A White Christmas

Mike and I had an excellent Christmas.  It would have been even better if we were able to spend it with family but, we were very fortunate to have a white Tahoe Christmas.  It started snowing on Christmas eve.  It was very windy and cold so the snow blew around and created big snow drifts.  Mike and I stayed home all day.  We lounged on the couch and watched the snow fall from our window.  The total accumulation at our house was probably 3-4 inches but because of the wind, some places had deeper snow and some places had very little.  We were able to attend a lovely Christmas Eve service which definitely made it feel a lot more like Christmas (quick disclaimer though: no church service will ever be able to compare to Wendell Christian Church's Christmas Eve service).

We exchanged Christmas presents on Christmas eve since Mike wanted to get up EARLY Christmas day to go skiing.  He was very generous this year.  I got remote start for my car and a new pancake griddle... and then I was lovingly woken up on Christmas morning by my sweet husband requesting blueberry pancakes before he left for skiing... at 6:00 am.

 I couldn't decide what to get Mike but I had a few ideas.. so... I wrapped little objects or pictures that represented the gifts, and then told him he could pick one.  For example: I gave him a ring pop to symbolize a new wedding ring (his is too big and can't be resized because it's titanium).  I gave him a small wooden anchor to represent a cruise around San Francisco bay on a sailboat.  And the last option was a bike rack from REI.

Christmas day we woke up early... me to make pancakes... Mike to go skiing.  I stayed in my pjs all morning watching movies and while the snow flurries fell outside!  Later that day I cooked a ham, stuffing/gravy, green beans, rolls, sweet potato casserole and our friends brought corn pudding, apple pie and ice cream.  We had sweet tea and wine and it was all yummy.  I was able to get lots of sweet snuggles from their beautiful newborn daughter.  It was a really fantastic day.

Saturday, we went out for a little backcountry skiing.  The snow was good in some spots, but in others it was really crusty/icy.  Nevertheless, we got a great workout... saw some beautiful views... and got in a few turns.

Whew... finally made it to the ridge... just a little more uphill at this point. 

Me and our friend Landon... also from North Carolina... small world. 

The boys on the ridge. 

Looking down on Kirkwood Valley. 

An old lift shack at the top. 

Mike was pointing out other lines he wants to ski. 

Snack time before we ski down. 

Blair making some turns.

This is Landon skiing... Mike was always the one taking the pictures!

 After a short ski down the backside of the ridge, we put the skins back on our skis and hiked back to the top of the ridge.  This was my first time in the backcountry since last winter and it made me realize just how out of shape I've gotten.  It's really hard work. 

Once we hiked back up to the ridge, we skied down the front side to get back to the car.  About half way down, we decided to do a little beacon training.  Mike buried his back pack with his beacon in it, and Landon and I used our beacons to find it, probe it, and shovel it out... just as if Mike had been buried in an avalanche.  

I was SOOO glad we did this.  It was totally eye opening for me.  We have done some beacon training in the past, but never when I've had all my stuff (like my skis and poles, etc).  I have a new beacon, so just learning how to read it/use it was helpful.  I've reviewed the steps of searching for someone in an avalanche, but it's totally different practicing.  I realized that it's really hard for me to ski, carry my poles, and read my beacon at the same time.  Also, once I got close, I was too preoccupied with getting my probe out and I forgot to clip out of my skis. Anyway, long story short, this practice scenario made me realize how inefficient I am.   

Luckily, Landon found Mike's beacon in just a matter of minutes!  That makes me feel much better about them skiing together in the backcountry.  I will definitely be practicing more.  I've read books and watched videos, but nothing is as helpful as actually practicing.  I pray that I NEVER have to use these skills in a real scenario, but I still want to be prepared.  

Thanks again boys for letting this girl tag along! 

They are calling for COLD weather in the next few days (highs in the teens).  We will probably keep things pretty low key.  We'll clean up/take down Christmas decorations, etc. 

I hope everyone reading this had a wonderful Christmas holiday.  

2014 has been pretty fantastic and we can't wait to see what 2015 has in store for us.

