Spring Break Trip - Day 9

Dad woke all of us up at 7 AM!!! He quickly packed the car while we got breakfast. Dad almost lost Mollie's stuffed dog, Jo-Jo! Luckily we found him by the car when we were leaving... Dad was happy, though, that we got on the road by 8. We didn't have any trouble getting out of Albuquerque and the weather was good. This time, we only stopped a couple of times all the way home. We had yummy lunch at Sonic and made it back by 6:00. Dad unloaded the car quickly and we had dinner before getting baths. School is tomorrow morning! We had a great trip - seeing lots of relatives and visiting cool places. The hot tub in Ruidoso was really fun! I hope we can go on another trip to New Mexico soon.

Spring Break Trip - Day 8

Today, we woke up early again and went to the hotel lobby for breakfast, which included delicious muffins, cereal and hot chocolate. Next, we got dressed in jeans and a T-shirt because we were going to see Ellen's horse "Rolex" and Elizabeth's horse "Snoopy." When we arrived at the stables we fed carrots to Snoopy and headed down to get Rolex. We soon groomed Rolex, including doing the jobs of brushing his hair, combing his tail & mane and giving him a massage with a tool (we don't know the name of it). While we were doing this, Dad and David went to get sandwiches for all of us. Then Ellen let us get on her horse and practice our balancing skills by standing, holding our hands on the side, sitting on our knees and putting our hands behind our back. Next, we groomed Snoopy just like Rolex - but we used some different tools. We had lots of work to do to get rid of his winter coat. Before we left, we put the horses in their stalls and made them a bran-mash. We said goodbye to Ellen and David and then headed to Old Town. Cousin Leo told our Dad where he should park and we walked through a nice park near some cool museums (we'll have to check them out sometime!). We found the old part of town and walked through the streets until we found a place to sit and have a snack. Mom had pistacio ice cream, Dad got mint-chocolate-chip ice cream, Mollie got cookie-dough ice cream, Erin got a root beer and Brenna got a nice cold cup of lemonade. After relaxing for a little while, we drove over to Tim and Elizabeth's. We met some of their friends - and the new baby, Katie. We jumped on the bouncy house in the back yard - that was fun. Cousin Tim cooked delicious burgers and hot dogs and we ate chips and other good "sides." One of the really fun things of the visit was that we got to play with Tim's Wii - there was a cool game with sports like baseball! We stayed late - and Dad left with Tim and his friend, Paco, to meet Leo and David in the city. Mom drove us back to the hotel and we quickly went to bed to be ready for our drive back to Fort Worth tomorrow...

Spring Break Trip - Day 7

We woke up and packed the car again so we could head to Albuquerque! We have really been looking forward to seeing Shannon, Sean, Mary, Leo, Ellen, David, Tim, Elizabeth (and their new baby!!!). We stopped at a gas station on the way to pick up some breakfast snacks. It really didn't take to long to get to Albuquerque - and Dad found a hotel that let us check in around noon time. It was nice to settle in while we waited for Shannon and Sean to stop by for a visit. When they arrived, we left to go mini-golfing! Everyone enjoyed getting a hole in one because we got candy, a coupon for 20 tokens in the game room and our name was read on the loud-speaker. We were all on teams: Shannon, Sean, Brenna and Erin were on Team 1 and Dad and Mollie were on Team 2. We played two rounds of golf while Mommy and Cousin Mary watched. Towards the end, Mary had to leave to get her hair done. We stayed and used our coupons to play lots of video games. We really liked playing "Deal or No Deal" and later got little tickets for all of our winning games. We chose our prizes and then headed to Shannon and Sean's house. When we got to their front door we unlocked the door and then couldn't shut off the alarm - it got really loud before Mommy got the right code! Pepper (the dog) greeted us warmly anyway... We played games (Hungry Hungry Hippos) and then watched TV. When Cousin Leo got home from work we decided to drive back over to where Cousin Mary was and have dinner at Nana's Italian Restaurant. On the way, we played the "quiet game" in the car and Dad was really happy. When it was time to order dinner, we had raviolis (mmm...). Dad and Mom had some shrimp on noodles. We played the "quiet game" on the way back to Shannon & Sean's. Dad, Mom, Mary & Leo visited in the Living Room while we watched "High School Musical 3." Before we left, we took pictures and said goodbye. Back at the hotel, it wasn't hard to fall asleep...

