Mirror Lake

The Mirror Lake hike was a lake extravaganza! Not only did I see Mirror Lake itself, there were two other pretty lakes along this hike as well as water and snow crossings, a waterfall, and a great group of hikers to enjoy it all with. 

Before we hit Mirror Lake, which was about two miles into our hike, we reached the smaller Cottonwood Lake. It was nice to reach a pretty view so quickly into a hike, but there were lots of mosquitoes buzzing around. If you choose to hike here in the warmer summer months definitely bring bug spray. 

Cottonwood Lake

After a short break to take the requisite pictures and enjoy the view we were off. As we neared Mirror Lake there still some snow on the ground to cross. Having trekking poles puts my mind at ease that I'm not going to fall flat on my face or butt, and the snow cooled me off as we hiked further on. It was like Christmas in summer with the snow crunching under our feet. 

People were camping in small groups at different points of our hike. There were actually a few guys and their pup camping right down by the lake, but they were nice enough to let us walk through their campsite to take pictures.

Ta-da! We enjoyed the view at Mirror Lake and chatted with the campers for a bit, and then my fellow hikers and I moved on in search of a lunch spot. It didn't take us long before we found a pretty area with a stream and small waterfall. 

I ventured a bit lower down as my hiking buddies were finishing up their lunches, and found a spot where the stream cascaded down like a beautiful curtain of water. Sometimes I see things that are so beautiful and poignant to me on my hikes that I'm really happy to have this blog to share them with other people. I hope my pictures also encourage others to go on some of my hikes and adventures themselves, because there really is nothing like seeing these awesome feats of nature in person.

There were a lot of beautiful wildflowers along the trail, and of course I couldn't help but stop and take some snaps of my beloved Bear Grass (Xerophyllum tenax if you want to get fancy).

Our hike took us along the Pacific Crest Trail, and my group and I joked whether we wanted to continue on to either Canada or Mexico. Sorry Canadian cousins, but my vote this time would be for Mexico! We continued on our hike to our turn-around spot, the tucked away Twilight Lake. 

It was a bit marshy trekking over to the lake, but luckily we haven't seen a lot of rain this summer so it wasn't too soggy. There was small flat area in the center that we stopped at for photos, and one of my fellow hikers had brought her pup as you can see in the picture below. Doggy energy is so contagious! It was a blast watching her dog swim in the lake, run out, and wriggle around in the grass in such obvious pleasure.

After a short break at Twilight Lake we headed back. Back over the stream with it's beautiful cascading water, back for one more glimpse of Mirror Lake, once again over crunchy snow-covered fields. This was a relaxing, perfect way to end the weekend.

I love the way I feel after my hikes, whether they're laid-back or more challenging. I'm recharged and ready to start my week, which will hopefully end with another hike!

Annette Lake

I don't know what it was about this hike, but I was really diggin' this trek up to Annette Lake. It was my first time leading a group of hikers and it was super fun. My homeskillet Rachel had to miss out on this one, but I loved this hike so much that I decided to plan a backpacking trip up there that she'll be able to join. 

Initially the day started out with some skepticism. It started to sprinkle a bit as I drove out to North Bend, and some fellow hikers weren't really prepared for rainy weather. Luckily Safeway happened to carry ponchos, so we headed out to the trail-head. The rain stopped completely and it actually ended up being perfect weather, not too hot for some uphill trekking. 

I liked the variety of sights along the trail. There were bridges to cross, small water crossings here and there, open trekking with a crackling powerline above, and some uphill action with great views of surrounding peaks before we reached our lakeside goal.

I particularly loved this bridge pictured above. It was as if a giant tree fell in the woods and someone decided to make the best of it and carve steps to traverse the gap.

One of the beautiful views along the trail

This trail is a popular one. We ran across many groups of friendly, chatty people. I don't know if it was the combination of beautiful scenery and fun company, but I felt like I was on some kind of hiker's high!

