Lake Almanor Adventures 2012

BOO!

How ’bout that face to greet you right away on a Wednesday morning?

 

The good news is that I don’t actually look like that today.  And by “look like that” I mean scared out of my mind.

 

See, this post is ALL about our trip over Labor Day weekend, and after putting up all of my Instagram pictures I’m kind of sad and want to go back.  Lakes are awesome and I absolutely LOVE being around water.  The lifestyle is just so laid back and I have to admit that one of my favorite things is to just jump in and float around for a while.  Being in water is one of the only things that really seems to help me just totally clear my mind and just sit in awe and thankfulness of my life.

But back to the trip.  We did things a lot like how we did them last year, only this time with a baby in tow on the outside of my body (last year I was pregnant).  Thursday morning we got to sleep in slightly and then drove the million-mile road trip to the Denver airport.  If you live here or have ever traveled through Denver you know that the airport is literally, at minimum, 10 miles from anything.  We live a lot further away than 10 miles, so it’s always quite the affair to get to the airport, find parking, take the bus from parking to the actual airport building, check bags, go through security, and then finally take the train to the gate.  It’s quite the wild ride, and when you have a baby on board it gets even more complicated.  Luckily Wes is such a trooper and was in a great mood the whole time.

 

When we got to the gate though – yeah, he was hungry and very very tired.  I fed him a bottle and tried to rock him in his stroller, but he wasn’t having it.  And the carrier?  Yeah, he screamed the whole time in that.  The plane ride to Reno was even crazier and I think he maybe slept a total of 20 minutes the whole time.  I just felt so bad for him – little dude was so sleepy and fighting it with everything he had.  When we got to Reno we made our way to Harrah’s and just hung out and let Weston sleep.

 

Side note:  I am horrible at gambling and will probably never try it again.  That is all.

Friday morning we got up and drove the 2 hours to Lake Almanor without any problems, and once we got there this was one of the spectacular views we were greeted by.  Last year was our first year to visit, but I have to say that this lake is probably one of my favorite places in the world.  It’s fairly secluded and quiet, but has stunning views and beautiful water.  The weather is pretty much perfect – low 80’s for the high and 40-50 for the low – and it’s just gorgeous there.

 

I think Wes and Nate like it too:

The big change this year was that I could partake in happy hours on the porch before dinner (we were staying with friends).  Last year I couldn’t, and I was so looking forward to enjoying some fabulous California wines this time around.  I normally only like red wines, but I had this buttery little Chardonnay from Rombauer and absolutely loved it:

Every night we’d have dinner and spend a little time around a fire before heading off to bed.  The great news is that Wes slept SO well, which means that we all got plenty of rest.  YAY!

 

Mornings looked like this, with coffee and water and a beautiful lake glistening in the sunshine:

And while all of the food we ate was fantastic, I have to say that the moment I had this Ortega chile burger with avocado and perfect fries it was just heaven.  It was one of those moments where only a really good burger would do.  The stars aligned and BOOM! there it was.

 

My tastebuds did a happy dance.

Every day was more of the same in such a good, GOOD way.

• Wake up
• Look at the lake
• Eat breakfast by the lake
• Get IN the lake
• Snuggle with Weston by the lake
• Play with Weston by the lake
• Eat lunch by the lake
• Spend more time in the lake
• Happy hour by the lake
• Dinner by the lake
• Fire and wine by the lake
• Falling asleep with my husband by the lake

I think Wes is going to be a water baby too 🙂

Sigh.  I want to go back.  But I sure do love looking forward to these trips too – it’s definitely something I’ll never ever take for granted.  It’s a full day (or 2) of travel to get there, but it’s 1,000% worth it when we’re there.

My absolute favorite things to do (besides snuggling and eating with my boys) were kayaking and paddle boarding.  I would go until my arms burned out and then just sit in the water, allowing myself to be rocked by the waves from random boat wakes.  I watched adults and kids alike having a blast together, truly enjoying one another’s company.  I basked in the sunshine, thankful for its warmth and the way that it glittered across the water.  I laid there and just thanked the Lord for life, for love, for beauty.  For family and food and water.  For warm days and cool nights.  For strength in my body.  For coffee and burgers and wine.  For sunscreen and life jackets and sunglasses.

 

I thanked Him for everything – but most of all for salvation and for the way he reveals himself in so many ways, all of which are good and truly move my soul.

So yeah…I think it was a pretty awesome trip.  Oh, and next year?  Yep, we already have our tickets.

 

Happy Wednesday,

 

Heather