Easter fun

Once again we spent Easter in Tahoe.  This year the weather was less threatening than last year but the biggest issue was that our Spring break was nowhere near Easter so making the drive to Yreka and back in a day's time or missing work/school seemed pointless.  The boys did enjoy going to the local egg hunt at the beach, finding fun goodies in their Easter baskets, and going to our church's service.  One of the most wonderful things about Easter was Ben's take on things.  Ben was already showing his doubt about whether or not the Easter Bunny is real. I told him the true Easter story and he said that it makes more sense for people to be happy about Jesus than a bunny.

This year's egg hunt at the beach had Ben and Sam in two different age groups so I spent the time running back and forth between the designated areas and feeling very lucky that I have wonderful friends in town who were happy to look out for the boys when I was going back and forth. 

As you can see from the photos, it was cold like it usually is in Tahoe for Easter, but we had no snow on the ground - though we did have flurries during the festivities.

Sam and Bella

Ready to go!



Ben and his very special friend, Lucy.



Ben in the chaos.



Sam on a mission.

Hello Easter Bunny!!!!

If only....

If only....
I remembered to take my camera everywhere we go.
the battery in my camera were always charged.
it didn't take so long to get photos uploaded.
I didn't spread myself so thin working, volunteering, and entertaining the kids.
I had a smart phone to capture moments as they are happening so I can post them immediately.
it didn't feel so overwhelming to catch up on the blogging I haven't done.

Snow Fest!

With all of the late-winter snow we got in March we tried to be outside to enjoy it as much as possible.  Brian found some kid-sized snowshoes for the boys and they took to it immediately.  I was out of commission for a good part of March following my car accident but did get a couple early morning outings with another mom to snowshoe on one of the local golf courses. 

The boys also got some "wicked powder" days in skiing at our local ski resort, Diamond Peak, with our sitter Jaime.  Both Ben and Sam have shown great improvement since the beginning of the season and are sure to be little shredders next season.  I, on the other hand, got a few days in skiing and am so far from skilled or graceful that it's embarrassing.  The one thing I can say is I have had fun even after not skiing for nearly 20 years!

The Many Faces of Sam

I've noticed that my last couple of posts have been pretty light on photos, specifically photos of the boys.  So here is a sampling of Sam in all his glory.  Sam loves to dress up and pretend to be someone else.  His most creative roles usually occur when Ben is at school - most likely because Ben often takes on the role of "cruise director" telling Sam what and how he should play.

Sam in his "Cuddle Boat."

Very proud of his LEGO football players.

"Cowboy Bandit" Sam.

Sam the giraffe.

"Underwater Diver Fireman"

Birthday Bash

A couple of weeks ago on March 13th, I celebrated my 34th birthday.  Last year we were wrapping up our trip to the Yucatan and Belize during my birthday and I was blessed with one of the most memorable celebrations ever complete with a performance from a Mayan dance group.  This year was wonderful as well but we celebrated much closer to home.

On Saturday the 12th we left the boys with one of the best sitters we know, Diana, for an overnight sleepover and we headed to Reno with our good friends/neighbors, Steve and Jackie.

We checked into the Peppermill hotel and casino and while Jackie and I changed into dressier clothes Brian and Steve started the night off with a beer at the Sportsbook.  From the Peppermill we headed to the El Dorado where we had dinner reservations and tickets to a show.  With a little time to kill before dinner we had a drink and people-watched in the casino.  We had a great, relaxing dinner at a steakhouse then headed to the showroom to watch "Buddy: the Buddy Holly Story."  It was a great show filled with talented performers who sang, danced, and played multiple instruments.  Of course I was familiar with some of Buddy Holly's music and knew the basic story of his untimely death.  What I didn't know was that Buddy, like my sweet husband, was born in Lubbock, Texas.  And Buddy Holly was only 19 when he hit it big with his music! 

After the show we headed back to the Peppermill and hung out in the casino some more.  Brian and I aren't accustomed to staying up late so it was a big night for us!  After doing our best and making it to 1:00 A.M. before heading back to our room we remembered that it was daylight savings and it was actually 2:00 A.M. with the new time.  Our short night was soon to be shorter with the hotel hallways never going to sleep!  People were coming and going on the stairs by our room all night, outside yelling, inside yelling, and generally causing a huge ruckus! 

The next morning we met up with Steve and Jackie for breakfast and found out that Jackie had heard all the noise the night before but Steve slept through it all! 

We headed back to Incline and the kids right around noon and I was greeted with big hugs and birthday wishes along with cupcakes the boys decorated with Diana.  The rest of the day was quiet and relaxing and the end to a great birthday weekend!

Ups and Downs

Here's the latest:

Up: Our toaster oven may not be breaking as I originally thought.
Down:  After making a new bread recipe yesterday in my KitchenAid mixer and using the same outlet where the toaster is plugged in the reset button was tripped again which indicates the problem is the outlet not the appliances.

