Happy Campers

Believe it or not, I'm a happy camper. I may be girly and I do hate bugs, but I love camping. So, when the parental unit announced we were heading to South Lake Tahoe for five whole days of nature-centered activities I was ecstatic. I love any chance to break out my latest camping investment: my down mummy bag. We loaded up the Tahoe and hitched our boat up and made the 3 and a half hour drive to the woods.

Our campsite: #344

We aren't your typical campers. We go to a campground located right off highway 50.

We went to McDonald's every night for dessert (ice cream sundaes). My family isn't big on s'mores. The campgrounds are complete with a pool, tennis courts and community tent that hosts karaoke night and movie nights.

The guys setting up the tent. Mom and I attempted the set-up and were quickly shut down because we weren't "doing it right." Oh well, can't say we didn't try.

Louie's set-up. We bought some fake grass from Home Depot. He's already an experienced camper.

My pride and joy: The Cat's Meow is it's name. Everyone else slept on silly air mattresses and even sillier cloth sleeping bags. Overall, very silly indeed.

Cooking up some breakfast potatoes.

This is seriously one of my favorite meals ever: breakfast potatoes with onions, bell peppers and scrambled eggs. MMMMMMM!

So, as I said before, we had hitched up our boat to take out on the lake. We launched just off Lake Tahoe Boulevard and headed West to Emerald Bay. If you haven't been there before, you probably already know what it looks like. It is a very popular photography spot.

The Emerald of Emerald Bay.

Taking a couple shots of Vikingsholm Castle right across the water from the Emerald.

Nick got an incredible sunburn that day. He's a lifeguard.

The next day was spent at Heavenly Village. We went to the dog store we always go to and did some window shopping. Nick found a beautiful looking girl on the stroll.

Nick hanging out in Heavenly Village with his date. She was a little over dressed.

Mom and I dropped the boys off at the campsite to play some tennis, while we headed over to Pope Beach. This small section allows dogs, so we took Lou with us. He found a dog that looked exactly like his "brother" Bear, our yellow lab. He was convinced it was him and kept barking when he played fetch in the water.

Lou keeping an eye on all the other dogs.

Nick got a hold of my camera and took some shots of me and dad

playing our made up card game around the campfire.

Dad and his poker face.

We packed up and left Thursday morning after another delicious plate of breakfast potatoes. This was our last family vacation before everyone moves out. I'm headed to southern California in a month and Nick starts college and dorm life. At least Nick will be close by to do laundry (hopefully he does do that...) and eat normal food when the college caf makes him sick or steals all of his money. I won't be able to visit as often with an internship and school, so this was a great last trip before this big change in our family.

Road Trip

For those of you that know me pretty well you know that I love to travel. So much so that this past weekend I flew down south to drive up north, and drove down south to fly back home. Let me explain...

Aren was asked to be the Master of Ceremonies (MC) at a friend's wedding in La Selva Beach, California. Aren wanted to bring me along as his date, so we talked about meeting in the middle, since he would be coming from San Diego and I from the Napa Valley. That idea didn't last too long when the words "road trip" were mentioned. So, we bought a ticket for me to fly out of Oakland on Thursday to San Diego.

Aren is the best at little surprises. When he picked me up outside baggage claim he handed me this vibrant bouquet of blue flowers. He was a little disappointed when I explained to him that they're dyed blue and don't actually grow that way. The first time he picked me up from the airport he had a surprise dinner out on his patio waiting for us. There were candles, fake floral arrangements and cold food. He sure is a charmer! In all seriousness, it was really very sweet. Besides, the microwave did a fine job in re-heating our pasta, bread and corn.

On Friday, I helped Aren and his youth assistants dismantle their VBS set in the church. (He was more than relieved to be done with the week-long program and that it went so well.) We spent the rest of the afternoon watching an episode of The Bachelorette he had missed and we shopped for dinner and waffle ingredients for his Sabbath School class.

It was Communion Sabbath at church, so that meant Aren was one of the "important people" on stage handing out the trays of bread and wine (crackers and grape juice). It was my second time at his church, so I've started to get to know a few people now (although I can't say the same for the head deaconess who has met me quite a few times and still thinks I'm Aren's sister). It is such a warm, family environment - something I'm not quite used to, but I'm embracing it.

