Lake Tahoooooooooo

For Fam vaca this year...we went to Lake Tahoe. It was my first time ever. I was skeptical..i thought to myself why in the world would I drive to California with 9 other people to see a lake in the mountains...can't we just drive to Deer creek and be there in a flash?
Turns out its not bad at all. In fact its beautiful and it was worth every second of the 9 hour drive through nothingness in the blazing heat. The following are pics from the trip. In no particular order.

We drove to see the giant redwoods! It was SOOO cool! This is no where near the biggest ones...its just the one we parked next too. I felt like I was in Star Wars for some reason...I honestly though that an ewok was going to wander by and offer me some bark to suck on.


Back in Middle School Days my best friend Meggy and I would do this work out routine...we were a real crowd pleaser. Turns out my family thought Ty and I were pretty funny too!





Pioneers cut this out of the tree to drive through it....can't go over it, can't go under it, can't go around it....wait, wouldn't that have been easier than THROUGH it? Maybe they were delirious from crossing the Nevada desert because its just that pretty. right.


We are standing in the roots of a tree that tipped over. Its that big. oh wow.


Oldest and youngest sisters!


All the siblings in one place. We don't look alike.
Note: My hair color has lessened from cartoon color.


My attempt at hiking to a waterfall ended up with Ty playing Sherpa.
He uses 13% less fuel and is #1 in quality control, with the smoothest ride available.
Yours for only a lifetime of payments at a ridiculous interest rate.


Its called the Burger lounge and its PHENOMENAL! I love pesto fries! You should too!!


The Whole Fam Damily.




summoning our eagle powers.


Emerald Bay, part of the lake through the moving car window. Apparently those signs that say Slow tight switchbacks 35 MPH.....those don't apply to my dad. Last time I checked 60 was no where near 35's neck of the woods. Time to get those bifocals checked.


Right after he threw 60 soda cans in the lake and kicked a baby duck. Ha ha Just Kidding.


Eating at the burger lounge...they encourage you to eat fast because their tables are 300 degrees hence my sister's most beautifullest face, and by making sure the shade from the umbrellas hits the concrete surrounding the table that is bolted to the floor, but no the actual table itself. Awesome.



All in all it was a great trip and I love spending time with my fam. I miss them terribly and its so nice to be with them. My uncle flew in from Oklahoma and it was great to spend time with him. My wardrobe thinks so too. Sometimes I can't help but feel like my family could not be anymore embarrassing, but then I remember that they are mine forever, and days like this don't come around very often. The weather is beautiful, the air is sweet and my family is laughing. There is no greater joy.

American Fourth of July

Happy 4th of July from the shores of Lake Tahoe!

Papa son, Uncle Spikey
Shane, Dillon, Anna
Ty, Me, Molly, Sarah

P.S. If you are wondering why my hair is the color of a frozen mixed drink,
My sister and I thought it would be a great idea to color my hair ourselves. The result has been non stop nicknames ranging from Dr. Gene Gray (X Men) to Ariel from The Little Mermaid.
My personal favorite: Strawberry Shortcake.

Yay for Patriotic Hair!
God Bless America.

Miss Independent

Its funny how independent you think you are. I consider myself a really independent person. I have all sorts of goals and dreams. In Europe I was courageous and adventurous. I was not shy about acting touristy and exploring the world around me. I eat new things and try new things all the time. Turns out this is a complete lie. I am such a CHICKEN. I decided I wanted to start running, well apparently I am too scared because there "could" be bad guys out there. In Logan. Living directly below the temple. Yep Probably waiting right outside my door, to spring on me and carry me away to Candy Mountain to steal my Kidneys. I don't actually know what kidneys do, but I feel like I should try and keep them off the black market and inside my abdomen.
Just a thought.

I sleep with the lights on. My hubby works in the UC all week. I am alone in my house. ALL. Night. Why? Because the Crocodiles live under my bed and bad guys can come in my window that is three stories up. This way I can see them as they approach and can quickly dial 911 on my phone that I sleep with on my chest.
You know......just in case.


Being 24 is so cool. You get to feel like a grown up.........
Even if you may not act like it.