Spring Break Trip - Day 6

We woke up again to yummy oatmeal again. Then we drove into town and dropped Daddy off (with Mollie) at the Library so he could check his work email. Mollie got to go to a story-time and paint dinosaur eggs! Meanwhile, we went with Mommy to get Subway for lunch. Oh, and yummy chips! When we were all together again, we drove to Capitan to see Smokey Bear's House. We colored pictures there, watched a video and looked at lots of exhibits that told the story of his life. We went to a cool gift shop and bought post-cards, pencils and Smokey Bear patches for our Girl Scout uniforms. Next, we drove over to the Valley of Fires and ate our sandwiches. We walked on a 3/4 mile trail - across a lot of volcanic rock. Walking on the trail was cool but we had to be sure not to step in the prickly pear cacti. The lava-rock was really interesting - lots of shapes and textures. Daddy then drove us South in the Tularosa Valley until we came to another park with petroglyphs [see NOV 2008]. We walked on another trail, looking at all the different types of designs on the rocks - there were 22,000! There was a neat Indian craft store nearby - we bought a pretty painted eagle feather and an arrowhead. Finally, the day ended with Daddy surprising us with a stop at the Inn of the Mountain Gods. We walked around and saw lots of Native American displays and beautiful views of the mountains and sunset. We ate at the "Gathering of the Nations" buffet restaurant and had food from many different places in the world. "Chow Chow" was Asian food and "Tuscan Grill" was Italian food. After eating one of the best meals of our lives, we threw coins into a fountain shaped like a big basket, hoping our wishes would come true. We stopped at another Gift Shop before we left... We drove home [the condo] and took showers before getting to bed.

Spring Break Trip - Day 5

We woke up early and had oatmeal and bug juice. We've noticed deer in the yard every day- they aren't afraid of people! We decided to start the day by going to the Hubbard Museum of the West in Ruidoso. When we arrived, we paid the fee and looked around the Gift Shop. Next, we went downstairs and looked at all the different carriages, sleds and wagons that people used a long time ago. Mollie loved playing on the (pretend) horses and roping the cattle. We all enjoyed trying on pioneer clothing and getting in a carriage and teepee. Erin and Brenna pretended to cook food with the (pretend) food the museum provided and got to take care of the animals. Finally, we returned to the Gift Shop and Mollie got a horsie music box that plays "Home on the Range." We then headed over to a place we visited about eight years ago (see MAR 2001) - to ride on ponies. Last time we were there, we rode horses called "Buffalo" and "Stoney." This time, we had another great time. We rode "Deery," "Lady" and "Cherokee." We next went to "Funtrackers" where we got to ride bumper-boats and race against each other on little race cars. Later, we went shopping and had ice cream (and a root beer float!) at a place called "Hall of Flame." Back at the condo, finally, we had soup with crackers for dinner and got in the hot tub again. Bed late again!

Spring Break Trip - Day 4

Today, WHITE is the color of the day! We drove to a nearby Air Force Base so Mom could get film and a camera battery. Then we were on our way to White Sands! We arrived around 1100 and went to the Visitor's Center to get our Junior Ranger booklets. We even bought sleds at the Gift Shop so we would be able to sled down the sand hills!! When we headed back to the car, Daddy noticed that the line to get into the park was HUGE and he told us he wanted to wait to enter until later. Instead, we drove down to the White Sands Missile Range Visitor's Center so we could see the rockets there. There were lots of cool machines and rockets in a big park and we learned about how New Mexico was the place where the first Atomic Bomb was tested and lots of other missiles were designed. At the Gift Shop we bought some space ice-cream - it tasted funny! By the time we got back to White Sands, the line was shorter and we were able to finish on our Junior Ranger packets. The best part of the day, though, was when we got to sled on the steep sand hills!! The sand was white as snow - soft and thick. After having a great time on the dunes, we hiked the Interdune Boardwalk. After getting our Junior Ranger patches and pins, we drove back to the condo. Tonight we had delicious TV dinners - including some with Turkey and some with Salisbury Steak! Getting in the hot tub again was one of our favorite parts of the night. We sat there and watched the lights change colors. Later, we watched TV. Falling asleep tonight will be no problem after having an amazing and fun day!

