Birthday Trip to Reno....

For my birthday this year, which happened to fall on Labor Day, I decided to pack the kids up and drive to Reno to visit my parents. My van was in no condition to make the trip so we rented a car instead. What an adventure that turned out to be....and I use the word adventure lightly. It was more like a train wreck. Long story short we should have left at noon and ended up leaving at 3:45 after going to a totally different car rental place and after going to the DMV for a new drivers license. It was crazy. We finally rolled in around 11pm on Thursday night. Here is a pic of the kids with Gpa/Gma and his new 'toy'....he traded his Mercedes in for a Jeep!

Friday my parents drove us up the mountain to one of the ski resorts to have a look around. You see, the only other time that we have been to Reno for an extended visit was the weekend my dad had a heart attack and landed himself in the hospital....so we didnt get to do much sightseeing. We walked around and the kids jumped on the bungee slingshot thingamajigger....or at least they tried to. Then we ate lunch and the boys, myself, and my mom rented roller skates and rolled around the outdoor rink. It was a lot of fun.....its been a loooong time since I put on roller skates but I did alright! Addie and Grandpa sat that one out and just watched or assisted the boys when they needed it. After that we headed down to the lake...Lake Tahoe that is. I have never seen it before and could not believe how big it was! And it is gorgeous clear water....wow. The kids got brave and donned swimsuits and actually got in the water! They had a great time. Here is a slideshow of some of the pics that day:

Mom and I got to see a couple of movies over the weekend while my Dad kept the kids and then Monday we went miniature golfing. It was a lot of fun and really nice to spend some quality time with the Grandparents/Parents. Even the dogs got in on the action....I think the boys ran them tired around the yard each day. Sorry kids, no dog for us!!

My parents have a beautiful backyard with lots of trees and flowers and a pond with Koi fish. Its a great place to watch for animals. The kids got a kick out of seeing the rabbits, birds, and squirrels. They even left peanuts on the rocks for the squirrel. At some point this big Blue Heron landed at the edge of their pond....I think he was looking for dinner! It was startling to see him out the window standing there so majestic.....

We got back last night and went head first into the daily grind today. Its going to be an exhausting Fall and I think Christmas will be here before I want it to be....but then, that is nothing new! Hope you all enjoyed your Labor Day weekend too...