More snow adventures and a trip on the Polar Express

  
   We had a busy weekend last weekend! It started out by Ian inviting us to come up to Ouray to see where he's working. "come see some snow" he says, "they're having a helicopter fly in some poles" he says. Sounded like cheap fun to me. So we made our way to Ouray on Saturday around noon. It was a long drive, he told me to drive slow because the roads were slippery and there is no guard rail on most of it. There are some crazy hair pin turns as you zig zag up the mountain. Well , I forgot that Wrex gets motion sickness because it doesn't happen all the time. So when his stomach hurt, he looked at the clock and said "Mom it's past lunchtime." Being, oh so prepared I tossed him back a sandwich. It wasn't long after that,  I saw him slump to the side, when I asked him if he was okay, his reply "No mom, I just threw up." EWWWW. I pulled over, thankfully there was a snow bank to pull over in. Sure enough he had spewd all over his shoes and pants and on my floor mat. I know that people think when you turn into a mom that you don't mind picking up your kids puke, but I do. I think of those parts in the movies where someone says" If I smell it, I'm going to do it too!" And this is the attitude that had me throwing the floor mat and his shoes in the snow, I stomped on them , hoping they would self clean. I was so grateful that I had packed Wrex snow pants and snow boots. I had him change into that and then we were faced with a dilemma. Drive another 45 minutes to Ouray or an hour and 15 minutes back home. I just kept thinking "play in the snow, see a helicopter" I asked the kids and they wanted to continue. Either way we were staying in the puke mobile, there are NO little towns on this trek into the mountains to stop and get a car wash. So we continued. and Wrex was in a much better mood. I let him sit in the front seat for the rest of the way and he DJ'd with my iphone. His famous words to me "mom, I should've warned you, I thought it was just going to be a puke burp." Yes Wrex a warning would've been good. It wasn't long before we made it, Houston spotted the lineman on the side of a mountain. So we pulled over, the kids got the half packed snow gear they grabbed, Wrex had pants but no jacket or sweatshirt. Houston had a jacket and snow boots but no snow pants and socks. At this point I'd like to point out that Waylon was snow ready!

So we got out of the car and hiked up to where Ian was. We had missed the helicopter by hours! I thought it was an all day thing, it turns out Helicopters are expensive and they work as quickly as possible, where is my common sense these days? Well at least we got to see Ian working, I got some cool pictures of him and his crew working. My favorite is a picture of Wrex smiling and Ian working in the background. I love pictures of kids on jobsites, it warms my heart, like were back in the 80s.  Anyways, it wasn't long before Houston's sock less feet felt like they were going to fall off. I have never heard him howl like that. I think he believed his feet were going to fall off. So after 20 mins we got back in the car. I had him heat up his feet in front of the heater and I had to give him my socks and drive barefoot home. It was quite the day. Can you tell? Not all my adventures turn out great.

    The next night made up for it. We went on another train ride in Durango, this ride was on the Polar express. I will say in McCay fashion we showed up 5 minutes before it left and almost missed the train, so we stumbled upon our car, bumping the "chef" in the back just as she was asking "who wants hot cocoa?" In comes the McCay family. The way our seats turned out, Wrex and Houston sat single facing each other, and Ian and I were behind them facing each other, holding Waylon.
It was a really cool experience, they served hot cocoa and cookies, they punched our golden tickets, the hobo went through the train, some nerdy kid with glasses came around asking me questions about the model of train we rode, it was very exciting. Waylon thought so too, until it got dark . As we went through town, they read us the story and we were able to see all of the town and houses lit up with Christmas lights. They took us by the "North Pole" and we waved to Santa. After we sang Christmas carols. Some of my favorite parts were Houston turning to Ian saying "I really like this dad" later when Santa came through our train, Ian said he didn't see him, Wrex answered very quickly "that's because you're naughty dad" Those kids don't miss a beat! haha. I'm so glad we were together to share that experience. It may seem silly now, Wrex is almost too old for this type of thing, but he fully enjoyed it and we were together which was the most important thing.

   The kids and I are headed to Grandma's house tomorrow, it will be a nice change to have a little more space to stretch in. Ian will hopefully be joining us at Christmas. I hope when we get back we will still be in the Durango/Bayfield area but wherever our adventure takes us at least we're together.

Gobble, Gobble!

 Well we had a fabulous Thanksgiving. We drove to my friends house which was definitely in the country. On the dirt road out there we saw wild turkeys and deer. Deer we see all the time, but wild turkeys, that was different! The kids were in heaven there, the house was on 34 acres they had cows and over 150 chickens. I loved going inside someone else's house, does that make me nosey? Most of the houses here are all open beamed and gable roofs with pine wood planks on the ceiling. I'm sure theres a name for that, but I can't remember but it's gorgeous!  On this farm, which it truly is, my friend has a house on one end and her son and his family (with six kids) live on the other  side. When the cousins came there was at least 11 children running around. The kids had so much fun. While the women finished up the last touches the men folk went outside to shoot guns. Very all American. My friends son is a police officer in town so I felt like he had the situation handled of course Ian had a blast too.
    It was so cool to eat someone elses Thanksgiving menu, not only was everything cooked perfectly but we had pumpkin soup which was delicious. Also for desert we had pecan pie, which I never bother with, but oh man! I love it! WE had a wonderful time and I was so grateful for a new experience out of our comfort zone. The kids had so much fun with all the children, they were playing freeze tag, in the dark on 30 degree weather. It was a Thanksgiving to remember.
    The next day I cooked up our own Thanksgiving spread. I have to say compared to the day before, it was nothing special. My turkey dried out, the stuffing didn't turn out like Grandma Judi's, and the yams didn't look pretty because I tried to put them on the bottom of my little oven and the marshmallows just smeared. It tastes alright and we had leftovers. Besides , cooking in that little oven, it's a miracle I got it all done at once.
    The following day , I got the boys and Ian to go Christmas shopping with me. We really wanted to support local businesses and Durango is a perfect place to do that. They have a ton of small shops. This meant that some people are getting some "interesting" items, but hopefully they'll appreciate their souvenir from our year on the road. After shopping, we got to do something I have been wanting to do since we got here. We took an old Western photo. In my opinion all my favorite families have one of these and I love seeing them when the kids have grown and gotten older it makes them that much cuter. Houston right off the bat decided he wanted to be an Indian. I suggested to Wrex that wear a coon hat and he totally dug it as long as he got a gun. I wanted to be a saloon girl because when I was younger it was unacceptable to have a little girl as a saloon girl, instead I always looked like I hopped off a covered wagon. Very maidenly. Ian was already growing this "awesome" beard so he looks like a real mountain man. It made me so happy to have these and the girl gave me a couple prints for free, it was the best day ever!
  So I know this sounds like my life is a dream, but you know I try to keep it real. While I am very blessed to have so many adventures  I am human and am getting worn out. Waylon has some pretty horrible sleeping habits. He wakes up at midnight and 4 am. Ive given him a bottle a few times to keep him quiet so everyone can sleep and now of course he demands 2 bottles in the night, which isn't right. So I'm not really sleeping and then I'm a homemaker, teacher and all that other stuff I'm suppose to do. Which I love but I am very worn out. So we decided last night that the kids and I are going to Grandma Barbs house next Friday and the plan is for Ian to meet us out there for Christmas. The only glitch in this planning is that Ian will probably get laid off in the next few weeks. If he gets laid off before Christmas, he may be reassigned to a company in a new state and have to pack up and move while were gone ( where does that leave my car? I haven't figured this out yet) Also the new company may not want to give him the time off for Christmas, that would be horrible. Hopefully he will stay with this company until after the holidays so he will meet up with us. Prayers would be appreciated.  So that's where we are. I'm finishing getting our local Christmas gifts out and getting ready for Grandmas. I'll keep you up to date. Love to you all and Happy Holidays!

