up. You guys did great on the down part…. The up part took a bit more encouragement. Quinn, I carried you a good deal of it up, but had to ask you more than once to hold off on incessant questions as your out of shape father huffed and puffed up the trail. Deacon and Cora it was a mental game for you two, but once you reached the top I could tell you both felt a great sense of accomplishment that you had made the climb. Its really cool seeing your successes, even in the small things. The woods in that area were so beautiful, such a lovely mix of redwood, pines, even a sequoia or two.

You guys loved time in the hot tub when we got home from bike rides or nightly adventures. Its so much fun seeing the three of you interact and play. Quinn, you certainly never back down from anyone, Deacon you love your sisters, and Cora you are very playful and at night would be sweet and read Deacon and Quinn books. I don’t want one of those mean families you see so much in the media, damn Hollywood jades me into thinking all families are perpetually fighting and hostile towards one another. I feel like all the writers hated their parents, or hate their kids with most of the stuff that comes out these days. I am so blessed by the family we have, and I will really work on keeping us all close through whatever may come.

Deacon- you did a much tamer version of the ropes course in Heavenly. You reacted more the way I would have, less certain and more afraid, but you completed it, with a few tears and many protests you finished it. I didn’t let you quit because I wanted you to gain the confidence in your ability, and lean many things in life take determination. I could tell when you were done you were proud of yourself. I had a bunch of fun riding the roller coaster with you- on that you had no reservations, just like on all the ones in Legoland you were fearless. You have started school without a hitch, I think you really love having something to do all day every day. I expect you are making lots of friends, though you don’t talk about them too much. When your guy friends come over you love to play “BayBlades”- if you ever forget they spin around crashing into each other and then coming apart. You also love to wrestle and rough house, and play dinosaur hunting games- really its less about the game and seems to be more about you weaving elaborate stories. One of my favorite things is when I get home from working out around 5:45 in the morning you always come out, kind of asleep still and give me a big hug, then you grab a cliff bar and your ipad. You are such a sweet boy and I love every bit of who you are.