We stopped by Aren's house before we left to pack up.

At around 4 PM, we finally left for Monterey Bay Academy (where we would be staying for the weekend). We decided to take 101 up the coast and made one stop in Santa Barbara for dinner. It just so happened to be our 7-month anniversary. I knew he had forgotten, so after we finished our plates at El Torrito I quickly exclaimed, "Happy Anniversary!"

"Uh...is it? Oh yeah I guess....I..."

"I win!," I said. (Please, please, please tell me you watch Modern Family. Gloria surprised Jay by turning his Valentine's gift on him and shouted that she won too.)

Aren looking at the Santa Barbara pier and not thinking about our anniversary.

Like I said, Aren really is a charmer. So, we got back on the road. I'm officially the worst wingman because I passed out immediately and left Aren to fend for himself on the road. He had to stop and get some caffeine to keep going. It was close to 1 AM and we still hadn't made it to the school. (We kind of made a wrong turn...or two.) Finally, it's 3 AM and we see the welcoming Monterey Bay Academy sign. Yes! A bed was within reach.

Sunday was the wedding day. We woke up and spent some time with friends, then Aren took me into Capitola. It's a super cute beach town where there is absolutely no parking and people don't care that it's freezing cold outside. They act and dress like it's sunny and 80 degrees in the shade. Hey, they're at the beach! Aren and I grabbed some coffee and sat on the pier, huddled in our jackets, and watched little kids build sand castles and play in the ocean.

We got too cold sitting outside, so we headed back to get dressed for the wedding. The couple got married by the golf course and had their reception in the club house. The bride walked down to Edelweiss, a beautiful song from The Sound of Music, and the groomsmen held up score cards of 8's, 9's, and 10's for the kiss. It was a very sweet wedding ceremony. Then came time for the reception. All eyes on Aren time! (Of course I'm kidding.) As nervous as he was, he did a fantastic job.

Strawberry jam favors. Delicious!

Wedding reception set-up.

We woke up bright and early the next day for our road trip back down to San Diego. Scratch that - He woke up early. He had to come wake me up from my slumber. We packed up the car and drove to Salinas for breakfast at IHOP, where Aren apparently had the best breakfast plate ever. We bought an audio book by Francis Chan before we left San Diego, so we started listening to a few chapters. It's called Crazy Love, and it's an awesome book that asks you to take a better look at God and yourself as a Christian. Even though we didn't finish it, I highly recommend reading/listening to it sometime.

I know you all are wondering if we made it back in time to watch the season finale of The Bachelorette - and the answer is yes, yes we did! By the way, we are both ecstatic that she picked J.P., whom I loved since the beginning, and applaud ABC for keeping us in suspense for the last hour.

True love!

Tuesday came, and it was time for me to head back home. Aren and I decided to check out Extraordinary Desserts in Balboa Park before I had to catch my flight. He got cheesecake and I got a coffee cake. They were huge portions and a little pricey. I don't know if we'll ever go back, but I recommend that you try it if you're ever in San Diego.

I had strawberry and raspberry coffee cake.

He had a New York marble cheesecake with ice cream.

Can you see the excitement on his face?

My next trip is to Montana in less than 2 weeks. (See, I really do love traveling!) I get to see my best friend and spend some time at a relaxing lake cabin in Seeley. I leave you with this quote from a song that just speaks to my soul...

"Life is a highway. I wanna' ride it all night long..."

This is for all the Lonely People

I've been leaving Angwin around 8:30 AM everyday for work, but today I decided to go in early. Even though it was hard to get out of bed and get ready for the day, my mood suddenly changed when a song came on the radio. K-Love is usually left on in my car 1) because I love the music and 2) it is one of the only stations that comes in loud and clear no matter where I am. I was surprised when I heard a familiar tune by America being played on a Christian radio station this morning. The song is called "Lonely People," and it's a message to anyone that's been hurt in a relationship to not give up on love and try again. My dad often played their music while I was growing up, and I grew attached to this rock-folk group of three.