My spread made in the trailer

If he's pooped , you can imagine how I feel!

 

This Thanksgiving were getting a little out of our comfort zone

This is my kitchen this morning as I make mashed potatoes and Sweet potatoes, be grateful for your counter space!

  
    Happy Early Thanksgiving! So here is what I've decided to plan for our menu for our trailer living extravaganza! I really tried to tone it down, but there are somethings you just cannot live without, when it comes to Thanksgiving. So here's what I got cooking:

Hot artichoke dip- one appetizer is proof that I've toned it down!

Kings Hawaiian rolls - store bought!
Cranberry jelly I love it straight out of the can!
Turkey Gravy- I bought a packet because gravy is still something that I really haven't mastered, or I just like the packet better~I'm not sure
Pioneer Woman's Mashed Potatoes
My friend Tanya's Sweet potato recipe, complete with pecans and marshmallows
My mother in law gave me her stuffing recipe which is my favorite part of Thanksgiving
I'm going to try to recreate these really yummy green beans which involve bacon and pecans that my really cool sister in law made last year.
I ordered an oven roasted 10 lb turkey from the grocery store- My aunt gave me that idea, because if you haven't seen the inside of an fifth wheels oven, let me say, they are tiny and there is only one shelf in there!
Also, I ordered an apple pie from a bakery in town that I have heard fabulous reviews of, oh and of course I got some vanilla ice cream for that too!

When I told Ian our menu he asked "who was coming over?" Just Us!
    But then....we were invited to share Thanksgiving with a friend of mine who lives on a farm a few miles out of town. Now I have all the stuff, I'm ready to go but the kids got really excited to go to this gals house and they heard there would be a lot of kids and 40 acres to run around in....So a part of me thought, NO, it's a family day!  But then I thought, my poor kids, have family days everyday. I know my mother in law is back home spending this holiday in a way that she's not use to, I thought of my brother in laws (in Georgia and Hawaii) and my brothers (in North Carolina and California), none of us are going to be together, I thought of my mom opening her house up to anyone on Thanksgiving and how I'm usually the one thinking "why does she do that? It's a family day!" Then I realized that maybe this year I'll get out of my comfort zone, do something different, put myself in someone else's shoes, not the person running the show, the person in the corner maybe feeling a little awkward. If the kids have a blast , which it sounds like they will, then that's what really matters. We have the rest of the weekend to have family time and I am still making all this yummy food because I want more than a plate of leftovers, I WANT a FRIDGE full!
    So family, all of you. We miss you, we are thinking of you and although we are far apart you will be with us in Spirit. Love you. Happy Thanksgiving.

We made some no bake cookies that we got from pinterest, Houston and I had a ball and Waylon swiped some chocolate while we weren't looking...sneaky kid..Theyre suppose to look like pilgrim hats and acorns