There were quite a few switchbacks and some elevation gain, but my group and I made it up to the top, and when we reached the lake we knew it had all been worth it.

Annette Lake is gorgeous! If it had been warmer I would have been tempted to jump right in. The water was clear and shimmering. We found a nice spot and had lunch while reveling in the sights. If I ever decide to give all of modern life up and become a wild mountain woman, you can come find me up here at the lake. My cats will have to learn how to fish...

A fun time was had by all, and if you're only going to do a few hikes in the Snoqualmie Pass area this season, make sure Annette Lake is one of them.

Cheers!

Tradition Lake Loop

Even though I used to live in the area, I had yet to hike any of the trails at High Point Way. Located right off of I-90 at exit 20, I think I took it for granted or was discouraged by the lines of cars parked all down the sides of the road. The Tradition Lake Loop trail is the perfect type of hike for someone who wants to get a bit of exercise and enjoy the great outdoors after work. There are lots of loop options that you can tailor to your liking, so you can do both quick hikes or extend your route for longer hikes.

If my memory serves me correctly, this was the smaller Round Lake. We looped around for an easy 4 mile hike. The weather was mild and sunny, and there were wildflowers blooming everywhere.

I don't think I was in a picture-taking mood, I just enjoyed the hike and relaxed with my hiking buddies. This hike wasn't particularly taxing physically, but I enjoyed the sights and can definitely see myself coming back more often to try out different trails. 

Mangia! Pizza! Updates!

I dare you to tell me that you don't like pizza. Do it. I will call b.s. on you so fast your head will spin! I don't care what form it's in, if there's no cheese, no sauce, just dough with some greens on it, it's pizza and YOU LOVE IT.

I was really craving pizza, but of course I was doing my No Eating Out challenge, and in all honesty I very rarely get delivery pizza anymore. If anything, I go to Papa Murphy's where I can control the toppings and get a thin crust.

With no delivery or takeout options available to me, what was I to do? Make my own of course! I picked up some whole wheat pizza dough from the grocery store, and I had everything else at home already. The dough is convenient, but next time I'm going to make it from scratch, it can't be that hard.

At first I was thinking Meatless Monday, but then I remembered I had some turkey pepperoni in the freezer and I couldn't resist. I rolled out the dough, ladled out my sauce, and sprinkled on shredded mozzarella. For toppings I added the pepperoni along with mushrooms, olives, red peppers, pepperoncinis, and a handful of feta cheese.

It turned out delicious! My pizza craving was satisfied and I didn't feel guilty.

To update you all on the No Eating Out Challenge, I can say that yes, I made it the whole two weeks without eating out. I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but I will say that there were invitations I had to turn down and temptations I avoided. I even sat and talked with friends while they ate at a restaurant and I sipped on a soda.

Success? Meh. I wasn't super happy with the results, except for maybe in my bank account. I still need to work on time management and meal planning. I may not have gone out to eat, but some nights I got home fairly late and didn't have anything prepared for dinner. I ended up eating crappy stuff like ramen noodles and even *gasp* boxed mac n' cheese. The whole point of this was to save money and eat better, but I definitely fell short on the eating healthier part. While all in all I eat much better than I have in the past, I could definitely use some help in planning out dinners. Breakfast with my smoothies are easy, and lunch is usually chicken and veggies so no problem either as long as I make sure to have my work fridge stocked. With dinner I either need to wake up earlier to prep before I go to work (yugh!) or I need to spend Sunday evening getting my dinners for the week made and ready to go. As much as I hate waking up early (I am a total She-beast for the most part in the morning before coffee), I still think that may be the way to go since I am usually pretty beat after my Sunday hikes.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated, I'll keep posting recipes and updating you all on successes and failures as they come. I like to think that every day is a new chance to improve on something you've done in the past, and I'm not going to beat myself up for trying.

