I Wanna Soak up the Sun

Well, summer has arrived in the desert. We hit our first round of 100 degree temps last week, so Cody and I were thrilled for the weekend and a chance to cool off with a day trip to the lake at Elephant Butte. Rio was also very excited for his first visit to something bigger than his splash pool, the bathtub AND the river. :) We relaxed and lounged all afternoon, and while it doesn't quite replace the beach, it is nice to get some relief from the scalding New Mexico sun. (I'm beginning to think that it's powerful enough to even develop a tan on my super white skin!)

 My handsome boys. Not sure which one loves the sun and sand more!

 Rio had a blast chasing the "waves" as they came to "shore". He would try to bite the top of the water and didn't seem to understand how it was moving so quickly on its own. Such a goober!

 The ultimate in relaxation-- let the dog do the work. Cody tested Rio's swimming skills by letting him pull him back in when the water carried him out into the lake. Lazy? No. Resourceful? Maybe.

My love and me, coming up on two years of wedding bliss. Trust me, we are clothed in this picture, though it may appear otherwise. Try not to be jealous of my fabulous windblown mane either, ok? 

Until next time... hopefully you're staying cool and soaking up some sun for yourself!

CherryFest 2012

I fully intended to post this before the month of May ended, but needless to say, I just didn't make it. It's the thought that counts though, right? :) We had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend full of old friends and family, and yes, we made our second trip to San Antonio this month. I think the drive has worn on us a bit at this point (we are still catching up on our sleep, but what else is new!). We definitely wouldn't trade the special memories and fun that we have with everyone in south TX for anything though, and as always, are looking forward to our next journey.

We made the trek to Cherry Mountain Ranch for our first CherryFest experience in a couple of years. Our friends Clint and Shane Neal have made it a tradition since our college days to graciously host a group of rowdy people at their ranch every year for Memorial Day weekend. We camped, grilled out, floated in the Medina River and played sand volleyball. It was lots of fun, and there were even rumors of Red Stag hunting, though I'm not sure those ever came to fruition...

We brought our friend Clay from Las Cruces to experience some authentic hill country fun, and by the end of the weekend we all agreed that it was hard to return to the desert after a relaxing weekend in the beautiful green, water-filled hill country. It truly is one of my favorite places, and I'm so glad we got to spend some quality time there! We also got to see my Aunt Melody and my cousins while they were passing through on their way to Vegas, so it was good to catch up with all of them. It's pretty rare that Cody and I get to see the extended family outside of holidays, so we always love those opportunities.

Clay and Matt (Weezy) bonding over some river time

 Me & the hubs, just like the old days

 The three besties-- since Thousand Oaks Elementary. Love these gals!

 Stephen and Cody, cheesin' it up

 Love you sis! 

"And we're gonna go down... to... the riverrrrr" 

My sweet Shannon! We go way back to the days of photo shoots and Spice Girls dance routines. She's pretty much my second little sis after all. 

 Stephen was the ultimate trooper coming out to see everyone after having a second hand surgery earlier in the week. He's hardcore-- which is obvi why he's my BFF. :)

 Love my girlfriends!!

 Do you think Cody is having fun? Absolutely priceless.

Our roomie reunions are always the best. Love this girl so much!

 I can't wait for all of the great adventures to unfold in our third (what?!) year of marriage AND our second year in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Stay tuned!