The Bean looks oddly like ...

Nacho Libre.


But much cuter❤️

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Tahoe!

This is big for me ... we went on a road trip last weekend! It's a big deal because I was on pins and needles when I was a first-time mama. There was no way I would've been down to do this. While I'm still a creature of habit and love the safety of my home, I planned a trip to Lake Tahoe to attend a friend's wedding and by golly, we did it. Arghhhhh!!!

I learned a few tidbits on this trip. One, if we're able, we will stay in nicer accommodations. I picked a decent albeit dated lodge that was rated 4 1/2 stars on Yelp! While it was tidy enough, somewhere along the way in our lives, The Man and I had become germaphobes. Nope, I know exactly when it happened - when we had kids. When we repeatedly yelled, "Don't drop your blanket on the floor!" (replacing blanket with just about any other belonging) or "Don't touch that, we don't know when it's really been deep cleaned!", it's just not suitable. Places that were fine and dandy in our youth are not up to snuff now that we have kids. And let me tell you, we were not at all snobs back in our day. I remember staying in some hotels with friends in which I felt more comfortable wearing slippers than going barefoot. And I just thought, eh, that's OK. Not anymore, especially now that we'll have a crawler on our hands soon! 

The second thing I learned is that I should just pay the extra bucks to stay on the beach. I saved probably $20/night by staying in a room across the street from the lake. And, again, while that would have been well and good for us in our 20s, it wasn't nearly as convenient as one would think. I know that if we had stayed lakeside, The Bun would've been able to play at the beach much more than the few minutes she spent playing there between the ceremony and reception:/ Ah well, live and learn! Oh yes, the last thing I discovered was that I should not have spend the extra money to have a room with a kitchenette. I thought we would cook at least a couple of meals in the 2 1/2 days we stayed there but we did not. Maybe if we had stayed a week but we didn't use the kitchen at all. We did use the fridge but that can be found in most hotel rooms.

Funny how these tidbits all had to do with lodging! By no means are we big spenders. But with all the worrying we did, we now know it's worth it to "invest" in nicer accommodations. We will literally sleep better at night.

As for the wedding, it was gorgeous. I was impressed by how much thought my friend and her husband put into it all. And how much their families helped. It was one of the nicest weddings I've attended. And Tahoe! Oh my goodness. The Man and I had been to Tahoe plenty of times but we hadn't been since 2003 or 2004. And the only times we went were during the winter for the snow. Oh my word, Tahoe is absolutely breathtaking in the summer! And it appears everyone there is outdoorsy! We saw numerous cyclists, lots of stand up paddlers, kayakers, windsurfers ... just about every summer activity. And every age group! I saw numerous active older adults and retirees that had to be much more fit than I.

And I had no idea the sand was so powdery. With flecks of gold! I don't know if it's imported but it's gorgeous. So much of the vibe reminded me of North Shore on Oahu. Just about everyone was sun-kissed wearing some sort of swim gear. And the majority of people just looked healthy. 

Another funny thing to note: The Man and I love beaches. But we don't do any water sports. He always mentioned how we should take up something like surfing or kayaking and I have to remind him how I basically only know how to dog paddle and float. And that's in calm waters. There's no way in hell I could do anything in the ocean. Well, after him yet again making a comment when we saw so many people stand up paddle boarding, I decided to do something about it. On our way home, I Yelped swim places back home and I signed up for swim lessons! I'm not striving to be a competitive swimmer but I want to feel confident and comfortable being in choppy waters. I'm excited I'm finally doing something about it! 

It was a great weekend. Thankful to The Man for driving and for being in every sense of the word my partner when it comes to taking care of our children. And I'm thankful for our minivan. Yes, that's right! Those suckers are comfortable and we packed everything we could possibly need. Can't do that traveling by plane!

It was so wonderful to be able to bring the kids to Lake Tahoe for the first time and I would love to return next summer. And stay at the resort where my friend married!

I couldn't believe how gorgeous the sand was. Although it wasn't white, the softness rivaled our most favorite beaches on Hawaii.

Excited to let loose after the ceremony and before the reception!
(Sadly, the only time she played on the beach the entire weekend.)

3/4 of the fam because 1/4 was sleeping in his carseat at our feet;)

Wished we could've stayed in Tahoe longer.
Here's The Bun enjoying some sun at a cafe / board rental place.

The Man took these gems while we were taking a shower. He cracks me up. And yes, that is my baby foaming at the mouth.

The Man sympathy-crying. I'm glad he didn't sympathy-drool too.

Had to add these even though they were taken at home. Piko never got this close to The Bun when she was a baby. Maybe they've forged a special bond!

He is just lovely.

He flashes smiles in his sleep. But they are fast to disappear! A miracle I caught one of them.