Franklin Falls and Denny Creek

Okay I've finally motivated myself to upload the pictures of this hike from my camera! I'm going to have to make sure I upload my blog posts either the same day or at least before I go on another hike or adventure. When I let a few days go by they seem to turn into weeks before I get a chance to post! Work has been busy and I have had a ton of hikes and trips I've gone on, so I'm excited to update you all on what I've been up to!

I really enjoyed this hike to Franklin Falls and Denny Creek. I thought the weather was great, it got a bit hotter throughout the day and with less cover, but we had a fun and energetic group as well as icy creek water and snow to keep us entertained and cheery. 

The crew at the start of our hike

The first part of our hike took us to Franklin Falls. This part of the hike was really short as the way to the falls is only about a mile. It was a small but pretty waterfall. What amazed me is that you can actually see the freeway above the falls, but I never realized I've driven past here countless time without realizing there was a pretty hike and view below me!

Here I am, cheesing it up at the base of the falls. It felt really nice with the mist from the falls blowing on us. It was already getting warm, and it was going to get even warmer as the day went on. 

One of my fellow hikers brought her dog Buddha. Buddha was pretty chill, but this is a pic where she is staring so intently at the cascading water of the falls you would've thought she was imagining a fire hydrant or some other doggy oasis. I love it when I get to hike with dogs, I find they bring their boundless, happy energy and it rubs off on everyone else.

After a short stop at Franklin Falls we headed back to the beginning of the trail so we could begin our hike to Denny Creek. It wasn't too long before we reached the creek, maybe half a mile. The creek crossing was a bit sketchy, with a bunch of fallen trees and branches in the water for us to traverse. Instead of falling fully into the water as my klutzy self would be inclined, I chose to get my feet a bit wet as I made my way across.

It would have been easier if I could have hitched a ride here like my smart doggy pal Maxwell. Alas, I had to pull my big girl undies up and do it myself. With the temperature rising, my socks and shoes dried off quickly enough. We continued past the creek up the trail and soon reached Keekwulee Falls. I thought it was a beautiful view, and there was still snow up above it and the surrounding area. 

We were in for even more snow as we continued towards Melakwa Lake. We decided as a group to turn back before we reached the lake since we weren't sure about the snow in some places. I took the opportunity to make a snow angel before we headed back. How many people do you know who can say they've made a snow angel in July?

Yes, I know I look like a dork but I could care less

We capped off the hike with testing out the waters at the creek. I was surprised so many families were splashing around in the water because it was still pretty darn cold. The rock in some areas of the creek is so smooth that children were having a blast sliding down in the water before running back out, shivering but shrieking with happiness. 

I'd recommend this hike to both families and people wanting to relax down by the water as well as trekkers who want to do a full day-hike.

Under Cover of Night:Hiking with the Stars

I've hiked up to Rattlesnake Ledge more times than I can count, and I can honestly say that it is one of my favorite short hikes, for many reasons. The surrounding area holds so many sights and scenes to explore. I spent many a summer swimming in Rattlesnake Lake, and later mountain biking on the Iron Horse - John Wayne Pioneer Trail. It holds a special place in my heart, and for some reason I always feel really peaceful and at ease when I'm there.

This hike was going to be a bit different. This was going to be the first time hiking up to the ledge in the evening. I was looking forward to watching the sun go down and star gazing. I had my hiking gear and my trusty headlamp with a flashlight for back-up.

It was a beautiful day, and I got up to Rattlesnake Lake a bit early so I could get out, stretch, and enjoy the view of the water. Some summers the water is so low that you could see all the tree stumps that are normally hiding under the depths. Once I even walked across the lake as it was completely dry! Today the water was high, and lots of people were out swimming, barbecuing, and enjoying the great weather we've been having. This summer has been great so far! It annoys me when people complain all the time about the weather, like if it's been great and then it rains for one day. Like that one day of rain makes them forget about all the nice days. Get over it and just live one day at a time, that's how I feel. Unless it's snowing. But I have months before I need to start thinking about snow.

