Vacation at Lake Tahoe

Last week Tyson and I spent several days at Lake Tahoe with my family. We had a great time playing on the beach, dancing on a paddlewheeler boat, bopping around town, and checking out Virginia City. Oh, and we did see bears on several occasions, some very near the condos we were staying in. Yikes! Below are some pictures that Tyson and I took, however, I know that everyone else in the fam has a stash of great pictures that include more people and activites. So if you'll share them with me, I'll post them! I am posting way too many pictures at once, and I'm sure these are only interesting to the people in them, but I think we're a pretty fun group, so maybe you'll enjoy them anway!

Isn't the lake beautiful?

While at the lake we enjoyed a nice respite from the scorchingly hot weather we've been having in Idaho. A few days were cool enough to warrant jackets, and even on the warmer days the breeze was nice and cool.

Tyson and I on the paddlewheeler boat. Don't we make a handsome couple? I am sporting the ever-so-trendy sunburn line....I do put on sunscreen, but I always tend to miss a spot in my rush to get to the beach!

Mom, Dad, and Jen were bustin' quite a move on the dance floor! We all had a great time dining and dancing on the cruise boat. Notice the guy in the blue shirt, just behind Jen in the picture. This guy was sooo drunk. He danced by himself all night, and even danced with the wooden beam a few times. He was fun to laugh at, but annoying to try to dance around. Lesson: don't drink so much that you think you're being cute when everyone around you is actually laughing at your stupidity and mocking you!

We spent a day in Virgina City, enjoying the Old West way of life. Tyson and I kicked butt in the camel races. I think the best touch was that we won despite the fact that I was preoccupied with the huge lollipop I was carrying. Hehe!

I caught Tyson waiting in line for the toilet at the Mark Twain Museum.

Here I am, standing next to Mark Twain's desk. If I had a bigger purse, I probably would have made off with one of those antique books sitting there! You'll notice Mark Twain himself to the left of me. You can't really tell from the picture, but the old rascal snuck his arm around me just as Tyson snapped the picture......

We also toured a historic school building. Being in my natural environment, I of course, assumed the teaching position.

Tyson is being punished for being the naughty boy that he is. What a goofy guy!

Juniper and Uncle Tyson

We loved getting an entire week to snuggle our adorable niece!

Pirate Party!

This past weekend, Tyson and I hosted a pirate themed costume party at our home. We had so much fun! The night included dinner, pirate jokes, pirate trivia, and five rounds of pirates dice. I always enjoy hosting parties in our home, as it gives me the chance to cook for a big group of people. The menu for the evening included:

grilled salmon with mojo sauce
homemade pepper cheese breadsticks
honeydew and apple salad
frog-eye salad
margarita dip with fresh strawberries, apples, peaches, and vanilla wafers
rum cake from the Cayman Islands
various snacks

We decorated our patio and backyard with fish netting, pirate flags, and tiki torches. We even had pirate music playing in the background. To all who came, you looked great in your costumes and we appreciate what good sports you all were! We had so much fun dressing up and playing the part! The dice tournament was a blast, and we hope everyone had as much fun as we did. ARR!

Below are just some of the great pictures taken Saturday night! Enjoy!

The entire pirate group!

Bunch of scalleywags.....

Mom and I, having a great time

In between rounds of pirates dice

Never trust a pirate!

Dennis and Larissa looked great too!

Great costume Susan!

Arrrr....Butch won the best 'pirate speak' contest!


Mom looks good as a pirate!

Dad, winner of the best costume contest. By the way, nice foot tan!

Bridger and his monkey-girl, Juniper

My sister-in-law Jen

My pirate husband.....

You know I must be secure in myself to post this picture.....arrrrr!

The scalleywag men...

The landlubbin' women....how do I always end up being the tallest gal in the group?

Homemade Bagels

I made these delicious bagels earlier this week. I found the recipe at http://www.tammysrecipes.com .This recipe is so easy to follow. I usually do not like store bought bagels, as they taste a bit like cardboard. But these are hard to leave alone! I tried three different toppings- minced onion, poppy seed, and cinnamon/sugar. All are great with cream cheese. Yum!

