Week 47

This week was quiet.  With Julie and her crew heading home on Monday, it seemed like we were rattling around here in our tiny apartment. We miss everyone so much!

I'll split this post into two different ones.  First, the pictures from Monday and Tuesday with family ...

From the trip up to Carlsbad Caverns on Monday ...

First, sharing a morning smoothie with Gram.  

The bottle - good for so much entertainment!

With Sarah at one of our pit stops along the way...

With Meghan on the small carousel at the turnoff for the caverns.

Talking to us in the car.

At lunch, with Meghan

The ride home - with a sleepy boy.  Gram was wonderful to entertain him for the ride home.  Here, playing peekaboo!

Sleepy boy!

At Carlsbad Caverns.  We all decided to walk in the "natural entrance" which is about 1.25 miles in, and about 700 feet in elevation lost.  It was rather intense with a 25 pound addition strapped to my front!  Brian was amazingly excited for the first part of the walk - screeching in joy and waving his arms.  Then he lost it on the sleepy front and he screamed at me and struggled for the next year (or so it seemed, probably like 10 minutes).  Then he passed out and slept for quite a while.  At the bottom he woke up again and enjoyed it.  The life cycle of the Boppli!

Tyler and Brian as park rangers.

Andrew and Sarah at the entrance

Miscellaneous pictures of the walk down to the bottom.

 Finally at the bottom.  From here on out, it was "mostly level."  You can avoid the initial walk in and take the elevator down to this point, but what's the fun in that?

 Sleepin' Boppli  

(In case I never explained, Boppli is a nickname that Brian has ended up with.  It means baby in Amish.)

And awake Boppli

 I have lots of cool pictures (thanks, Papa Chuck) that I'm not putting in here for space. If you're interested, I'll show them to you anytime.  But this one was just too cool not to post.  I love the way the water looks!

 

 At the park sign, outside the visitor's center.

At dinner, with Julie.  Everyone was tired, and she came up with a very funny game with the Monchichi monkey.  Brian was cackling every time!  Check out this video of them playing together!

(You have to click on this one to play the video ...)

Tuesday morning, at IHOP with everyone before they left for the airport.

Playing with Andrew and Tyler

With Tyler

With Andrew

With Sarah and Andrew

Gram and Meghan

Prepping for the big picture ...

The amazingly successful picture - thanks to the IHOP staff.  Wish Cory could have been here with us for this one (and everything else).  It would have made it perfect.  Thanks so much for coming to visit!