Salt Lake City

 So these past three weeks have been a bit rough for me. Ian is working on a job high up in the mountains in a little town called Ouray. They call it "little Switzerland" they are putting him up in a hotel, so they can get in more work, with less drive time. So that leaves me here in Bayfield, with the kiddos from Monday to Saturday night, holding down the fort. I never intended to be out here on my own. First it was the week of Halloween, then it was Wrex's birthday now this is the third week and it's waring on me. I just figured if I was out here, we could all; be together as a family. So that's been frustrating. Of course Ian doesn't have a say when and where the work is. We've been told that we will probably be moving on pretty soon, so that tells me this can't last for too long, but three weeks is longer than I thought.
    This being our current situation, Ian had class in Salt Lake this weekend, so the boys and I tagged along to spend sometime together and get rid of our cabin fever! It was suppose to snow this past weekend and man did it dump on Salt Lake! It started Friday evening on our drive out there. I have never seen so much snow. Of course, I've hardly seen snow at all , but man, everything was covered,as far as we could see. It was beautiful and exciting. We got to the hotel at about 8 and unloaded our stuff. Ian teased us calling us Californians" as we tramped through the snow (not on the clear paths) in ugg boots. We brought all sorts of snow with us into the hotel room. The kids were picking up snow and eating it . So we have lots to learn, what else is new? The next day we went to In N Out. Wrex savored every bite, we got milkshakes, just to indulge ourselves, yes it was still snowing. We went to Costco and got Waylon some toys . I took the kids ion front of the hotel and showed them how to make snow angels. I was going to take a picture for you but, after I tackled Wrex isn the snow, we had a huge sbow fight and ruined our angels. I actually hid in the hotel room, after that but the kids had a blast making snowballs waitiing for me to come out. It was a lot of fun! As expected, I ate my through Salt Lake, we had Cafe Rio, Little Cesars, In N out twice. Yes we indulged on all the things they don't have in our little town.  We had so much fun eating that I thought it would be lovely to take the boys to a Sunday breakfast at my favorite little spot. So we dropped Ian off at class at 7am and drove to Salt Lake, which was about 45 mins away from where we were staying. It was clear when we started out but it had started snowing in Salt Lake. When we got to the little spot I wanted to go, it was being plowed, which I thought was a good sign. WRONG! Its about 2 miles up a mountain and when we got to "Ruths" there was about 2 feet of snow in the parking lot. I didn't want to get stuck so I turned around, the kids were disappointed but oh my gosh, if I didn't start sliding down that mountain. I felt very foolish for leaving my continental breakfast behind! So slowly we made it down the mountain and into Salt Lake. I found another restaurant on trip Advisor and made my way every so slowly that way. The snow kept falling and the plowers we're a little more slow at 7:30 Sunday morning. Where I come from, that's a perfect time to go get breakfast in Salt Lake, not so much. Anyway, the next restaurant was closed till 9am. So we went to Starbucks and grabbed a bagel at Einsteins and called it good. I got back to the hotel and thanked my lucky stars this California girl made it back without a fender bender.
     All in all, the snow was beautiful and when we got back to Bayfield there was not nearly as much of it on the ground. Which is good because as pretty as it is, getting the kids out and about in it will be challenging. So now we're back to normal, Ian is up in the mountains and the boys and I are passing the time, getting ready for Thanksgiving. My next big event, we'll talk more about that next week. Much Love~Kristina

  This is the parking lot of Ian's class, doesn't it look like a Christmas Card? I thought so.

Why is Houston wearing a sweathsirt? He didn't listen to the "grab your jacket warning" he also didn't bring any long sleeve shirts or gloves. Convinving these kids to dress properly in the snow was difficult.

Putting one foot in front of the other

  Hello Friends. So I have been sucked into jogging. Which should shock you if you know me. Yes me, the girl who got a B in PE because I would not put forth effort. I've always hated everything about running. Usually my lungs feel like they're going to fall out and I quit 45 seconds in. I'm the kinda girl whose not going to run unless someone is chasing me. So how did I get here. Well, I was invited to participate in this 8 week challenge to be more healthy. You receive points for things like eating 2 servings of fruit a day and 3 servings of vegetables a day. Well I'm friendly enough and could use something else to eat besides bread, so I accepted the challenge. Oh yes the winner gets around $200 bucks so there's some motivation for you. You can win by either having the most points or by having the highest weight loss percentage, according to your weight. Well I didn't take it very seriously at first. I just went ahead and modified some of the foods I ate. I ate a lot of carrots that first week. I cracked out my pilates home videos. I entered my calories and work out into my app called "my fitness pal." I burned 100 calories...go me! The thing is on this fitness pal thing, you can see how much other people are working out and I started feeling like a total slouch. These ladies were kicking it into high gear. You may not know this about me, unless you're one of my brothers, but I am actually pretty competitive. Of course I don't compete unless I think I can win. Is that too revealing? I think I'm sneakily competitive. Does that make sense? No I didn't think so.    So during the first week of my "light" workouts I had that back drama. Maybe it was because I told my body to start working out, I don't know. So I put this other app on my phone called "couch to 5k" and I started walking with the boys. The app tells you when to walk and when to jog so you slowly build up to jogging. Well within the first week I had knee trouble. I almost quit but these other girls kept burning up the calories and I'm no quitter. I also started to enjoy my 30 minutes away from the kiddos. At this point I started jogging when Ian was home. I go around the trailers, one big loop, over and over. Very safe and predictable. So I spoke to a friend who has had major trauma to her body by a quad accident and she ran. If she can do it, why not me? So she advised me to get a knee brace and keep going. There were days that I looked ridiculous. I had my knee brace on, sometimes layers of shirts(it was cold and I don't own running apparel) as I jogged at a pace that people could walk past me. I started doubting my couch to 5k app. When it told me to stop jogging, I didn't listen and would soon regret it. I thought my lungs were going to fall out but I knew this couldn't actually happen. I've always been worried that I would look really stupid if I tried to run, again I am quite slow, I don't think technically its "running" at all. But no one is here to see me that I know. So now I've worked it out where I "jog" when Waylon takes his morning naps. I circle the park and the boys open the door if Waylon wakes up . But oddly enough Waylon sleeps well if everyone is quiet in here, which we never are, unless I'm running and the older boys are watching tv in my room. Many days I don't feel like getting out there, believe me it's much colder here than back home, But dang it if I'm not getting results. My legs are trim and I do like rocking out to Pandora as I circle the park. I have mini adventures, like when I got brave one day and decided to run behind the barn. I saw a skunk (they move really weird its like they bobble) so I hightailed it back to my main loop. One day last week it was pretty dark still and out of the corner of my eye I swear I saw a kangaroo, of course it was just a deer but the way it pranced, I don't know, it cracked me up. One time I really needed some motivation so I went out to where the park keeps their cows (the cows weren't there, again I don't know why) and there was a huge flock of geese, so I ran after them just in an attempt to pick up the pace and be a stinker at the same time. Somehow, someone sent me this app that gives money to a charity every time you "run" and now I feel like the least I can do is to give to these charities, I mean everyone wins right? My little brother thought my facebook was hacked he said " so you like really run everyday?"  Yeah I know, sometimes I can't believe it either. I lost 10 pounds and who knows I may win the prize for weight loss although that was never my intention. Some side benefits is that, I get a little bit of time to clear my head everyday. I get a little bit of Kristina time which I really need when I can never really get some space from my family (whom I LOVE ;) So today my app told me that I could run 25 minutes in a row. I didn't believe it at first but I know it's usually right so somehow very slowly I jogged for 25 minutes in a row. HUGE SUCCESS for this girl. When I thought to myself this morning, How did I get to this point? It was clear that I just took one step at a time. I put one foot in front of the other and trusted that everything was going to work out. I think this is very fitting for me, I'm sure it is for all linewives. We never know where the next job will be, when will we move, should we go back home, when is my husband coming back from storm work? Just put one foot in front of the other, have a little  faith and take it one day at a time.~ a little bit of encouragements from friends and family also goes a long way

P.S I disposed of a mouse in a trap today. I am woman hear me roar!