This video has been posted on facebook, but I made it for Mike and I as a reflection on all the adventures we had in 2014.  We really try to be aware of all the blessings in our lives and making this video was a good way to reflect on those blessings. We wish you all a VERY happy and healthy 2015!!!! 

  

4 years later...

... I couldn't be any happier.  When I look back at our wedding, I realize how truly awesome that day was.  It really was the best day of my life.  We had a small wedding.  A very laid back and low budget wedding.  It was truly about our marriage... not the party.  I remember being so happy that everyone we knew and loved was together in one room to watch us vow to be best friends forever.  That's amazing.

I know some people look back on their weddings and remember the stress and work involved.  I've heard people say, "If I had to do it again, I'd elope."  Our wedding was very low stress and if I had to do it all over again, I'd do it exactly the same way.  We still feel so grateful that so many people traveled from near and far (and very far) to be there with us.  We felt so loved on that day.  I felt welcomed into Mike's family and he felt welcomed into mine.

And here we are... 4 years later... way out west and living out our dreams.  I'm so thankful for this partner I found in life.  And I'm eternally grateful for the support systems we have at home.  To all of you who attended our wedding 4 years ago... thank you.  Thanks for believing in us.  Thanks for being there for us in 2010 and today!  So much love to all of you!

#100

This is my 100th post to this blog.  That's kind of exciting I guess.

Anyway...

Last weekend Mike and I skied with some friends at Northstar.  It was crowded... and warm... which made for spring like skiing.  We skied half the day on Saturday, ate some awesome fish tacos at the lodge, then headed home since Mike had to work.

This past week was pretty exciting!  Mike had a friend from college come to visit and ALL week long they've been predicting a "severe" winter storm to hit our area.  Days before the storm the confidence was growing that we would have approximately a foot of snow above 7,000 ft (our house is at 7,400 ft above sea level).

The winds blew in on Thursday.  Gusts were as high as 70 mph at our house... up to 100 mph at the mountain peaks.  My car got sandblasted while I was driving around in the valley.  Street signs, trees, and power poles blew over.  There were lots of power outages. LOTS of trees came down.  Small boulders were falling down the side of the mountain.  The whole house shook with each gust of wind.  It was pretty brutal.  I went to "book club" (aka "drink wine and exchange Christmas presents club") and I was nervous that I was going to be driving home in a blizzard.  I decided I was going to leave as SOON as it started snowing.

I waited... and waited... and WAITED SOME MORE!  When I got home, it still wasn't snowing... not even a single flake... when I went to bed it STILL WAS NOT SNOWING!!!!  It's a good thing South Lake Tahoe closed schools for such a "severe storm." <<< Please note the sarcasm.

We. got. shafted.

There just wasn't enough wind out of the west to push the storm over the crest and into the Tahoe basin.  So, instead of a foot, we got an inch (maybe... that might be stretching it a bit).  It was certainly disappointing and at times I felt like a 2 year old about to have a temper tantrum (or an "episode" as my husband lovingly refers to them).  Anyway, instead of pouting I put on my big girl britches and went to work like the responsible adult that I am. LAME!

Anyway, Mike got some good pictures and videos of the windstorm on the lake.  Lake Tahoe was actually featured on Surfer Magazine's Website.  There were swells as big as 7 ft.  

Here it comes! 

Those are some pretty legitimate waves down there!!! 

That sucks. 

The storm actually did bring about 20 inches of fresh snow to Kirkwood, so the boys did get to ski some fresh powder on Friday.  I joined them on Saturday and had an awesome ski day.  Heavenly was closed due to power issues so there were lots of people at Kirkwood on Saturday.  As a result, we had lots of friends there to ski with!

Here are some pics the guys took on Friday...

Saturday night we headed down to the village for Base Camp Pizza (one of our favorite places).  We sat outside by the heaters, drank adult beverages, and stuffed our faces with delicious pizza while listening to live music.  It doesn't get much better than that... or does it???  

After dinner, just a few short steps away, Heavenly Ski Resort put on a free concert by the band Young the Giant.  It. was. awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!  

