Walkin' (Falling) in a Winter Wonderland

This weekend my sister Kirby arrived for an extended stay in New Mexico. I was very, very excited to see her, and we were more than ready to take advantage of some quality time in the land of enchantment. Being the south Texan that she is, she was a bit disappointed at the lack of snow in Las Cruces this weekend, so we headed up to Cloudcroft for some playtime in the powder. We rented tubes and channelled our inner children (I think we're getting pretty good at that these days), and Rio was in heaven with the wide open spaces. I, however, suffered slightly when my boots decided to refrain from gripping the ground and I bit it...hard...multiple times. Note to self: Stuart Weitzman boots may be fabulous, but they are not made for off-roading. Also, after 4 falls flat on your back, that snow doesn't feel so powdery anymore. I'll probably feel that in the morning...and on that note, I believe all of those years of wear and tear on my joints must have finally caught up with me. Yes, I know it seems a bit dramatic to announce my oldness in today's post, but it is only one week until I have been alive for an entire quarter century. Glad I went hard to start my last week as a 24-year-old!

My words simply can't do our Cloudcroft adventure justice, so I'll go ahead and share a few photos with you. A picture is worth a thousand words after all!

 On our way to the tubing spot, we had to stop at a local general store. The trip wouldn't be complete if we didn't shop!

 The three of us, ready for our snow adventure

 My sister, the tree hugger...

 

And licker?

 Rio wasn't as excited about sledding as we were...

 I pretty much love any and every opportunity to wear my super stylish winter clothes.

 Rather than walk up the hill, Cody took full advantage of the opportunity to let Rio pull him on the sled. 

 Aren't we cute?

 Prepping for the family photo

 And here it is! How did I get so lucky?

 OK, these next three photos mark the first of my four falls. Rio may have had something to do with it. Who keeps a dog on a leash in a winter wonderland anyway?

 And the lack of traction begins...

 Perhaps sitting in one spot would've have been safer?

 Sassy little snow bunny (at least we look the part, right?)

 Master and his hunting champion, ready to practice some retrieving skills in the forest

It was a little hard to get great action shots and stand up at the same time. (As if I'm not already lacking enough grace.) I did my best to get a couple though, and the scenery was gorgeous. Here's Kirby the professional snow tuber!

 Cody took the jumps like a champ! Pretty sure he lives for this.

Hopefully you're getting as excited as we are that Christmas is so close. We sure are enjoying our "White Christmas" experiences this month!