Travel Bug

I had a serious travel bug this weekend. I wanted to travel anywhere and everywhere in the span of just a few hours. Tyson did quite a bit of traveling before we got married, due to being in the military and a job he had after the military. On the other hand, I am just a small town Idaho gal. I had not done much traveling at all. However, since Tyson and I married, we have done much traveling together. I think we love planning a trip almost as much as actually going on the trip. And we do have a couple of trips planned for this year (and went on one big one already!). Still, the travel bug bit me yesterday, and while all I could do was dream, I still enjoyed dreaming about being in some of my favorite places we've visited......relaxing on one of the tropical beaches we visited on our cruise.......wandering the shops near the bay in downtown Seattle......touring a civil war battle field or historic plantation in Tennessee.......enjoying the beach and wandering down the cobblestone streets of South Haven, Michigan, and shopping in their antique and book stores......riding the rides at Disneyland......

Ahhh.....to be a traveler! I also dream about the places we haven't visited yet but would like to- Europe, Washington D.C., the Oregon coast, other parts of the Caribbean, etc.

Even though I sometimes dream of a trip or look forward to the next one, I sure am grateful for the wonderful home the Lord has provided for us and I am always glad to come back to it!

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. ~St. Augustine

Rocks in my tummy....and other camping anecdotes

We went camping last weekend- our first trip of the year, and Moose's first trip ever! While we always enjoy camping, we weren't sure how our little puppy would react to such a drastic change in his routine. Admittedly, he was not too excited the first night. In fact, as the sun went down he became increasingly nervous, trying to usher us to the car as if to say, "It's time to go home and go to bed!". That first night he woke us up on several occasions, despite the fact that he had his own doggy bed and many toys on his side of the tent. The next morning we discovered his cause for discomfort. Rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. Unbeknownst to us, Moose had scarfed down at least two cups worth of pebble sized rocks before going to bed. I'm certain his whining and restlessness that night had something to do with a tummy ache. And, for those who may be wondering, yes, rocks look the same after being digested. Poor puppy!

The next day we went for a long walk up a trail and played in the river. Moose had a great time making big puppy paw splashes in the water and chasing floating pine cones. We also spent a good amount of time just relaxing and reading. Moose did not stir once our final night. Yea!

Above are some pictures we were able to get on the first day before the batteries died out.

Recent Reads

I have been desiring to read biographies of Christian heroes, and this book was my first. A Chance to Die is about the life and ministry of Amy Carmichael. Amy Carmichael served as a missionary in India for many years. Her story of love and sacrifice is compelling and inspiring. I highly recommend this book.

Stepping Heavenward is an excellent story. It begins as the main character is turning sixteen and follows her through much of her life. The story chronicles her journey into biblical womanhood. Her trials and joys are easy to relate to. One of my new favorites!

Thoughts from James

In a previous post I mentioned that I was studying the book of James....and I also mentioned that I would be sharing what I was learning through this study. Therefore, here is my first installment. As I mentioned before, I am studying the book of James using Calvin’s Commentary as a guide. I won’t post about everything the Lord has shown me as I’ve been reading through this book, but I’ll give you a few ‘peeks’ into what has spoken to me the most.

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” James 1:2-3

Consider it joy when I’m faced with trials?! James must have been joking here, right? Wrong. We really are to face our trials with a ‘cheerful mind’. According to Calvin, trials are the tests of our obedience to God. The purpose of our trial is to humble our flesh and to produce fruit in our lives that we should value highly as Christians.

I know that I often view trials and afflictions as occasions to whine and complain, allowing myself to react in the flesh and missing the blessing. However, according to James I am to ‘consider it all joy’, knowing that Lord is using a particular trial to bring about fruit in my life. It is meant to form me, to sanctify me more to His likeness. Amen! How I long to be more like my Savior! So, the next time the Lord brings a trial into my life, I hope I will consider it all joy.