After the concert we drove to Sacramento to drop Adam off.  We left South Lake around 9:30ish... got to the airport around 11:45ish... said our goodbye's and then Mike and I started the drive back home.  In order to stay awake, we stopped for "nourishments" including soda... salt & vinegar chips... gummy worms... starbursts... and chocolate!  A little more soda and 20 chicken McNuggets later, we were STILL sleepy and felt like crap!!!  Anyway, we made it back home around 2:30ish and crashed.
 
We are so happy Adam was able to come... and even happier that he brought some snow with him! Come back ANY time Adam!  We had a wonderful week and weekend.  Even though we were all frustrated at the beginning of the weekend due to the lack of snow, the awesome skiing and amazing free concert had us LOVING Tahoe again (not that we ever really stopped loving it here)!  That's all from Tahoe.

11 days 'til Christmas!!!    

Missin' all you East Coasters!   

New Traditions

Since moving to Tahoe, we haven't been able to spend the holidays with our families and we've been forced to start our own traditions.  They are actually pretty similar to everyone else's traditions but, we get to do it our way.

Thursday, we I cooked all day.  Mike went skiing for about an hour while I watched the parade and started preparing a FEAST!  We had a 17 lb. turkey for 3 people.  Mike and I had our friend and her 10 week old daughter over... her husband was working hard at the hospital on Thanksgiving day.  We had all the "turkey day" staples: turkey, stuffing, gravy, rolls, mashed potatoes, corn, sweet tea, and apple pie with vanilla icecream.  It was pretty yummy and I think we all had plenty to eat.  After dinner we packed up "to-go" plates for our friends in North Lake who had a baby EARLY that morning.  We drove up to Truckee to deliver the food and I got to hold their sweet baby girl who was only 16 hours old!  It was a great day full of food and baby love!!!

Friday has become our day to head out into the woods to select that most important of holiday symbols, the  Griswold  Madden family Christmas tree!  Like I mentioned last year, we are pretty picky when it comes to Christmas trees.  Every bike ride or hike we went on this summer we were looking for potential Christmas trees.  Mike actually saved 2 in his phone on a map so we could go check them out when it was time to cut one down.  We don't mess around.

I also mentioned last year that the trees out here are just different.  Not bad different, just not as full as those beautiful NC frasier firs.  I've really come to like these trees though.  You know it's real.  Even though it's not perfect it is SO beautiful when it's covered in white lights and ornaments.

Ok, so here is Mike's "how-to" cut a Christmas tree (Tahoe style):

Step 1: Buy a plastic sled from KMart.

Step 2: Load up the sled, 2 mountain bikes, the dog, and a backpack with rope and a saw.

Step 3: Drive to a snow park where you can park your truck, but can't drive back into the woods because the gate is locked for the season.

Step 4: Unload the bikes and ride ~ 2 miles into the woods.

Step 5: Select the MOST perfect tree ever and slowly and painfully saw it down with a hand saw.

Step 6: Stand over the fallen tree for several minutes trying to figure out how to tie it up to transport it out of the woods.

Step 7: Develop a stroke of genius and realize you can roll the tree on the ground while the other person guides the rope slowly up the tree... but do realized that the tree will roll in a gigantic circle.

Step 8: Load the tree onto the sled... tie the sled to the bike... and pedal hard to get back to the truck!

The sled is under there somewhere. 

Mike said it was the longest, flattest hill he's ever climbed!  

Step 9: Once you get home with the tree and you're starving from your adventure, get out all the leftovers from yesterday and feast again!

Step 10: Throw the sled away because it's trashed.

We had a blast this year!  After eating a big leftover lunch, we started trimming the tree which was an ongoing process.  It was super tall but it totally fit in our house... in terms of height.  However, when we undid the rope and the branches came down, it was truly like a Griswold Christmas tree... it took up the entire living room!  So, we had to cut ~1-2 ft off the bottom to get rid of the widest branches.  Now, it fits perfectly! 