Here I am looking particularly awesome one cold morning

Happy Halloween

  How did I miss posting last week. Time is running away from me! I made a deal with the boys they could have twenty five bucks or spend it on a costume . So Wrex is going to be a baseball player and Houston bought a Darth Vader Costume. Little Waylon is going to be an angry bird! Last weekend Ian was at school but the boys and I got to take a train ride to the pumpkin patch. It was Houston and Waylon's first train ride and it was pretty special. Everyone was in costume and they had Charlie Brown's theme song playing in the background. their theme was "the Great Pumpkin " which is one of my favorites. The tough part was holding onto Waylon because there was no room for a stroller on board. When we arrived there was all sorts of carnival games and bounce houses. We went on a hayride and had to make it through the maze to get to the pumpkins. Of course, we took our picture with Lucy, Snoopy and Charlie Brown. I didn't care how much that pic was, by golly these kids are going to remember this! I liked how the pumpkin patch wasn't overly crowded. The only way to be allowed admission to the area was by train, so it wasn't too crowded. On the way back the train slowed to a stop three times and I was worried we were going to have to walk back to town, but they straightened things out, thankfully! After the train ride, the boys and I found an amazing pizza place that we have already had to go back to. Wrex says its the best pizza he's had in his whole life, I'm in it for the bread sticks, somehow they incorporate honey into them and I don't know how but it is amazing!

    This weekend I took the kids to a Halloween Carnival that a neighborhood was putting on. We got to pre trick or treat and do the "Cookie walk" Houston made a spider mask, so you know good times. We also moved our trailer in the park this weekend and rented a larger propane tank to get ready for cold weather. We moved right next to a huge pine tree that we have decided will be our Christmas tree!  Our high is 55 around here but its getting chilly! Ian was told that he is starting a job two hours away and they are putting him up in a hotel. That threw me off. I thought I had figured out how to stick together during this apprenticeship but it looks like we'll be spending a few weeks apart. Hes working further up the mountain, theres not too much up there. But brrrrrr he's going to be cold.
    We were lucky enough to get a friend I met through my retreat to watch the kids this weekend so we could go out on a date. I don't think we've been alone since December so it was time! We were told there is a dynamite sushi place in town so we tried it. It was very good sushi but being that it was so close to the college the servers were a little more concerned with their Halloween costumes then service. Either way, it gave us a good laugh and it was so nice to have dinner without discussions of whats going on with Cartoon Network. So all in all, we have been having a great time and staying very busy.
  We'll be praying for everyone in Sandy's path and remember all those lineman that have traveled from all over the country to restore the power as soon as its humanly possible!

 

A little bit of Momma Time

 So this weekend, I was able to escape to a Women's retreat! I know, it was very exciting stuff for me! Someone had told me about it, back in July and I signed up. I was assured that if we weren't around , I could easily resell my ticket and I am so glad I signed up. As it came closer, I started to get so excited for a little break from my mommy life. When the day came, I was so pumped, it didn't matter what we were doing or where we were going as long as I didn't have to make dinner and clean. So I took off on Friday, left Ian with some frozen pizzas and a meal in the crockpot! I grabbed a Pumpkin Spice latte and headed up the mountain. It was the most beautiful drive. All of the Aspen trees were bright yellow although most of them had already started losing their leaves. It was so breathtaking  that I pulled over to take a picture, that's when I realized I left my memory stick in my computer, dun dun dun. Oh well. I took one on my phone, that really doesn't do it justice, but WOW, simply amazing.
     We ended up having the most amazing food (very important to me) I was a little disappointed when my name got called for KP but as this is one on my many talents, I sucked it up. I also got to meet some amazing women in the kitchen and obviously I felt very comfortable in there (being as I am ALWAYS in the kitchen.) I swear it was like Thanksgiving three times a day, it was so wonderful to not cook it either! The first morning I showered and shined and was hanging out in the kitchen when someone said it was snowing! I was so excited, I ran outside, wet hair and in my socks, a typical southern Californian I'm sure. I think I've only seen snow fall from the sky once in Big Bear and I was very young. It was so amazing to me, I'm sure I will see much more where that came from, but WOW, I was amazed or maybe it was dazed! I never realized snowflakes were so tiny. In school, they are the size of a coffee filter and I knew that was an exaggerated size, but I didn't realize how exaggerated. I know that sounds very naive of me, but this is how much snow experience I have. The snowfall didn't last long and we were able to go on a hike that afternoon to a lake nearby. I had such a good time hiking and laughing with my new friends. At night we had campfires and ate smores. I felt so refreshed by Sunday.
    When I made it back, I was relieved that the fifth wheel was still standing, Apparently, Ian and the boys did not leave the whole weekend, which was perfect for Ian because he had a lot of homework to catch up on. Waylon lost a pair of jammies in a poop fiasco, Ian said there was just no saving them, haha! But those two definitely got some bonding time in . I can see it in the way Waylon keeps staring at Ian. The older boys got to catch up on their cartoons and all is right in our little world. Hope your week is going well too. Much Love,
Kristina

