Week in Tahoe!

On Friday we started our journey to Tahoe, we stopped at Mammoth Lakes for the night. The kids went exploring and found these huge pinecones!

On Saturday we got up and we couldn't check into our home at Tahoe until 4 p.m. so we went exploring again...Rick grew up camping at Virginia Lakes and so we decided to check it out. It was extremely high up! We are thinking it was around 9500 to 10000 ft and as we were climbing to the lake, I started realizing that I am not very fond of heights! It was pretty scary for me! We finally made it up and got out to explore, we found snow and so the kids were in heaven! We had a picnic lunch and then headed out to journey our way to Tahoe...

Here's the beautiful brand new home that my parents rented out and let our family, Carries family and Sarah's family join them for the week. My other siblings stayed in other homes, this was the first time that our whole family was able to be together since Carrie's wedding. We were together to celebrate my parent's 50th Anniversary. We had an amazing week!

On Sunday we were all able to go to church together and then we met at the Tallac Historic Site to talk about the schedule for the week and walk through the grounds....

On Monday we got together to have Family Home Evening and we learned how my parents met and dated and then my dad had a few of us siblings share our favorite scripture and then my dad gave us a lesson on Decisions determine Destiny. It was a great night, topped off by a bear walking behind the church! Wow!! The bear proceeded to  walk across the street, tear through a gate and climb on top of a van! Wow, what a night we will never forget!

On Tuesday we rented bikes and got to travel along the bike path. I've been riding that trail ever since I was a young kid in a bike trailer! Lots of memories!

Picture of Virginia Lakes...

My niece Emily painted this detailed family picture of our family for my parents. It is beautiful! She did such a good job!!

Before we left for Tahoe Abby had a play date with her friend Darwyn...

The kids also got to take a horse ride around the park with our neighbors horse...

They also got to go to the pool with our other neighbors...

Haley and Ashlyn got to try the Flo Rider!

Abby enjoyed having cousin time at the cabin...this is Carrie's son Ethan..

This is the baby of the family, baby Austin, Carrie's other son...

Such a sweetheart!

My Dad!

My mom:)

Amy and Ashlyn, Amy is Kim's youngest daughter...

Anna and Haley, Anna is Kim's third daughter...

All of Kim's daughters with Haley:)

Anna and Haley, best cousins since they were babies:)

We had lots of fun on the beach...

Abby had lots of fun on the sand...

Jared and Kelli Whittle and Melissa hanging out on the beach..

Carrie, Zach, Ethan and Austin on the beach:)

Family Home Evening with the whole family...

Kim sharing the story of how they met...

Opening the family tree picture...

Kelli put together a family memories book that she presented...

Dad giving us a lesson, before the bear sighting...

Sarah and Brett....Sarah is pregnant with baby girl #2:)

Ashlyn and Audree are cute friends. Zachary, kelli and Jared Whittle are in the background...

Cute little Brooklyn and Brynlee, Ronny's youngest girls...

Brigham is Ronny's 4th child...

Some of the family took a hike to Eagle Falls on Tuesday morning, they had a great time and said it was beautiful!

Group of hikers...

On Thursday we went to Sugar Pine Pt which I had never been to, it has lots of rocks to jump off of and a long pier to jump off of, we also rented a paddle board, that was probably my most favorite day! Here are Ashlyn, Alta and Jacob ready to jump off of the pier. Alta is Ryan's oldest daughter.

Melissa and Jonah in the kayak, Melissa is Ryan's wife...

Lake Tahoe has the clearest water I've ever seen, you can see straight to the bottom. It is gorgeous! Lake Tahoe is my favorite place on Earth!

Haley paddle boarding and Brielle, Ronny's oldest child is on the left...

Ashlyn even paddle boarded! It was my first time and I loved it!

I even took Abby out and she loved it too!

Ashlyn, Alta and Audree, cute cousin friends!

Ethan, Jacob and Cameron:) Cameron is Kelli's son...

Zach, Carrie and Austin...

Anna and Haley...

This is a picture of the cabin that we grew up going to every year. We went there from when I was a young child to after I was married and had 2 kids! Many years! Then the owner sold it, so we had to find a new place to rent, lots of memories spent at this cabin...

Here I am paddle boarding, loved it!

We had a wonderful week at Tahoe! Here we are after Church, this was supposed to just be the grandkids, but I had to jump in for Abby to not freak out...

 Our family branch on the tree...

 The blob of the bear peeking around the church...

 You can just barely see the bear, he's the speck near the bottom of the church building...

 bear...

 Bike ride...

 Abby freaked out at first, being in the trailer but then she decided it was actually fun!

 Taking Ethan for a nature walk...

 Haley enjoying being swung by Abby in the hammock at kim's place...

 Horse Shoes at Kim's place...

 Whole family after church on Sunday, so grateful for my parent's and the wonderful example of love and patience and kindness and generosity that they have shown to the whole family. 50 years! What an accomplishment, thanks for the great week of fun memories that we shared with the whole family!