Goodbye Aunt, Uncle and Santa Fe....

On Saturday morning we reluctantly packed our things and made sure we had everything out of our comfortable guest room before heading into the main house. We packed up the girls and all the great toys they received from Aunt and Uncle. Once we were sure we had everything (we later discovered Sofia left her 'rainbow blanket' which is Sofia's very favorite blanket that she's had for years and is a second lovey for her after Green Beup Beup. She sleeps with it and we realized once we were home that she must have left it in the guest bed.

After packing up our car with our things, we loaded up and drove to the Plaza and ate at the Plaza Cafe once again. I had another Mexican Mocha and their delicious breakfast tacos (again). It's just so delicious! After filling our bellies, we said our goodbyes to Aunt and Uncle and thanked them for another fantastic Thanksgiving and Thanksmas! The girls ran around the Plaza, chased and then fed the pigeons and made friends with other out-of-town kids. Meanwhile, CK returned to Overland to buy the leather jacket he admired yesterday. He really looks fantastic in it and it fits him perfectly!

After his purchase, we drove to the airport and packed up the Baron. After a bathroom break, we loaded into the Baron and CK took off for home! Olivia was asleep in less than 15 minutes and Sofia was close behind her. I also took a pretty large nap and it felt great to wake up about 15 minutes before landing. Both girls were tired out from a fun few days with Aunt and Uncle, but they also didn't get nearly as much sleep as they are used to. That said, they both were really great throughout our visit and really had fun and were a delight to be with. There was no fighting between them, no meltdowns, nothing was broken and they didn't get crazy! Instead, they played with their dinosaurs and made up stories and had fun together. I'm so proud of how they acted and it was a great visit for us all because of it!

We landed around 4pm and stepping out into the 65 degree weather was a big difference from the cold of Santa Fe. We enjoyed sushi before picking Buddy up at Claire's house. He was so happy to see us and we were happy to have him back and be home after a very fun trip and celebration!

With Aunt and Uncle by the kiva fireplace in the hacienda

Hanging out in Santa's House

Breakfast at Plaza Cafe

Love this picture of the girls and Aunt and Uncle!

CK wearing his beautiful new jacket!

Heading out to the Baron to head back home

Selfie....it was hard to fit us all into the frame!

Taking off!

Olivia during her long nap on the way home.

Family Selfie in the Baron!

Merry Thanksmas!!

We woke up still feeling a little full from such a great meal the day before so it was perfect that we didn't eat breakfast until meeting my friend Carl and his mom Ginny at the Plaza Cafe. We arrived a little early, so the girls and I visited the tourist shop right next to the Plaza Cafe and they surprisingly found something they each wanted. Sofia found a really cool trilobite fossil and Olivia fell in love with a light pink stone heart. The girls also found a trivet for Uncle Steve. We celebrate what we have called "Thanksmas"the evening after Thanksgiving so that we can exchange presents with Aunt and Uncle and open them all together. Although it can be a little stressful to get ready for Christmas for them so early, it's also nice to get them out of the way early and be together. Also, we generally walk around the town square and are able to pick up stocking stuffer gifts and other goodies for each other, so I was glad we had a little time to look around.

Carl and him mom arrived and we enjoyed lunch at the Plaza Cafe, as expected. Their breakfast tacos are my favorite and the girls ate every bite of their pancakes and bacon! CK always gets the eggs and bacon breakfast. It was great visiting with Carl and his mom and I love being able to see them when we visit Santa Fe. His mom retired and moved about an hour from Santa Fe and absolutely loves living in New Mexico and being able to ride her horses all over near where she lives. After filling up on breakfast, we all walked around together and visited Overland, CK's very favorite leather goods store. CK and Carl tried on different expensive and beautiful leather and fur jackets. Most looked awesome on them, but a few were definitely a style that wasn't great. CK fell in love with one of the jackets and it really did look fantastic on him. He decided to think about it. Meanwhile, I found a pair of fabulous forest green suede boots that I fell in love with! CK told me to act surprised for Christmas and bought them for me. I can't wait to unwrap them! Carl also found some great boots that he could use while visiting his Mom, since he likely wouldn't need them much in San Francisco. They looked really cozy. After our purchases, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Aunt and Uncle's house. We planned to go for a hike in the mountains, which we've done every year. This year that was several inches of snow in the mountains, although it had all melted in sunny areas.

