Saturday, July 14, 2007

The Skeet Retreat

As temperatures rose over 100 degrees in the Sacramento valley, we decided to escape from the heat and spend some time at our condo in North Lake Tahoe a.k.a The Skeet Retreat.


All together we spent about 10 days up there and had an incredible time. Trent and I made several morning hikes around the Nature Loop, which is a 2 mile hiking trail just across the street. I love the wild flowers this time of year and Trent loves to chase the chipmunks and squirrels. Sophia went along once or twice as well, but she spent most of the time napping in the Baby Bjorn. Hiking with another 16 pounds strapped to my belly definately added to my work out!

We also found a gorgeous trail that ran right alongside the edge of Donner Lake. Will tried to ride his bike along the trail earlier in the day and somehow he ended up at the top of a huge ridge that was too steep for him to ride his bike down. Luckily he had his cell phone with him and had great reception. He called the police department first to ask how to get down the mountain, but they weren't much help. He then called home, and I was able to talk him down using his trail map, which he had left on the coffee table. We now fondly refer to the area as Dumbass Ridge!




Sophia's favorite part of the trip was the coffee table. It was the perfect height for her to hold on to. She had a great time trying to grab our drinks, remote controls, magazines, and other things she's not supposed to get into!


While in Tahoe, we also attended the wedding of Andy "Spoo" Clark, a U2 pilot, and Carly Liddicoat, an Intelligence officer, both from Beale AFB. The ceremony took place at the top of Homewood Ski resort which has a breathtaking view of Lake Tahoe.

The reception was held on the shores of Lake Tahoe and it was absolutely beautiful. We all had a great time, but by about 6 pm, Sophia's long day started to get the best of her. We took turns trying to console her but eventually we ended up having to leave a little early to get her to bed.
Here is Sophia with the stunning bride.
And here she is doing a little ballet in her fancy dress.

There was another little girl in attendance named Elizabeth who was 10 months old and had a striking resemblance to Sophia's cousin Katherine. Sophia would shake and squeal with excitement when Elizabeth would come over to "play" so we thought Sophia may have mistaken her for her favorite cousin.
During our stay, our property manager called to say that someone was interested in leasing the condo through October. It was bittersweet news because we could definately use the rental income, but we'll miss spending time up there this summer.

So long Skeet Retreat! See ya this Fall!


Monday, July 9, 2007

Fourth of July

Sophia was so excited to celebrate her first Fourth of July that she woke up at 5 am bright eyed and bushy tailed! Mommy wasn't quite as bright eyed, but after lots of coffee, we decided to get Sophia dressed up for the neighborhood parade.
All the children from the neighborhood participated and decorated their bikes and scooters in red, white and blue. There was a costume contest and goody bags for all the kids.
Many people from the neighborhood came out to cheer us on. Daddy, Trent and our neighbor Steve enjoyed the parade from our lawn. The parade was at 9 am, but that didn't stop them from enjoying a few beers.

Later that day Grandpa came over and we went to a barbeque at our neighbors house. It was a really hot day, but fotunately our neighbors have a pool. They're were lots of kids and adults alike splashing in the pool, so we all got cooled off whether we actually went swimming or not.
As the sun went down, the neighbors closed off our street and prepared for the annual neighborhood fireworks display. There was a table filled with delicious desserts, and the streets were lined with people of all ages. Unfortunately, Sophia had to go to bed, but maybe next year she'll be old enough to stay up for the show.

Will's job was to hand out sparklers to all the kids. A few of them were a little nervous, but with Will's help, they got the hang of it pretty quickly.


At the end of the night, I came in the house and found Will sprawled out on the living room floor, exhausted from all the fun we had.



We can't wait to do it all over again next year!