Sister Weekend in Idaho

This past weekend Brooke, Melissa, & I visited Brittany & Matt in Rexburg, Idaho! The trip started out with Brooke & I driving up & meeting Melis in Las Vegas so we could all fly & arrive together. We stayed the night at the Rio & went to an italian restaurant at a mall along the strip for dinner.




At the restaurant, we ordered 2 dishes & an appetizer to share & one of the dishes, a chef's choice ravioli, came out totally cold. We told the waiter and brought us out a huge dessert plate to apologize. Then a manager came by and comped the meal so we ended up getting everything for like $20... the waiter did not seem to happy about that. For some reason poor Melissa has bad luck with waiters and every time we go out to eat they are rude to her (Pink Panther.. haha!)



In the morning, we got on our early flight to Rexburg and arrived there around 10. It was so good to see Britt & so fun to see so much snow! We headed to Britt's house where we relaxed an then Matt made us some homeade potstickers that were the best I have ever had!!! We kept joking about him making more potstickers for every meal because we all loved them so much! Then we went shopping at a store with the cutest house decorations, a clothing store, and then headed back to Britt's to have dinner. We started watching a movie but all fell asleep within half an hour, must be a sister thing because we all do that!



The next day we went skiing at Targhee & had such a fun time!!! We started out on the easier hill and then went to the top of the mountain! I was pretty scared because the lift kept going up higher and higher and seemed to take forever! We got to see a beautiful view from the top and skiing down was not as scary as I expected and really fun! It was nice because we were all at about the same level, except Britt who has skiied a lot! I fell the most times but they were all really soft falls. One time Brooke fell down & I was trying to go up and help her, my skis got all weird & my knee was twisting and I couldn't move it. She was still lying on the ground and had to put out a pull for me to hold onto and pull myself into a regular position, it was so funny! Meanwhile, rescue people just skied past us and went to help some little kids. Poor Melis had a fall at the end where she was trying to go in the powder and hit a rock or something and just went flying with her skis and poles going everywhere! We made up nicknames for each other, I was thunder thighs or trash bag (my ski bibs were extremely puffy and all black), brooke was criss-cross (she was trying to get on the ski lift and her skis crossed so they had to stop the lift, she told the worker, "I'm just an ordinary girl" and he didn't respond, haha!), brittany refused to have the nickname squirts and chose cocoa instead (hot chocolate problem), and I can't remember what Melissa's nickname was. We had so much fun skiing all day, taking a hot chocolate break, and then skiing until the lodge closed.







We went to Snake Bite for dinner, so good! We had a rude waitress (again, someone being rude when Melissa was there!). Britt had ordered a well done burger and it was totally pink. The waitress took it away and said they would need to make her a new one since that one was all "crumbled". I love being with my sisters because we are always just laughing and have so much fun together all the time!



The next day we rented cross-country skis and skied around on a golf course. It was so pretty! We wanted to go sledding, but didn't have snowshoes, so we realized we could wear the shoes that slip onto the cross-country skis while sledding. We stopped at Cafe Rio for lunch & just kept our weird ski shoes on (except Britt who changed into Uggs!) and this one family was looking at us so weird. We later realized that they may have thought we were a polygamist family! It was all 4 of us girl and Matt and we had the weird shoes on and all had braids! Haha!!!! After lunch we went sledding! We went to the dunes & found a perfect hill!!! We had an air mattress that we would all ride on together, it was so much fun!!! We stayed a few hours and had the whole hill to ourselves most of the time! Then we headed back and Britt & Matt made us lasagna with homeade noodles, sooo good!!!



Sunday Matt made us the best french toast for breakfast (it was hard to get back to having to cook and not having gourmet meals) and we played games and relaxed until church. We went to sacrament meeting and then Britt drove us to the airport. We got to sit all together on the back row of the plane and then split up to drive back to our homes.



It was SUCH a fun trip & we were laughing pretty much the entire time! I love my sisters so much & feel so blessed to have them. I love how great we all get along how we all love doing the same things & have the same exact sense of humor!

2015 in Review

2015


January

Stayed up until midnight, did fireworks, & had a huge sleepover at our house to ring in the new year!

February

3 day weekend in Puerto Penasco, Mexico!

March

Spring Break in San Diego!

April

Worked hard at our jobs, getting ready for Summer Break to start!

May

Finished the school year.
Left on our Europe Trip!
Loved every minute in Paris.
Picnicked under the Eiffel Tower.
Visited the Louvre.
Ate lots & lots of chocolate croissants & baguettes.
Locked our love on Love Lock Bridge.


June

Backpacked around Europe!
Spent a week in Germany with Chelsey. Hiked in the Black Forest. Went on the most gorgeous hike in Austria & walked across Austria's largest suspension bridge. Went to Neuschwanstein Castle.
Traveled around Italy. Went to Venice, Milan, Rapallo, Portofino, Naples, Positano, San Lazzaro, & Rome.
Ate our weight in pizza, many times.
Swam in the Ligurian Sea.
Hiked Cinque Terre.
Hiked along the Amalfi Coast by morning and swam in the ocean the same afternoon.
Ate lots of pesto & pasta & drank lots of Coke.
Celebrated Nate's birthday.
Celebrated our Anniversary early by going on a gondola ride in Venice & having dinner along the Grand Canal.
Spent time with family in San Diego.

July

Celebrated my birthday.
Spent a glorious month relaxing & swimming with Brooke Cody, & the boys.
Spent time with some of my best friends from Hawaii!
Had an awesome Flake Family Reunion in Newport.
California Adventure with Britt & Matt.

