update

So it has been a little over a month since my last post. AND boy what a month it has been. I have so much to write about...but not right now...stay tuned for future posts. I am currently in El Paso, TX for Husband's brother's wedding. It is a little down time from my exhausting job (yup, that's right, I have a job) but so far has not been at all relaxing. Anyway...here is a little text conversation I had with Husband yesterday. It may (or may not) shed some light on what I have been doing with myself. Me: My whole body hurts this morning. I have bruises EVERYWHERE! Husband: That's not good. Why are you all banged up? M: Horses. H: Why of course. M: I even have bruises on the insides of my thighs from riding James. H: (the sound of crickets) M: Oh...and James is a horse...NOT a man. H: HaHa! Okay...I was like WHAT?!?!?! I am happy you are working with horses again.

home again, home again...

…Jiggity Jig! After 15 days, 9 states, and 4328 miles, we are finally home. Although we spent 5 days in El Paso and another 5 days in Denver, it felt as if we spent the entire 15 days in a vehicle. We were always on the go, doing this and that, meeting up with people. The driving to and fro was never ending. We had a very low key time in Denver. It was a week that was all about Husband. We made sure that he got to see the people that mean the most to him. We had dinner one night with his doubles volleyball partner and her fiancé, and another night he got to play with his sand volleyball team. He had a lot of fun that night. It also made his realize just how much he missed his life in Colorado. We got to experience typical spring time Colorado weather. March is typically Colorado’s snowiest month…and it did not disappoint. The last day we had some business to take care of in the morning and some happy hour action planned for the evening. We set out that morning in heavy snow fall with a nice side of fog. We were on our way home from our morning meeting when while going about 60 on the highway my engine quits. QUITS! I get pulled over to the side of the road and Husband and I sit there looking at each other. Never have I been more thankful for a cell phone with 3G service. I get started on finding a tow truck to pick us up is a snow storm and Husband starts calling nearby repair shops. Now while breaking down is not lucky, we were able to get a tow in under 45 minutes, which in a snow storm is lucky. He happened to be close by, otherwise it would have been a 6 hour wait. The bad news was that my fuel pump had gone out and it was looking like we were not going to be on the road at 6 am the next morning. The repair shop wanted to get us the truck back that night, but as the day progressed it became clear that just wasn't going to happen. Good news is that my winter driving skills are still intact and with the use of my mom's car I got us to happy hour on time. Also...I did some name dropping and was able to get a discount on the repairs. We got on the road 6 hours late, but managed to make good time and got home exactly when we thought we would. Don’t get me wrong, I love being on vacation, but I love coming home more. Man it is going to feel so good to sleep in our own bed tonight.

Carlsbad Caverns

I’m not gonna lie, when it was first suggested that we go to Carlsbad I was not all “WOOHOO let’s go to a cave”. I guess going into caves can be added to my list of irrational fears. Caves are dark, dank, and down right creepy. There are things in caves that could jump out of the darkness and onto to you. Really, what it is to keep a stalactite from dropping from the roof of the cave and impaling you…WHAT I ask you? But we went to the big cave anyway. When I say big cave I mean super giant, humongous, gargantuan cave. I knew it was big, I just didn’t know it was that BIG. And thank goodness it was so big…because this is one gal you are not going to find spelunking. As we enter this HUGE cave, I cannot help but to wonder aloud about the odds of the ceiling falling down on us. Husband looked at me (I am guessing he looked at me as it was very dark) and said that maybe I should not be thinking like that…and while I was at it maybe I should keep my irrational fears to myself…and hows about I busy myself with snapping photos instead of trying to freak myself out. So I snapped some photos. Well what I actually did was point my camera into the darkness and hoped I would get something worth looking at. After playing with settings and shutter speed I got a lot of dark blurry images. I also got a few really cool ones too. I loved all textures and how alive the cave felt. I have never been someplace that felt so other worldly. It was truly amazing. All in all I was very happy with our cave excursion. I want to thank my in-laws for taking us up there. If I ever get the chance to go back I need to remember to bring a tripod, a shoe-mount flash, and maybe a macro lens. That’s not too much extra to carry a mile down into the ground is it? If the mood strikes, you can look at some of the other images I took here.

Bucket

This handsome devil is named Bucket. He is a very sweet boy.

well hello there...