I met up with my group and we headed out. Maybe because I've been doing longer and more challenging hikes lately, but I felt like we reached the ledge in less than 40 minutes.

View of Mt. Si from Rattlesnake

It was still pretty light out when we came to the end of our short hike, but the scenery was lovely. It was definitely not as busy later in the evening, unlike early morning and afternoon when hordes of people scramble up to hang out and enjoy the sights. 

The sun made it so bright that some pictures are a bit washed out, so it really doesn't do justice to the lake and area surrounding. You'll just have to go to Rattlesnake yourself and check it out to get the full experience!

We stayed up on the ledge with a few other groups of people for almost an hour, snacking and chit-chatting. We were originally going to stay until complete darkness to see the full moon, but realized we would probably have to stay for at least another hour. This wouldn't have been a problem besides being attacked pretty vigorously by a gang of mosquitoes. Having enjoyed our time once again up on Rattlesnake Ledge, we  conceded to nature's little bloodsuckers and headed down. The group voted and had decided we could spend our time looking at the moon and stars down by the lake.

It was absolutely necessary to have a headlamp or at least a flashlight when heading down, and I gladly loaned out my spare flashlight to a group member who had forgotten hers. If you don't have a headlamp yet for late hikes or even just camping, I highly recommend one. Having both hands free is very helpful and sometimes necessary when out on hikes that run longer than planned or are scheduled for evenings, especially if you are using trekking poles. I don't have a headlamp that's super fancy, I actually picked mine up from a hardware store for less than five bucks for late night potty trips on a camping trip. I plan on getting a nicer one soon, but that all depends on the ol' budget.

Soon enough all of our group members were down at the lake. A symphony of frogs were happily croaking their froggy lungs out. I thought it was amazing, the closer you got to them, it actually became hard to talk or hear the people around you!

I don't know which of my group members took this to credit them, but can you see the froggy?

 I didn't stay out as late as the rest of the group, because I had to wake up early for another hike to Franklin Falls and Denny Creek in the morning. I had a fun evening and yet again enjoyed my time at Rattlesnake. If any of you have yet to go to Rattlesnake Lake and hike up to the ledge, I highly recommend it!

Golden Grains of Sand

Saturday. July 7th. This day will live in my memory. Why? This was the day I went to Golden Gardens Park, and it was glorious. The weather had been so fantastic lately, and since my roomie had also never been to the park, we decided to check it out.

We headed out around 2:30pm after I got off work. We packed lunches and bevvies, and off we went! Traffic for a Saturday really wasn't too bad, except for some construction right before we got to the park. If I'm going to be completely honest, I didn't even realize where Golden Gardens was. I thought it was in the same area as the Ballard Locks. Boy was I in for a surprise!

Parking was a bit dicey, we ended up parking up the hill from the park and trekking down. It was definitely worth the short hike down, because we were in paradise!

The water was a glimmering beauty. The sand felt deliciously hot and silky between my toes. We spread out our beach towels and commenced relaxation. Jack Johnson serenaded us as we lounged and people-watched. 

Okay, this picture above doesn't even look like we're in Washington, right? I've never seen so many happy Washingtonians sunbathing in one spot, bahahahaha! 

We soaked up the sun, ate our lunches, and lounged in the golden sand along the beach. I ventured down to the water to wade in, and brrrrrr it was chilly! I can't wait to come back when it's warmer and I feel more bikini-ready.

My one regret is that we couldn't stay for long, because I had to head back to get ready for an evening hike up Rattlesnake Ledge. It would be great to go back to Golden Gardens and make a complete day of it, with a morning walk up the beach, BBQ and frisbee in the afternoon, and a bonfire at dusk! 

Turkey Cupcakes, Mmmmm!

Alright guys and gals, I've been a busy lady lately so I need to catch up with my posts!

