walking like Rango....

 Squirrelly SUNDAY

Is this squirrel laughing or snickering at us???

We like walking around our neighborhood but today we trekked somewhere DIFFERENT.

for the ADVENTURE.....for FUN....for the sake of saying we did it

We thought we'd walk to Uncle Ahsker's house. (my brother)

We may have been a little less than prepared... (to say the least.)
Half way through we realized we should've taken a bottle of WATER.
...we should've wore better shoes

It felt like a journey towards the unknown; an adventure of a different type.....
We kept our minds occupied with stories
Cookie said she felt like Rango as he walked through the dry, hot desert.
I quote her quoting Rango on our walk: "Yeah. All right now, listen up! Things are gonna be different around here now that Rango's in town. Got some new rules: I want my shoe shined every mornin', my coffee hot, danish on the side. Whatever you do, don't look at me in the eye! STAY OUT OF MY PERIPHERAL VISION." (such a funny quote)

It was indeed an ADVENTUROUS WALK!!!!
Nevertheless we made a memory and we're certain we'll look back fondly on this day.

wearing shorts and sandals in the snow....

 chirping morning birds, stunning blue skies 

It's going to be another beautiful day....

(so I think)

 Cheii and Nana will be joining us at Bam's Confirmation ceremony tomorrow.

So today we're headed to Gallup to pick them up.

What started off as a beautiful day for a drive turned into a very snowy cold drive, 20 minutes outside our arrival into Gallup, NM.

Click the video that Cookie made from the backseat 

☟

When we got to the Ranch, Nana was ready, Cheii was feeling under the weather.

Cheii decided to stay home to recover.

 Plus he didn't want to get the children ill by coming to our house.

It seemed as if, just as quickly as we arrived, we were back on the road towards ABQ.

Amazing climate differences in 138 miles--2 hr. drive.
Likely due to the altitude level of course.

Vanderwagen, NM is 6,514 ft. above sea level
Albuquerque, NM is 5, 000 ft. above sea level

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We made perfect timing back to Albuquerque.
Enough time for
a late lunch--
  a little relaxation--
 before heading to the church for rehearsals this evening.

thunder bummer

It's a track meet day for Princess Fifi...... she's running the 800 meter dash.

We're at the SE Albuquerque public school stadium

Cookie and Sweetheart packed a blanket and a bag of sippy drinks, fruit, granola and nuts.

They were very prepared for the meet as they waited for Fifis event to come up.

But within 15 minutes after the meet began; a thunderstorm moved into the area.

Thunderstorms are very common in New Mexico. Often times without rain--just thunder and lightening.

The meet was put on safety alert as the athletes were moved into the gym.

The spectators were asked to evacuate the stadium and to wait in their vehicles.

After a little over 30 minutes the thunderstorm eventually moved on but then the fierce winds moved in.

The meet was cancelled

It's good to go home.... warm.... dinner.... safe (yeah)

4G 4S.....what!

Phone Home....

New phones?

I hope so!

*Fingers crossed*

Hmmm.......it's a phone and it's a tablet 

Sweetheart quickly figured out the phone features on her own.....

Choices -- Choices

Too many choices to choose from; the newest techy, XG, android, smarty iphones and androids!

....We still have a few more months to go on the contract before we are candidates for upgrades.

Until then, we have to wait patiently and enjoy our current phone a little longer.

*sigh*

FIRE, FIRE, Please put out the fire in my throat.....

Awk...

This is how my throat feels as I battle a sore throat.......

So very glad none of the children are ill.

But I'd rather be ill than to let them go through the suffering.

I'll try my hardest to continue on, despite feeling slightly defeated.....

Ding-Ding----Round one is over (you haven't won yet throat ick)

Round two is next and I'll be armed (I'm certain--after seeing my doc today)

Luckily blogging doesn't require an audible voice because right now I don't have one.

fluffy, puffy pillows under my head.......

The weekend is here......

 My Bam is in Santa Fe for state competition tournament.

Fifi, Sweetheart and Cookie are excited to make this a girls weekend.

--Sorry babies, not today.....

Mommy's throat is irritated and I feel feverish  

 I can't get ill.... I'm a busy mum.

Ohhh no..... I feel woozy now.

Fifi says,"Relax-Rest-and Recuperate Mommy" as she fluffs a pillow for me.

Cookie and Sweetheart assured me, "Don't worry, we're here for you...."

xoxo

So lucky to have the best children in the UNIVERSE

my oil change guys are clairvoyant

Why do I even bother???

Because I realized it has to be done. 

But it never fails.......

Whenever I take the van in for an oil change the oil change guys tell me something is on the horizon due to be repaired on my vehicle.

 I dread having to take the van into the repair shop----SOON.

Even though the repair shop does excellent work on my vehicle, it's just the anxiety of the time away from my vehicle and (of course) the BILL.

My clairvoyant oil change guys tell me I have a few days maybe a week or two to get it look at before the it will get significantly worst and possible more damage and expensive in the long run.

I thought my van drove beautifully too.

I didn't know strange events were happening under the hood in silence.

I shall get it fixed......