An old car I found, with a friend on a hike...just one more adventure

Albuquerque

    Hey Guys! So the fam and I were able to take an impromptu road trip to Albuquerque this weekend. Ian needed to refresh his CPR class by November 1st and there wasn't one around here that would make that deadline, so we figured we'd wander back into New Mexico. Did I tell you we went into Farmington , New Mexico last weekend? We are on a mission to update our phones so we drove an hour and a half to Farmington to the closest Verizon store only to find out that it was closed sometime ago. The family was not impressed with New Mexico at this time. We've been really spoiled by "Colorful Colorado" and the trip to Farmington had everyone in a sour mood with New Mexico. OK so flash forward. I was excited to stay in a hotel and live the life of luxury for an evening. I found out there was a Costco and a Target in Albuquerque. WOO HOO! Getting a hotel was much more difficult than I thought and that's when Ian told me that he heard they were having a balloon festival or something. So of course, I looked into it and it turns out, it was the opening day for the "Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta" this is the biggest hot air balloon festival in the world. Now I never have gone up in a hot air balloon, but when by chance you happen to fall into "The Worlds Largest Balloon Festival" you have to go right? I told Ian "I'm going up in one of those balloons!" Well the balloon ride was $399 so needless to say, I didn't get one, but I was in such high spirits as we took off to New Mexico.
     So we drive over four hours, through mostly desert and maybe two towns, taking potty breaks every chance we can with all of us. When we finally get to New Mexico, I start to hear protests from the family, apparently it wasn't what they had expected. I am way too excited and am insisting that we stop for lunch at an Authentic restaurant and the boys are cheering "pizza, pizza." This is how our road trips usually go. So Ian pulls rank and decides to go to the hotel first and see what's around there. Well since, we booked last minute and the Balloon Fiesta is about to begin, we end up by the airport near a Waffle House and a Burger joint. I stuck my foot down and insisted we go to a restaurant that trip advisor was recommending. So we load back into the truck and head towards the College Area and find a little hole in the wall Mexican food place "El Patio." Well the kids ordered nachos and they were not pleased when they came out with lettuce on them, Ian ordered tacos that looked somewhat, what you would get from Taco Bell but I listened to trip Advisor...I got green chili chicken enchiladas and they were delicious, I shared one bite with Ian but I devoured the rest, it was so yummy. They served it with some potatoes on the side, but it was a great combination. MMM MMM.    After they asked us if we wanted "Sopes" according to Wrex he heard them say "Salad potatoes." So I said yes, even though the kids we're saying "ugh mom, really, now we have to eat salad potatoes?" Do you see the whines that I have to put up with? Anyway, the sopes came and they were fresh, piping hot and delicious, everyone agreed. Yum!
   So then we took Ian to his CPR class and went back to the hotel. The kids played in the pool until they were blue and then we headed up to the room to take a nice hot bath (something we don't have in the fifth wheel.) So I was going to throw all the boys in at once and they were all undressed as I filled up the tub. Well ...little Waylon, he has a sense of humor. He promptly pooped on the carpet as I filed up the tub....do you get the feeling that this is not the relaxful weekend I had planned?  Waylon and his turd is the only pic I have of this trip. I won't post it here but if you want the proof, find me on instagram!
   After the boys were all bathed, I almost squeezed  a bath in myself but it was time to pick up Ian. So we loaded back in the truck, by the time we got back to the hotel I took a much needed mommy break and went to the hotels fitness center, which it turned out was probably the most quiet place in Albuquerque.   PEACE ,  FINALLY! So when I got back the family was still chanting "pizza, pizza" they wanted delivery, but no one had any idea who to call, so I made everyone go to "Dion's" a place nearby,  that trip advisor recommended. It turned out to be just what we needed. They had a spot elevated near the kitchen so the kids could see the pizzas being made, and it wasn't too crowded and they had salads, so it was more than just pepperoni. Everyone was happy!  It ended up being quite a day.
      We woke up to little children running the halls at 4am apparently very excited for the Balloon Fiesta or maybe they were going to the airport, I'm not sure. What I am sure of is, when Ian got up and walked to the door I was silently praying "please let him have boxers on"  It was our lucky day because he did, otherwise we might've had the police called on us for indecent exposure. So these poor little girls we're probably frightened into silence by the scary tattoo man in his boxers, but we did get back to sleep. The morning continued by the news of the Balloon Festival being grounded because of a high wind advisory. I so wanted a beautiful picture for you guys of me in a hot air balloon, but without the balloons going up, my family was not budging. No one wanted to go (except me) so we went to Costco, which was fun, we bought some coats and gloves.  Waylon made out with a huge purchase of diapers. My husband tried to appease me by taking me to Target where we looked for Halloween costumes and grabbed a Starbucks.  After Target, everyone wanted out of New Mexico. I convinced them to stop one more time for sandwiches for the road (If  it kind've sounds like I ate my way through Albuquerque, this is pretty much correct) We hit the road, I was still scanning the horizon , looking for hot air balloons. I told the fam how sorry I was that it didn't work out. They all gave me the "mom you're crazy look" and said "We had fun"...really? OK, I have a strange family. So really I have no pictures of this trip other than of Waylon and his sneaky poop, it was a strange weekend. We all think New Mexico is a strange place. I don't think we'll go back anytime soon.
   Our weekend winded down or at least I thought it was going to. But Ian woke up Sunday in full organizational mode. This meant, he wanted to tackle all the areas that I pile things. I was not in the mood, so he and the boys tackled their room and put away all Summer shorts. He organized all of our video game wires, chargers and other junk. I went to church and Ian did all of the laundry, folded and everything. I was as surprised as you are, I think it had something to do with him waking up with no more underwear. Did I mention  the night before was our first "freeze " warning. Meaning it got down to 25 degrees. Either way, I felt like a lucky lady, for him tackling such overwhelming tasks.     So when I got home we made our grocery list and we all went shopping. I made a bargain last night with Ian, if he made Chicken Tortilla Soup, I would make some chocolate chip cookies. It was a great day until the propane ran out at 8pm. The heater runs on propane...dun dun dun. So we plugged in our electric blankets and electric heaters. Ian had to get fancy and find a way for the circuit not to trip when we plug in both heaters. It involved an extension cord, unplugging the microwave and whatever electrical tricks he had up his sleeve. I felt extremely lucky to have a husband so handy and grateful it wasn't a weekend where he was at school or something. So that bring us to this morning. It was a crazy McCay family weekend. But we were all together. It may not have been a spectacular adventure but it's one I won't forget anytime soon.