How many of you thought I'd lost my mind when they read "Turkey Cupcakes," huh? It's alright, I promise I haven't been combining meat with dessert to save time. Although believe me, if it could be done and not be disgusting, I'd probably try it! Well maybe. I know they make mince meat pies...uh never mind...

So Thursday after my hiking adventure I was starving. Thanks goodness I had already shopped at Trader Joe's for dinner ingredients or I probably would have just made a smoothie and called it a night. I had decided earlier in the day to make a comfort food in a healthier way. I adapted a recipe from the awesome Hungry Girl and made individual turkey meatloaves. Here's my version:

Individual Turkey Meatloaves

1 small sweet yellow onion

1/4 cup ketchup

1 lb. raw lean ground turkey

1 egg

1 10oz. can of regular or sweet corn kernels

1 6oz. box of stuffing mix (I used Stovetop Chicken flavor but other ones like Cornbread, Turkey, or Whole Wheat would be great too)

garlic powder

sea salt

cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a box grater, grate the onion into a big bowl. I LOVE THIS TIP! Thank you Hungry Girl! I try not to be super picky with my food but I've always hated that raw, uncooked texture of diced onions, and this gave you the flavor of onion in the meat loaf but not that crunchy onion texture I hate.

Add all the other ingredients to the bowl. I didn't add measurements to the garlic powder, sea salt, and cayenne pepper because I think you should add according to your own taste. I sprinkled each throughout mixing the ingredients so the spices were evenly distributed.

Prep your 12-cup muffin pan. You could either use nonstick spray or cupcake liners, I went with the cupcake liners for an easier clean up later. The original recipe only made 9 mini meatloaves, but with the addition of the stuffing mix mine ended up making 12 generous portions. Evenly distribute the mixture, and top each with ketchup. I made a little swirly pattern on the top of mine just for the heck of it.

Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. What I did was set my oven for 35 minutes and I checked on them. I did end up cooking them for almost 40 minutes. Let them sit for a bit (the original recipe says 5 minutes) or if you're like me just grab the pan and "nom nom nom" because you're starving!

These turned out great! While they make 12 individual servings, the average person would probably be able to eat two of these along with sides for dinner. For my sides I had baked sweet potatoes which I mashed with a pat of Smart Balance and a sprinkling of brown sugar, and I love corn so I also had some more with a splash of lime juice and cayenne pepper.

Not the prettiest plate color-wise, but the meal was delish and hit the spot for me. Quick comfort food that doesn't sacrifice your health, it's an A+ in my book!

Quick (?) and a Lil' Dirty

Today was a gorgeous day, and after sleeping in and relaxing a bit I was determined to go out and enjoy the sunshine. Woke up, made my coffee and smoothie, and munched on some nectarines, cherries, and blueberries. After last night's Fourth of July festivities it was nice to be laid-back, puttering around the house and playing with my cats Boo and Tigre. Sometimes I think they both like it when I have the day off, other times I think they just want to nap all day.


I left my house later in the afternoon, around 3:30. My destination was Ardmore Park , located in Bellevue. Even though I've lived in the Bellevue area for awhile, I had never heard of the park until I read Rachel's posting in Huckleberries and Rain and I thought it would be a fun, quick trail hike.

The park is located in a really quiet, peaceful neighborhood, and while people were in the playground area and on the grass, I didn't meet many on the trail. I'm assuming a lot of people were back at work after the holiday. It was hard to believe that this park with it's beautiful little trails has been here this whole time and I had never checked it out. It is really nestled in a quiet neighborhood so I'm guessing not many people pass by it. I'm glad I had a chance to experience it on such a beautiful day. It's such a surprising juxtaposition to have a forested trail with such lush vegetation right along with an urban setting, I almost forgot where I was for a moment.


