After missing my honey like crazy when he was working in Santa Fe for a few weeks, we decided it was a GREAT idea to live in a hotel for 2 weeks so that we could all be together! It had great potential to be a disaster or to be amazing. Guess what? It was a little of both, but mostly AMAZING. The hotel Mark was in actually had a real bedroom, kitchen and living room. Plus, dinner and breakfast was included each day (almost no cooking or dishes for me!!). A Hilton resort was connected to the hotel, so we got to do this:
in all of the amazing pools every single day!! Both girls learned to swim (with floaties). That was HUGE, especially considering Tatem just screamed when I even attempted to put her in the water the whole first day! Now we have two little fish!
Of course Mark worked everyday, but in the evenings and over the weekend, we got to play as a family.
I carefully researched and found a trail rated "easy" that was supposed to be good for inexperienced hikers. PERFECT!!
We got on the trail and took several pictures before setting off! Isn't it beautiful out there? And YES, those are JACKETS in JUNE!!
Tatem couldn't get enough of Mark's Camelbak! A sippy cup that never runs out?? She loved it!
Since the hike was so short, we took it slow. I think we were about 100 FEET in to the trip at this point, but Landrie was having a ball exploring.
THEN...
Tatem started to meltdown. Like, world record "Let's just call the whole thing off and GO HOME!!!" kind of meltdown, right there in the dirt. I guess the high altitude and all that swimming really got to her, because she took a morning nap and and afternoon nap most of that first week. That's not normal for my almost 2 year old! We thought that surely she'd be fine with all the excitement of the hike. We were WRONG!!
Mark left to go back to the car while I waited with the girls. Tatem was pitiful!! We knew that carrying her the whole way was out of the question (she's almost 30 pounds!) so there was just one option...
Yes, it's a bit ridiculous, and I don't think our stroller will even be quite the same, but we were NOT giving up on a day of family fun! (Anyone else been there???!)
And a day of family fun was what we had! Bridges, rocks, trees...those are the things that all kids LOVE!
So beautiful
Tah- Dah!!! SO proud!!
"A graham cracker and a ride? THAT'S my kind of hike!" So glad to see her smiling again!
Showing off that 20 week bump!!
Before long, it was in the 60s and just gorgeous!
Then, the trail turned from leisurely walking to a serious incline!! WHEW!!
Oh, yes. This happened!
Mark is carrying the stroller, complete with all of our discarded jackets and at least 10 water bottles (just in case!!) up the super-steep, super-narrow trail. Did I mention Tatem was in the stroller too?? MAJOR husband/daddy points for this guy! He's amazing!!!
This gives you an idea of the steep grade and the CUTENESS!!
One big happy family, very willing to sit still and take a break for a minute. :)
It got pretty ridiculous, so I insisted on at least carrying Tatem for a bit. This may have been when she started saying "Hea-BEE!!" (heavy) when I pick her up! haha!
Yes, this one is probably the most crooked picture ever, but the camera was propped on the stroller canopy, and everyone was smiling in this one! (Just click on the picture to make it bigger)
Whew! We survived our whopping 0.8 miles hike through the wilderness of Los Alamos, New Mexico! You know what? We'd do it again in a heartbeat. :) We were surprised at what a cute little mountain town Los Alamos was and grabbed lunch there before heading back down to Santa Fe.
Then we stopped on the side of one of those scary mountain roads to take a picture. The camera was balanced on top of the van and the wiggly girls were balanced in our arms- and there were no injuries!!
I love this one!
All 4 Long girls! Each day, it's getting more and more impressive when I can carry all 3 at once! haha!
My love!
I'm so glad we got to stay with him and see his new TEMPORARY job assignment!!
