2013?!

Holy cow, that year disappeared quick! But I'm glad to be moving on to this year.... I think it'll be even better than 2012... We're looking at:

1. Ck's wedding!!! (So excited for this)
2. My first half-marathon (!/? I've just started training so we'll see how it goes)
3. Another reading challenge (I cannot believe I actually finished last year's challenge of 60 books. I'm aiming for at least another 60 this year as well. Gotta enjoy my reading time before work or kids come along and steal it from me. I'll write up a post reviewing some of my favorite books from the challenge soon!)
4. My 27th birthday (I know it's not a typical marker of anything, but it's the age my mom had me at so it's a little shocking to me)
5. A trip to Seattle!
6. Another Yosemite visit
7. A Virginia Beach trip
8. Another cross-country move? :)
9. And most importantly Downton Abbey Season 3

It'll be another big year for sure. I'm feeling really good about it.

I know last year I wrote about how much I hate resolutions but I thought I'd at least start this year off with some intentions. To make a habit of exercise (regardless of whatever happens with my weight). To work harder at homesteading - canning, making my own cleaning products, making bread, making yogurt, using less plastic and disposable goods, etc. To embrace life more - mentally and physically - with the aforementioned habit of exercising and with a more mindful, balanced and optimistic approach to life through meditation and yoga.

I have a ton of other thoughts, hopes and dreams for the year, but you all will just have to wait it out for those to be revealed along the way! All good things, I promise.

Now, to address this past holiday season that I have thoughtlessly ignored.

Christmas was wonderful. We drove out to Dad and Debbie's in Nevada, just outside of Lake Tahoe. Whatever desires we had to have some winter weather were more than sated. Our drive to them was postponed a day thanks to some scary sounding winter storms in the Sierras. Thank God we delayed a day because from the stories we heard later, it was a huge mess. We got to see the beautiful after shots.

A wall of fog we both believed was possibly stormy weather. But no, that would wait for us on the trip home...

First view of Lake Tahoe coming around the bend. The drop off to the right of us is pretty severe, but hey, that wall of compacted snow made it much less terrifying. 

All in all it was a great easy drive there. The most beautiful snow laden trees I've seen in my life. Unfortunately, I don't have many of my own pictures from our visit with D&D, the ones I did take were at night and didn't come out well at all. So I'll steal a couple of Debbie's to show you all! 

We had a good time hanging around the house, even made a steak tartare that Ed and I make every New Years Eve. For the big day we went over to these hot springs, just around the corner from their house. It was the most beautiful view and very hot pools, just like I like 'em. 104-107, that's my kind of range. They had steam rooms and saunas too, and these showers... oh man these shower stalls. Huge sunflower shower heads, pebbled floors and stone walls. So lovely. I'm a sucker for great showers.

Before going in:

 Hanging in the 'cool pool' - still probably 85+, I noted that I think that's about the temperature my former Arthritis students would've loved.

 The lovely tree in the living room. We opened presents here and watched A Christmas Story. I know, it's shocking, but none of us had ever seen it. We did it post hot springs so we may or may not have all caught a quick cat nap during the movie... but what we saw seemed good! 

After the hot springs trip we were driving home and ran across this guy hanging in the middle of the road:

Turns out it was this girl, Addie, and that she had made her great escape from her house only to jump in the nearest friendly strangers' car. Good think she had her collar on so we could track down her home. She was quiet and sweet and very confused. 

View from Addie's house... amazing. The cows down there were surprisingly loud, but the view was just incredible. All that cloudy dark stuff? That's the snow falling on the valley. It was falling up on the mountain as I was taking this picture as well. Good signs for the drive home right? Especially when it stated blanketing the Sierras to the point of them vanishing. All good signs. :-P

So we departed after a wonderful, very comfortable and perfectly wintry Christmas visit. 

Back into the mountains we go!

Oh hey remember that drop off and view of the lake and mountains from before?

None of that anymore! But hey that awesomely large compacted snow barrier is still standing and giving us comfort. Here's some perspective from the car.

We passed a ton of homes just completely covered and boxed in from all the snow.

All in all, it really wasn't bad. Just very tense and very slow. We thankfully did not have to put on chains but we saw tons and tons of those people who did. At 3000 or 4000ft on 50 there were cars backed up the wazoo all pulled over putting on chains. It was gross and miserable and that must have been an awful experience.

When we finally made it down out of the snow we immediately pulled over at the first In & Out burger to soothe our harried souls. Truly, there's little else as comforting. Apparently every other driver thought the same thing because it was the most packed In & Out we've ever been to. They went from order 40 to 100 and back to 1 again during the short time we were there for lunch. Back on the road, it was a really easy drive. We hit some homecoming traffic but honestly, without a sheer drop next to you and super slick roads, it was all a breeze.

We opened our presents at home and can I just say, I think I'm the big winner? This Christmas was one of my favorites. I won't list everything because that's silly and also I'm sure you'll hear about it all over time. I think you're officially a grown-up or something when your gifts are mostly cookware/home goods: A super sweet set of glass tupperwear (I know, I'm getting paranoid about plastic), coffee from Dublin Roasters, a dual shower head (funny, because I had just been raving about D&D's awesome guest shower head and the wonderful sunflower shower heads at the hot springs) and an amazing roaster from D&D. Ed made out like a bandit with bike gear and survival books. It was a pretty perfect holiday season I think. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go get ready for the day with my incredible new shower. :)