Tram Ride in Albuquerque

We went straight from the chapel to the tram in Albuquerque. It was a lot of fun going up the mountain! Hayli really enjoyed it. We made reservations at the restaurant, High Finance, at the top of the mountain. The service and food was horrible! NEVER AGAIN will we go to that establishment. The view was beautiful though!

Santa Fe & Loretto Chapel

Yesterday we drove from Roswell to Santa Fe (New Mexico), which is about 3 hours, to see the Loretto Chapel. After it took FOREVER to find a parking spot and even though their website said that the chapel would be open until 5pm, they closed at 4:15 without any notice (I had just checked the website before departing Roswell). Grandpa really wanted to see the staircase without any support or nails, so we returned from Albuquerque this morning hoping that it would be open. Thank goodness it was. The staircase was really neat, but did not take long to view and photograph. We enjoyed our window shopping and bought some treasures from the local markets! I must say that Santa Fe was beautiful with a light hint of snow...

Bottomless Lakes State Park

On our way into Roswell, we saw signs for a state park with Bottomless Lakes. How is that possible? It was a discussion that lasted all through the day. So, this morning, we went to the park to see what this park could possibly be. What a little gem in the rough. I highly recommend it to anyone going to the Roswell area.A lake created by a cave (like those at Carlsbad) that collapsed. The water comes from the mountain ranges in Las Cruces. The water goes under ground and then goes into these "lakes". This lake is located near the visitor center and is called Cottonwood Lake.
This is the old water tower!
One of the bigger lakes is called "Lea Lake". When we went there it looked like a deserted resort. It looks like Lea Lake has all the amenities for a large population during the summer time. This is the lake that was "bottomless". Cowboys would put rope into the lake to measure the depth, but these lakes have circular current near the bottom (Lea Lake is 90 feet deep). So, no matter how much rope was put into the lake, the rope never hit the bottom... interesting huh?
I guess a lot of swimming is done in the lake when the weather is a bit warmer because the lake even has outdoor showers to rinse off!
Grandpa got a little ambitious and climbed the ridge... what photography can make you do!
Even the stream that runs off of the lakes has quite a bit of current!

Kids Take Too Much

You know when you have your hands full and you really just need to do a chore and place the baby somewhere safe just for a few minutes because you need both hands? Well, I had to clean Hayli's bottles in the bathroom sink in our hotel room. So I put her on the floor with the door tag to keep her entertained. Well, she had something else in mind.
So busted!!!

It really reminded me of the Charmin commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npd6lEnU6V4). Conrad and I laughed and laughed and laughed.

Roswell

Day 2 of our trip around the state of New Mexico lead us 1 1/2 hours to Roswell. Yes, the city of aliens. Roswell, though it has its charms, did not really impress us. There are no crash sites to visit but rather a small building made into a museum of Area 51 time-lines and theories. It was worth the relatively short drive, but it was also slightly disappointing.

Christmas on the Pecos

Oma found a great event that occurs in Carlsbad between Thanksgiving and New Years. This is "Christmas on the Pecos". We went here with Oma, Opa, Candace, Sean, Megan, Porter, & Jack in November. The boat ride was so much fun we decided to do it again...

Carlsbad Caverns

After we went to the Carlsbad Caverns (New Mexico) with Oma, Opa, Candace, Sean, Megan, Porter, and Jack during their last visit, Conrad and I thought that this would be a great place to take photo-loving Grandpa. So, the day after Christmas, we headed up there with Oma, Opa, and Great Uncle Pat. We were right! Grandpa, Moeke, and Auntie Elisabeth disappeared into the caves for several hours before reappearing. Carlsbad Caverns are really neat and we may have to head back up there for the bat flights in July and August.

Merry Christmas

This year pretty much went the way normal Christmases go for the family. I was the first one up - too early for most family members! I did, however, have to restrain myself a little bit. I waited for our angel Hayli to wake up before running downstairs with her. Good thing too, because she was a bit overwhelmed. I guess that is understandable. As most years are concerned, we went a bit overboard with the presents. (Note to self - next year fewer presents.) It was strange thinking this time last year Hayli was in my belly growing, and I was so ready for her to come out! Only to find out that I really wasn't fully prepared for motherhood. Like Hayli, I am learning as I go.

DONUTS!!!

Hayli got her little hands on breakfast for the 1st time today... what a mess!