I Won The Lottery!

Just kidding.  We didn't even buy a ticket.  We had absolutely no chance of winning at all. Who needs a billion dollars anyway??? Not me.

Not when I have this:

Beautiful foggy morning.

KIRKWOOD SKI DAY WITH FRIENDS

HEAVENLY POWDER DAY

It was a WONDERFUL MLK Jr. weekend.... where I did NOT get a concussion (unlike last year)!  

If you're reading this, I hope you also had a wonderful, long, restful, and joy filled weekend! 

Yep... I don't need a billion dollars.  

Disclaimer: We will NOT object if anyone wants to give us some money... say, a couple hundred thousand? Just to pay off some debts???  If you were strongly considering giving us a boat load of money, please don't let this post deter you from doing that.  

First Post of 2016!

Welcome to 2016!  I hope your first day of the new year was SPECTACULAR!

I love starting a new year.  At midnight, the previous year is OVER!  You can't change anything about it.  It's another year in the record books.

This blog is inspired by a Brad Paisley song, and it seems only fitting to include some more inspiration from this fabulous country artist...

"Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book.  Write a good one."  - Brad Paisley
So, imagine that you read that quote last night.  But seriously, if your life became a book, would anyone want to read it?

I love the new year because everyone reflects on their previous year, and we all make goals to become BETTER!  How awesome is that?

Before I delve into my hopes and goals for 2016, let me reflect just a little on 2015.  It was a great year and it deserves some acknowledgement.

I absolutely love this blog because it allows me to go back and read stories/look at pictures of our year.  Without it, I would forget so many little things (and sometimes those little things are important memories).  This blog seems to solidify our memories.  Instead of keeping them to ourselves, and trying our BEST to remember what those adventures felt like, we can relive a little piece of it by re-reading the blog.  I honestly didn't think I would like blogging this much (or have time to keep up with it) when I started it 3 years ago.

You can go back and re-read our posts from 2015 if you want details but overall here's what we learned from the year:

1) Helmets are important during all adventurous activities. The Pursuit of the Trifecta and the Importance of Helmets. 

2) Mother nature does what she wants (sometimes it snows... sometimes it doesn't... and meteorologists have a very tough job). This is discussed in practically ALL blog posts!

3) Our planet is breathtakingly beautiful!  Ditto to the above!

4) When you write your goals down, it gives you TONS of motivation to complete them! Well, I'm 30... 

5) I can run 13.1 miles!!! Another One Bites The Dust

6)  We have the best friends and family EVER. We already knew this, but we are just confirming it.

7)  We have the most amazing dog. Again, we knew this, but now we really appreciate it.

8) We are ridiculously blessed!

2015 was a fantastic year but I'm happy to see it go.  There was not blog post at Christmas for a few reasons... first, we were feeling a little scrooge-like because we honestly thought our beloved dog was dying and second, Christmas kinda snuck up on me this year!  I know it's the same time every year but I usually get really motivated around Thanksgiving to start shopping and mailing cards, etc.  Thanksgiving was busy this year (which was AMAZING) but it threw me of my game.

So, I apologize for our bah-humbug attitude this past Christmas.  We will do better next year.  Please know you are all VERY loved by us!

I welcome 2016 and the new, fresh start it brings!  This year, instead of "New Year, New You," I'm striving for "New Year, True You."  I want to just be myself (whether fat or skinny), and I want to live simply.  I just spent the last few days de-cluttering my house and donating a BUNCH of stuff and I sincerely hope NOT to replace any of it.  We don't NEED it.  We have every single thing that we NEED and that's a huge blessing.  2016 won't be PERFECT or FLAWLESS... there will be ups and downs just like every. single. year.  That's what keeps it exciting!!!  So, I will just live each day simply and I will be content with who I am and what I have in life.

And because this blog has consisted of mostly words so far, here are a few pictures of how 2016 is starting in Tahoe...

I CAN'T PUSH THE SNOW OFF THE DECK ANYMORE!
NOW I'VE ACTUALLY GOT TO SHOVEL IT OVER THE RAIL. 

I WONDER HOW MUCH THAT WEIGHS.

THE BASEMENT DOOR

SNOW BANKS TALLER THAN A SUBARU...
ON OUR STREET!

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE STREET SIGNS
GET COVERED UP???
I HOPE WE FIND OUT!

10 DEGREES AT NOON

BEAUTIFUL VIEW FROM OUR DECK! 

BEAUTY.

I feel so blessed that I get to live this life.  