Bayfield Heritage Days

   So Saturday did not go at all as planned. Saturday was the town of Bayfield's celebration of "Heritage Days" I had heard that this would include sheep being herded down the highway. What a sight! But I was severely distracted by the itinerary of the day and decided I wanted to do it all. What a surprise? So this meant the morning would start off with a fun run 5k to support the local boy scouts. Somehow, the boys were really excited to participate and I have never done a 5k, but I thought I would give it a go, in the spirit of trying new things. Well, I grew up in Carlsbad, CA home of the "Carlsbad 5000" so I was surprised to see all eleven of us show up for the fun run on Saturday. No worries though, I prefer small crowds, less pressure. So when they told us to go, my boys darted off and I'm thinking " wait a second I don't know where I'm going." You see in a race of this size the signs are pretty small, you gotta keep a watchful eye. Anyway my kids decided they could no longer hold their water bottles after about 1/4 of a mile, pretty soon we were in last and walking . I tried to encourage my kiddos but they weren't buying it. I started to get frustrated , they were almost in tears (they had walked about 2 miles by this point) so I called Ian to pick them up. It was not very well thought out by yours truly but I had such high hopes. I did however finish second to last, behind me was a family with a newborn, but I finished, I got the t-shirt to prove it.
     So as this drama laid out, it took longer than I thought and I missed the herding of the sheep. The boys however passed the sheep on the highway so at least they got a good look. Then came the parade. You remember how much "fun" we had at the last parade right? If not just look at the picture on this page . Well,  we learned from our mistake, this time we were the parade. That's right, Ian's foreman offered us a spot to sit in a buggy being pulled by horses and of course we did it. When I heard about this opportunity I almost died of embarrassment right then and there because I knew I HAD to do it. Anyway, I wasn't nearly as embarrassed as I thought, and Waylon loved waving to the crowd. After the parade there was another carnival of festivities that including wool dying  and spinning and I had every intention of participating but instead we all took turns riding horses. It was not what I had planned but probably more fun. After all this excitement, to be honest, I went home and  took a nap. It was a long couple of days and I was worn out. Ian had to work that night. So the  boys and I hung out around the trailer and then we got quite a show of fireworks that evening, thanks to the "Heritage Days." The day did not go as planned but I think all in all it was a big success. It ended up being more relaxful than my incredibly long list of events we were to partake in and when Ian came back at 3am he showed me a picture of a bear that was roaming around town while he was working, so it was pretty exciting after all. So I don't have anymore spectacular adventures up my sleeve, we will have to see what life throws our way. See you soon.

Heres an article about Heritage Day http://durangoherald.com/article/20120929/NEWS01/120929449/Warning--Sheep-crossing--

Mesa Verde

    Guess where I got to go yesterday? That's right Mesa Verde National Park! I have been wanting to go here since we came to Durango. Finally some other home school moms were going because the park was putting on a "Free Day" and that was the push I needed to get out there. Mesa Verde is only an hour away and then you half to drive a half hour up there mountain but what a spectacular view. The Fall colors were exploding all over the mountain. I am such a dork but I really love when trees turn colors and that just doesn't happen too much where I'm from. So witnessing all the foliage had me grinning ear to ear. Anyway, I checked Mesa Verde out online before we went because I wanted to have a game plan. The other moms had told me that the park was so big we would probably split up. So first we went to the visitor center and I got my kids some souvenirs. I'm the kind of mom that gets her kids postcards and squished pennies, so that's what we did while I gathered brochures. Oh yes, I did break down and buy them a mini "adventure scope" because I told them that we're all in the "Danger Club" it's a long story but I wanted them to have an adventurous spirit and the Danger Club has been founded since about 1990. ANYWAY. So we had our scopes, our brochures and we drove another five miles to the museum. Well first we saw a picnic table so we stopped for lunch and my kids got to experience something called peace and quiet. You know when you're in a naturally beautiful place and there is that stillness, I don't even know if they noticed, but I thought "what a gift, I've given them." In the days of constant stimulation, I'm glad they got to experience stillness, even if they were fighting over whose sauce belonged to whose lunchable and who gets to hold the bag of cookies. I heard it , the stillness was there.
       So then we went to the museum and picked up an activity book to become a Junior Ranger for the park. That's right, I read the pamphlet and I'm the kinda mom that loves dorky stuff and my kids dig it. So this activity book sent us on a scavenger hunt and we went through the museum to fill it out. We then went on a hike to "Spruce Tree  House" this was the only ruins that the stroller could make it down to see. People looked at me like, "lady, you know you have to come back up the hill right?" It was worth it, absolutely! To see these cliff dwelling up close, WOW! The Puebloan Indians also made "kivas" which we're round rooms that they used for different things, they had solid roofs with a little square opening and the kids got to go inside , I think they just liked climbing the ladder, but they had a blast. I did not hear one time that my kids we're bored or there feet hurt. Thats' the kind of fun we had. So after, we huffed our way back up to the museum and since we had completed the activity sheet, the boys were sworn in by the Ranger as a JR Ranger, to serve and protect all National Parks. It was really cute and silly but boy were they proud of their badges.
     Lastly, we went on the "mesa top loop" which is a driving tour that takes you by ten different sites that you can park and see more cliff houses , kivas and pit houses. It was a lot of getting in and out of the car, but the boys adventure scopes came in handy and they got to see some amazing cliff dwellings.
      If you have the opportunity to go to Mesa Verde I highly recommend it. The kids had a blast. I know it was weird. I am so fortunate to have these little adventurer's by my side. I think 6 and 9 are perfect ages because they're not "too cool" yet. Little Waylon is such a trooper, that kid is going to be a traveler some day, the things he's seen before his first birthday. Amazing. Anyway, I wanted to get this out to you before today started because yes, today we have some pretty special, wacky things to do . I'll tell you about it soon. Enjoy your day and find a little stillness if you can.

Pictures cannot do these cliff dwellings justice, they are amazing!

