The Last Bit of Winter.

After a few rainy weekends got me feeling like maybe it isn't springtime just yet, I convinced my family to spend a Sunday searching for snow in the local mountains with me. It didn't take long before the raindrops turned into snowflakes, sprinkling down onto our windshield and little dusty patches of white made appearances along the sides of the road.

After a quick detour in a neighborhood where my dad used to vacation as a kid, we ended up just pulling off to the side of the main road and finding a calm and quiet spot to explore while the snow fell on us.

I think I've seen snow fall more in the last 6 months than I have in the last 6 years of my life haha.
(…which is only like 2 times, but still.)

I know the idea of wanting to (or let alone, having to) search for snow is ridiculous to most of the U.S., who is more than ready for sunshine and spring, but I'm okay with one or two more chilly, rainy, weekends before the sun comes out to stay around here, Mr. Weather Man. ;)

It's been a pretty long time since I made a little video, but here are some moments we filmed during our cold adventure today. It should probably just be called, "The O'Connell Family Experiences Weather." But maybe you'll think the snow is as pretty as we did. :)

Huntington Run/Ride.

The other day my brother and I were browsing Instagram. Particularly, lurking around the profile of our cousin, Rachel, who is currently making her way through Italy. "Look at this!" Nolan said, regarding a gorgeous photo of one of the canals, "Can you imagine how amazing it would be to live there?" I sighed longingly at the picture. "I bet the locals take it for granted," I replied. I didn't mean it in a skeptical way, but I think many people stop acknowledging beautiful things in life once they've experienced them frequently enough.

Example? Nolan and I had this conversation on a gorgeous, 70 degree, sunny day in January.

We are clearly not immune to a lack of appreciation for our home. 

Now, don't get me wrong. California is no Italy… But it has it's moments. 

And sometimes, it hits me how much I love it here and I try to take advantage of what my home has to offer.

A couple weekends ago, Weston and I went down to the beach for one of our favorite pastimes - he runs, I ride my bike to keep up, and we rack up a few miles together. The sun set as we rode on the nearly empty trail - a path with sand on either side. The sound of the ocean and salty air in our faces.

Lake Tahoe : Part II

On our last morning in Tahoe, we ventured into the State Parks to get a closer look at the lake. Our internet searching and people inquiring led us to Emerald Bay. There was a breathtaking view from the top of the mountain and after a short but steep one mile hike, we found ourselves on the beach.

Apparently, this place is a hotspot during the summertime, but we were two of the three people on the shore that morning. It was probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Just so vibrant and peaceful. The water was incredibly clear and tempting, but way too freezing to even dip my toes in! 

That island is the only one in Lake Tahoe. Out there is a "teahouse" which was constructed by the owner of the Vikingsholm Castle in the late 1920s. Occasionally she and her guests would take a boat over to the island and drink tea next to a fireplace inside the stone structure. You can't get to the island or the teahouse, but the "castle" still sits in great condition just feet away from the shoreline. Talk about a dream home...

Sigh...

It was the perfect way to end our trip.

When I am overwhelmed or feeling a lot of pain, I try to breathe and as cliche as it sounds, imagine myself in a calm and happy place. Usually when I meditate, I imagine myself in the ocean and every inhale, I imagine the waves lifting me in the water so my toes can't touch the sand, and then exhaling brings me back to the ground. But this week, I've been falling back into this moment as much as I can. It was pure bliss.

If you ever want to use this place when you're overwhelmed, please do! 

Just remember what Phoebe Buffay says about her happy place…

"Okay fine, use my happy place. 

I'm just gonna have to ask that you don't move anything…"  ;)

Lake Tahoe : Part I

In an effort to take advantage of a few mutual days off work during Thanksgiving weekend, Weston and I road tripped up to Lake Tahoe. We both went into it with no real ideas about what to expect since Weston had never been there and my only previous visit occurred when I was 4 years old, but the town was even more beautiful and refreshing than I had imagined it would be.

We stayed at a cute little hotel in South Lake called Basecamp. Our first night in town was spent exploring the little shops and restaurants in Heavenly Village. Pizza, wine, and chocolate truffles in our bellies, we watched people circling an outdoor ice rink, admired the christmas decorations, and visited every firepit we came across for at least a moment or two.

The next morning, after breakfast, we took the Heavenly Gondola up to the top of the mountain. We had no idea how high this thing was actually going to take us until we were at the top… and then realized we were only halfway to our destination, haha. This was something that got recommended to us several times when we were planning our trip and afterward, we agreed it was worth the hype. After a scenic stop halfway up the mountain for a breathtaking view of the lake, we got back on the lift and continued all the way up to the ski lodge. We sat inside drinking hot chocolate and watching skiers and snowboarders make their way up and down the slopes for a while before heading back down to the snowless foot of the mountain.

