Spring Break 2015

Spring Break 2015 was a  much-needed and welcome getaway after a month of sadness, stress, and depressing East Texas rainy weather.  We packed up and headed to Taos, New Mexico and met the Whytlaws and Dad for a week of skiing and sun.

We split up the car ride there over two days, spending the night in Amarillo after a very long and late drive on Friday night. The kids were excited and ready to get to the mountains on Saturday morning and did great in the car...

Then we met up on the road at Clines Corners with the Whytlaws. Reagan and Brian ended up with a nice, relaxing last two hours of the drive with Hadley while we had... 

The house we rented was amazing, gorgeous views, and plenty of room for the boys to chase Hadley for hours on end.

Sunday, March 8th, we hit the slopes and Mike and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary by summiting the new Kachina Peak lift. 

Here we are on top of the world (in New Mexico, at least) at 12,481 feet.

The photos don't even come close to doing justice to the AMAZING views from above the tree line on a snow-capped mountain in the Rockies.

Somehow, we ALL managed our way down Main Street, the Kachina Peak lift mogul-filled steep run.  Here is a view from the bottom (see the lift way in the background on the left side?).  And, we all made it without falling or injuring ourselves. NICE!

We skied our hearts (and our legs) out that first day while all the kids were in ski/boarding school.  We met up with them late that afternoon to ski some with them, and also skied with the older three (Dad kept Tate) all day on Wednesday.

Tate enjoyed his first time on sticks!

Um, I'm sorry, but is this not the CUTEST little skier you have ever seen in your entire life?!?!

Lift Number 8 selfie with our favorite 8 year old!

We lunched at the Bavarian (the BEST) on Monday with Dad, and then soaked up the beautiful sun on the patio at the Hotel St. Bernard on Wednesday while the kids plotted the next run route :)

Dad brought Tate up to the mountain on Wednesday afternoon and we all went tubing for a couple of hours. It was SO FUN!!

We took Tuesday off and went to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, and into town for shopping and lunch.  We came home to amazing dinners every night (I highly recommend taking a personal chef, a/k/a Dad, with you on vacation - haha!), and great times in the hot tub, dancing, and playing games.

With the famous Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Bear (who is ready for St. Patty's Day) on the square

The Whytlaws left on Thursday, and we enjoyed another relaxing day in town after a second trip to Twirl toy store and lunch at Bella's.

We almost didn't get out of Bella's because apparently someone cut a major cable in town and all cell/phone/internet service was down.  We only had a credit card and not enough cash to pay for lunch.  We ended up working it out, but the entire town spent the rest of the day and night with no ties to the outside world!  Lucky for us, we had already made plans for dinner and Kayla's mom, Keyna, made us delicious pizzas at her home while the kids swam in the new hot tub. 

The drive home was long.  Too long.  After almost 14 hours in the car with the boys, a broken DVD player, three fast-food meals, a teething (back molar) 4 year-old, two out-of-the-way stops to pick up Ruby and then my car, we decided that planes are made for long trips and we are never driving again!! ;)

Other than the trip home, it was the best Spring Break yet. Love my family, love my bestie, love her family, and love Taos.