Once back at the hacienda, we discussed different hiking options. Sofia couldn't wait to hike and play in the snow while Aunt Shirl wanted to stay below the snow line. Aunt Shirl relented and we drove up toward our usual hiking area, but ended up stopping before arriving at the parking area. We pulled off into a parking spot and Sofia was in the snow in no time! Someone had built a snowman in the shade above the parking area and the girls loved checking him out. Uncle Steve pulled out the plastic trunk mat from the back of his car and used it to slide down the small snow-covered hill with the girls! Sofia couldn't wait, but Olivia wasn't quite so sure. After both girls had gone down with Uncle Steve, Olivia was happy to go down the snowy hill. Of course, Sofia couldn't get enough and they rode down it together and also with CK, Uncle Steve, or me. They had a ball!

After their sledding adventure we decided to drive down the hill a bit where we wouldn't need to hike through snow. We parked in a popular hiking area on the mountain and we started off. Sofia was so excited to go for a hike. Olivia was fine with it but not nearly as excited as Sofia. Sofia hiked with Uncle Steve and Olivia hung back with Aunt Shirl while CK and I hiked in the middle. We hiked into the ravine for a while and it was a beautiful and peaceful hike with a few fellow hikers coming down the mountain as well as a dog and her owner. I seemed to not be able to warm up and we finally ended up turning back for our car. Sofia was so bummed that we went for such a "short walk" and wanted to continue on the trail and take it all the way around the ridge and back to our car, as one of the hikers said it did. Olivia was hungry and ready to get back to the hacienda to eat. I was frozen solid so I looked forward to the car's heater. We made it back to the car and headed back toward town. We headed to the Plaza and I picked up a casserole dish for a present for Aunt and Uncle since I felt like we needed something special for them. The Plaza was fairly crowded already and we were lucky to find a parking spot. After our purchase, we headed back to the hacienda, where I took the hottest shower possible. I finally was warmed up and was happy when I found out that the group had decided to forgo the usual visit to Santa and Mrs. Claus and the tree lighting on the Plaza to have our very own tree lighting.

CK and Uncle Steve added Christmas lights to their backyard pine tree and lit the fire pit. It was still in the mid-30s and chilly but the fire from the fire pit really helped keep one side of us warm. We had a count down for the tree lighting and the tree looked great with it's lights! Plus, we were able to go inside once we were too cold. We enjoyed turkey soup and turkey sandwiches for dinner. I'm not sure if the Thanksgiving meal or turkey sandwiches are better.

After enjoying the very last of the apple pie and pumpkin tart, it was time for presents! Aunt and Uncle got Sofia and Olivia some creative and perfect gifts for our dinosaur-loving girls. The huge favorites were the dinosaur erasers, dinosaur hand puppets, and the "Fliposaurus" book which allows a new dinosaur to be made out of different kinds of dinosaurs. Sofia loved it. Olivia got a Titanic shoulder bag and a little jewelry bag with a flower ring inside. Olivia also got a "Make Your Own Mermaid" set. Olivia absolutely loves bags, boxes or containers in which she can carry and store her favorite things. She really loved her Titanic bag and fit all of her dinosaur erasers and toys in the bag. She barely took it off to go to bed! One of the best gifts of the night was the dinosaur (for Sofia) and unicorn (for Olivia) ball popper and target. Sofia was great at shooting her ball out of the dinosaur's mouth and hitting the target, while Olivia's went maybe an inch before falling to the ground. It was fantastic! We laughed so hard and it was so sweet! Both girls loved it.

We finally got the girls to bed at 10pm after a very full day together and some fantastic gifts!

Hanging out with Papa at the Plaza Cafe

With Carl and him mom. A great meal and great visit!

Fear likes Mexican Hot Chocolate!

The girls with the snowman.

Fear in the snow!

Sledding! Such fun!

Heading out on our hike into the valley

Aunt Shirl and Olivia

Olivia and her Papa

The four of us!

Olivia and her Papa heading up the hill

Playing with dinosaurs before dinner and gifts

Sofia, Uncle Steve and CK warming up by the fire pit

Olivia and her dinosaur hand puppet

Sofia checking out her new favorite - the "Fliposaurus" book!

Olivia and her princess scratch pad

Showing Aunt Shirl her favorite dinosaur creation!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving! One of my very favorite holidays! I woke up and headed to the main house where Olivia was newly awake and Uncle Steve was on his computer. I grabbed a cup of coffee and cuddled with Olivia near the fire while we waited for everyone else to wake up. Soon everyone was up and we made breakfast tacos since we didn't plan on eating our Thanksgiving meal until the afternoon, so we wanted some protein and real food in our bellies. After breakfast, the girls stayed in their pjs and we played a couple of hands of Uno while Uncle Steve made his awesome homemade apple pie and Aunt Shirl relaxed with us. After a few Uno games, the girls continued playing on their own with their dinosaurs and a few games of Memory. Mike visited with extra chairs that we needed to seat all 12 of our Thanksgiving table and he also had the turkey that Uncle Steve would be putting into the oven after the apple pie was done. The pie turned out perfectly and as much as I looked forward to the entire afternoon, company, delicious food, and everything else, I really couldn't wait to eat Uncle's awesome apple pie!

