Our trip to santa fe

Since this is the world's MOST pictures anyone has EVER uploaded to blogger...I am going to let the pictures do a lot of the talking. I believe there are 77? In all. 77 of my most favorite pictures! It's a big cut when you imagine that I have almost 400 and I only take very good pictures! haha

DAY 1) SUNDAY DECEMBER 27TH

We got up bright and early and mom and dad picked us up to head for the airport. We met mamaw there and got on our flight to santa fe. Aiden did GREAT! We were in the smallest commercial airplane I believe they make but a little benadryl and aiden was happy to sleep the entire ride to santa fe. We landed in santa fe and realized santa fe is also the smallest airport to have commercial flights. They have 3 flights a day. One runway. You get out of the airplane by stairs and walk into the "airport" which is about the size of my parents house...maybe smaller. There is no baggage claim are just a guy pulling bags off the plane. I thought it was surreal. Maybe I haven't flown enough. We got our bags and headed on to see the fabulous house that would be our santa fe home for the next 7 days. (See previous post). AMAZING!

Then we got into our rental car to go find some food in downtown santa fe. We found a great little pizza place we just walked up to.

Happy little camper ready for some LUNCH in santa fe.

Mom and dad at the pizza place.

Loves the pizza and his two drinks!

Ben and I

Then because we were all just wanting to relax after our trip we decided to spend our evening watching the cowboy game and lounging in the fabulous house. We made jake's suprise (a family recipe which is a chili cheese meaty dip, frito pie kind of thing). This is a picture of aiden with his cheese dip and standing up and down in his chair. It wasn't real great that we didn't have a high chair all week.

And we built fires in one of the 8 fireplaces every single night

Watching the cowboy game

And playing games of his own before bedtime.

DAY 2) MONDAY DECEMBER 28TH

Good morning santa fe!!! Aiden was reluctant to get up and wanted to lie on the floor a little longer. Daddy laid down with him.

CHEESE!

All dressed and bundled up ready to head into downtown santa fe. Aiden's not too happy about having to wear that ski suit.

Mamaw and dad ready to go. BEAUTIFUL view from the house.

The streets of santa fe.

Daddy and aiden on the streets of santa fe. The place we had planned to go for lunch turned out not to be open for lunch so we just found a little grill to swing in and have some lunch before heading back out.

The oldest church in the united states in downtown santa fe.

Mamaw and dad posing with a native american statue. I'm sure of it's of someone famous but I don't know who.

We came back to the house in the afternoon to let aiden have a little nap before dinnertime and to warm up. Mom and dad by the fire.

Ben and dad started taking "art" with my new camera. Dad called this one "woman by fire".

Ben took this one and called it "fire in ring".

This is me checking out how to work the self timer on my camera. All of us were playing cards. I look like a deer caught in the headlights. Wondering if it was actually going to work I'm sure.

And then we went out to a FABULOUS dinner at "coyote cafe". The food was awesome, the service left something to be desired. It was a 2 hour experience and aiden got VERY whiny and upset having to be there that long. I recommend the food though!

DAY 3) TUESDAY DECEMBER 29TH

We get up and mamaw decides she's gonna spend the morning at the house and watch aiden for us! Yay! Ben and dad go to the store for groceries and supplies. Mom and I head downtown for shopping and lunch. Jarod and Beth fly in and meet us downtown for lunch and then shopping. I tried on this "kentucky derby" hat at a specialty hat store where jarod was looking to purchase a hat. It was too big for me.

After a little shopping everyone heads back to the house for more relaxing and a quiet meal at home.

Aiden wants apples.

The rest of us had hamburgers and hot dogs cooked out by the guys.

DAY 4) WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 30TH

We woke up to snow!!! Aiden watching out the windows at the snow falling!

Can you see the flakes of snow falling in the courtyard? We were actually hoping it would snow more while we were there but the weather was fairly mild from what we had expected.

I just liked this face. Aiden sitting in his chair being told to eat breakfast.

The girls went into town early and ate breakfast at a french crepe and coffee cafe. SOOOO good! We had cappuccino's and crepe's!

Girl day!

After breakfast we went shopping on the square where beth tried on a $5000 dollar coat. She seriously considered purchasing it but in the end decided against it.

And the joys of traveling with mom...she thinks she's lost something everywhere she goes. I have this pretty much exact picture in front of every single store we went to that day. Looking through her purse.. "did i leave my sunglasses? my wallet? my gloves?"

Beth and I shopping.

Historic route 66!!! Love it. After we did some shopping we all went to the spa and got some really awesome treatments. Mom and I got body wraps to moisturize our skin and beth and mamaw got massages. What a fun morning! After the spa we met the boy's at a little hole in the wall mexican place for a late lunch. (don't have any pictures). Then the men went on an evening men escapade to the casino not far from our house. The women and aiden stayed home and played cards and relaxed the rest of the evening.

DAY 5) THURSDAY DECEMBER 31

We got up and headed to the golf course clubhouse for the community we were staying in. They were having a MAJOR year end sale on everything in their pro shop. Everything was 75% off so we each got a shirt. It was also just a really pretty place to try and get some pictures. Jarod and beth!

