New Mexico Pictures, FINALLY!

I posted right after our trip from New Mexico that we got to see some amazing sites and took some awesome pics, but then my computer broke and didnt get to upload them to the computer. Well, this weekend my lovely hubby uploaded pictures for me and now I finally have them to share. I hope you all enjoy!

 In the middle here, you can see all of the radio, tv, and cell phone towers that are a top of the Sandia Mountains.

                            Beautiful scenery! Looks so pretty from here.

This picture is my favorite picture that Ryan took from his hike on the La Luz Trail. He says that this is about half way up the Sandia Mountains that him and my Dad's gf were hiking up that day. The top is at about 10,000 ft in elevation. That is tall, no thanks I think that I'll stay on the ground! LOL

This is the only picture that my hubby actually got of himself that day of hiking up the mountain. He was too busy taking pictures of the scenery and getting used to the changing elevation the high they went up.

This one was taken at the restaurant at the top of the Sandia Mountains at about 10,000 ft above sea level! Wow! 

We went to an Indian Reservation one of the days that we were in New Mexico. The rocks are so red and pretty that they look fake. It was so windy and cold that day. I literally got out of the car to have Ryan take like 3 pictures and ran back to the nice warm car. 

After we drove around and after I had taken some Dremamine because of all of the twisty-turvy roads we got out of the car and ate at this little restaurant with a nice big fireplace in the corner. It had started to flurry outside and the fire had keep us warm from the door opening from people coming in and out of the restaurant. We had a great trip and I have tons more pictures from the week that we were there but these are just a few of my favorites. 

Franklin

Okaye, so anybody that knows me, knows that I'm soooooo not an animal person. I've never understood how people act and treat their pets like they are kids. I don't like it when pets jump on me or lick my face. Having a pet just wasn't for me, or thats what I thought, until October. Ryan and I went to KC to visit our family for my cousin's wedding and by the time we left that weekend I mentioned to Ryan that yes, maybe we could get a dog. He has wanted one for quite some time, but I was never up for it and it never seemed to be the right time. Well all of the sudden it seemed to be the right time, but I was very certain about what kind of dog that I wanted. I did NOT want a big dog. One that would take up my space in the bed wasn't something I wanted. I wanted a small dog, one that wouldn't jump on me too much and would love me and just cuddle with me. We came home after that weekend from KC and Ryan started looking for dogs. He talked to one of his guys from work and he had just rescued a little dog and didn't really have the room for him and said we could stop by and see if we liked him.

I fell in love with him! He is so cute. How could we not, look at that face! We spent some time with him and played and he was a little scared of us at first because we found out he was abused as a little puppy. We decided that he just had to be ours and took him home.

Doesn't he just look like a great cuddler? And he is and he loves me and Ryan! He loves going on hikes with Ryan. Ryan will start getting his hiking stuff ready and Franklin gets all excited and makes Ryan keep up to pace with him on the hiking trails instead of the other way around. :)


He was a little shy at first coming to his new home. He spent alot of time in his kennel, but he learned over time and with some lovin' from us that we were going to take good care of him! He and I for that matter have come a LONG way in a little less than 3 months. He has become very loving, loves to cuddle with me and follows me every where I go. He is my protector and comforter when Ryan isn't here. Every morning when Ryan gets up to do the paper route at around 3am he comes in, hops in the bed and cuddles at my feet until Ryan comes home. It is sooo cute! He also has to lie right next to me in the bathroom when I'm taking a bath, every time. And when I cry, which has happen frequently lately with being so emotional, he comes up and jumps right in my lap and lets me know he's there to take care of me. And with all of that, I've come along way with him! I said before that no dog will be in our bed, but now he's there whenever he wants to be. I get up and help take him out and when we have to leave him like when we went to New Mexico for Thanksgiving, I act just like his Mom making sure he has his food, water, toys, and favorite blanket just like he was my own son. I now understand those people that consider their dog as their kids!

A New Year!

So as this year begins and with it tomorrow I turn another year older I've realized that I have high hopes for 2011. I have alot of things that I want to accomplish and most of which are totally out of my hands. I know its kinda weird to have things YOU want to accomplish and yet have no control over them, but thats just the way it is right now. I know that there is a reason for everything in life and that life is like a puzzle sometimes where certain pieces have to fall into place before the rest can fit into place with it. I guess I'm just stuck on where God is trying to take us right now and don't really know what I'm suppose to do, in order for the pieces to fall into place. I feel like we are ready for a major life changing event right now, but do not know what exact that is or where to start. I guess there's only one thing that I know I want and only I have the power to change in 2011. And that would be to get better at blogging. I get so excited each day to come day and see what the new posts are on the blogs that I follow. Yet, I'm horrible about doing the same! I guess its been lately the lack of pictures that I have, which is none lately. I've been horrible about taking them lately. I seriously took 2 of Christmas with my family and when I asked my husband if he got any pictures? The answer was 2! We have a total of 4 pics from xmas and all 4 are just random shots that dont even make much sense. It's pretty sad. So I'm going to try and focus all of my energy into something I can control and blog more often!