Spring Break Trip - Day 3

Today we woke up and packed up the car for the trip to Ruidoso. We gave lots of hugs and said goodbye. After driving a little bit past the Country Club we stopped by the huge Hobbs sign and took pictures. Next, Daddy drove us on some scenic roads until we came to a Fish Hatchery (Dexter, NM). A nice lady took us on a tour and gave us posters and stickers of the endangered fish. We had lunch in Roswell at the "Mi Rosario's" Restaurant - lots of good food like tacos, quesadillas and sopapillas! We drove through town and saw the Alien gift shop and museum, too. We were driving on the prairie and then started to see hills and white-capped mountains! We soon came to Ruidoso and found the condo. We got settled - it took lots of time, since there was so much to explore! Daddy went shopping and we had Tuna Helper for dinner. Afterwards, Daddy noticed that there were some kids playing outside. He walked with us to meet them - Bailey, Maddy, Austin and Sam - and we stayed to play monkey-in the middle and hide & seek. When it was dark we went back to the condo - just in time to see our cousin, Kevin, on the History Channel in his new show! We had been waiting all day for the hot tub to be warm enough to get in - and it finally was 80 degrees (just like a swimming pool!). After a while in there, we rushed inside so we wouldn't freeze and watched TV. There were enough bedrooms that we had lots of choices: Erin got a big bed and Mollie and Brenna slept in the basement on bunk-beds!

Spring Break Trip - Day 2

When we woke up this morning we found an assortment of donuts and delicious bacon. After eating, we decided that it was a "stay at home" kind of day. Mostly, we played on the basketball court and practiced our kicking and catching skills - and even played a little bit of volleyball (Brenna and Mom played a lot). I (Brenna) hate to brag, but I won! Next, Brenna helped Dad with some family research. It was really sunny out - nice enough for all of us to help Bonnie in her garden and the "plant room." We did a lot of sweeping, cutting and searching for killer snails. Cousin Chuck was in the yard too, using his gun to scare the squirrels. The whole afternoon was actually fun - even with the work! Before dinner we had time to play with our Webkinz - Mollie really likes that! We set the table for dinner and ate a tasty meal of meatloaf, potatoes and asparagus. Later, we watched a little TV and went to bed.

Spring Break Trip - Day 1

Finally, Spring Break!!! Today we woke up and packed our famiy of five into our red mini-van. First, we drove all the way to Hobbs, New Mexico. On the way, we watched three movies - all from the "Love Comes Softly" series. This made the trip go quickly and soon we arrived in New Mexico to see our cousin, Bonnie - and (SURPRISE!) our cousin, Chuck. After relaxing and getting settled in, we went to Mass and saw Cousin Kathy and Cousin Kelly. Then all of the adults, including our parents, went to the Jordan's house for a St. Pattie's Day party. After that, they went to the Hobbs Country Club to celebrate Chuck's, Kathy's and Tiger's birthday. Meanwhile, we stayed at Kelly's house with Collin and Carris. We ate hot dogs, mac & cheese and chips - oh, and popsicles! Next, we watched a movie called "The Secret Life of Bees." The main character was played by Dakota Fanning. When our parents picked us up we went straight back to Bonnie's and fell asleep quickly, hoping to have a great day tomorrow!

Chicago, IL (USA)

Woke up early (barely an hour and a half of sleep!), I checked out of my room at the Residence Inn in Eagan and made it to the airport around 0415. I am glad I got there that early!!! After returning my rental car (Enterprise) before the counter was even open (they checked it in much later, at 0600), the walk through the terminal was long again.  Even worse, the lines for the airlines and TSA were the longest I've ever seen. And remember, we are talking about 0415!!! With all the delays, I made it through to the gate about 20 minutes before boarding. A nice lady moved my seat from the way back to the front (to help with the connection). My American Airlines flight departed Minneapolis in the dark (0600) and we arrived in Chicago (O'Hare) with clear skies and great views of the city (0715). It took another 20 minutes to taxi to the gate - across the interstate again (that has always been funny to me). I guess I actually haven't been at O'Hare in 20 years either... The big news today there was that the Sears Tower was renamed the Willis Tower. While digesting this news, I was working with only a short time between connections.  There was just enough time to grab breakfast (at McDonalds) and chat with some passengers. When I boarded another American Airlines aircraft, I was feeling very glad this is the last leg of the trip! After departing Chicago at 0850, I talked to some of my fellow passengers about life in Texas and about sights to see in Fort Worth, Oklahoma and along the Rio Grande.  It was a fun discussion! We landed at DFW at around 1130 - there was lots of rain and everything was grinding very slow... With the help of some nice people I asked, I found out how to get back to my car (Terminal Link). One of them even gave me a coupon for the parking, which made my daily rate go down five dollars! Ultimately, I'm very glad that I parked in a covered lot (Hyatt Regency) and I was pleased to get out of the complex easily (1215).  I even got another parking coupon from the nice toll-booth employee! Sadly, I encountered traffic jams all the way home.  Still, it was a relief to reach Fort Worth - I took a four hour nap when I got there!!! Woke up later to do laundry and get ready for the next trip - a family adventure in New Mexico!