We showered and got dressed and I had the girls get into there nice outfits, not only for our meal but I wanted Aunt Shirl to take a good photo of the four of us to use on our Christmas card. Unfortunately, my camera's battery completely ran out and I didn't bring my charger so I was stuck taking photos with my iPhone. Aunt Shirl had her small camera with her which works well, but I was really hoping we could use my camera! We decided to stand right outside the back door and she actually got a good photo of the four of us as well as a cute picture of the girls together. After photos, CK and I did one final grocery run for a few things that we needed and we returned just as the turkey made it's way into the oven! Aunt and Uncle's very first turkey on their first Thanksgiving in the hacienda was in the oven!

Aunt and Uncle's guests arrived around 3:30 and included Mike and Chris who also have a house in Santa Fe and who have hosted us at their house the past several Thanksgivings and for 4th of July burgers. There were also two additional couples who we met this past 4th of July and who are very interesting and friendly. We started off with appetizers of cheese, crackers, nuts and other goodies. We also enjoyed champagne out on the patio while the girls played out in the arroyo. They put on their jackets and gloves and headed out to climb, explore and make up stories. We told them to stay within eyesight of the hacienda and we could hear them and see them. While they played and everyone was occupied, I called my Aunt Cathy in Colorado and wished her a happy Thanksgiving. It was great to talk with her and I always feel like we could talk for hours.

Finally it was time to eat dinner! We called the girls inside and had them wash their hands before we ate around 5pm. Everything looked delicious and we had all the usual dishes: turkey, my favorite stuffing that has apricots and sausage that Aunt and Uncle have made for many years, mashed potatoes, the best gravy ever (another of my Uncle's specialties, brussel sprouts (my Aunt's specialty), roasted sweet potatoes and root vegetables, and several salads brought by the guests. It was all fantastic and delicious! Sofia grabbed some turkey and was heading in for sides when I pointed out the brussel sprouts right in front of her. She made the worst face and I was lucky enough to get a picture! I happen to love brussel sprouts and both our girls swear they hate them even though they haven't tried them. I did get Olivia to try two and she said they weren't bad! After eating Thanksgiving dinner, we talked, ate Uncle Steve's delicious apple pie and pumpkin tart and visited for a while. The guests said their goodbyes and headed home and it was a very successful evening. Given the recent elections, we were a little curious as to how the evening might go, as was Uncle Steve, but it went fine. Sofia and I played a few games of Uno and then the girls went off to bed. We all helped with the dishes and then headed off to bed as well. Such a fun (and tiring) Thanksgiving!

Uncle Steve's sliced apples in a yummy cinnamon mixture ready to be made into a pie

Checking out the fresh turkey with Aunt Shirl!

The apple pie - all ready for the oven

The girls busy playing dinosaurs and the Memory game

The found my lipstick before our family pictures!

Our family picture!

The girls

The turkey goes into the oven

The four of us take a break from cooking for a photo by Sofia

The table is all set!

Starting off Thanksgiving with a glass of champagne

Carving the turkey

The group ready to eat!

Love this picture! She obviously loves brussel sprouts!

The relaxed and gracious hosts!

Santa Fe for Thanksgiving

We headed to Santa Fe for Thanksgiving on Tuesday afternoon, after some rainy weather cleared out of Dallas. Around noon, we picked up sandwiches from Pot Belly's and then loaded up and got started on what ended up being a 3.5 hour flight due to some head winds. Olivia and I napped as did Sofia and I woke up about 15 minutes before we landed, which is perfect. Just as we left, CK gave Sofia the JK Rawling's book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and by the time we landed in Santa Fe she was almost completely done with it! We got into our rental car and headed to Aunt and Uncle's new place, which they are calling their "hacienda." We were able to see it on our last day in Santa Fe over our July 4th visit, but it was empty and they have done a lot of work on the inside and backyard since then. It's located north of the Plaza and feels very rural even though it's still an easy walk to the Plaza. Their backyard backs up to a natural arroyo and there is a gate leading directly out to it, which Aunt Shirley knew the girls would love to explore.