Afterwards, we headed to lunch at Sonney's BBQ. I mention the name because it was seriously delicious and if you go to South Lake Tahoe, you should try it out. Weston said that if he could only eat one meal for the rest of his life it would probably be their pulled pork sandwich.

As we pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, little snowflakes slowly started to fall. I was really trying to contain my excitement until one of the guys who works at the restaurant came out and exclaimed, "Yes, awesome! Snow! Woohoo! Nice!" If the locals can geek out about it, SO CAN I.

They seated us inside, next to a cozy fireplace and a nice big window so I could stare longingly outside in between starting at Weston, silently willing him to please-eat-faster-because-in-case-you-didn't-know-it's-snowing! This is probably a funny thing for you non-SoCal friends to read about, but I have only seen snow fall maybe once in my life and before this day, Weston never had! So we were thrilled to our cores.

After lunch, we crossed the street to venture into a forest of trees and explore in the snow. Trying to keep my camera dry was a funny process, but by the end of it, we were such pros that we even threw together a contraption that held my umbrella over the tripod so we could get a few pictures of ourselves via self timer - just like the locals do! Right? ;) 

I also got my first pair of rain boots for my birthday and this was my first chance to use them 

so there may have been a significant amount of puddle-jumping while in Tahoe.

^ This picture was right after Weston slipped off of a branch he had been standing on. Outtakes are usually my favorites and this is not an exception. :)

It was pretty magical. I wish I could have put some of that snow in my pocket and saved it forever, but these pictures do a really good job of taking me right back to the happiest moment of our trip. 

More of Tahoe to come.

Family Field Trip.

My mom and dad have lived in California their entire lives, but there's an alarming number of local gems that they've yet to experience. My brother and I are always talking about how we need to remedy that and yesterday, we got them out of their little corner of the neighborhood to spend an afternoon at one of my favorite places in LA, The Griffith Observatory. Neither of them had ever been!

We made it just in time to watch the sun set before we toured the different exhibits inside and my brother and I shared tidbits of knowledge that we've picked up from college astronomy classes. Our parents (and Nicole, my brother's girlfriend) were so impressed. ;)

You just can't beat that view.

(here's a post from a nighttime visit!)

Did you do anything fun this weekend?

Hope you're having a happy Sunday! 

Ps. Thank you for the well wishes on the endo-update post! I'm currently just taking things a day (sometimes an hour) at a time.

But thankfully, for now, things seem to be continuously improving and I'm on a mission to fully enjoy it while it lasts!

We saw the new doctor last Thursday and were a little discouraged, but I still plan on giving her suggestions a try.

It's easy to get overwhelmed, but making the most of the good moments and relying on the people who love me makes it a much easier journey.

 Thank you again! xoxo

Tunes : For The Holidays

You knew it was just a matter of time until this playlist showed up.

Just some of the songs that have been on repeat around here lately.
What are your Christmas favorites this year?

Tunes from Christmas past here.

sunday morning muffins.

i have honestly spent more time in the kitchen in the last few days than i have in the past few years combined. i've been injured by more "pampered chef" contraptions than i'd care to admit but i managed to burn myself zero times which is a major big deal in this house.

an article was sent to me the other day suggesting that going gluten free might be a good idea for people struggling with endometriosis. at this point, i'll take any extra help i can get, so i'm trying to gradually cut gluten out of my life and just eat healthier in general. i mean, that's always a good idea, right?

so i spent most of saturday grocery shopping and preparing different things for the week so that i don't have the "well i didn't have time, so i stopped at in-n-out" excuse to fall back on. lots of quinoa, ground turkey, fruits and veggies, hummus, chicken, even a jar of my own vegan pesto! (i am extremely proud of this every time i make this, even though it's the easiest thing on the planet. haha it is darn delicious!) 

one of the perks of waking up early every day during the week is that on the weekends, my body wakes itself up around 8 am. this is only an hour later than i wake up every morning for work, but when your body decides it's time to wake up, getting out of bed is a billion times easier than when an alarm clock is all, "wake up, bz. time to start your day."

this morning, i baked some gluten-free blueberry muffins. i felt so domestic, mixing stuff and using my oven. shoot...

the sky was gray and chilly.
so i cracked the window to let some cold air in and enjoyed the gloomy morning.
just toby to keep me company and lay on my feet to keep them warm.

and bonus of all possible bonuses.. the muffins were delicious.