Sweet Absence

I am bored. I want to work out yet lack the energy to get a gym pass....and yet every morning when I get in the shower and look at my soft, flabby body....I say today is the day! I will workout and get a gym pass!!! But I got news for you.....it ain't gonna happen!

I am dieting currently to reduce the weight so recently gained with joyous pleasure form my New Orleans trip........and the fact that I apparently didn't feel like I needed to stop the eating of fatteningly delicious food with reckless abandon. OOOPS! Ha ha I would like to say I was hating myself the whole time...but I was not...I felt like I was given wings. Flying in a heavenly sky of sweet treats and fabulously salty fries! Then when I finally weighed in a month later. Lets just say I was hoping gravity weighed more than normal and I somehow became the victim of 10 pounds of water weight....he he he. NOT HAPPENING! yowser. my life sucks...but my stomach is ripe and satisfied and possibly a little roley poley.

So today I have eaten lettuce and chicken. (I may have "accidentally" snuck 10 chocolate chips, a girls gotta keep up the choco quota) I miss everything I can't eat and its only day two! eff.

So what does Megan think is a great idea to abide her time at home in front of the laptop? Hanging out with Bakerella, and Amy Atlas. Awesome.

This means that all I do is stare at fabulous desserts, getting recipes I can't make and dieing inside. Seriously I am actually crying inside...I actually heard my stomach scream with pain! (ok so it is entirely possible that it was a hunger growl, but still) Save me someone! I need a distraction, and more celery.

FOUR

May 25th was a real big day to me 4 years ago. I got hitched to the coolest dude ever. He is tall and has killer blue eyes. Sometimes I still look at him and think...How does he do it? How does he put up with me, Love Me, and still want to be around me? I am astounded that not only does he think I am cool...but beautiful.

I Love his guts. Everything that makes up HIM. His quiet peaceful demeanor, his witty comments that catch you by surprise. The way that he believes the best of everyone. The way he looks when he is working hard. His relaxed toothy smile. The way he just loves kids. He is the absolute best man I know. I have never known such an unrelenting example of forgiveness. He puts the Lord into every equation, and welcomes our trials with humility and patience. Learning from him and with him is easy and natural. He is all I need and all I want.

I am so happy to have been married for four years. It seems everything about our wedding day is a little fuzzy and a little crazy. Except for the temple. Thinking back, its the only part that feels still, quiet, and real.

Four years, four seconds......it feels the same, and eternity just can't get here fast enough.

Ty and I have been crazy crazy! The day school finally was put to sleep I raced down to the UC to spend the day with my mom for mothers day. She was leaving on a cruise to Bermuda on Sat and I was taking my baby sisters back with me to Lo to babysit while the parental units were away. Mom wanted to shop, and eat delicious food and hang go to a movie....so we did. I love family time with just the girls! Especially when it is something I have to do. Then I don't feel guilty thinking about all the other things I should do! So I raced home to lo, sisters in tow and had a mad rush of a weekend. An all day wedding, guests at the b and b, baby sisters, primary stuff for church and packing for our trip to New Orleans! I swear it screamed by in a second! We drove home to the rents house and spent the next day in chaos again...seeing broseph before he moved away for the sum sum, getting sisters situated for the forthcoming week, and Ty had some work stuff to do. Bleh.

Finally Tuesday morning at 4 am came!!! My super awesome bro took us to the Aeropeurto and we were off, after Ty mailed his Leatherman home because apparently lover boy thought that Security would be totally ok with him carrying that on....no biggie right? 2:20 pm we arrived in a hot mess. I was so excited I could not even speak...I went pee like seventy times in anticipation! Meags came and got us...a little late..which made me feel good, because I am late to everything, always. Its hot and muggy there. Which means two things......gross hair and the constant feeling of hot breath all over your body. Nothin makes you feel sexier than that!

First thing we did was go to the French Quarter! Its so fun and very quaint.

Its like pa rousing the streets of a french city. We had Po boys for dinner....translation: sandwiches on sandwich roids. So so good!