I was doing good to get the lights on it on Friday, but I was just too tired to do the ornaments until Saturday.  I'm glad I waited though because we woke up Saturday morning to snow on the ground.  So, we slowly sipped our coffee and Mike made cinnamon french toast... I stayed in my snowflake PJ's until 10:30 and decorated the tree while we watched Christmas movies.  

After getting the rest of the decorations up, it was time for another big plate of leftovers while watching the NC State vs. Carolina game on tv.  And NC State killed it.  What a fantastic day!  

We are so blessed!!!  

No Snow November

This past week was my first full week as a physical therapist for Douglas County School District.  It was a good first week.  I cover all of the schools in the district (13 total) but I only have kids at 9 of the schools currently.  I have about 30 kids on my caseload and I will need to provide "make-up" services for kids who haven't been getting PT since the start of the year.  Plus, I have a big stack of referrals of new kiddos that need to be evaluated.  So, I will have PLENTY of work to do as I get started in this new job.  So far, I really like everyone I've met BUT I will really miss working with the same people on a regular basis.  I will be bouncing around between the different schools... kinda like I don't really "belong" anywhere.  However, once my schedule is set and I really start working with the kids, I think I will be happy.

Mike continues to be happy with his job.  He is enjoying his free time everyday and certainly makes the most of it (mountain biking).

In other news, Tahoe still has NO SNOW!  It hasn't been a great start to the snow season and the lake is insanely low!  Yesterday was windy and rainy as a cold front pushed in (unfortunately the moisture was ahead of the cold temps).  I'm seriously hoping that this winter is at least average in terms of snowfall.  We really need the precipitation and I would LOVE to know what a true winter is like in Tahoe!

Despite having NO SNOW... Mike and I went skiing today!  Most of the ski resorts have started making snow on a few runs.  We went to Heavenly today to ski the "white strip of death."  It's a super short run... it's the only run open... there were TONS of people out... the lift lines were long... and it was icy because of the rain yesterday.  Blah.  We met some friends on the gondola ride up which made it a little more fun but, overall it wasn't great skiing.  Oh well.

With Thanksgiving coming up this week, and having just been to Peru, I am so grateful for all the blessings in my life.  I feel so fortunate to be living this life.  I am so thankful for my amazing husband and our parents who are so supportive.  I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had. I'm grateful for my freedom and for those who sacrificed their lives for it (who I will never be able to thank). I'm grateful to have my health... and for a warm place to sleep each night... and for the food I eat each day.  Often I get very caught up in what I WANT (new ski boots... a new mountain bike... etc) that I forget that I already have so much MORE than I need.   I am sad that Mike and I won't be spending Thanksgiving with our families, but I hope they all know how thankful we are to have such wonderful people in our lives.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!!!

PERU Part 2: Cusco & Machu Picchu

Our flight to Cusco left around 9:30 in the morning.  It was a short flight from the coast (Lima) to the Andes mountains.  Cusco is a city at 11,000 ft and we could really feel the difference after coming from sea level.  We were picked up by another guy named Cesar.  Cusco seemed to be a much cleaner city and the traffic was slightly less crazy.

When we arrived at the hotel we were offered Coca tea - it's made from coca leaves which are an essential part of making cocaine.  It's supposed to help with the altitude and we all happily sipped it down.  I can't really say that it made me feel any different, and I'm really not sure it did ANYTHING for the altitude.  Now, I just really hope I don't have a random drug test at my new job because I will fail.

Coca Tea

 After dropping off our luggage at the hotel and grabbing a quick bite to eat, we jumped back into the bus and began touring the ruins around Cusco.  We started at Saqsaywaman (pronounced "Saxy Woman").

Exactly how I picture Peru: llamas/alpacas, ruins, and mountains. 

 The most impressive part of the ruins was that they brought all of the rocks in from a quarry 20 miles away... and they did it all by manpower.  Then, they cut each stone and strategically placed each block.  They also left any large rocks that were naturally part of the landscape untouched.  They didn't mess with mother nature which is why they brought the rocks in from the quarry.  They also brought in soil to be able to have flat areas for festivals, etc.  