We arrived and were shocked at how cozy and beautiful the hacienda is! The backyard is a complete transformation from when they bought it just 5 months ago and it all feels like they have been there for years already! It's perfect! After we brought our bags inside, putting CK and my bags into our very own guest room just outside of the main house and the girls' bags in their room, inside the house, we decided to explore the arroyo. It had rained the day before, so the ground was still wet and sandy and the girls loved it! They found a lot of great rocks to collect and their jacket pockets were soon filled with new treasures.

After our exploration efforts, we headed to our favorite Mexican food in Santa Fe - Maria's for dinner. Sofia and Olivia brought their T. Rex dinosaurs - Fear is Sofia's and Pounce is Olivia's and they are good friends. Once we arrived at Maria's, CK got the girls Shirley Temples and they sat in the entryway, coloring the new coloring books Aunt Shirl gave them and drinking their drinks while their dinosaurs watched them. Sofia also finished her "Fantastic Beasts" books and loved it. We enjoyed dinner and catching up with Aunt and Uncle, including a lot of talk about all the work done on the hacienda! Once we returned, the girls went to bed in their new guest room and we visited for a bit longer before heading off to bed ourselves.

On Wednesday morning we made breakfast tacos with eggs, bacon and cheese and the girls played in their pjs with the dinosaur figures and the memory game next to the fireplace. The fire felt great, since it was in the mid-30s at 7:30am! Olivia and I tried to challenge Sofia in the memory game, but she beat us every time and Olivia kept getting frustrated and quit playing. After eating and getting dressed, Aunt Shirley and I headed out to run errands to prepare for Thanksgiving. It's great to have the whole day before Thanksgiving to help get ready and run errands. We first visited Bed, Bath and Beyond and then stopped in World Market, which was a new store for Aunt Shirl and she loved it. I knew she would find great stuff there and she bought a beautiful table runner, napkins and new plates, since they expect 12 people and only have six plates. From there, we stopped in Whole Foods to get the finishing touches for the big meal. By then we were starving and CK texted me to ask about lunch since they girls were also starving. He'd fed them pretzels and apples but they were still starving. We offered to pick up lunch at Bumble Bee, one of my very favorite places in Santa Fe. I keep hoping that they will open one in Texas! It's basically fresh Mexican fast food that is delicious!

We returned to the hacienda and ate our Bumble Bee's food, which was as delicious as ever. After lunch, I took the girls on a hike through the arroyos and neighborhoods to the Cross of the Martyr that overlooks the city. When we started off, the girls were too warm so they decided to leave their jackets and gloves behind. By the time we made it to the Cross, it was close to sunset and getting chilly. Sofia had her hat with her and almost never complains about being cold, so she was fine. She never even wore her hat, since she used it to keep her T. Rex, "Fear" warm since "she isn't used to the cold." By the time we started back toward the hacienda, Olivia was freezing. I gave her my jacket which hung down nearly to the ground, but she was comfortable. I ended up jogging a little just to stay warm and the sun was fading fast. We made it back just as the sun set, which was perfect timing. I actually thought we had one more ridge to cross but was thankful when I saw the hacienda sooner than expected. I was getting chilly and the temperature was dropping was!

While we were on our hike, Uncle Steve worked on his delicious pumpkin tart, which he made last year. Instead of the traditional pumpkin filling, it calls for garam marsala, which really adds to the flavor but doesn't overtake the pumpkin. Plus, he makes his own pie crust from scratch which is amazing. My Grandma baked pies every day and sold them in a little store they ran when Uncle Steve was young, so he's had a lot of experience working with dough and pies. I swear his pie crust is the best I've ever had anywhere! He had the girls help him make "leaf" cut-outs for the top and they loved it, of course. After, the girls went back to playing with their dinosaur figures by the fireplace while we went out in the back and sat under the heaters and enjoyed drinks and snacks. It was surprisingly warm sitting under the heaters with our jackets on. It was already down into the 30s and chilly away from the heat. After awhile, we ordered pizza from Il Vilcino and Uncle Steve and I picked it up and returned to a great salad made by Aunt Shirl. The pizza and salad really hit the spot! After, we put the girls to bed and went to sleep ourselves.

With Papa - ready to head to Santa Fe!

The girls and me

Olivia and her lovey "Giraffey" cuddle up before a nice nap!

The view along the flight

Hiking in the "new" arroyo near Aunt and Uncle's hacienda

Books, coloring books, crayons, Shirley Temples and dinosaurs....what more could one need?

At Maria's

Hiking with Sofia and Olivia and their dinosaurs - Fear and Pounce

We made it to the Cross of the Martyrs

A serious game of Memory

Olivia and the dinosaurs

Uncle Steve making his delicious pumpkin tart. Yum!

Reading "What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night" with Aunt Shirl

Making leaves with Uncle Steve

Fear likes the looks of the pumpkin tart!