Chimney Rock

  Okay, so I'm posting earlier than usual. I can't wait to tell you where we went this week. So I met some other moms that home school and they invited me to go with them to Chimney Rock! I hadn't heard of Chimney rock unitl recently and had been asking Ian to take me there. We drove past it last weekend and I was so excited to see that there was another adventure so close to us (it's only 30 mins away.)  So when the other moms invited me, I jumped at the opportunity. We worked our tails off on Monday to get ahead with our work and Tueday we set out for Chimney Rock. We took a self guided tour with our new friends and were able to see some of the remnants of what use to be a large Native American Settlement. They estimate that there was about 2,000  Native Americans living in the area at it's peak, which is a really large settlement. The trail was pathed which was great for the stroller and the views were breath taking, but I really wanted to get closer to the "Chimney" The boys we're just happy to be with other kids and they ran ahead, as the moms were huddled around each plaque, trying to figure out what we were looking at. Classic!
    It was decided that our group had too many little ones to go to the top but our guide had activites planned for us such as; grinding corn, pounding yucca into threads and spear throwing. Pounding yucca was a huge hit with the kids. So if you're looking to keep your kids busy, you can give them some yucca plant, wet it, hand them a rock and tell them to get their aggression out. Who knew? Wrex of course loved the spear throwing. Even I tried it. It's not called a spear, it has some strange name, that I completely forgot. There's a leather strap that you put the spear into and then throw it like you would a baseball. Good times.
   Anyway, it was time to go and the guide had offered if anyone wanted to go to the top. At first I thought, I'll just come back with Ian. As it turns out, they close for the season on September 30th. So it seemed like it was now or never and this is one of the main reasons I wanted to come on the road. To experience with the kids, things we normally would not be able to. So up we went! (The only downside, was I had to wear Waylon in the front pack, which did my back no favors) It was amazing! We we're lucky enough to have a private tour and she was so patient with the kids and stopped to show us ant hills and show us where past structures had been. When you climb up, you get to pass the "Great House" that is still standing. It's a massive structure made of rocks and adobe. It is amazing to see and walk on these rock walls that have been there so long. So we made it to the top and made a memory. I was so tickled to find out they made this site a National Monument yesterday. What a special opportunity the kids and I have to explore this part of the country. That same day, Ian brought home a cup full  of arrowhead pieces. We're headed somewhere else pretty special this week. In the words of a great Pixar movie "Adventure is out there!"
http://www.chimneyrockco.org/mainnew.htm

Resting on our way to the top!

Standing in what use to be the "Great House"

 

            Throwing spears and seeing how tall we are in comparison to the spears...hehe

Kristina the mortified!

 

Could leaning over daily to bathe this cutie possibly be causng my back to spasm? He's so worth it

 

 

    Hey Friends! We had quite an interesting week last week. I have quite a story for you...So for weeks my back has been pinching me. It felt like there was a rubber band between my shoulder blades being stretched and released. I was quick to blame it on Waylon, (he's getting so big) when I lean down to pick him up I really feel it in my upper back. Well on Tuesday I was practically in tears. Ian advised me to ice it and take Advil but NO I couldn't listen. I want to see an acupuncturist! I exclaimed to mostly myself. No one challenged me, but I knew wherever I went, the kids would go also. Ian had a lot of overtime that week, and I couldn't see asking him to take off so I could attempt to see an acupuncturist, which by the way I've never gone to, but I was desperate for relief. So I would have gone to an acupuncturist but the thought of the kids watching someone poke my back with needles and possible having Waylon cry in the backgroundconvinced me take the normal route and call a Dr. Maybe he could tell me if it was heat or ice I'm suppose to use and just how much Advil I could take. Well, when I spoke to the receptionist and explained how I'm from out of town and I have extreme back pain, I must have set off a red flag alert. Now I was hesitant to go to the Dr anyway. I knew there was nothing they could really do, but I have insurance and I thought that if I was flat on my back, it would be too late for me to cry for help. No one would be here to help me. So back to the receptionist, before she ended our call, we had already decided on a time, she asked me " You're not a drug collector are you? " I was thinking "what did she ask me? So I said "Uh..what? No , I don't think so." ( In retrospect, this was not a time for me to be a smart alec) She said "oh never mind, I'm just being silly." and I thought, weird sense of humor, but to each their own. So I arrive at the doctors office and the pain is worse and yes on my way over there it has started to pour buckets of rain. So I get all the kids in, I'm filling out the paper work, I get into the office and as I start to explain to the nurse what my issue is, I started welling up with tears. At this point, I can't imagine not getting relief and how I'm suppose to continue as a mom/ teacher/ housekeeper/ entertainer in all this pain by myself without extended family around me. So the doc comes in . Not a friendly gent at all.He turns to the kids and says "why aren't you in school?" they say in unison "we're home schooled"  He asks me how I injured it, I say I don't know. He asks me when it started hurting, I say gradually for the past few weeks. So I have no clear idea of how I injured myself and again this must be another red flag. He asks me very unsympathetically. " Is there a reason why you're crying?" and I say because I'm in a lot of pain. He asks me to touch my toes, put my neck side to side and I tell him when it hurts. He says he wants to see my back and lift up the back of my shirt and then he asks" Is there a reason why you're sweating?" OH MY GOSH! What a jerk! I said "probably because I'm upset, I can't imagine what I'm going to to if I can't fix this." So I told him I don't really want medication I just want to fix this, what can I do? I have a thing against chiropractors I was thinking about acupuncture. Then he says "what you are describing is a back spasm in your upper back from too much tension. There's no easy fix, I can give you some back stretches. I said "ok fine, that would be great, "(get me out of here!) He said he was going to give me some non-narcotic medicine to relax the muscles while I home school and something to take at night. Then he told me to go for a walk this weekend. ..Um thanks, I actually do exercise ... I really don't know why he even bothered. It was so incredibly awkward. So we left, naturally I fell apart at my embarrassment. They absolutely, thought I was there for drugs, I was mortified and in pain and embarrassed. I think the lesson here is if you're from out of town, don't let your first doctors visit be for back pain. Or maybe the lesson is there must be a lot of pill poppers n Colorado. I'm not really sure.
       Ian was shocked when I told him what happened... let me rephrase that..He was shocked that I fell apart in the doctors office....well of course I did!
    So that night, the boy we're extremely excited to try out Awanas! We found out there's a church right down the road that offers this and the kids were so excited about it. Which was a bit odd for them because they weren't interested in it back home. I think they really were anxious to play with other kids and get away from their ailing decrepit mother. We dropped them off and I took one of those anti narcotic "for the daytime"  pills the doctor had given me and guess what? It knocked me on my butt. I was spinning and telling Ian what a great man he was...Yes needless to say, I was in no shape to pick up the kids from Awanas at the local Baptist church.
    So what this lesson really taught me, is that I in fact am not superwoman. I would like to do everything perfectly with one hand tied behind my back but I can no longer be a wife, mother, teacher, entertainer for small children, blogger and bookkeeper. So I believe it's time to drop my bookkeeping responsibilities. It means going on a tight budget but I think the reduction of "tension" will be worth it. This brings me to my next point. You will notice I now have ads on my blog. I am embracing the $3 dollars (my estimation for the year) I will get from googles Ad affiliates. I will try to make them not too annoying , bear with me while I figure it out.
    My week was not all that bad. That day was especially mortifying but the boys and I did take some long walks and we ended up going to church on Sunday. I met another home school mom and we are actually going on a very exciting adventure today that I will tell you about next week. We ended our Sunday walking around Pagosa Springs as a family.Actually, we went on a bear hunt. We were looking for wildlife and Ian showed us where they were insatlling "bear guards" because the bears were using the poles as scratching posts. We didn't see any bears but we did see a big bear doo doo with fresh urine and that was as close as we needed to get. We did run into a road block, when someones cows got out. Houston was saying "YAH!" from the backseat.It worked too! Then we walked by the hot springs and felt the hot, stinky water. We drank chocolate floats and had ice cream. It was a nice relaxing day. Especially for Ian, who had worked a 14 hour day on Saturday. Thanks for listening. Next time you feel really embarrased, think of me! I'll keep yall posted.