So, why was K-Love playing the song? It turns out Dan Peek, one of the "Americans," passed away on Sunday. Before he died, he became a Christian and left the band. He then wrote new lyrics to "Lonely People." Here's the song...

It's amazing how God knows exactly what you need to hear, when you need to hear it.

Lions and Tigers and Giants! Oh My!

With only one day to spare in San Diego, Aren and I decided to make the most out of it by going to a Padres game. As luck would have it, our boys, The World Champion San Francisco Giants, were playing the Pads that weekend. On Sunday morning we packed up my bag (I had to catch a flight back home that night), a baseball mitt and sunflower seeds (not my choice) and headed to Petco Park. We were pleased by the convenient parking and reasonable pricing that AT&T Park fails to offer, and the park itself is gorgeous.

The game started at 1 PM, so we arrived at 11 AM to watch batting practice. On our way to left field, a kind Padre's Fan Photographer took out picture. We were sporting our Giants jerseys, but he didn't seem to mind. He probably knew the majority of the pictures he would take that day would be of Giants fans. There were so many! It almost felt like a game at AT&T except I wasn't freezing. Here are the pictures he took. I had to buy them, naturally...

After we said "Cheese," we made our way to left field. As if acknowledging our presence, the pitching staff made their way to the field. We were a mere 30 feet from Brian Wilson who was wearing ear buds while he played catch. We assumed he was probably listening to "Jump Around," his theme song. Aren was completely determined to get a ball, so after a few minutes of, "Hi Jeremy!" and "Hey Ramon! Can I have the ball? Please, it's right there!" and "Brian! Brian, it's me! Hey Brian, can I get that ball? Please! Oh okay. I still love you!" Jeremy took pity on the poor guy and tossed him a ball. As much as he wished it were a fly ball, he'll take whatever he can get.

Brian and Jeremy warming up.

Brian Wilson: The Most Interesting Closer in the Game.

The view from our seats. Not bad at all!

Petco Park is nice n' pretty.

Proud Giants fans.

Brian shutting it down.

The Giants won in extra innings. Shocker! The game ended around 4:30 PM and my flight left at 9 PM, so we decided to kill time sitting in a Starbucks...

JUST KIDDING!

We went to the San Diego Zoo, of course.

With only a couple hours to spare, we quickly grabbed a map and planned out our route. On our "Must See" list were: orangutans, gorillas, pandas, tigers, lions and snakes. (For Aren - not for me.) We did a pretty good job considering the time crunch we had.

On a side note, it also happened to be an "Out and Proud" night at the zoo. There was a rave set-up next to the exit and we were joined by a lot of guys wearing... interesting clothing. The best was a tube top, booty short combo.

One lonely orangutan looking out over the water.

His siblings were doing somersaults and swinging from ropes up above.

I have never seen a panda this well at a zoo before.

Aren just got through watching Pablo "Panda" Sandoval at the game

and now he gets to see the real deal. Hence, the excited face.

Vanna White status. "Solve this puzzle and you win a brand new panda!"

Our yellow lab, Bear, is named after a polar bear.

He looked just like this when he was a puppy - just a million times smaller.

I get really excited when I see a llama. I even do an impression of Tina the Llama from

Napoleon Dynamite and it's pretty spot on. I was stoked to see this cousin of a llama.

I keep asking Aren to get me an elephant.

No luck yet, but I think I've almost convinced him that it's the right investment to make.

This camel was getting ready to spit on us. We just know it!

So, after a fun filled day of baseball and a spontaneous trip to the zoo, Aren rushed me off to the airport just in time for my flight. I landed in Sacramento around 11:30 PM and immediately crashed in the car. (Obviously I wasn't driving.) I got up early the next day to start the work week again. Wahoo! I wouldn't have changed anything though. The weekend was perfect.

One Funeral, One Wedding, One Job

My grandpa's funeral service was this past weekend. On Friday we drove out to the National Cemetery in Dixon where we had a small and intimate ceremony for Papa. The whole family was there:

Grammie, Uncle Greg, Aunt Ruth, Sterling, Greer & Ela

Uncle Ron, Alec & Shelby

Dad, Mom, Nick & I

and Papa's youngest brother Kay Don, whom I met for the first time.

