Mountains of New Mexico

At the end of July, Mike, our 4 littles, and I drove down to Santa Fe, NM to meet up with our family for a camping trip. The kiddos were champs on the road, as usual and we made it there easily.  Driving through the mountains is one of my favorite things to do. I look forward to every twist and turn. The Rockies look different than the mountains we drove through in Santa Fe, but both are stunning.

Mike's parents took him and his sister, Steph,  camping when they were kiddos, so Mike knew the area. I've only been to Santa Fe once, a few years ago to ski, so it was a whole new world to me. Our nephew, Jordan, drove up with his mama and Nana and Grandad a day before we could make it. He was so excited to show his cousins all the things he'd been discovering.

The cousins loved looking in this old trunk. There were chipmunks living beneath the roots. The kids would leave pieces of apple or trailmix out to see if they could entice those little guys to come out. At some point during the trip, a chipmunk was brave enough to scurry very near my sister-in-law's chair- with her in it.

Grandad brought some fishing poles and a tackle box from Texas. I love fishing and haven't had the opportunity to cast out a line in years, so I was so happy to grab a pole and head down to the pond. There were fish jumping all over the place, but they were pretty good at just grabbing bait off our hooks and swimming away. Aubrie seemed to have the most patience with it. She was adorable casting out her line and then waiting for a tug while reading her book.

Aubrie would pick out a spot and settle in comfortably, sometimes looking at the beautiful green mountains surrounding us, sometimes watching the fish jump, and other times, she'd pick up her book.

Levi really liked the idea of throwing something out into the water but, understandably, his attention span, and enthusiasm weren't the best fit for fishing at this point. Mostly he ran around the pond finding rocks to throw in, or a little stream to splash in. He is pretty attentive when his Grandad is talking to him, and Mike and I loved watching Grandad show Levi how to fish.

How wonderful are those roots? The views were breathtaking. This gorgeous pond had a little trail around it that the kids pounded even flatter chasing each other.

They would jump into the tall grass on the outside of the trail and wait for Levi to come near and, BOO! Makes me smile just thinking about their squeals of laughter!

Look at those cousins! Does it get better? The still water, the gorgeous clouds rolling in, the tall trees, the stream just out of view. 

Our Little Tank had so much fun once he warmed up to being in such a new place. Getting used to all the new sounds, noises, and creatures took some time for him. I was so glad when he started playing a little more independently because I knew he'd love exploring. Haha! He got a little carried away at one point and I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures of him in timeout. That face just melts me!

Later on he helped the big kids on their worm hunt. We ran into a fishing guide that was very helpful. He recommended we use worms and try a couple of different spots. His advice was on point! The pictures I took of Jace catching a few are still on my phone. I can't wait to get them up here. There's a great little story to go along with them.

Here is the view from our campsite towards the road. You can see our restroom facilities on the left. I was expecting far more primitive conditions. This little building was a huge and welcome surprise! Haha! One of my funniest memories from the trip happened here. I'd forgotten completely the very cold blast of air that greets you as you sit down. I yelped, "WHOA!" and immediately heard my father-in-law burst out laughing. Mike and his mom were around the corner and joined in as well. Oh. My. Gosh. I'm cracking up just thinking about it!

There are many great memories of this trip floating around my head. Hiking with Mike, Steph, and the kids. Laughing as the altitude got the best of us. Driving into Santa Fe for more pants (mama didn't pack enough!), and to find a laundromat to dry the rain-soaked Tula. The really, really great camp food that Grandad cooked for us. Laughing until tears were rolling down almost all of our faces. I don't even remember what about. The whole thing- it was worth every minor annoyance.

We really had a special time. Without the distractions we usually have around, we got the chance to take time and just BE with each other. I'm so grateful for the memories we made together in those beautiful mountains.