On our last day in El Paso in an attempt to get out of the house and into the sun, Boyfriend and I went to the zoo.

Presidio Chapel of San Elizario

San Elizario is on of the oldest communities in the El Paso area, with a fort or presidio established to protect the Camino Real (Royal Road) and the area settlements. The original chapel was built in 1935 for Mexican troops stationed in the valley in the 1770s. US troops were assigned to the Presidio in 1850 and during the Civil War volunteers from California were stationed there to prevent a reoccupation of the area by Confederate forces. The present Presidio Chapel of San Elizario was constructed in 1877 to replace the earlier chapel which had been destroyed by a flood. In 1935 a fire destroyed the original interior. The current interior dates back to the 1944. Visiting these old churches has sparked an inerest in the history surrounding the El Paso area. I can't wait until we return so that I can learn even more.

Mission Socorro

Mission Nuestra Senora da la Limpia Concepcion del Socorro was established in 1682. From that point forward, the mission would undergo a series of relocations, moving to five different places in the El Paso area over the years. The first mission was occupied only from 1682 until 1684, when it had to relocate for protection due to the Manso uprising. The second mission was known as the Old Socorro Mission. It was occupied from 1684 until about 1740. The third mission was occupied from 1740 to 1795, when the fourth mission was constructed. The locations of the first four missions are not known. In 1829 a devastating flood changed the course of the Rio Grande, destroying both the fourth mission and the nearby Socorro Pueblo. The present Socorro mission was completed in 1843 and reused the roof support beams and furnishings of the previous mission. While in this church we were told a story about they acquired their statue of Saint Michael. The statue was made of cork in Mexico and weighed only 110lbs. It was originally made for the Socorro mission in New Mexico. The men transporting the statue stopped at the Socorro mission in El Paso and asked for lodging for the night. They moved the statue into the chapel for safe keeping. The next morning when they went to load up the statue the men found it too heavy to move. They enlisted the help of ten men and still could not move the statue. After many failed attempts it was decided the the statue was meant for this Socorro mission and not the one in New Mexico. The gentleman telling the story went on to tell us that the Saint Michael statue had a habit of moving around the church until it was given its own alcove to the left of the pulpit. He also told us a few ghost stories of hearing people praying or singing in the church when no one was there. It is a beautiful old mission, I can see why spirits would want to stay.

Chico's Tacos

Every time I would tell someone who used to live in El Paso that I was heading down they would always ask if I was going to go to Chico's Tacos. Boyfriend has talked this place up to me a millions times...yet we would never seem to make it there when in town. So yesterday while out looking a wedding venues Lupe took us to Chico's Tacos. Their tacos are basically a fried flauta. Us white folk call them taquitos and buy them frozen in large boxes at Costso when we have parties. You get three tacos per order smothered in a red chili sauce and cheese with a side of jalapeno sauce to pour over the top. Add a side of fries and an icy coke and you are set. They were pretty good...but not something I could eat everyday. I think they would best hit the spot after a night at the bar. I am glad to get yet another El Paso institution under my belt.

Mission Ysleta del Sur

We arrived in El Paso on Thursday afternoon and man was it nice to feel the sun on my face yesterday. Boyfriend's brother are in town as well and his mom is happy to have a full house. One of Boyfriend's younger brothers Abe had recently proposed to his girlfriend Christy. They have decided to have the wedding in El Paso so today me, Christy and Boyfriend's mom Lupe were scouting out wedding venues. The last place we looked at was the Mission Ysleta del Sur. This is one of the three churches on the Mission Trail. Mission Ysleta was founded in 1692. The mission was washed away by floods in 1744 and 1829. The mission was reopened in 1851 only to be destroyed again by fire in 1907. Only the sacristy remained and the mission was rebuilt using the remaining adobe walls updating the facade with Mission Revival details. the bell tower was also altered adding the large silver dome, capping 3 centuries of natural disasters. The second I walked in this little church took my breath away. Christy is planning the wedding I would want for myself if Boyfriend and I were headed down that road. I have had fun helping her in the begining stages of her planning.

Headed down to cool ol' El Paso

Weather is Seattle...cold, wet, and shitty Weather in El Paso...sunny, warm, and did I mention sunny? Boyfriend and I are leaving the dreariness of Seattle for the warm sunny goodness that is El Paso Texas. YEAH!!!