Cory and I recently took our first trip to Lake Tahoe as a married couple. It was different than what Cory is used to on vacation, but we had a really fun time! Lake Tahoe has been a tradition for me since I was five or six years old. I cannot even begin to express what being in Lake Tahoe does for my soul. It is my perfect place. My favorite things to do are take drives, take walks, and lay out in the sunshine. The Lake encourages my heart. Just by looking at it I am reminded of God's sovereignty and perfection. Most of my best memories are from when I was a child. The times I spent with my siblings April, Michael, and Timothy are unforgettable. I remember sitting on the huge log in front of our lakeside cabin rental. We took pictures, threw rocks, watched sunsets, and fed the geese. We bought loaves of bread just to feed the geese. We took trips in our rafts to Obexer's for candy and sodas. We walked to John Beery's house to ride on his boat and learn about Tahoe. We rode wave runners and drove all over the lake in boats. We jumped off of docks, snorkled, and built what will always be remembered as mini-tah! We rafted down the Truckee River, and I can remember pictures of Timothy catching tadpoles. We drove around the lake, we stopped at Emerald Bay, we ate. We ate at The Old Tahoe Cafe, Sunnyside, Boatworks, and we ate at our cabin. Tahoe as a child is something I can grasp onto and say that it was good. I adore that fact.
Tahoe has changed for our family throughout the years, but we have still made it up there as often as possible. This year the Flanagan crew stayed in Anne's cabin in Squaw Valley. I actually don't know how that transpired, but it was extremely gracious of her. I have not been to Tahoe since 2006, so I was excited to be coming back. I wished that the Willmans, the Whitneys and Michael and Kate could have made it up there too. Hopefully next year or in the years to come. Anne's cabin was beautiful. It was a different feel than staying at the cabin's by the rest of the family, but it was amazing nonetheless. I was able to take a "nature walk" on my own one morning, and it was beautiful. I walked to the Olympic Village at Squaw Valley. Tim actually started the walk with me, saw how far the Village was, and ditched me!
This year was different for me. I have never brought a guy to Tahoe, let alone a husband. I am going to be honest, he does not love tanning, walking or driving, but he accompanied me on all of these events throughout the week. We recently bought a new camera, so I think he fun taking pictures. We spent time down at Water's Edge, we went to Sand Harbor one day, we went to Sunnyside for lunch one day, we hung out at the pool and we hung out at "base camp" with the relatives each night. I also spent a lot of time tanning with Camille. She is my tanning buddy for life! Cory introduced us all to a card game named Liar's Poker. Uncle Kevin loves it! We love Uncle Kevin. I love you Cory, and I am so glad you came with me to Tahoe. I hope we can continue to go back and spend time in my favorite place!
I am going to be completely honest here. I had a hard time being someone who is on the inside of something listening to people who haven't read the entire story talk about people who are close to my heart. I appreciate the love and effort, but it hasn't been easy growing up in my family. It was a lonely journey, and so much has transpired that only few people have seen. I am content to know that the Lord knows my heart and my love, even if others do not understand my perspective or my intentions. I do not say this out of anger, but rather out of the anxiety it brought to my trip. This week left me feeling misunderstood and unseen at times.
On a more positive note, I hadn't seen my brother Timothy in quite some time, so it was good to spend time with him. I miss my brother Michael, and I wish he could have been in Tahoe this year with his wife and precious son. My hope for my brothers will never cease. April and Jeff came up to Tahoe for a couple of nights, and I was so glad they did. They are two of my favorite people in this world! April had a really scary experience the second night she was there. Her blood sugar dropped to 29 and it wouldn't go up. My brother-in-law Jeff called the paramedics. This was at about 12:00am. We all waited and watched as the paramedics did their job. April was barely responding to their questions. They asked her where she was, what month it was, and other questions. They immediately hooked her up to an IV and gave her oral glucose. Her blood sugar went from 35 to 225 in a matter of 5 minutes. She was taken to Tahoe Forest hospital. Jeff rode in the ambulance with her, and my mom and I followed in Cory's car. I didn't have my contacts, so it was an interesting journey. I was really worried about my sweet sister. By the time we saw her at the hospital, she was doing way better. She was eating her favorite crackers with peanut butter. She is so strong. She has dealt with this disease without complaining since she was 10. It is not a one time thing, it is an everyday lifestyle. She has to watch everything she eats and everything she does. I admire her strength. I don't know how she does it.
I think my favorite place that we visited was Sand Harbor. We met the Fischer and Dadej crew over there one morning. We all arrived at about 9:30am. It was serene, quite, and completely beautiful. We watched Tyler play in the water, and we took lots of pictures.
Although this year was different from the rest, it was still an amazing trip. The unique times that we have don't need to emulate the past. One day, these days will be the days of glory we look back upon. Lake Tahoe is still my favorite place to be, and being there still reminds me of who I am and what I love. I already miss the simplicity of it, and I can't wait to continue my tradition of visiting this specific place for many years to come.
Dear Tahoe, I miss you already. Thank you for reviving me! This last picture is the epitome of how I feel when I am in Lake Tahoe.
