Up, Up, and Away

We drove to Albuquerque on Friday to attend the Balloon Fiesta (over 500 balloons and 20 countries).  We knew we had to get up quite early on Saturday, so we tried to wear the kids out with some hard swimming prior to an early bedtime.  This actually worked quite well . . . for most of them.  Unfortunately, Tennyson did not get the memo that sleep was a precious commodity that evening.  Thus, she decided not to sleep despite our best efforts to convince her otherwise.  Since we were in a hotel, we couldn't just let her scream and cry, so we kept trying to calm her and get her to sleep.  Finally, Courtney won . . . around 1:30 a.m.  This allowed 2 good hours of sleep before getting up for Saturday's events. 

We left the hotel about 4:00 a.m. and arrived at the park.  We dressed warmly, which was needed.  The hot chocolate helped too!  We scouted out a nice spot to watch the Dawn Patrol take off -- balloons lit up to show other pilots how the wind is blowing.  Quite impressive at 6 in the morning. 

Then, we waited about an hour before the air started to fill with balloons.  There were hundreds of balloons of different colors, sizes, and shapes.  Once the sun climbed over the mountains and started hitting the field, it became even more vibrant.  We were allowed to walk among all the balloons as they set up, filled with air, and then ascended into the sky -- a photographer's dream!

The cow rated as one of the favorites from the girls (and dad). 

After all was said and done, we found a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop on the way home, grabbed some sweets, and then hit the road.  We reached home around 3:00 with one tired crew.  We told the girls to play in their rooms by themselves for a bit, and Katelee actually fell asleep.  And now, all are in bed with mom and dad following closely behind them.  It was worth it though! 

Enjoy the pics, and see more at http://www.flickriver.com/photos/taylormadefamily/. 

How to Celebrate in the 21st Century

Tennyson turned 1 this week!  So, of course, we celebrated with the obligatory eat-all-you-can cake with no utensils.  She did a fabulous job of digging right in and demolishing half the cake.  We also had the much desired gifts -- a fair assortment of clothes and toys.  And, although the grandparents could not be physically present for the day's celebration . . . they were able to join us via Skype.  Gotta love technology! 

Happy Birthday Tennyson!!!

  All Mine!

 Grandparents enjoying the party via Skype

 New Duds.

 Yee Haw!

 Cake!

I might be sick later.

Game Time

Olivia played her first soccer game today.  She said afterwards:  I ran.  I got kicked.  I got shoved.  I got knocked down.  But I kept playing.  I think she liked it.

Butterflies!

As part of Olivia's homeschooling, the girls are currently studying the lifespan of a butterfly.  We purchased some caterpillars and butterfly house, and they have gone through their metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly.  They also found a caterpillar outside, put it in the house, and have watched it make a great silver cocoon.  So far, 3 of the 6 critters have launched from their homes!
 

Rain, rain, rain.

Rain has been in short supply around here, so the girls were ecstatic to actually be able to don their rain gear and start splashing.  They were able to get some good use out of their umbrella, raincoat, and boots.  They also enjoyed a beautiful double rainbow.  But, in the end, they just shucked the apparel and played in the water rushing down the road's gutter.  It was a much needed rain.

Nourish Our World 5K Run

We woke up early this morning to participate in the Nourish Our World 5K run.  Courtney took the two youngest girls and the stroller, while Mark took Olivia.  This would allow Mark and Olivia to run the race and not be held back.  Actually, it didn't quite work out that way!  Within 100 yards, Olivia complained her knees hurt and she was tired.  Thus, Mark and Olivia ended up walking most of the way.  At least this gave lots of good father-daughter time to talk about toughness and perseverance.  On the other hand, Courtney managed to run most of the race and finished with a decent time.  Regardless of running or walking, a good time was had by all, and the funds went to a good cause. 

The best part was replenishing our energy supplies afterwards at IHOP!  Enjoy some fun snapshots from the run below.

I'm Free!!!!

Olivia surprised us last night by grabbing the neighbor's bike and hitting the street.  So, today she wanted the training wheels off of her bike.  Then, she cruised up the street and back with no problems.  T - 10 years and counting until she is doing this in a car!  Yikes!



