Blood runs thicker than water (especially in the desert)

(Las Vegas, NV)

New Mexico now seems so long ago, but it went something like this:

We arrived at my (great) Aunt June’s house in Albuquerque in the early evening and immediately received the grandma treatment – giant hugs and food galore, even though we had dinner plans in just a few hours. The evening continued with wine on the back porch and a southwestern barbecue dinner with June, my mom’s cousins Kevin and Molly, and their spouses.

I enjoy my family so much, and Katie did too after hanging out with them for a few days. The constant, blunt yet goodhearted banter, the rehashing of favorite stories, the love for singing and the ability to make oneself heard – we got heavy doses of it all. Listening to Aunt June and my cousins enjoy being together, and their memories of my grandfather (her brother), my grandmother, my mom and uncles, I felt so lucky to be a part of this huge clan of wonderful people. The best was hearing June talk about my grandfather and the fun they used to have sitting and drinking on the same back porch where we sat to have wine that first night in town.

Since June had to leave town, we stayed with Molly and her husband David, in their amazing home in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains. We enjoyed hiking on some trails in their neighborhood and checking out the spectacular view of downtown Albuquerque. Our second night in, Molly and David treated us to a dinner of New Mexican-style food (didn’t know there was a distinction before) including fish tacos, carne adovada, and lots of things flavored with green chile. I loved it – finally some good, spicy food! We followed dinner with a John Denver guitar/song session on Molly and David’s balcony, taking in the cool, brisk night air. As if that weren’t enough, the next morning David took us flying in the small plane he shares with his brother. Along with spectacular views of the city’s surrounding mountains, plateaus, and suburban sprawl, I got a brief flying lesson. I’m now well on my way to professional pilothood.

Once again, we were spoiled rotten by some excellent hosts. In addition to Molly and David, my mom’s cousin Kevin, his wife Caroline, and their sons Sean and Shane, showed us even more of life in New Mex. Sean, who was nearly our age, introduced us to his friends and took us around to some good nighttime hangouts. We went barhopping in the downtown strip, which was fun, although on a Wednesday night it didn’t maintain the same energy as many of the other cities we’ve seen. The next day Kevin and Caroline added delicious homemade salsa, tacos, and gazpacho to our New Mexico palette, and we visited with them and my other cousin Lisa for more laughs and family stories. Finally, for our last night in town, Sean brought us along to his friend’s birthday party in a casino named after the mountains, Sandia. We enjoyed some drinks, practiced our roulette and slots routine (gearing up for Vegas) and explored the resort premises until some late hour or another. It was a good cap to our stay.

I’ve obviously been slow on the posts, but we’ve been on the move since NM and there’s much more to be told! Updates on the way…