We wish all of our friends and family the BEST health and UNIMAGINABLE happiness in the new year!  I hope it is a spectacular year for anyone and everyone reading this!

2016: We welcome you with open arms!  Be good to us please!!!  

My BEST Friends

Let me tell y'all about my best friends...

Well first, there's this guy:

And then... there's this guy:

I literally can not put in to words how much they both mean to me.  And the best part?  They love each other too!  Together, we are a family.  And that is amazing.

Tomorrow, Mike and I will have been married for 5 years.  We've been together for 15 years!  Let me tell you a little bit about him...

He is kind.  He is adventurous.  He is SO funny!  He cares about me.  A lot.  He motivates me.  He pushes me outside of my comfort zone sometimes and that's a wonderful place to live!  He supports me in everything I do.  He has a good heart.  He's strong.  He's incredibly patient (unless he's driving).  He has the strongest work ethic of anyone I've ever met.  He's amazingly handsome!  He's the best friend a girl could ever ask for.  And he's mine.

We've made the most incredible memories together in our 15 years together.  I am blessed beyond what I deserve.  I get to spend the rest of my life with him. I jumped up and down on our wedding day as the preacher announced us as husband and wife and not a single thing would change if we got married today.  Mike, my life is so much better because you are in it.  I love you.

Lately, my other best friend has been a little under the weather.  He's injured, and we aren't totally sure how or why.  The vet gave us some meds to try, but it's unclear right now if they'll help.  He's pitiful and it's breaking our hearts.  Please say a prayer for a full recovery.  We know he's getting older but we aren't ready to let go of him yet.  We want the last years of his life to be the BEST years of his life.  Let me tell you about this best friend of mine:

He's the most lovable, snuggable, 4-legged companion.  He had a rough start in life.  But, God put him in Mike's life and they both were healed.  He filled a spot in my husband's heart in a way that no human could.  He's faithful.  He loves unconditionally.  He's protective (especially of his momma).  He will MELT your heart with his puppy dog eyes.  He absolutely loves his orange ball above and beyond any other toy on the planet.  He's a SUPER picky eater (but he'll eat the molding from around a door if we leave him at home when we go out of town).  He's ours.  He will always be our "furst" baby.  And we love him (probably beyond what is normal between a pet and it's owners... whatever, no shame here).

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS IS NOT MY BED????

The two of them have a ridiculously strong bond.  The three of us... we're a family. Thank you Mike for being the amazing person that you are.  And thank you for bringing Zater into our lives.  My life is immeasurably better with you two in it.

Typical Tahoe???

Well, Thanksgiving is over and now we are just waiting on Christmas.

I spent last week in San Francisco for a work training.  Meanwhile in Tahoe, it snowed almost a foot at our house.  Awesome.

I titled this post "Typical Tahoe" because we've had so much snow lately.  And, from what I hear from the true locals (those who have lived here longer than 3 years), that's how it's supposed to be!  We are close to average for snowfall this year so far... but to us, it feels like above average!  The last few years have been very sad winters.  I'm loving this start to the ski season so far.  Let's hope this is the "typical Tahoe" for many years to come.  

SKIING WITH MY FRIEND AMY

TOO BAD THERE'S NO VIEW FROM UP HERE... JUST KIDDING!

CLAW LIKE ICICLES HANGING OFF
THE SNOW CORNICE COMING OFF OUR ROOF!

 

THE VIEW OF THE ICICLES FROM OUTSIDE.
THEY ARE PRETTY CLOSE TO THE WINDOW. 

OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE SOME PRETTY GOOD
ICICLES TOO! 

SKIING WITH AMY AGAIN

THIS MORNING'S SUNRISE.  

 So that brings us to today... another storm is blowing through and will hopefully be bringing us 9-11 inches of snow.  It's SUPER windy out though.  So it will probably be hard to tell how much we get, simply because it's so blown around.  I'm very grateful today to have a nice warm home and I'm very proud of my hardworking husband who is braving this storm out on the mountain somewhere.  Bless his heart.  

Shout out to Mike who GOT THE HIGHEST GRADE IN HIS EMT CLASS!?!?!?!?!

Smarty pants. 

AND WHO ALSO PASSED HIS TEST ON THE MOUNTAIN THIS WEEK AND WHO IS OFFICIALLY A SKI PATROLLER (no longer in training)!!!  

Woohoo!  So proud of you Mike.  You can rescue me on the mountain any day (but I hope you NEVER have to)!