A Tiger Earns His Wings

Just yesterday he was a Tiger Cub, putting on his little orange T-shirt with the iron on paws and gold belt buckle that always clanked in the dryer when it was washed because inevitably he would forget to take the belt out of the loops and off the pants...

Today he stood surrounded by his family and peers, a boy turned man in the blink of an eye. He has given to his community, his family, this land. 

My son is an Eagle Scout. He stands proud and I stand beside him, even prouder.

(Yep that's me beside him on his shoulder there in the picture, always thought I acted like I had a higher than thou like complex? Well there's the proof right there people. So we agree, now carry on and get me my slippers my toes are cold.)

Skiing the Golden Gate Bridge

This year for the holidays Erik and I had the brilliant plan to not get the kids anything. 














To not get them anything because well, they already have everything they need and most everything they could possibly want. So, THIS year we would get them non tangible gifts and give them a super cool trip instead (ooh aah). A ski trip to be exact in wonderful Lake Tahoe. While the boys exhausted themselves with overstimulated ski 24/7 Kates and I would take time out to hit the spa and unwind, shop, enjoy, and you know, wave at the slopes.

So while I went around town and watched friends and strangers frantically looking for gifts and crossing off names on lists that were pages long, I made quick stops at the local sporting goods store getting gloves, scarves, and warming packets for our pockets. Picked up cocoa at the grocery store while also picking up dinner for that day. Little things that would fill stockings and fit under the tree but nothing major or stressful to burden my mind. I was soooo sure THIS was the year I had it all figured out.

Then on December 21st a friend of mine who lives in Reno sent me this...

...and I panicked. Really what is Tahoe without snow? It’s kinda like Wally World being closed for repairs. Not only that but everything else under our holiday tree was specifically purchased to go with the big snow trip AND it was dangerously close to Christmas day (see bold font above for emphasis). 

Cut to me frantically getting on my phone backing out of rentals and bouncing around town returning things (yeah I’m THAT person) holding up lines and bringing sales people to the breaking point who are already six espressos deep after three straight shifts of “Countdown to Santa Days”.

With our money in hand and a day to get things done Erik and I bought the only thing we could agree upon and each had a margarita rocks no salt. Then we had another. Yeah, it was pretty much a crap shoot from there on out.

The next day it was Kindle fires all around (Amazon Prime rocks it yet again) which was a great choice since we would be driving to San Francisco and, as you can see, we had a terrible time. 

                                                                                It was the best not a ski trip ever.