And aiden WANTED his picture taken with them? Go figure but he started to do CHEESE!

Ben and I

The family picture...aiden's no longer really interested in the picture taking.

Aiden do you want your picture with us?!?! NOOOOOOOO!!!!

Then we headed down to the shops/ galleries on canyon road. Canyon road in santa fe is famous for its art, sculpture, and photography galleries. None of which was all that interesting to aiden so we had a hard time getting him to be happy.

Walking through the snow to our lunch at "The Compound"

Outside the restaurant

Outside the restaurant. About halfway through the meal (maybe not even that long into it) it became obvious that aiden had had enough and ben and I took him back to the house so that everyone else could enjoy the rest of their lunch/ day on canyon road. No complaints though. I took a luxurious bubble bath in the MASTER bath next to the fire while aiden took a nap and ben watched some kind of bowl game on TV. Not a bad afternoon at all.

New Years eve evening. The men in the kitchen making a fabulous new years eve meal. Notice aiden laying in the floor. Doesn't want to be left out!

The new years eve meal of filet mignon, 4 different kinds of sauteed mushrooms, corn medley, and french bread. Oh so good! Thanks to the men who prepared it and SERVED it to us!

The new years eve dinner!

Aiden playing peek a boo during the meal

Cute picture.

We had a couple of "lights out" moments during our meal, courtesy of aiden. We all rang in the new year with a HUGE game of phase 10. All 7 of us plaid straight past midnight and into 2010! I was the winner!!! Happy 2010!!!

DAY 6) FRIDAY JANUARY 1st

Because of most everything being closed on new years day we made a big breakfast at the house and spent the majority of the morning/ early afternoon watching football. Then after aiden's nap we headed on the hour trip to Taos, NM (ski town) to do some sledding/ tubing down the bunny hills.

Ben showing aiden the snow.

Aiden HATED having to wear gloves. Everything else he was ok with. He liked the snow, he liked the tube. He hated those gloves.

Trying to bite them off with his teeth! I HATE THESE GLOVES!!!

So of course we caved and let him not where them and now he is happy sitting in a little baby tube.

Daddy showing aiden how to tube.

This is in the "warming hut". We were all so incredibly cold!

I don't know if you can tell but all us girls are gathered around one little heating vent that is in the floor. We are warming our hands and feet.

Beth can't feel her toes or fingers!

Aiden's completely fine, sitting at the table eating gummies.

Dad looks like a goof ball in his makeshift hat? earmuffs? I don't know.

Tubing!!! YAY!!

I can do it on my bottom too!

Aiden do you want your picture with us yet??? NOOOOOO!!!!

Ok so another one of ben and I by ourselves.

The very cold tubing/ sledding group.

We stopped at the first little warm tavern looking place we could find. Turned out to be very good food and aiden was a very good boy and just sat and ate noodles. What a VERY long night!

DAY 7) SATURDAY JANUARY 2ND

The boys went to get their toes done at the spa the girls went to earlier in the week and mom, mamaw, and beth met up for lunch and shopping. I decided to keep aiden home all day because we had reservations for a VERY fancy dinner this night and I wanted him to be well rested, happy, and on his best behavior that night. I just think this picture is hilarious. Aiden wandered into mom and dad's room while mom was getting ready and stole her wallet and was throwing her money around on the bed like he was a rockefeller!!

MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY!!! Too funny!

This is what I did while aiden was napping. I had my own personal SPA day on the verandah at the house. Absolutely beautiful and peaceful! Loved it!

Mamaw decided to jin my spa when she got back from town.

So after spa time and everyone got back from town, we all got ready for our big night out on the town. We had reservations at the nicest restaurant in santa fe. We got to the restaurant and got seated and then they tell us...they don't have high chairs! No high chair. Aiden is going to have to sit in a real chair this whole fancy meal. So not gonna work! We realize about 5 minutes in, not only will this be an incredibly stressful meal for ben and I, everyone else will have to rush. It's just not going to work. So after preparing aiden all day to be a good boy at dinner, we have to leave and bring him home :(

This is the stage of life we are in right now. Our entire family is out at some fancy shmancy 5 star restaurant and we ordered pizza and ate off of plastic! Love it!

The good news is the pizza was very good

And aiden loved it.

Even though it wasn't how we had planned or wanted to spend our last night in santa fe, it wasn't bad. Ben and I played cards. We all ate pizza and watched movies and then put aiden to bed early.

DAY 8) SUNDAY JANUARY 3rd

This wasn't a vacation day. Just got up, packed up all of our stuff, took one last group shot in front of the amazing house and said goodbye to santa fe. We flew home in the early afternoon. Aiden again did very well on the flight and we were back in our house in arlington by dinner time!

So all in all it was a really great relaxing and therapeutic vacation for everyone to wind down from the holidays and relax before heading back to work. Aiden didn't always cooperate just perfectly the way we would have liked but for the trip I give him a solid B+. Regardless of his limitations and the things ben and I missed out on because we had to stay at home with him. I would not have changed a thing! I LOVED hanging out at the house. I LOVED spending time with all of my family. I LOVED relaxing and not having an agenda. That's my idea of a good time! What a special trip and definitely special memories! Thank you mom and dad for the amazing time.