Kepping it real

    
   HA! I'm getting a head start on my weekly update because I have a moment of peace. I only have a moment of peace because all the children are on time out for hitting, but I'll take it! All in all, it was an average family of five normal week.
    I gave the two older boys buzz cuts. I was looking at them one morning before school started and I realized that they are never going to brush their hair, so I offered them haircuts. After the fact, I wondered if I might regret this. I really don't know when the "cold" hits around here and they might need all the body warmth they can muster being California kids and all. Too Late! It grows fast and since they insist on wearing shorts everyday, I  don't feel bad... yet. School went pretty well, our only obstacle is this history/art class they have called Paragon. From what I hear, the kids in the actual school love it. For me and Wrex it means cramming in art projects on a Friday night before they're due.
    Little Waylon, whom I just realized is 7 1/2 months old is officially crawling! I saw it happen on Monday but chose to stay in denial until he almost crawled out of Houston's bunk. I dashed from the couch and caught him, he thought it was hilarious! By the end of the week, he was trying to climb up our two stairs. Right now, I have it blocked off with cardboard boxes. Ian will love that.    Now that he can crawl anywhere, with speed, he has taken to obsessing about any power cords. It must be the "power lineman" in his blood. I realize this is serious and no baby should ever play with cords. We have the kids laptops plugged in under the table and he is obsessively trying to get to the wires. It seems like we need a gate for the table, time to get some more cardboard boxes!
    The weekend has been pretty slow. I ran out of propane Thursday night in the middle of frying up tacos. I assumed Ian would get some more but he's worked all weekend.So  I've been using the grill outside and the burner on the grill but today I had enough and figured out how to fill the dang thing up. it was HEAVY! so I only did one tank. We're talking about buying a larger tank for when the winter comes. The heater apparently runs on propane, so it's not something you want to run out of.
        Actually we got quite bored this weekend so we did what any good family would do. We got some ice cream and watched dad work. We actually haven't gotten around to spying on him yet and we keep seeing awesome pictures of him hanging from poles. Unfortunately, today was more of a filling in holes kinda day. So we ate our ice cream while he worked and came back home. We did decorate the boys room today. We brought some of those decals from Target when we moved in, back in May, so today we put them up. We had Super Mario and Angry Birds. So the kids positioned the characters into fight scenes. Who knew Mario didn't like birds?
    Sorry this isn't action packed. I'm just keeping it real. Now I shall go make chili because it was suppose to be raining. Take care.
   I was hoping to see this...

...but today was more like this...ahh the life of an apprentice

    

Letting the Days go by...water flowing underground...Once in a Lifetime

      Phew!What a week! It seems like they're flying by now that school is in session. We're definitely getting into the swing of things. Last week our teachers threw some curve balls our way by assigning paper mache and clay masks. I know the art stuff is suppose to be fun but when I see those assignments, I kinda think "really?!" Oh yes, also we have four pieces of bread spread around the trailer, some in ziplocs, some not, that we are monitoring for mold each day. Like we didn't have enough stuff crammed on our countertops! In the name of science, we press on.
   So, more adventures in Bayfield...I went to "the Grocery Store" (yep that's it's official name) last week to get some eggs and someone had sharpied out all of the expiration dates on the side of the cartons. I picked up one carton after the other and they were all sharpied out. Weird! Then I noticed a sign posted next to the eggs, telling you how you should interpret the expiration date on the cartons (it said 45 days after the date was good according to the law) which would have been something if you could have seen the expiration date to begin with! Yeah, I didn't get them, it was too much of a gamble.
     Also, we were completely invaded by bikers this weekend. There was a big bike rally in Ignacio, I believe it was for breast cancer (not sure how) but they we're everywhere! The campground was full and everyone generally had a good time.
     We went back to the rec center this weekend. Houston cannot understand why we aren't there everyday. So we went and the boys did more rock climbing and high diving. I've decided to put them into diving lessons because they think they are diving but their belly flops are painful to watch. Parent keep looking at me like "you're going to let them do that again?" Houston and I checked out the Discovery Museum in Durango. It was pretty awesome, it was like a Childrens Museum but with a heavy Science influence. The first Sunday of the month is pay what you like day, SCORE!     
      Labor day the boys and I had a picnic on the Animas River. It was different then being back home, but relaxing . The biggest moment of the weekend was Waylon saying "dada." It made me so grateful to be with Ian to share that moment. Just another reminder of why we're on this crazy journey together.
      We did a lot of cooking this weekend. We made banana bread and Chocolate chip cookies stuffed with oreos. We barbecued ribs. I'm about to start this 8 week challenge to be more healthy, fruits, veggies and excercise. I think the knowledge of that being around the corner made me hungry this weekend. Anyways, so pretty much more of the same. Never a dull moment. Now we start it all over again, at least it's a short week right? Anywhoo, take care until next time.