COVID Trip to Carlsbad

We took an overnight trip to Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  Wesley remembers the last trip we took as a family- he was very little and swore he didn't need to use the restroom- that is until we were deep in the cave!  A ranger took pity on us and gave Wesley a bag to go in- he went around a corner and she so kindly took the bag from there.

We traveled with the Luke and Jen Graham's family and stayed in our own rooms in a brand new Hilton Home2Suites which was super nice and fancy.  

This trip Wesley took a stakeboard.  He and Luke received skateboards from Santa.  After crawling around in the cave we ate lunch and skated around the Carlsbad skate park.  Wesley used the Canon 30D digital camera (color photos belo) and I (Jason) used a Canon A-1 film camera (B&W photos below) to capture some scenes:

After the skate park, we checked out the "Flume" an ~100yr old aqueduct that carries Pecos river water for irrigation diverted upstream and then crosses again the Pecos river.  We sang "THE LARGEST CONCRETE STRUCTURE IN THE WORLD!"  After some fact checking the tune became "THE LARGEST CONCRETE aqueduct IN THE WORLD at the time"!  ;-)  All were confused why we stopped for it but we had a great time goofing around.

It's going to be a good year!

We spent the first day of this new and hopeful year together, as a family, skiing!  ⛷️

And if this year is anything like it's very first sunset, it's going to be a good year!

Happy 9th birthday Luke!!!

Luke came in our bedroom just 2 minutes before he was born 9 years ago.  We counted down the final minutes to the time Luke, the "bringer of Light" arrived.  

Joy Ride...

Joy and I are the proud and poor new owners of a couple road bikes:

We went on our first road ride together to the north end of Tramway and up to Tierra Monte on the way to the La Luz trail.  What a great date!

Oh, and guess who scored a (used) extra small road bike today?

No roads for awhile, but the Tramway trail was a great first spin- up next? A shifting lesson...

Balloon Fiesta weekend: galloping grace pumpkin patch

Flower Girl

Joy and I attended the wedding our friends Maria Rodas to Cody Hooper (awesome artist- check out his website).  They are both wonderful people-- and I don't have a single photo of them ;-).  Why?  Well, here are the the flower girls- Ava and Rachel that's why.  (These are just cell phone pics- we're looking forward to seeing some of the pro photographer's photos!).

She did a great job, but got a little bored during the vows and army crawled away and over to the golf  fairway and rolled around in the grass a bit just like a flower girl should do...

They came back afterward, picked up pedals and had some more fun...

More flower girl snapshots

The band was outstanding- we stayed and danced until the end. Somewhere in all that dancing and rolling around in the grass Rachel stepped on her dress and the bottom ribbon ripped off :-( .  It did however make a sash that she used to dance and spin around with.  She was a hit really.  People could not get enough of her.  Rachel and Ava were the first ones on the dance floor that night.

Missing my family

Hello family, I'm on my way home!

So I hear...

...that horses can sleep standing...

Fun week

Pile-o-kids at the school curriculum night

Hanging out with the Wymeranian

Labor Day adventure: Sandia Man Cave

Where is that kid?!?!

Just prior to calling the police and just After searching up and down the street we found Wyatt's new favorite hiding place....  Thanks for the heart attack son- I found you on the third search of the house- sound asleep!

Life Rolls Along...

There is nothing so great as a "special shapes" cake on your birthday.  Joy and the kids made me a family camping tent this year for my birthday (38th! yuck!).   I had to ask my brother Carter how old we are this year.  

(Joy here- there is always some thought and reason, and hopefully some creativity, put into the cakes.  We got a new family tent this spring.  And we have used it and loved it.  Between family camping and camping with the scouts Jason has camped 7 of the last 13 weekends plus some week days.  We have one more family camping trip coming up in two weeks.  Thus the tent cake- modeled after our 9 person tent.  Thanks Dad for the adventures!!!  Oh and one more disclaimer, that poor cake was slapped together in about 5 min.  We had just gotten home from our spin training for our Triathlon and friends were coming over.  A sad excuse for the amount of time I THOUGHT about the cake.)

 Later this month the kids went off to school yet again!  This is Allie's last year at John Baker Elementary.  She's the big girl on campus as a 5th grader.  Her teacher is Mr. Findell, the only male teacher at the school.

Here's our handsome 3rd grader.  His teacher is Ms. Walker this year.

 And last but not least our 1st grader Wesley.   His teacher is Ms. Day who he says is very pretty.  I doubt that tucked shirt lasted too long...

That's going to hurt

At the time she thought it was a good idea to put a bandaid on her forehead over her eyebrows...

Joy ripped it off quickly while Rachel was in the bathtub this evening.  What was under it?  A red spot- clotted blood?  Nope.  She had Jello earlier this afternoon.

Good morning

These two both wanted the high chair

Mystery Solved

Uncle Jason got to take a quick trip to Bakersfield to ordain Jay a high priest for his new calling as second councilor in his Bishopric.  I had a super fun time hanging out with my nieces and nephews and brought each of them a prize.  Per prize rules you need to sit on a couch, put out your hands and close your eyes.  See the proper technique demonstrated below.

The girls received a flavored Chapstick from Joy and Andrew a bunch of cool quartz crystals.

Here is Uncle Jay getting his prize- old magazines to read and a new belt.  They were delivered with expert help.

Ilene and little Rose got a little Christmas outfit.

Thanks for the fun time, I wish I could have stayed longer!