Up:  I talked to the insurance adjuster last Thursday and was told the car would be ready for pickup on Friday.
Down:  The weather was so bad on Thursday night and Friday morning (let's just say feet of new snow and white-out conditions) that we have to delay getting the car until after the weekend. 

Down:  When Brian talked to the body shop to confirm that they could get our car to the local Subaru dealership to take care of a 45,000 mile service before we bring the car home, the body shop manager told him the car wasn't actually finished - 99% finished.  The manager said that due to the weather and nearly all the local highways being closed two small clips that hold in the tail light assembly had not yet arrived from Sacramento.
Up: The body shop already had the car to the dealership for the tune up because obviously they could rotate tires, change oil, and do all of the other necessary work without the tail lights on the one side of the car.

Up: My back has been feeling a lot better since the accident and I am now down to one chiropractor visit each week.  I have even been able to go skiing again! 
Down: Because of the terrible weather my yoga classes have been cancelled for the past two weeks!

Up: Everyone in our house has managed to avoid getting any of the variety of sicknesses that have been going around town - including strep throat, and the flu.
Down: Neither of the boys have been sleeping well at night which ultimately means that neither Brian or I have been sleeping well at night....we are hoping it's a phase.

Chaos update

It has now been nearly three weeks since my last post detailing the car accident I was in when another driver ran a red light and hit our Subaru.  So, here's the basic rundown of events since then...
On Thursday, March 3rd, the day after the accident I went to our family doctor and was checked out.  The good news is that there was no concern of any bone injury just strained muscles.  From there I took the damaged car to a body shop in Carson City recommended to us by the Subaru dealership.  I just happened to pick up my cell phone before heading out and had a message from the rental car company saying they had a car reserved for me and with what the insurance company was paying it would cover a mid-sized sedan...not what I was promised!!!  I immediately called back and explained the situation that I needed an all-wheel drive car to take the place of my wrecked Subaru and couldn't  take anything else.  The rental company representative basically told me that unless the insurance company called to change things that was all he could give me.  I called the insurance rep who had been working with me and proceeded to get her voicemail.  I left a message and began the wait.  When I arrived at the body shop I was greeted by a very nice man who assured me they would not only get the car fixed up but would also coordinate with the service department guy at the Subaru dealership to get our car serviced before we picked it up as we had to cancel the appointment we had previously scheduled.  When asked if the rental car company was coming over I had no answer.  I called the insurance rep again and got her voicemail again.  By this point the insurance adjuster had arrived at the shop to estimate the damages.  He heard that the rental car company did not assure me that I would have an all-wheel drive car and promptly called them and demanded that they give me what I had been promised and that he was authorizing it.  Thank goodness!!!  He then gave me his business card and told me to call with any questions I may have.
Once I had the rental car in my possession I took the opportunity to do a little grocery shopping on my own then headed home to Jaime and the boys.  I was exhausted and sore but happy to have one more step taken care of.
That evening I attended my monthly book club which happened to be at the home of my chiropractor and his wife.  All of my friends were very concerned with how I was feeling and it felt good to know that I have so many people in my life who care about me.  I was also lucky that my chiropractor's wife had his schedule at home and was able to add me to the next day's appointments so I could get adjusted and checked out more.
After a restless sleep I was ready to have my stiff body worked on.
To shorten the story I have been going to the chiropractor between 2 and 3 times a week since the accident.  Today was the first time that I walked into the building feeling no pain.  My spine still had quite a few places that it needed to be put back into place but I feel that I am back on the right path to feeling like myself again.
Slowly I have been able to add in my workouts including yoga and snowshoeing without feeling absolutely beat-up when I finish. 
Though we still don't have the car yet we do have new car seats for the boys and have even been reimbursed the cost.  I have been told the car will be ready at the end of the week.
It's going to take some time for all of us to really "heal."  I have noticed that Ben has been much more needy and clingy since the accident. He often doesn't want me to leave the house and will even follow me around the house while I do chores like laundry or simply go to get something from the pantry. He wakes more often at night and cries out for me needing me to lie down with him until he falls back to sleep. I am hoping that once we are back in our own car he will see things as getting back to normal and regain his independence and confidence.

On other notes:
We are still dealing with our obnoxious neighbors who continue to turn the wrong way down our icy driveway (remember back when I mentioned our garage door getting crunched?) but have now pulled the home owners' association into the mix to start issuing violations.  This is after at least two more near misses of cars hitting our building. 

Brian has also ordered a new garbage disposal for the kitchen and for now we are just dealing with the toaster oven only being able to toast.  I have also been able to get back to work in my kitchen and have had two successful weeks of cooking two new recipes for clients. 

Looking back now at the photos I don't see the massive damages I originally felt, which I guess is a good thing.