New Mexico Snaps

Here is the casita off of Lee and Kristi's home where JB and I stayed. It was like a hotel with TV, bathroom, and a little back area for Isaac to sleep in. In Santa Fe, there are strict regulations on homes so as to preserve the authenticity of the area. Pueblo homes aren't optional -- they are mandatory. Lee & Kristi's is small but so cozy. It truly feels like you are on vacation at a lodge the whole time you are there.

Here is a photo of JB and Isaac on Canyon Road. This is a long stretch of road filled with galleries. We had never used the Bjorn with Isaac before, but Kristi had one so we decided to give it a try. He LOVED it. He just sat like this the whole time looking at all the art with his Daddy. Even when he got hungry and tired, he just kept looking and flirting with all the museum curators. I hung out with Logan while JB and Isaac picked where we went next.

Logan loved these elephants. She even named them. One was Trunky, one was Mouthy, and one was Flowers. She played on these for about thirty minutes while JB fed Isaac. She was such a good girl while hanging out with a lot of expensive and breakable pieces of art. She mostly loved the things outside because she was allowed to touch them!

Here is a picture of me pushing Raylee in the backyard with some beautiful New Mexico landscape in the front.

Isaac had never been in an "outside swing" before as he is just now able to sit up enough to handle it. He cried when I put him in it, but as soon as he figured out what this thing did, he was in absolute heaven! He loved it and honestly could have sat there for hours.

It got a bit colder so we got Isaac warmer. He didn't think the hat or the socks were a great idea, but he tolerated them okay.

Raylee on the swing. She, too, could have been pushed all day long.

I love this picture of Logan.

I gave Raylee two M&M's only to discover, a half hour later, that they were still nestled in the palm of her hand. She would not let them go. Kristi is so great and relaxed. She didn't even stress when the blue hands started climbing up on the sofa in the house. There are more important things to worry about when you have three children under four!

Logan investigating her own M&M.

Sweet sisters.


Logan.


More Logan. JB got some great shots!

Raylee sitting on the stoop of the casita, waiting for me to give her more gum.

Kristi, me, and the boys. Ryan Hartley is now 7 weeks old. Isaac is just over 5 months. They are both big boys! Ryan is as sweet as can be and just takes the house full of ladies in complete stride.

Our boys before bed.

What a wonderful time we had visiting in New Mexcio. Lee & Kristi are AMAZING parents. They were facing a tough battle against a 21-month-old who had suddenly decided staying in bed at night was extremely over-rated. They stuck to their guns and by the last night, little Raylee spent the entire night sleeping in her own room. I can only hope that I am as good of a Mom when I have three tiny tikes running around like Kristi does. She even had the energy to get out a paint set for Raylee and Logan to play with while trying to breastfeed Ryan. She is my hero!

We left on Tuesday morning bright and early for Utah and are now in our hotel here now. I'll write more about this trip soon.