yosemite family reunion

The annual Jeppson Family Reunion took place this year in Yosemite & Bass Lake! 

I was so happy we got to go this year because weren't able to make it to Steamboat Springs, CO last year & we both really needed a little break from life.

Unfortunately there was a fire close to Yosemite and the park was closed most of the week. 

Luckily the group who hiked Half Dome were able to go the first day before the park closed and the rest of us did a little hike to some falls around Bass Lake. 

With the park closed, we also had lots of time to enjoy Bass Lake. Grandma Lola, love her, rented some "party boats" and we hung out playing cards, eating, kayaking, and  taking turns tubing & wake boarding.

Am I am mom yet?

I left earlier in the week for Yosemite but Sam had to stay behind for a few days to take the bar. 

I know, I'm the worst wife to leave him! And turns out that while I was gone, everything went wrong! Major wife guilt on my part.

1.) There was a massive heat wave in San Diego + the power went out so the fans/little AC unit didn't work + Sam was sweating all night and didn't fall asleep until 4am the morning of the bar. 

I literally couldn't sleep all night because I just knew something was wrong and I was so stressed. When he texted me that morning I just started bawling, it was the worst feeling knowing that he was struggling and I couldn't do anything to help!

2.) The next day I forced Sam to go sleep at a hotel but it was ComicCon week so he had to go to 3 hotels until he finally found a vacancy. He slept well but started day 2 of the bar behind on sleep.

3.) He finished the bar and was so excited just to relax and sleep but our crazy neighbor's fire alarm went off from 11pm-2am and after multiple complaints the police finally came and made him turn it off. But Sam had to wake up at 5am to catch his flight to Fresno. 

Sounds like a week from hell but he survived!! 

Sam joined us on Thursday morning and we picked him up at the Fresno Airport and then went to Island Waterpark with the whole crew. 

This is how happy I was for the bar to be over & for Sam to be a free man!!

And then after Sam slept 20 hours straight we went to the Yosemite Sugarpine Railroad.

 Love being with my people!!

Can't wait until next year in Oregon!

my favorite girls

I went home for a weekend and got to see some of my favorite girls. 

These girls right here (we missed you Maddy) are my everything! The only way to describe our friendship is more like family. I grew up with them. We've known each other basically since the day we were born, I don't remember my life without them. We've been through joy school together, they were still friends with me during my awkward homeschool stages, my bad perm in 6th grade & loved me even if I occasionally peed my pants from laughing so hard. We've spent countless hours together at music lessons, swim/waterpolo practices, church dances and sleepovers.  But most importantly we've been through the good and the bad with each other. I love that no matter where we are in our lives--babies, school, marriage, work, from NY to TX to ID to CA we can still drop everything and be  there for each other. Literally crying thinking about how much I love them!

AND 

my sistas!

gma Lola!

& mamabucks!!

sara's summer visit

Last weekend Sara and her roomies took a little road trip to San Diego. It was so fun to have them here and to show them around! They arrived Wednesday night and were so good to share an air mattress and sleep on the couch in the living room. We're not the most glam over here but you gotta do what you gotta do when you have a tiny 1 bedroom apartment. 

While Sam studied and I went to work on Thursday they played at the beach and luckily got 1 day without June gloom. That night we made dinner at home then took them to our fave sunset stop, Sunset Cliffs and were not disappointed with the view. #nofilter

Then we went down to Little Italy for some ice cream at Salt & Straw. 

Friday, they met me at work and we went to get tacos for lunch, went up to Mount Soledad, and finished off the night with a bonfire at Coronado. 

Saturday we took the trolley to the Little Italy Farmer's Market, had lunch at Cafe Gratitude (super spendy but you order in positive affirmations. "I am thrilled"=french toast), and went to Old Town and explored the little shops and stopped by the Mormon Battalion Museum. 

 Here's a photo recreation 3 years later. We look about the same but the cactus sure grew!

2015:

2018:

Saturday night we ended with a bang! We went to the San Diego County Fair at Del Mar fairgrounds.

 Sam hates rollercoasters/sketchy rides so luckily I had the girls to go on rides with. We rode a super crazy, twisty, spiny, upside thing and I needed about 10 solid minutes to recover. It was intense. But this year we actually road the ferris wheel which was exciting!  

Also how much do Sara and I look like twins?!

Thanks bbgurl for visiting and not being embarrassed to bring your friends. Come back anytime!!

palm springs

A week before all the graduation festivities Sam and I were able to slip away to Palm Springs for the weekend, just the two of us. It was kind of our anniversary trip as well because April 23rd Sam was busy studying for finals and I was in Utah for Sara's graduation. But better late than never right?

It was the perfect weather--86 degrees and sunny, but not roasting. So we were able to walk around and see the sights without melting and lay by the pool with our books. 

We visited the Moorten Botanical Garden which is insta-famous for it's greenhouse. Not gonna lie, I was low key freaking out the whole time I was inside the greenhouse though because anything that resembles a snakes can trigger a full on panic attack. Feel free to look back on my rattlesnake encounter post for reference... And how much more could these cacti look like thousands of snakes ready to attack!  

 We ate at some fun places, did a little shopping, and drove by the fun hotels 

(no we didn't stay in any of them, maybe next time). 

On our drive home we stopped at a sculpture garden. It was crazy and literally in the middle of no where!

And just for fun...

I'm sure we'll be back soon Palm Springs!