Over the next two days we did Graduation stuff for Meags and Luke. Each festivity was followed by again more fabulous eating.

Including cream, deep friedness, sugar or all of the above. We spent lots of time with Meagans totally awesome family, we had a great time with them!

Meagan little miss over achiever received 4 awards totaling $1,550.00 if that's not incentive to be a wacko stress case all the time...I don't know what is.

On Friday we went on a swamp tour. SCARIEST EVENT EVER! I think people who think its cool to be in a boat a foot away from live alligators are retarded. Especially when the 12 ft Alligator thinks it would be a great idea to swim up and down the side of the boat to watch the crazy red head lose all sense of control.Then the boat driver man...brought out a baby alligator and was letting everyone pass him around and touch his devil flesh and stuff. Reptiles suck.

Well after our little swamp adventure and my heart stopped beating a thousand miles an hour, we went and hung out in Luling, Where Luke's parents live. They went all out Louisiana style on a kick butt Shrimp boil. It was BOMB!! I seriously ate so much I was sick. Sick but Oh so satisfied! Saturday we went on a walking tour of the garden district, which is like the beautiful old houses from the 1800's.

Kate, Jan, meags and I went. Right as mother earth decided it was a great time to dump the annual amount of rain for the amazon on us! Exciting, thrilling, freezing, and crazy are all applicable here. I was wearing a gray t shirt that was so wet that by the end of the 2 hour tour of the rain forest it was see through... HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? Even my butt was pruney! We finished off the day by making breakfast for dinner, and going to a movie. Sunday we went to Lukes Bros homecoming talk in their branch...awesome experience! Followed by more southern comfort food. Again ate till I was sick. Monday Meag and I were finally able to hang out alone and went to an Old Plantation house called Oak Alley.

There are 28 Oak trees that line the walk up to the grand house...this equals awesome! We had Mint Juleps on the veranda, and strolled the beautiful gardens. We may have even pulled out a couple ANTM shots.

We went home to have awesome dinner with their friends Sam and Justin. Who at first I thought I would rather poke my eyes out with a toothpick than be with, but turned out to be really funny and very nice. We had a great time laughing and playing games with them. Tuesday we went on a canoe trip up the bayou. Another bright idea involving alligators and dark brown water. I am sure you can imagine how that went for me. despite the white knuckled fear and excessive anxiety it was very beautiful and a really cool experience. I would recommend it to any and all!

We got all gussied up and went out for our last nights dinner and had snow balls to cap the evening. It was perfect.

Wednesday we ran around the french quarter, bought souvenirs, ate more beignets (our second time that trip) hung out in the cemetery and drove around the 9th ward.

The 9th ward is where the levy's broke from Katrina. It was humbling and beautiful all at the same time. So sad to see the ruin of what used to be peoples lives, and homes. However the cycle of rebirth was inspiring to say the least. Fresh foliage, housing construction, and people enjoying the afternoon breeze on their front porch left us with a feeling of hope and faith.

Upon arriving home I instantly was grateful for the dry air in which my hair returned to its normal consistency and no longer resembled that of a 1970's experiment. But my heart missed the charm. New Orleans is an extremely fun and down right charming city! We had a fabulous time. I could not have imagined a better trip if i tried. not to mention that I totally overcame my fears and canoed next to alligators. Gross. We had so much fun hanging out with Meag and lukey and their hospitality was unprecedented. Best things eaten: Eggplant Perogue and Jaque Imo's, charbroiled oysters at Acme Oyster house,

Shrimp and grits at Mr. B's, beignets at Cafe du Monde, Po boys at buddy's and snow balls at Sal's. We also had the best homemade jambalaya, barbecued shrimp (foodgasmic...not and exaggeration) and shrimp boil at Luke's parents house! If you haven't already guessed I gained like 5 pounds in a week of being there...not a joke. People in the south definitely know how to eat and party, my kind of people!
So while I chomp on my celery stick and wish longingly for it to magically transform into a Praline and I shutter against the SNOW falling outside my window....my heart warms at the thought of NOLA and I am counting my pennies for a return trip!

Thanks Meags! Miss you too much already!