Look Who's Talking

2011 July 006, originally uploaded by counsel14.

Ok, she is not talking yet . . . but she is beginning to stand on her own!

Clean Kitty

2011 July 003, originally uploaded by counsel14.

Why here?!?

Memorial Day Vacation ... Day 5

Our final day of vacation included a short 2 mile hike.  We had a great day for it -- cloudy and cool.  Once we got to the end of the trail, we pulled out lunch and found a place to sit.  Then, we made the return hike.

 Once we got back from our hike, we broke open some kites.  I'm not sure if Olivia had more fun . . . or Courtney!

 We concluded our day with a good rock hunting trip.  We found a lot of really cool rocks.  Katelee, on the other hand, found the bag of GORP and ate all the M&Ms out of it.

Memorial Day Vacation ... Day 4

On Day 4, our big adventure was the Puye Cliff Dwellings.  We did the top tour first, which let us ride to the top of the cliff and get a tour of the remains.  It was quite interesting.  Then, we rode back down to the Welcome Center, looked at the artifacts down there, and decided to do another tour -- this one on the side of the cliffs.  We had a big scare when Courtney tripped going up some stairs and Tennyson took a tumble out of her arms and onto the stairs.  She bonked her head pretty good, but she was checked out by some paramedics, and she was fine. 

 We tried to snag some lunch at a couple places, but they were closed.  So, we just parked near a bridge that ran over the Rio Grande, and we let the girls wade in the river.  It was quite chilly, so they didn't last long.  Then, it was off to dinner at the house.

Memorial Day Vacation ... Day 3

On Day 3, we decided to explore the Taos area in search of a hot springs.  Directions were snagged from several hiking and travel websites.  The route took us over the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, which was quite impressive. 

Evidently, directions are a bit over-rated.  We also had Courtney's i-phone, so what could go wrong?   Well, we ended up in the middle of a field!  No hot springs around.  So, we plugged in new directions, and headed off in another direction.  This one took us up some wonderful one-lane roads into a National Forest.  Unfortunately, we finally reached a spot so washed out, the truck couldn't go any further.  So, we turned around and headed for another spot.  The trek does have a happy ending though.  We finally found a spot with hot springs -- Black Rock Hot Springs.  So, we enjoyed them for a while before heading into Taos for dinner and dessert.  Bedtime came early this night!

Good Morning World 

Our final resting spot for the hot springs.  We had to hike down about half a mile before reaching two small pools.  Some people were already in the upper pool, so we settled on the lower one.  Katelee was not a fan of the mud bottom.  Once the others left, we moved to the upper pool, which was much warmer and nicer.  If ignorance is bliss, we could have probably gone the rest of the trip without seeing a big snake emerge from the lower pool as we were leaving.  Whew!

Memorial Day Vacation . . . Day 2

Day 2 began with . . . well, what's a better way to start the day than at a winery.  We headed to the local winery (1 of 3).  Courtney sampled several different bottles, and she seemed very happy the rest of the day.  And, the owner seemed happy when we bought a couple of bottles of his wine.  Then, we headed to lunch.  Lunch was enjoyed at a fun cafe' called Zuly's.  

The afternoon was reserved for naps for the youngest girls.  In the meantime, Olivia and dad conquered the mountain behind the house, climbing to 6400 feet.  Olivia was quite proud of herself.

After the girls woke up, we decided we would hike some more around the house.  We had spotted several "really" green trees in the arroyos, and we figured they may be next to a spring or water source.  So, we drove up the canyon a little ways before hopping out to explore.  Unfortunately, we did not find any water.  But, all scrambled up the mountain for some great views (including Tennyson).

If wine is the way to start the day (according to Courtney), then S'mores are the way to end the day (according to Mark).  So, we had some great bratwurst on the BBQ, followed by roasting of marshmallows.  Courtney enjoyed a MOUS (marshmallow of unusual size) along with the average sized ones.  And the girls seemed to do well just to get the chocolate in their mouths.

All in all, it was a good day (with 3 days to go)!!!