Looking down over Cusco.  

 Next stop was Q'enqo.  This area was used for mummification and animal sacrifices.  It was sheltered in a cave and the large rock alter was very cold to touch.  

In this area they also have a LARGE statue of Jesus that was given by Palenstine as a symbol for world peace.  

We walked around a cathedral in Cusco that had old Incan ruins inside.  There was a horrible earthquake many years ago that damaged the church but the ruins were completely unchanged.  The flat rocks are fit together so tightly that you can't insert anything between them.  They also didn't use mortar in these buildings (some did... but not these).  They used a double wall for significant buildings/temples.  The walls were angled and the windows/doors were trapezoids to prevent damage during earthquakes.  All the work was done by hand using hematite stone, hammers, occasionally chisels, and blocks of wood which they would wedge into cracks and then wet with water, allowing the wood to expand.  Pretty amazing. 

They cut some pieces with specific shapes that fit together to add strength to the buildings.  

Our tour guide, Fernando, realized we were all exhausted and took us back to the hotel.  We had about an hour to find dinner and then we had tickets to another dancing show at 6:30.  I walked down the street to a supermarket to get bottled water and bought a queso empanada for dinner.  It was delicious.  I loved being forced to use my limited Spanish skills to fend for myself around town.  

The show was more cultural, but less entertaining than the other show. 

The next morning, Jolyn and I walked around Cusco before our tour guide picked us up from the hotel.  We took pictures of the LARGE murals around town, and the many cathedrals which were so beautiful.   

It was a BEAUTIFUL mural up close... but with a LOT going on. 

Our tour guide picked us up at 8:00 and we headed to Pukapukara (another ruin site).  We stopped at a llama park to learn the difference between llama/alpaca, etc.  We also stopped in Pisaq to shop at the Indian markets... then in Urubamba at Alhambra restaurant for a buffet lunch... last stop was Ollantaytambo where we viewed more ruins before catching the train to Machu Picchu town. 

Alpaca... with dreads.  

Alpaca... again with dreads. 

ADORABLE alpacas. 

Llamas. 

Alpacas are used more for fur... llamas were used more for transport, etc.  This area had lots of demonstrations of all the intricate colorful weavings/fabrics and how they are made.  It was so impressive. 

Next stop: an overlook a the Sacred Valley. 

I snuck this next picture from the bus: 2 adorable little girls in native Quechua dress. 

After shopping in Pisaq and lunch at Alhambra Restaurant, we made it to Ollantaytambo.  This was an impressive ruins site.  Unfortunately, it was raining, but that didn't stop us from walking around.  

We spent a LITTLE too long taking it all in, and we NEARLY missed our train.  Luckily, the train station was about a 10 min walk/run in the rain.  We barely made it on time.  The closed the doors immediately behind us.  

The train ride was a little over an hour.  It followed the Sacred River all the way to Aquas Calientes, the town where Machu Picchu is located. 

You can get off the train before the town if you are hiking the Inka trail.  It takes 4 days to hike from this point to Machu Picchu. 

Aquas Calientes is an ADORABLE town.  There are no cars allowed in the town at all.  The only way in is to hike or take the train.  There are buses, but only to take people up and down from Machu Picchu.  The town is small and it's easy to walk from one end to the other.  This area borders the Amazon rainforest and things were very lush and green.  It was misty and humid.  I absolutely loved this town!  

It was late afternoon when we arrived at our hotel.  I wasn't hungry but I joined 2 other ladies for a walk around town.  We stopped for a drink and shared a Pisco Sour (45% alcohol).  It's a Peruvian drink made of Pisco liquor, lime juice, and egg whites (like meringue).  It was delicious (and powerful). 

Yummy Pisco Sour

The next morning, some of us woke up around 4:00 am to have breakfast and make it to the bus stop by 5:00 ish.  The first bus left at 5:30 am to catch the sunrise at Machu Picchu.  When we got to the bus stop there was a HUGE line.  It was totally worth it though.  We arrived at a perfect time.  Just as the sun was coming up over the mountains and shining light on the ruins of Machu Picchu.  