After enjoying the short trail, I had planned to stop by my local Trader Joe's for dinner ingredients. I had a craving for something comforting and homey, so I decided I'd make meatloaf along with veggies and a sweet potato mash. After my shopping trip I took the longer way home to avoid traffic, and couldn't help stopping to check out another area in Bellevue I've always meant to check out.

I passed by the Lake Hills Greenbelt all the time when I was working at the restaurant with my Mom. but I never stopped to walk around. I was happy I did today because I got to see the gorgeous view at Phantom Lake. I think you can walk further down along other trails, but since I had groceries in the car I just stopped for a moment a the lake. 

Lovely lily pads 

The reflection of the trees on the water was breathtaking

A really pretty spot to have a picnic or read a book. It was fairly quiet, but a few people were walking around with their dogs or just sitting and soaking up the sun.

You'd think my outdoor adventures for the day would be winding down, huh? I thought so too as I headed home, but something came over me as I drove towards my home and passed the Coal Creek Trail-head. I've driven past it so many times, always meaning to check it out, but parking is usually full or there's some other excuse. I was so enjoying being outdoors and exploring new places that I decided I was going for it. I went home, dropped off my groceries, and turned right back around. 

When I got to the Coal Creek Trail-head marker, I saw that it was only 1.4 miles to Sandstone Falls. I thought, why not? It seemed like a short trek and I'd get home to make a late dinner. It was about 6:30 in the evening when I started out, and the sun was still shining high in the sky. 

The weather was still balmy, and the trail was nice and relaxing. The one big thing about this trail is that I wish it was more clearly marked at key points. I was walking for a good while and thought to myself that it sure felt longer than 1.4 miles. I kept hiking and climbing, and took what I thought would be a trail towards the waterfall. I kept walking until I reached...the YMCA?!? Apparently this was not the trail I had meant to be on. I backtracked and went left instead of right, in search of this elusive waterfall. I asked a woman I passed how to get to the waterfall and she said to go right once I reached a gravel road, and then left further up. I kept hiking up this new trail and followed her directions to...the Red Town Trail-head?!? What.the.frick. Albeit a lovely day, I was starting to get pissed at this waterfall. Why was it messing with me?  I turned around and backtracked some more. As I passed an area I had been by earlier, I noticed a sign I hadn't seen earlier. It pointed in the direction of my white whale, the Sandstone Falls! Oh did I mention this was about two hours into my "short" hike? Oh and what was below this sign? A "Trail Closed" sign. Cue dramatic climax music, ending with a Hitchcockian scream. Oh the sound and the fury that I wanted to bellow at the trail gods. I calmed myself, thinking back to the baby bunny I saw hippity hoppiting down a trail early. Cute, fluffy bunny thoughts Tina.Don't do anything stupid Tina. Well, to put it in a nutshell, I did something I probably shouldn't have and it involved stinging nettles, water hazards, and an ominous rustling of leaves that had me screaming like a little girl back to civilization. Trails are closed for a reason people, and I don't advise ANYONE to blaze a trail because you never know what you could be getting yourself into. You bested me, waterfall!!!

I stumbled back towards my car, a little bit pissy but still thankful for such a beautiful day. I got to see so many new sights that had been long overdue on my part to experience. I perused a pretty park, I languidly lounged at the lake, and I manically meandered through my local trails. Overall today I walked more than six miles! I got some exercise and soaked in some sun in my beautiful Pacific Northwest 'hood, not a bad day off at all. 

Red, White, and Blue for Me & You!

Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July! The weather was amazing, and I was excited to spend time with friends and enjoy the fireworks on Lake Union in the evening.

I wanted to spend time with my friends Meena and Steve before heading over to a party at my bestie Kacie and her hubby Mark's later in the afternoon. With my challenge still going on, I met Meena and Steve at their place for a home cooked breakfast. I promise I'll be posting more meals and recipes for you guys, but I'm not going to lie, I love hanging with Meena and Steve and eating and laughing with them! We always have fun and as a bonus when I go over to their home I get to hang with their kitty, the adorbs Benzo. 