August

Started school again at our same jobs.

September

Visited San Diego!

October

Went to trunk or treat and a haunted house on Halloween.

November

Disneyland/ California Adventure day.
Wonderful Thanksgiving at Aunt Jill's with lots of family.

December

Got our 1st puppy!!!
Had Christmas with everyone in AZ.

Christmas & New Years

Christmas break was wonderful this year. It was one of my favorites! Being home for every other Christmas instead of every year has really made me appreciate being home with everyone even more! This year everyone came home on different days. Ally came home first & it was so fun to see her & hear her stories of living in Hawaii! It doesn't sound like much has changed there! We went to Glendale Glitters with Ally the 1st weekend she was here. It was fun to see the lights, look in the little shops, and watch the dances.

Melissa, Sam, & Jenna were the next to come! They spent the 1st night at our house and we had so much fun with them! Jenna had called while they were driving and said she had 2 pennies that she wanted to buy something with but the store they had gone to didn't have anything for 2 pennies. Ally and I set up a little store for her to buy things at. We found some random items including a doll pillow (pad), lotion, and some toys. Jenna was so excited when she saw the shop and was able to buy everything with the hug special.. haha!!

On my dad's birthday, the 21st, we went hiking at Thunderbird Mountain. The weather was perfect & Melis, Ally, & I hiked up and then ran down the mountain. Then we decided to run up to meet everyone else & I realized how much I need to start running again!! We got lunch at Pei Wei & then went to see the new Star Wars movie. Cody's company rented out a theater for clients & family, so it was fun to see the movie with all the boys. Nate was so happy & had the biggest smile the whole time, he had been so excited to see it!

Brittany & Matt arrived next! We had a big dinner with everyone & my mom made her delicious homeade donuts. It was so nice all being together!!! I love all my sisters so much & when we are all together it's the best! It's so fun having all the brother-in-laws & how they talk about us girls getting so excited over things! And of course my parents are the best!

My grandma Donna, Uncle Don, & Aunt Kathy all came for Christmas too & it was really fun to get to spend time & visit with them!

The next day was Christmas Eve & Britt's birthday!! First, we went shopping at Last Chance & everyone got some great deals. It was surprisingly uncrowded there, we pretty much had the dressing room to ourselves which never happens at Last Chance. Then the guys went to get burgers & play golf & the girls went to Cheesecake Factory for Britt's b-day lunch! We always get the same meals there, either Stuffed Chicken Tortilla's or Chicken Madeira. For once we switched it up & ordered both of those dishes but also a few new things. After lunch we spent more time with everyone & then had a big Christmas Eve dinner together. Then we had our Christmas Eve program. We all got in costumes & my dad read the Nativity story while we acted it out. Then the boys played songs on the piano & Jenna sang a few songs. I love my nephews & niece so much, they are the sweetest, cutest kids & make everything so fun! Then, we each opened up our pajamas and took pictures. Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year, I love everything about it, especially our program at night.

Next, we wrapped presents, stuffed stockings, & got everything ready. Then Britt, Matt, & Ally came to our house to have a sleepover. We stayed up for a little & then crashed. Christmas morning, we got up at 5:45am and headed to Brooke & Cody's with their surprise present for the boys, a puppy!!!!! It was so cute seeing them open up the box with the puppy in it & look so shocked & happy!!! Then we went in the pantry and brought out one of our presents, another puppy!!! Nate had surprised me and let me get one of their puppy's brothers! (more on that later).

Then we headed to my parent's house to open presents with everyone else! It was so cute seeing Jenna open her presents & seeing the little presents she had picked out herself for melissa and sam. (breast pads for melis, haha, and a jumprope for sam). Nate and I had pretty much picked out our own presents, but I surprised him with some sunglasses and a sweater, both things he loves, and he surprised me with the new Cinderella dvd which I loved! It was fun holding our cute little puppy while opening presents!!!

Nate & I headed to our house to get ready for Christmas brunch! We made lemon poppyseed pancakes, potato hash, & bacon. It was so fun having everyone over & all being together! After brunch, we relaxed awhile & played some tennis. Then we had a big Christmas dinner over at Brooke & Cody's. We seriously ate the best food over the break! After dinner, we played some of the new games everyone had gotten, including Pie Face, which was a hit!

The day after Christmas, Sam, Melis, & Jenna left, sad! In the evening, mom, Brooke, Britt, Ally, & I went to see the Nutcracker & the guys got wings, watched a game, and went in the hot tub at Brooke & Cody's. It was so fun seeing the Nutcracker together, we had seats that were really close so we had a great view! They had really put a lot of money into the ballet & you could tell, it was amazing!!!

It was such a fun Christmas, I loved everything about it! It is always so sad for me when Christmas is over though!!!




New Years

Nate's parents and sister Meagan came to visit us for New Years! They came on New Years Eve and we had such a fun night. My mom, dad, Brooke, and Cody all came over and we had cheese and chocolate fondue! I think we will have to make fondue a New Years Eve tradition! We had bread and vegetables to dip in the cheese fondues and fruit and peanut butter cookie bites to dip in the chocolate! We also drank about 10 bottles of martinelli!!! We watched a movie to stay up until midnight and did some sparklers!!! Then we all crashed!!!

On New Years Day, we spent the day relaxing, watching movies, playing with Blitzen, & Nate & his dad did some house projects. It was nice to have a day to just relax! We were so glad that Nate's parents & Meagan could come for a visit!


Flickr Images