Everyone was there, but Papa. There was an emptiness felt when I watched everyone sit down for the ceremony inside a small chapel on site. We were joined by a couple of pastors and Mr. Vance, who led out in the message.

Since Papa served in the army for two years, he was honored in a military fashion. There was the playing of "Taps" and unfolding, refolding and presentation of the American flag to Grammie. Overall a very nice service. We took a family picture afterwards. A large portrait of Papa was in the background.

During the service I found myself thinking, "Am I really sitting at my Papa's funeral?" It was a day that I knew would come, but I still wasn't ready. A funeral is the most formal goodbye you can say, and it can't be taken back. At least when I say goodbye to my best friend, Kait, who lives states away from me, I know it is not a forever goodbye. Funerals are so final and so forever, but I am so happy to be a Christian and to know that their is life after death. I will see Papa again. So, in a way, a funeral is the formal goodbye to someone on earth - but the realization that you will see them again.

~--------------------------------------------------~

The next day we held a memorial service for him at Carmichael Seventh-day Adventist Church. Weeks of hard work by my Grammie, uncles and mom went into the program. Sterling, Greer and Ela played Nimrod on their string instruments. It truly is one of the most beautiful pieces ever composed. Alec and Shelby played guitar and sang a song by Regina Spektor I had never heard before. Here are some of the lyrics...

It started out as a feeling

Which then grew into a hope

Which then turned into a quiet thought

Which then turned into a quiet word

And then that word grew louder and louder

'Til it was a battle cry

I'll come back

When you call me

No need to say goodbye

Just because every thing's changing

Doesn't mean it's never

Been this way before

All you can do is try to know

Who your friends are

As you head off to the war

Pick a star on the dark horizon

And follow the light

You'll come back

When it's over

No need to say good bye

You'll come back

When it's over

No need to say good bye

Shelby is such a talented singer. I was so blessed by all my cousins that performed.

After that came a life sketch written by my mom and read by her and her brothers. A couple of Papa's associates stood on stage and talked about what a wonderful, kind, "Gentle Giant" Papa was. What followed was an amazing slide show, but I can't even call it a slide show. It was his life in pictures with his favorite song being sung in the background. It brought me to tears when I saw him holding me as a baby and our trip to Canada. My uncle Greg did a fantastic job on this movie that he entitled "Seasons." You can watch it here:

I was lucky enough to take part in the program directly after the movie. I composed myself and got up on stage with my brother. We read excerpts from Psalms 57 and 84. The pastor concluded with an uplifting homily. Overall, a truly beautiful service that Papa would have loved.

A reception followed the service. We spent hours talking with people who knew him. I was touched and proud of my Papa when I heard stories of how he encouraged them, mentored them and inspired them.

~--------------------------------------------------~

The next day was much different for me. A funeral and a wedding are quite opposite events when you look from the surface. One is a somber event filled with tears, hugging and condolences. The latter is uplifting and heartwarming. However, both occasions are held to celebrate life. One is the celebration of a life that has ended and the other is the celebration of a life beginning.

My friend Lisa got married on a beautiful piece of property in the Napa Valley. I could tell a lot of energy and time went into making everything perfect that day. The wedding was so gorgeous and the bride didn't look too bad herself!

Lisa and Tyler tying the knot.

The gorgeous bridesmaid and friend, Chelsea.

Lisa and I.

Almost our entire high school graduating class was there.

Chelsea, me, Tauva, Lisa, Jack, Sho and Nathan.

~--------------------------------------------------~

Preparing for Grad School requires one large element: money. I knew I had this long summer break to earn some dough before I head down south and spend all my money on books, rent and food, but I didn't have a job. Picking up 10 hours a week in the gym was not going to cut it.

After praying, looking and asking around for employment for a month the perfect job was placed in my hands. I was asked to come in and intern at St. Helena Hospital. I get to work on a substantial project for the CFO that will later be sent to the corporate office for review. This job requires a lot of hours (which I was willing to dedicate) and a lot of hard work (which I am willing to offer). I feel the pressure weighing down on my shoulders, but I welcome it. If I succeed at this, I could end up impressing my future bosses. Not only am I adding to my resume by doing a job that I love, but I am networking and making the money I'll need in order to start my life down south.

