The drive from Austin to I-10 was nice. We stopped at Stonewall to get fresh Texas peaches and okra. We stopped at the cleanest rest stop in Texas just before Fredericksburg and we saw camels on the other side of Fredericksburg! We stopped for a quick lunch at a decent Dairy Queen in Junction then it was on to the freeway with the 80 mph speed limit! Needless to say, we didn't get to take in much of the scenery at that point! In fact I saw very little of it as my eyes were fixed on the road. You can't mess around at that speed. The kids listened to music, read books and in general annoyed the crap out of each other, but at least they weren't too loud about it. However, alot of the time they played fairly nice (for them at least) and I was glad! Time flew between Junction and Fort Stockton as I had the pedal to the metal and the kids dozed off after a bit. But then of course, it seemed like FOREVER to get from Ft. Stockton to Carlsbad! When we arrived and were greeted in fine style by my cousin Danny and his wife Cindy. We were treated to a dip in the pool, a lovely BBQ complete with homemade mac and cheese. Danny even made sure to have a couple of cold ones for ME! Yea! So we sat around, completely full and happy, visiting and laughing. I miss my cousin, we don't see each other enough and he and Cindy are so great! I love 'em! They gave Ian their spare room and their daughter Lacey gave up her room for me and Ainsley. I slept like the dead! The next morning we had a leisurely breakfast, drank tea and coffee and then the kids and I loaded up to head to Roswell to visit Grandma!
Danny, Cindy and the Monkey Bunch!
The trip to Roswell was quick and the kids and I were both very happy to see Grandma! She has recently moved back to the Peachtree Assisted Living and it is such a nice little place. I am glad to see her settled where she doesn't have to cook or clean and she has help if she needs it. We visited, had a bite to eat, then Ian played with the Wii. Grandma, managed to slip a Furby and a Cabbage Patch doll into Ainsley's iron grip, so I was forced to take on 2 more little passengers!
Grandma and the kids!
We were once again on the road, this time to our final destination... the cabin in Ruidoso! The kids both conked out on the drive, which allowed me to put the iPod on shuffle and enjoy myself. I made one quick stop in Picacho to pick up some Cherry Cider. You just can't visit Ruidoso without getting Cherry Cider! We made it into town right around 4:30pm and it was perfect. The temps were 20 degrees less than Austin and the air was crisp and fresh and filled with the scent of pine! Aahhh! The kids were very good to help me unload and while we were doing that, Ainsley said, "Mommy! What's that?"
The Welcoming Committee of course!
The kids were so thrilled to get their first glimpse of wildlife! We made a quick trip into town to grab a bite to eat at the Great Wall of China, a cute little Chinese place that has been in business for 20 years in Ruidoso. They were so nice to sit us next to a large tank of fish which kept my bunch greatly entertained! One of the waiters also overheard Ian's desire to learn Chinese. He came over and announced that Chinese was his first language and gave Ian and impromptu Chinese lesson! He now knows how to say, hello, thank you and you're welcome! The kids were so excited with their new language skills that they ran around the house all evening thanking each other and saying hi in Chinese!
When we got home, the kids immediately got to work setting out peanuts and birdseed, and I tended to the hummingbird feeders (notice the sweatshirt... it was that chilly!).
Once all critters were stocked up with goodies, we settled in for the evening I pulled out "Clash of the Titans," we grabbed glasses of Cherry Cider and commenced to have a wonderful evening! By the time the movie was over and their Cherry Cider was gone, both kids looked like the Joker on a bad day!
What a great start to our trip! More to come...
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