Hopefully my next post will be sharing some pictures that we did take from Thanksgiving that I have yet to upload on the computer! That is my goal this week to have those posted!:)

Traditions

I was so excited to FINALLY after 3 years of having a tree in storage, actually getting to put it up this year. This was the first year we've had a place to ourselves and to me, it meant alot to finally put up "our" tree. I know that it sounds dumb, getting so excited over putting up a tree. But, it really has got me thinking lately how the littlest things in life really are what matter most. I was at work yesterday and thinking back how when I was a kid the month of December always seemed to drag on forever and ever til it was Christmas and now as an adult, this month is just flying by. Same goes for the excitement of Christmas all together. When I was little it was all about presents and having a huge list and wanting this, this and this and now it isnt that way anymore. It me now I just want to spend time with family for Christmas and the things on my list this year are practical every day things, not toys and wants. Now, I get more excited seeing the look on my sister or niece and nephews faces when they open their presents. I get excited everytime Ryan and I get to start a new tradition and look forward to us having kids and the Christmas traditions of my childhood will be transformed to new ones for my own little family. I'm a very big tradition person and I've learned since being married that it isnt always about doing things exactly like it was when I was little, sometimes the best traditions are the ones I always wanted to have but never did til now.

New Mexico

So Ryan and I had a great trip to New Mexico for Thanksgiving. I've never lived or ever been in a city with REAL mountains. I know, I've been deprived! LOL But it was so pretty in New Mexico. To me the mountains looked so fake, but thats only because I've never seen real ones in person. So much different from Arkansas or Kansas. We even got a chance to learn a little bit of history while we where there. The mountains are called the Sandia Mountains and there was a plane crash in 1955 in those mountains and the plane wreckage is still there to this day, over 55 years ago. I dont know why I found this certain crash so interesting, but I really have. Maybe because they actually plane pieces are still there and havent been moved, maybe its because the real reason the plane went down has been changed in the investagation logs 3 times now, maybe its because its the closest to an actual plane crash I've ever been. IDK, its just really interesting to me, and the crazy part is, I didnt even see the crash site in person. Its apparently a hard hike up to this canyon where the site is and I probably will never get to actually hike it because of the elevation changes and I'm not a good hiking, but its still so cool to learn about. After doing some more  research after we went to the mountains we found a book that actually was just written this year about the crash and I cant wait to read the whole book. Its a really neat story if anyone is curious about checking it out. Its the crash of TWA Flight 260 if anyone wants to look it up online and you can see pictures of the crashsite to this today. It was fun to sitesee in New Mexico and while Ryan went hiking the Sandia Mountains, my dad and I went to a casino and I won $45 so that was cool. It was a fun trip and we took some great pictures, but unfornately my computer broke and I cant figure out Ryans on how to upload the pictures, so hopefully my computer gets fixed ASAP so I can posts some pics from our trip.N

So Many Firsts

The holidays are my favorite! Ryan and I are going to New Mexico on Thursday, bright and early to visit my dad for Thanksgiving. I'm excited since it will be the first plane ride that Ryan and I have taken together since we've been together! Also, both of us have never been to New Mexico so it will be a first going to a new place also. Some many firsts for us and its so exciting. We will be gone for 6 days and Ryan gets to go hiking on a really cool trail that he's really exciting to go on the day after Thanksgiving. My dad's gf is a big hiker also so they get to go hiking and me and my dad get to spend some time just us, which happens very few and far in between over the years. Its also the first year that Ryan and I have had a place of our own and we FINALLY get to put up our Christmas tree when we return from New Mexico! We bought a tree our first Christmas together in 2007 and since then havent had a place to put it up, so I'm soooo excited for this year! I'm a huge holiday person. I mean every holiday I have to do something for. Ryan thinks I'm weird for it but oh well, to me its fun. I'm always the one to bake a cake for someone's bday or any other event. I just love celebrating and decorating for parties and holidays. For Christmas my family has always made a big deal out if it and even though Ryan has made the comment that "we are setting up our tree this year and arent even going to be here on Christmas morning to see it", I'm doing it and cant wait! I will post pics as soon as we put it up after New Mexico. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

October in KC

Last weekend we went to Kansas City for the weekend for my cousin David's wedding. We had just gone to Dallas the weekend before and both been crazy busy all that next week that I literally threw some stuff in our suitcase Thursday night, grabbed our dress clothes and didn't even think twice about what I had packed for both of us for the weekend. Going back to KC never seems to be a restful or slow paced weekend. We are always trying to cram as many things and see as many people as possible during the weekend. We have gotten to the point where we dont tell many people that we are coming into town, because they get upset because we dont get a chance to come and see them. If you are one of these people I'm sorry and promise that we will try and see you on at least one visit back to Kansas City. Please understand that half of our family lives there so yes they do get first priority :)  Like always it was nice to see family and spent sometime with them. We did get alot of good pictures taken at the wedding, so here are just a few.

Here is me and my mom. I hate how I look in most pictures, so I was very surprised how the pics from the wedding turned out so well!

I enjoyed traveling the past two weekends and glad we got to do the things we did, but I'm so happy to be home with nothing going on this weekend, but relaxing!