I thought I had run out of time, but God's timing is always perfect. I can always depend on Him.

Not only is His timing perfect, but his plan is so much better than mine. I couldn't have dreamed up a better summer job.

~--------------------------------------------------~

On another note, I'm flying down to San Diego in 3 days!

I literally cannot wait to see my bud.

'Til next time.

June In Pictures

The entirety of June has been one huge blur. As my previous entry states, my grandfather passed away almost 2 weeks ago now. It's tough to lose someone special in your life, but Aren was there to help me through it all. Last week, we had the chance to have some fun before his big move to San Diego.

We never really had the chance to spend time together without school getting in the way. During vacations he had basketball and mission trips and I had trips of my own. The month of June was our window of "quality hang-out time" and we planned accordingly. He left today for Oceanside to begin his new life as a Youth Pastor. I'm so thankful for the time we spent together before he left, and I'm excited for this adventure he's about to take.

Here's a look at our week schedule.

Day One

We started off by washing my car. Dad had written on the back and side windows for graduation. I had to use gasoline, windex and a putty knife to get it off, while Aren put his washing abilities to work.

Next we went to Villa Corona and got our entire meal for free! A big thanks to Mr. Kebbas for those gift certificates in our Finals Survival Kits.

When we got back, we realized Aren suffered a major burn. Poor white guy.

Day Two

The next day, Aren made one of the only meals in his repertoire: oatmeal with cinnamon. I really tried to enjoy it, but the fact is I hate oatmeal. The toast was excellent, however.

Aren's first time in a salon. I can neither confirm, nor deny that he got a pedicure that day.

I had been talking about "Godfather Night" for months. Finally, I had the chance to do it! I made margherita pizza, bruschetta, breaded chicken, pasta two ways, salad, and a sparkling POM drink. I bought tiramisu at Trader Joe's. (I would highly recommend it, but refrain from inhaling the cocoa powder on top.) Aren gave the movie and meal two thumbs up.

Day Three

Aren and I took our second trip to San Francisco. During the first trip, we ate at Piazza Pellegrini, located in Little Italy in North Beach. We immediately fell in love. The staff is authentic and the food is authentic. We ordered the same meals. Fettuccini Bolognese for him and Linguine al Pesto Genovese con Pollo for me. If you're ever in Little Italy you must eat here!

Time for a Giants game! We parked on the dock right next to the Bay Bridge.

The nice man from New York took our picture. Another win for the Good Guys.

Day Four

We got Guignis for free (thanks again Mr. Kebbas) and then Jamba Juice on our way to Sacramento. Best combination of all time.

At the Kings Draft Party in Roseville. Aren played Hassan Whiteside (player for the Kings) at a free throw contest at Dave and Busters. Of course Aren dominated...

Aren with some Kings radio celebrities.

Days Five and Six

On Friday we made our way back to my house. Sabbath was a relaxing day consisting of a big meal, resting, reading, wiffle ball, chalk drawings and late night ice-cream runs to the Big Dipper. (Also, for free!) Above is a picture of my masterpiece on the driveway.

Days Seven, Eight and Nine

On Sunday, we made our way back to Sacramento after stopping at Jamba Juice (again). We looked at cars for Aren. (He needed to find one before he left for San Diego.) Our Monday consisted of wheeling and dealing with a man named Frank for the Honda Accord he saw the previous day. I was very impressed with Aren's bargaining skills and he found a great car.

Finally, Aren found a car. We had been praying and he had been looking for weeks. We found this gem in Sacramento and got it the next day.

That night we went out to Aren's favorite restaurant, Red Robin, for his goodbye dinner with friends.

Aw, true love! Aren and his pal Eric.

On Tuesday we spent most of our morning at the DMV for a transaction that took maybe 5 minutes to complete. When we got back to his house it was time to load up. It was raining at the time. He claims Sacramento was crying for him. When we got back to the house it was time for one last Bachelorette night together. In case you are watching, we are Ames' biggest fans!

Check, check, check!

Even though he insists check-marks should be placed after the item listed, I still like him.