I am a planner, so when Jimmy suggested taking a trip to New Mexico I was a little stressed but pretty excited. We decided to take the trip on a Sunday, leave for New Mexico 3 days later, that Wednesday, and be home the next Sunday. Could I possibly take a trip without months of planning!?! YES! It was so invigorating! Jimmy's brother was called to be the new bishop in his ward in Albuquerque, so we figured that was a great excuse for a visit and to give support. Everything fell right into place. My mom offered to take the kids - WOW, Jimmy had the week off, and we have the transportation to get there. I guess a little get away doesn't need to take months of planning. We left early Wednesday and drove straight through. It took about 9 1/2 hours to get there, but it was an easy drive because we were kid-less! John and Stacey were so accommodating. We have never been to New Mexico and it definitely has a unique landscape. It is a charming dessert city. We arrived around 4:00 pm on Wednesday January 28th, got settled in, and then took a short bike tour of John's neighborhood. Jimmy wanted to find some fun places to go skateboarding. We spent the rest of the evening playing Rock Band. That game is a blast! The next day, Thursday January 29th, we did a quick run in the morning, (it was nice to be outdoors and not freezing), then went to the Petroglyph
National Monument. It was fun to hike around and see all the old Indian writings, we also found a few "not so old" writings, which included a peace sign. I guess the area was a volcanic area so there was lots of volcanic rock. When you hiked to the top you had a view of the whole city. It was really nice. Friday January 30th, we drove out to Santa Fe to check out the state capitol. We walked around The Plaza, which is a historic part of Santa Fe, which has ritzy shopping boutiques, as well as an area where the native people lay blankets out and sell jewelry, pottery, and paintings. That was fun to see. Jimmy and I wanted to try New Mexican cuisine, so John and Stacey treated us to lunch at The Shed. It was a cool restaurant decorated with New Mexican decor. Jimmy ordered a taco and enchilada place smothered with green chili sauce, I ordered an ultra spicy pork dish. Man, were my lips burning! I wish I could remember what the dish was called, so if you read about pork slow cooking in red sauce, beware! Later that evening we all went to the local pool (it was .25 cent night). It was fun to swim laps and play with the kids, however the water was pretty cold, but we got use to it. On Saturday January 31st, Jimmy
and I took Madison and Jarom to this cool geological site call Tent Rock National Monument. It was this really cool area with volcanic formations. There were two hike you could take. The first hike we went on took you through a slot canyon on the way up to the top lookout point. I have never hiked in slot canyons before, it was AWESOME, and the scenery was so beautiful. It was cool to hike through narrow paths and crawl under rocks. We also climbed up in some of the formations, which afterward Jimmy informed us that it was illegal and we could have been charged $250.00 if caught. I was a bit more careful after that. The weather was amazing and the view from the top was beautiful. After that hike we went on the other hike which was just a short loop around the bottom of the canyon. After going on the first hike we decided that the loop hike was lame! That evening the rest of Jimmy's family arrived. We had fun playing games and having FHE. On Sunday we went to church for John's big new calling. We could not even imagine what John was thinking. He will do a great job as bishop. After sacrament, setting apart, and lunch we were on our way back home. Again another smooth drive back. We even listened to the super bowl. We had a great trip and are looking forward to another visit, but this time with the kids. It was so nice to spend time wit Jimmy's brother and his family. It was fun to get to know Stacey a little better, she is an amazing cook and fed us well. Madison likes the same type of music as I do and she's really fun to talk to. Jarom is a really smart kid and is amazing at Rock Band, Charity is the cutest little 3 year old ever. I had fun playing tickle monster with her and at FHE the thing she said she liked about me was that "I made funny noises". I laughed me head off. What is that supposed to mean Charity? She is a doll. John wanted us to have the time of our life, which we did. He is so young at heart, he reminds me of Jimmy in that way. It was fun to spend time with him. Thanks John and Stacey for making our trip a memorable one!