There was an awesome spread of Belgian waffles, eggs, hand made chicken sausages, and turkey bacon along with super strong coffee (Yay!) that I heart. I wish I would have snapped a pic, but Benzo is a total daddy's boy and jumped up in Steve's lap for scratches and snuggles after our meal. He didn't seem to interested in our leftovers but he was in heaven getting attention from Steve. 

After breakfast we spread out before heading over to Kacie and Mark's. Meena went to go get ready, Steve played this creepy game called Limbo that I was fascinated with. For those of you that didn't know, I am a bit of a video/computer gamer geek girl when the mood hits me. I have this weird quirk that if it's a scary game I would rather watch it being played by someone else. The puzzles fascinated me, and I jumped every time the character died or was killed. In between peeking at Steve's game-play I put myself to work baking the cookies I mentioned in my last post. I was curious to see how cookies made from cake mix, whipped cream, and an egg would turn out. I mixed up the batter and rolled each ball in powdered sugar. I was happy with the look of the cookies after they came out of the oven, crinkly and crackly with chocolate and powdered sugar. They turned out light, fluffy, and chewy, a triple win according to my taste buds. They were so easy to make I'm excited to try different flavor combinations. What does everyone think of carrot cake mix with french vanilla whipped cream? Yummy!

I was excited for the way my cookies turned out, and I also had the blue and red jello shots I'd made the night before with canned whip cream to top off the red, white, and blue theme. I'm going to give the dessert of the day to Meena though, she rocked the house with her cake pops! They were Funfetti flavored with a lemony frosting, and their presentation was gorgeous.

With our goodies in tow, we headed off for Seattle. Traffic was alright but parking was horrible as expected. We ended up parking farther away from the party than we would have liked, but Kacie came and picked us up to head down to the party. Kacie and hubs Mark just bought a house which is awesome, but this will be the last year of our amazing fireworks view off their balcony. I planned on soaking it in and enjoying it for sure. 

As you can see, the barge with the fireworks display was literally right in front of our line of sight. I kept rubbing my hands together in anticipation like a mad scientist. I am completely a little kid when it comes to the absolute glee I get from seeing those fireworks light up the night sky. 

It may be a bit hard to tell, but across the water is Gas Works Park, and there was a sea of people hanging out and waiting to watch the show in the evening. 

Our group was the first to arrive, and I was ready to get down and party! As some of my friends know, in the past I was notorious for hiding away somewhere and falling asleep if I got a bit too crazy too fast, so I definitely wanted to pace myself so I wouldn't gas out before the fireworks. 

I had bought red, white, and blue leis from the Dollar Store, so we were reppin' for the holiday, and I love love LOVED Meena's great patriotic stunna shades!

More people started to slowly trickle in, and eventually most of the group had arrived and we all commenced enjoying the adult bevvies and great spread of party food. I don't indulge like this too often, so without guilt I enjoyed hot dogs and treats while catching up with friends. I enjoy eating clean and healthy when I can and especially during the work week so I can enjoy food I wouldn't normally have large quantities of during special occasions or on a weekend day. While I want to enjoy a healthier lifestyle and diet, I don't ever want to come off as preachy or judgmental of others. I'm not perfect in any way, I'm just a short and sassy girl trying to make her way in the world ^__^

The anticipation was building for the fireworks, and everyone started gathering onto the deck the closer it got to pretty bang bang time. A little after ten in the evening, the magic started!

Ooooooooo!

Ahhhhhhhhh!

I'm not going to fill this post up with fireworks pics, which I could do, but the show was even more amazing in person and there wasn't anywhere else on Earth I would've wanted to be than to be surrounded by my family of friends. Well, maybe besides seeing the fireworks in Hawaii like my brother David was. I was a bit jealous of that. I was surrounded by love and lights, and it doesn't get much better than that.