Boyd Family Christmas Vacation
I have a lot to catch up on around these parts, but for a reeeeeallly good reason. December has been a whirlwind with birthdays and parties and doctor appointments and wrapping gifts and everything else that it takes to prepare for Christmas. Especially considering that our Christmas preparations had to be 100% complete by December 13, along with packing for 4 for a 8 day vacation.
That's right, AN 8 DAY VACATION!!!!
I'm typing this as I sit in our chilly condo in Red River, New Mexico. It is 8 degrees outside and it's glorious. I'm snuggled up by the fire, sipping on hot cocoa, and enjoying the silence as the rest of the family is still sleeping. We are having the BEST time. This place is quaint and beautiful and just plain awesome. But I think we could be anywhere on the planet and still be happy to all 4 be together for a whole week. We were in need of some quality family time and it's been refreshing for the heart. It's been 4 days and we haven't even wanted to kill each other yet. :)
We've been about 95% unplugged and it's been lovely. There is really sketchy signal up here in the mountains. We did finally figure out that our condo has wifi but we've spent the majority of our time out exploring. It's been kind of nice to be disconnected from the real world. But I figured I would log on here and upload some pictures and start a vacation recap while it's still fresh on my mind.
DAY 1
Driving, driving, and more driving. And more driving. A total 14 hours in the car. We left our house at 4am and before we even got out of Houston, the following took place: (1) got a couple miles down the road and had to turn back around to get a forgotten item, only to discover that the item hadn't actually been forgotten; (2) almost got into a car accident while backing out of our driveway due to a speeding (and I'm guessing drunk) driver racing around the corner; (3) almost got run over by an 18-wheeler who changed into our lane while we were next to him; (4) there was super dense fog and visibility was terrible. It lasted until after the sun came up. I'm still not sure how I didn't suffer from a massive heart attack. I am a self-described nut when it comes to riding in a car. I have irrational fears and have been convinced that I'm going to die in a fiery car crash ever since I used to have recurring nightmares as a kid. So lets just say that all of this was NOT good for my nerves. Like, at all. I'm pretty sure Rick will be slipping me some horse tranquilizers next time we take a road trip anywhere!
GPS told us to go up I-45 and hit Dallas/Fort Worth, but we have been that route a million times and are rebels and wanted to take the more "scenic" route up 290 and HWY 6 and a bunch of other farm-to-market roads through College Station, Temple, Abilene, Lubbock, and then on to Amarillo.
The kids got to open up their Christmas presents early from Beda & Pappy. Their own portable DVD players with headphones and some DVDs, and their own cute lap desks with storage with art supplies inside. Score! (for the kids and their parents, if ya know what I mean)
We drove through lots of teeny tiny towns. At one of the gas stations we stopped at, this was their only form of beverages:
We stopped in Abilene for lunch. We ate at a cute little pizza joint and then headed to a park so the kids could get out some of their wiggles. They were getting a little stir-crazy at this point.
There's only so much bedhead a headband can mask.
Harrison had his own bedhead rocking, too:
And this is why I put "scenic" in quotation marks up there. Yawn, yawn, & yawn. Hours of flat...nothing. Other than thousands of creepy windmills.
We made it to Amarillo and were relieved to be among civilization again. Ha! We discovered these old cadillacs buried in the dirt and it was a welcome excuse to get out of the car.
We checked in to our hotel and when I opened the door to the bathroom I found Harper all bundled up, sitting on the toilet. It was too cute not to take a picture. She reminds me of Ralphie's little brother in A Christmas Story.
Our goal is to eat only at restaurants we've never been to. We picked Ruby Tequila's for dinner. Something about the word "tequila" after 14 hours in the car sounded appealing. :)
We did break our rule about only new restaurants for dessert, though. I can't ever pass up Braums when I see one. It's probably a good thing they don't have these near us.
And that's it for Day 1!
That's right, AN 8 DAY VACATION!!!!
I'm typing this as I sit in our chilly condo in Red River, New Mexico. It is 8 degrees outside and it's glorious. I'm snuggled up by the fire, sipping on hot cocoa, and enjoying the silence as the rest of the family is still sleeping. We are having the BEST time. This place is quaint and beautiful and just plain awesome. But I think we could be anywhere on the planet and still be happy to all 4 be together for a whole week. We were in need of some quality family time and it's been refreshing for the heart. It's been 4 days and we haven't even wanted to kill each other yet. :)
We've been about 95% unplugged and it's been lovely. There is really sketchy signal up here in the mountains. We did finally figure out that our condo has wifi but we've spent the majority of our time out exploring. It's been kind of nice to be disconnected from the real world. But I figured I would log on here and upload some pictures and start a vacation recap while it's still fresh on my mind.
DAY 1
Driving, driving, and more driving. And more driving. A total 14 hours in the car. We left our house at 4am and before we even got out of Houston, the following took place: (1) got a couple miles down the road and had to turn back around to get a forgotten item, only to discover that the item hadn't actually been forgotten; (2) almost got into a car accident while backing out of our driveway due to a speeding (and I'm guessing drunk) driver racing around the corner; (3) almost got run over by an 18-wheeler who changed into our lane while we were next to him; (4) there was super dense fog and visibility was terrible. It lasted until after the sun came up. I'm still not sure how I didn't suffer from a massive heart attack. I am a self-described nut when it comes to riding in a car. I have irrational fears and have been convinced that I'm going to die in a fiery car crash ever since I used to have recurring nightmares as a kid. So lets just say that all of this was NOT good for my nerves. Like, at all. I'm pretty sure Rick will be slipping me some horse tranquilizers next time we take a road trip anywhere!
GPS told us to go up I-45 and hit Dallas/Fort Worth, but we have been that route a million times and are rebels and wanted to take the more "scenic" route up 290 and HWY 6 and a bunch of other farm-to-market roads through College Station, Temple, Abilene, Lubbock, and then on to Amarillo.
The kids got to open up their Christmas presents early from Beda & Pappy. Their own portable DVD players with headphones and some DVDs, and their own cute lap desks with storage with art supplies inside. Score! (for the kids and their parents, if ya know what I mean)
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| He LOVES mazes and is getting really good at them |
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| Chip joined us for the trip |
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| everything's bigger in Texas |
We stopped in Abilene for lunch. We ate at a cute little pizza joint and then headed to a park so the kids could get out some of their wiggles. They were getting a little stir-crazy at this point.
There's only so much bedhead a headband can mask.
 |
| meet Harper's uncombed hair |
Harrison had his own bedhead rocking, too:
 |
| zero product or styling...all natural, baby. |
And this is why I put "scenic" in quotation marks up there. Yawn, yawn, & yawn. Hours of flat...nothing. Other than thousands of creepy windmills.
We made it to Amarillo and were relieved to be among civilization again. Ha! We discovered these old cadillacs buried in the dirt and it was a welcome excuse to get out of the car.
We checked in to our hotel and when I opened the door to the bathroom I found Harper all bundled up, sitting on the toilet. It was too cute not to take a picture. She reminds me of Ralphie's little brother in A Christmas Story.
Our goal is to eat only at restaurants we've never been to. We picked Ruby Tequila's for dinner. Something about the word "tequila" after 14 hours in the car sounded appealing. :)
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| this girl loves her queso |
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| a little miley action |
We did break our rule about only new restaurants for dessert, though. I can't ever pass up Braums when I see one. It's probably a good thing they don't have these near us.
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| cheers! |
And that's it for Day 1!
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