Heaven on Earth

I know that I have a fantastic life. God has blessed me with a faithful husband and three amazing boys. But even this wonderful life can still wear me out. Last week was all about being refreshed.

Rick went to a conference in Lake Tahoe, and he arranged for my parents to keep the kids for a long weekend in order for me to meet him for some R&R.

R&R...I did! And in an amazingly beautiful place!

This trip happened to fall on my birthday. I know, I know, how perfect is that! And for my birthday, Rick arranged a lunch cruise around Emerald Bay. Did I mention that I have an awesome husband?

This is the boat.It was cold, which is a huge plus in my book. I even needed to wear gloves. Lest you think I forgot completely about my children, see that I wore Cars gloves in their honor.
Actually, I thought I was grabbing my black gloves. But apparently not. I don't find Cars very fashionable. But they'll do in a pinch.

About twenty minutes into the cruise, I was downright cold and had to add my ski jacket and hat to my attire. But I loved it! In this photo, I was the only one left on the deck. I was thinking, "Yep, it's cold. But I'm on vacation. Without kids. And the view is gorgeous. And I'm not about to walk inside and forget this awesome moment."
The water...clear. Beautiful! I want to go back and put my feet in it. But not until August, when it's 105 here and 85 there.
We rented a car for the next day and drove around Lake Tahoe. The views are inspiring.

This is King's Beach on the northern end. The lake is so wide at this point that it looks more like an ocean. And it is surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Gorgeous!

This photo shows us on King's Beach. Exactly the location of my next house. After Rick robs the bank.

Look at this view, people! Those geese don't have a clue what beauty they are living in.

It was mighty windy that day. Windy enough that I seriously considered chopping my hair off when we returned to the hotel. But then I remembered that I've been growing it out for a year.

Also on our drive was a beautiful view of Emerald Bay. Lord, why do I live in Texas? Yes, Lord, I know we're working on contentment. But Texas? I prefer the mountains.
Our hotel was located within walking distance of Heavenly Ski Resort. Heavenly it is.
We didn't have enough time to ski, but we did ride to the top. I would love to go back and plant my face in their snow.
I let Rick ride with me so that we could get a good shot of us up in the mountains.
They get some serious snow up there. This large wall of snow is at the top of Heavenly's observation deck. This is after a month of no snow and lots of sunshine melting much snow away. (I'm swallowing some pride by sharing this photo. Please ignore my chins and half-open eyes. Focus on the snow, people.)
We managed to get in one ride on the tubing hill before the day's closing. What a riot! I felt like a kid for that 2 minute ride.
My photos don't do the Lake Tahoe area justice. If you ever get the opportunity to go, don't think twice about it. I hope to go back. I'm thinking 2 weeks in the summer would be a lot of fun for the family.

But then, moving to this slice of heaven on earth would be just fine, too.