In the distance there were snow covered peaks visable and the early morning sun made them stand out against the blue sky.  The picture doesn't capture the beauty of it. 

We had about an hour and a half to walk around on our own, then we headed back to the gate to meet up with the rest of our group and our tour guide Esmeralda.  Once we were all reunited, we walked through the urban section of the ruins (where the homes, schools, temples, etc are located).  The other sector of the ruins were terraces for agriculture and storehouses.  

Looking at the agricultural sector, from the urban sector. 

They had roofs made of straw.  They collapsed when the
ruins were abandoned by the Incas. 

The semicircular building is the temple of the sun.
Tourists can not enter it anymore because it is geologically unstable?
I read that somewhere. 

Notice the curved rock in the corner. 

The main temple.  The collapse on the right side is due to the ground sinking. 

Intiwatana; believed to be a sundial and to provide energy. 

Inca stairs. 

 There really aren't words or pictures that accurately describe Machu Picchu.  It was a magical experience.  One I will never forget.  Despite how awesome it was, I left around 11:30ish to come back down to Aguas Calientes town.  I was exhausted and it was SO hot.  I could feel myself getting sunburned on my face and my clothes were sticking to me.  I really, really, REALLY just wanted to sit down in a cool place for a while.  So, I took the bus back down with a few other people, grabbed a sandwich, a diet coke, and a small piece of Peruvian chocolate from a small store and sat in the cool, dark lobby of the hotel to eat.  It was great. 

After lunch, I was feeling a little refreshed and decided to walk around Aquas Calientes.  I had a LOT of Peruvian Soles leftover (their currency) so I shopped at some of the local stores and indian markets.  I bought an awesome book about Machu Picchu and Inka history.  After a few hours of taking in the awesome little town, I headed back to the hotel which is right on the river.  They have a back patio overlooking the river and I sat there under the canopy reading until time to leave for the train.  

Sights around Aguas Calientes: 

The flag of Cusco. 

That evening we took the train back to Ollantaytambo where our bus driver Issac picked us up.  We got back to Cusco LATE that night.  I was too tired to shower (even though I was so gross).  The next morning we were able to sleep in a little bit.  We left at 11:00 for the airport to fly back to Lima.  We had an 11 hour layover in Lima and Cesar, our dear friend/tour guide offered to cook us all dinner!  We took a bus to his house (with all of our luggage).  He had the table beautifully set and had made fresh ceviche as an appetizer, we had a main dish of seasoned fish, rice, and yuca (similar to potato) and chicha (a purple corn drink).  Dessert was a passionfruit cake.  He went WAY over the top!  It was so delicious!  I can't thank him enough.  That was so much better than sitting in the airport for 11 hours.  

We all had late (or should I say EARLY) flights so we spent time hanging out in the airport until the last minute.  Saying goodbye to this group of people was really hard.  We learned a lot about each other, some things were very personal.  We  developed such a strong bond in such a short time.  

We boarded our flight at about 1:30 am and I crashed.  I got a window seat in an exit row (LOTS of leg room).  I put my eye shades on, got comfy with my pillows and blankets, and fell asleep before take off.  I woke up when they told me to put my seat back up as we were coming into LA!  8 hours and 20 minute flight and I slept the WHOLE way.  I had a 4 hour layover in LA which gave me plenty of time to get through customs, get some breakfast, get to my gate, and read my Machu Picchu book.  

I finally arrived in Reno around 2:00 pm, ~28 hours after starting the journey home from Cusco.  As awesome as the trip was, I was extremely happy to get home to my husband and dog.  After a long hot shower and several loads of laundry, I finally started to feel clean again!  

The trip was awesome.  I'm so blessed to have had this opportunity.  Sorry for the long posts but I took 728 pictures while on the trip, so believe me, the posts could have been longer!  

I'd love to tell anyone about this trip if they want more information re: the outreach,etc.  Feel free to contact me!  I'm always happy to talk more about it!  :)