I am a planner, so when Jimmy suggested taking a trip to New Mexico I was a little stressed but pretty excited. We decided to take the trip on a Sunday, leave for New Mexico 3 days later, that Wednesday, and be home the next Sunday. Could I possibly take a trip without months of planning!?! YES! It was so invigorating! Jimmy's brother was called to be the new bishop in his ward in Albuquerque, so we figured that was a great excuse for a visit and to give support. Everything fell right into place. My mom offered to take the kids - WOW, Jimmy had the week off, and we have the transportation to get there. I guess a little get away doesn't need to take months of planning. We left early Wednesday and drove straight through. It took about 9 1/2 hours to get there, but it was an easy drive because we were kid-less! John and Stacey were so accommodating. We have never been to New Mexico and it definitely has a unique landscape. It is a charming dessert city. We arrived around 4:00 pm on Wednesday January 28th, got settled in, and then took a short bike tour of John's neighborhood. Jimmy wanted to find some fun places to go skateboarding. We spent the rest of the evening playing Rock Band. That game is a blast! The next day, Thursday January 29th, we did a quick run in the morning, (it was nice to be outdoors and not freezing), then went to the Petroglyph 
National Monument. It was fun to hike around and see all the old Indian writings, we also found a few "not so old" writings, which included a peace sign. I guess the area was a volcanic area so there was lots of volcanic rock. When you hiked to the top you had a view of the whole city. It was really nice. Friday January 30th, we drove out to Santa Fe to check out the state capitol. We walked around The Plaza, which is a historic part of Santa Fe, which has ritzy shopping boutiques, as well as an area where the native people lay blankets out and sell jewelry, pottery, and paintings. That was fun to see. Jimmy and I wanted to try New Mexican cuisine, so John and Stacey treated us to lunch at The Shed. It was a cool restaurant decorated with New Mexican decor. Jimmy ordered a taco and enchilada place smothered with green chili sauce, I ordered an ultra spicy pork dish. Man, were my lips burning! I wish I could remember what the dish was called, so if you read about pork slow cooking in red sauce, beware! Later that evening we all went to the local pool (it was .25 cent night). It was fun to swim laps and play with the kids, however the water was pretty cold, but we got use to it. On Saturday January 31st, Jimmy 
and I took Madison and Jarom to this cool geological site call Tent Rock National Monument. It was this really cool area with volcanic formations. There were two hike you could take. The first hike we went on took you through a slot canyon on the way up to the top lookout point. I have never hiked in slot canyons before, it was AWESOME, and the scenery was so beautiful. It was cool to hike through narrow paths and crawl under rocks. We also climbed up in some of the formations, which afterward Jimmy informed us that it was illegal and we could have been charged $250.00 if caught. I was a bit more careful after that. The weather was amazing and the view from the top was beautiful. After that hike we went on the other hike which was just a short loop around the bottom of the canyon. After going on the first hike we decided that the loop hike was lame! That evening the rest of Jimmy's family arrived. We had fun playing games and having FHE. On Sunday we went to church for John's big new calling. We could not even imagine what John was thinking. He will do a great job as bishop. After sacrament, setting apart, and lunch we were on our way back home. Again another smooth drive back. We even listened to the super bowl. We had a great trip and are looking forward to another visit, but this time with the kids. It was so nice to spend time wit Jimmy's brother and his family. It was fun to get to know Stacey a little better, she is an amazing cook and fed us well. Madison likes the same type of music as I do and she's really fun to talk to. Jarom is a really smart kid and is amazing at Rock Band, Charity is the cutest little 3 year old ever. I had fun playing tickle monster with her and at FHE the thing she said she liked about me was that "I made funny noises". I laughed me head off. What is that supposed to mean Charity? She is a doll. John wanted us to have the time of our life, which we did. He is so young at heart, he reminds me of Jimmy in that way. It was fun to spend time with him. Thanks John and Stacey for making our trip a memorable one!
She is a very good cook. I am glad you had a good time. I wish I could have came.
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