Americans have always had a love affair with their cars. Out here in the west, you need a truck. Not just any truck, but a big truck. We definitely needed a bigger truck and one that had 4 wheel drive. It is a necessity here in the mountains. We finally broke down and bought a new truck. We have been debating about buying a new truck since we moved here. We got a pretty good deal and a really cool truck.
Happy Father’s Day to the Best Dad Hands Down!
After a stop at the dump, we headed up to Cibola National Forest. We ate lunch and enjoyed the scenery even though the wind was blowing. Then we found a little stream and got out for some pictures. Next time we will come prepared and be able to play in the water. We then headed up to Sandia Peak. It was really windy up there and I felt like I was going to blow away. Also the fact that I don’t really like heights kept me in the middle of the observation deck while the boys stood on the railings. I think I am a flat lander. I love the mountains, but not the height part. Going down the mountain is my favorite part. 🙂 All in all it was another fun Saturday outing.
On the first Friday of the month, the International Balloon Museum in Albuquerque is free so off we went to check it out. It’s a neat museum with a hot air balloon simulator, hands on exhibits for the kids, and actual balloons that have been flown all over the world. The boys enjoyed it a lot and Billy even requested to come back and see it again.
On Saturday, we took a drive to the Jemez Mountains with our east coast friends, the Gacks. The mountains are beautiful and the weather was perfect. We found a meadow for the kids to play in and run around. They had a good time exploring and just being outdoors. We later made our way to Los Alamos. It’s a sleepy little town that is home to Los Alamos National Laboratory where the atomic bomb was designed and built. We then headed to Santa Fe for dinner. It was a nice excursion on a beautiful New Mexico day.
Today was Billy’s graduation from Kindergarten. What a milestone. I remember all those months ago in August when I cried when he got on the bus on the first day of school. Now he is on his way to first grade. The ceremony was nice with the kids singing songs and then as they crossed the stage they said their name and got a diploma. It was a great day and I am so thankful I was able to be there along with Bebe (my mom) and Baden.
Sixteen years ago today on a beautiful day in Dallas, Texas, Bill and I were married at the Dallas, Texas Temple. The skies were the bluest you would ever see and the weather was perfect. We have had a lots of ups and downs, but mostly ups. We have three great kids and are so blessed to be close to our families. Last year, we were preparing to move to New Mexico so I couldn’t put our wedding picture up on the blog so here’s a blast from the past — a wedding picture of the way we looked on that great day. It’s been a great 16 years and I know we will have many more.
What an ordeal! I went in for a bowel resection surgery on April 27th and now I am finally home. I had some complications. I had three abscesses that popped up so I had to have drains put in. The first one did the trick, but then there was in my back that wasn’t drain like they wanted it to so another drain was put in. I got that drain taken out today. I was praying really hard that I wouldn’t have another drain put in, but unfortunately I had to have a drain put in where the first was put in. I hope this one does the trick. I made a deal with the doctor. I would let him put this drain in and I would get to go home. It’s not a bad deal. I will have home health care checking on me and I go back next Thursday for a CT scan to see if the drain is working. I don’t usually solicit prayers, but I really could use them. I just want this all to be over with. I am just glad that I am home. Being in the hospital almost a month is enough to drive a person crazy. I wrote a lot while I was there and despite what people think watching TV and eating in bed is no picnic. It is nice to be able to walk around without having to push an IV pole around. When Bill came to get me today, he said let’s blow this joint. That’s exactly how I felt. I am sure he is glad that he doesn’t have to drive down every day to see me. It can be quite a chore. I am just thankful that my mom is here to help with the boys and take care of things around the house. Bill has been awesome throughout all of this especially as he is finishing up two college courses plus working. I don’t think you ever realize how much family means until you are away from them. When I got home today, Baden gave me a big hug and if I sat on the couch he would come and snuggle with me. When Billy got home from school, he ran in the house and gave me a big hug and a kiss. I am just so thankful to be home and I want to stay!
On the west side of Albuquerque there is a unique placed called the Petroglyph National Monument. As you look out over the Albuquerque skyline, you are standing among ancient ruins. Petroglyph National Monument protects a variety of cultural and natural resources including volcanos, archeological sites and an estimated 20,000 carved images. Many of the images are recognizable as animals, people, brands and crosses; others are more complex. Petroglyphs are rock carvings (rock paintings are called pictographs) made by pecking directly on the rock surface using a stone chisel and a hammerstone. When the “desert varnish” on the surface of the rock was pecked off, the lighter rock underneath was exposed, creating the petroglyph. Archaeologists have estimated there may be over 25,000 petroglyph images along the 17 miles of escarpment within the monument boundary.It is estimated 90% of the monument’s petroglyphs were created by the ancestors of today’s Pueblo Indians. Puebloans have lived in the Rio Grande Valley since before 500 A.D., but a population increase around 1300 A.D. resulted in numerous new settlements. It is believed that the majority of the petroglyphs were carved from about 1300 through the late 1680s.
We definitely need to do some more exploring, but this was a fun activity on a beautiful day.
This year we ventured north to Utah for an Easter filled with family and fun. While the guys and Jessica were out shooting, some of the kids decorated eggs. Baden loved this activity and wanted all the eggs for himself. Luckily, his cousins managed to get a few decorated, too. Then it was off to Moab for an Easter Egg Hunt at the campground where Kim and her family were camping for the weekend. We had a barbecue and then let the kids hunt for eggs filled with candy, bubbles and other fun things. They had a great time. While some of the family had to leave to go back up North, we ventured south to Bluff. The kids played in the sand and became rock climbers. They loved this. Then it was back home to reality on Tuesday. It was a fun trip even though the weather didn’t cooperate. It was windy and cold, but it was fun to spend time with Bill’s family.
