Thanksgiving 2013 - Camping

This Thanksgiving was a little different than most traditional Turkey Days. If you know our family, you probably know that the boys in the family love to hunt, and this year, my brother was lucky enough to draw his first elk tag in Arizona...(it's pretty exciting if you're into that kind of thing.)

The hunt happened to fall over Thanksgiving, so we asked my family and some friends to join us in camping for the holiday.

One week before the hunt started, Sam and I went to find the perfect camp spot and set up our large tent and claim our spot in the forest. Once we found that spot, we got to work making it nice and neat and ready for the family to arrive the following week.

This HUGE log was already next to the camp fire ring when we found this spot, so Sam pulled out the chainsaw and whipped up a "couch" for us.

Once the rest of the friends and family arrived, it was time to hang out, cook the turkey and play with the pups.

The next day was the first day of the hunt, so we put on our camo and grabbed the bino's to start looking for Weston's first bull elk!

On Saturday afternoon, we finally got a shot, and Weston got his first elk. It was a great, tiring, and fantastic way to end the holiday. 

A weekend trip to see my folks

Ugh, referring to my parents as "folks" makes me feel really old. Yet somehow it was the first term that came to mind.

Sam, Weston, Kona, and I made a quick weekend  trip to see my parents over the long Memorial Day weekend last month. It was a great weekend, too quick, but so nice to see my parents and my home town.

We spent a full day in Morro Bay, one of our favorite places on the Central Coast. The dogs like it as much as we do too!

Of course, no trip to Morro Bay is complete without some Firestone and fish tacos from Dockside #2! The dogs also agree on this as well :)

We also celebrated Mom's birthday - I won't mention how old she turned, but here's the story: 

Once upon a time, when Mom was just a teen, she and her friend traveled around town via mo-peds. We still have that mo-ped, and every birthday that Mom has celebrated ending with a "0", Dad gets that thing running again for her. This birthday was one of those special birthdays!

There was a small hint at how young she turned in those photos - did you catch it?? It was a blast to watch her cruising the street! I mean the last year thing was actually registered was in 1984! That's vintage for ya!

Happy Birthday Mom!

How Christmas Went For Us + A Year in Review // 2012

How was your Christmas?

Oh it was fine.

No. Back up.

It. Was. Awesome.

A Christmas for the records.

So many moments that made me literally stop in my tracks and give thanks for the blessings in my life.

A recap of the year is probably in order, so let's start:

December 31, 2011 // A Proposal

Spring // A Graduation

Summer // A Big Purchase

Vacation // A Camping Trip 

August 11, 2012 // A Wedding

Other notable but not pictured events of the year included:

A trip to visit Dave and Steffi in Portland

Wedding dress shopping in Phoenix with Ashley 

Hunting trips with the Hubby

A relaxed 4th of July with our good friends, Eli and Jamie

Sam's desert big horn sheep hunt

 And more recently a handful of engagements of our close friends, Chad and Bethany, Dave and Steffi, and Emily and Chris! Congrats to all of you! 

And here's the only pictures I have of our awesome Christmas Family Vacation to Telluride, CO:

Here's the girls playing fetch with the boys while we picked up our lift tickets.  Honey (the dog that's not in the air) had never been to the snow, she LOVED it. 

The next day (Christmas Day) we hit the mountain. Here's Dad tearin' it up.

The only group picture I took the entire trip. 1. I'm not in it. 2. Oh wait, that's my finger.

We took a much needed rest for midday beverages.  

And the gondola ride back to the condo made for a good time for pictures together!

The next day our beverage break included $2 Snowy Day's (appropriately named). The boys discovered that their thumbholes made for the perfect "beer mitten".

And back at the condo that night, the girls got rowdy, right on top of Mom and Dad.

On the way out of town, we drove up the canyon to show Mom and Dad the waterfall and mining house. 

When we got home, we were greeted to fresh snow, and helpful shovelers. Thanks guys!

The puppies were zonked after the week's festivities. (Clockwise from the tall picture is Kona, Honey, and Rusty.)

 And finally, a picture of Dad and I. 

It was a fabulous trip. One I most certainly will never forget. I'm so grateful that we were all able to make it up there, healthy and joyous, just the way Christmas should be. I'm looking forward to what next year will bring us - maybe another ski trip? Lots of weddings, and happiness, that's for sure. 

Anyway, Happy New Years folks! Be safe out there!