quick trip home

Grandma's 90th Birthday party!







I decided to wait on posting about all the gardening stuff I'm doing because there are going to be plenty of posts on that later. In fact that might be all I end up posting since thats what I think about and do most days. The house hasn't been cleaned for weeks! But here are a few bulb pictures that make me happy.












Anyways it was fun to be home. I was very tired afterwards, especially my feet. I mostly sit all day long (although now that I'm gardening I'm getting some movement in) and so going home and walking through santa fe and making frosting and running around trying to get things ready and running around cleaning up did make me tired. Also although the bed I sleep on is better then it was, (anyone else remember Grandma Rick's day bed in her basement?) I always sleep better at home.


Friday my flight got in 20 minutes early which was nice. Mom and Dad came to pick me up in Ed so I it was funny because I was looking for them in the red car or little van so didn't see them even when they stopped right in front of me. It was a beautiful sunny NM day. We went to Sam's club and got supplies for the party before heading to Uncle Lynn and Aunt Joann's to pick up Aunt Elaine and Uncle Dick. It was fun to see them as its been awhile for me. Thats whats great about family get togethers like this.


Anyways Uncle Dick had never been to LA or Santa Fe and Aunt Elaine only briefly so it was fun to see the old sights through new eyes. We got lunch at Tomasitas which took awhile but was tasty. Not as tasty as Rancho De Chimiyo which is my favorite NM food place EVER!!!!


That took awhile and then we went to the plaza and showed them around. It was funny because thats the last place my father would ever choose to be. Nonetheless he was a fairly good sport and I got a little reistra for my home for $5. Mom and Aunt Elaine both got some cool baskets for fairly cheap (Cheap for santa fe that is). We went into the St. Francis cathedral. The intricate work was beautiful, but they were having an easter youth talk thingy so we didn't really go into the sanctuary.



I love the history and feel of those old places. Here comes some NM pride. Oldest homes in the US (still inhabited by the way)? Taos NM (built between 10-1450). Oldest seat of gov? Santa Fe (palace of the govenors 1610) Oldest Church building? Santa Fe (St. Michales 1610). If those pilgrams who were starving in New England just came south they would've been able to buy tacos on the streets of santa fe. Also in verifying these facts I found out that Jamestown was definately not the first European settlements (as native puebloans in NM are still settled today including Taos and Acoma), let alone the plymoth rock stuff. Silly new englanders! Anways back to my weekend.



We did go into the La Fanda (popular really old hotel, was also famous in the days of the santa fe trail) the latillas and vigas were dark with age. I also finally got to see the Loretta chaple with the miracle stairs. We paid to see it and its very small, but it is really neat. Because its such a small chapel I got to see their stations of the cross which I love seeing. Picture taking is encouraged because I think they feel bad charging to see the sanctuary otherwise it would seem more sacrilegious.











Sure wish my camera phone would take better less blurry pictures. The stained glass was amazing, so I found some better pictures on the internet, but the really nice ones I wasn't able to comandeer. For more info on the miracle staircase see here: http://www.lorettochapel.com/staircase.html















Anyways we also got pictures outside of the San Miguel church with is the oldest church in the US as previously stated. At both this one and Loretta I got a squished penny sovenier. Those are my favorite sovineers. Glad mom had an extra quarter so I could get one in both places!

We got home later then Mom and Dad had planned on since Mom wanted to get more things set up for the party on Saturday. But it all worked out and I had a fun time spending time with my unopinionated family.




Saturday morning we got up and the Easter Bunny had been there. Like Melanie said our tradition is to do the spring celebration on Saturday so that it doesn't get confused with the easter stuff on Sunday. i always liked this growing up because I got my candy and little gifts a day earlier then my friends. My parents probably liked it because we were able to get out the sugar rush while running around playing with our kites or other little presents Saturday. I also like the fact that it spreads the holliday out (just like christmas eve does). We were late heading to the choir practice so we didn't actually get our baskets and candy until later after the party (too busy beforehand and now that we are all grown up we have more patience). I love turning the pages for my dad! I wish I lived near home so I could keep doing that. Anyways after that we put some table cloths on and set a few things up.

Then we went home and I made some frosting for the cakes. I'm still sad that mom wouldn't let me put sprinkles on all the cakes. Its a party people! Their should be lots and lots of sprinkles!!!!

We got most things set up and ready for the family dinner and reception and only forgot a few things (including the must have cream puffs). Mom was way overprepared with the amount of cakes and fruit and punch and nuts and dinner mints and icecream (hmmm now I know where I get it from). Mom made a pumpkin chocolate cake, a layered strawberry cake (with her strawberry jam), an applesauce raisin cake, a coconut cream cake, and a bannana cream cake. Cousin Carol made a beautiful 90th bday cake for Grandma so there was plenty of cake to go around.

We gave lots away but still had a ton when we cleaned up. That took awhile since mom signed up to clean the church too. Then I needed to clean up the huge mess I made of the kitchen and get some dinner together Saturday night. It was rainy that day and snowed that night.



I forgot that there was a number of extended family members there. I enjoyed seeing them and talking a bit. I wasn't feeling that social and the event seemed a little long at times but thats probably because I was a bit tired and onry, but not too bad :)


We did our easter baskets and I tried taking pictures with my web cam which wasn't that great as you can see. I don't know why all the lights showed up turqoise.

We then sang and practiced somemore before going to bed. Sunday morning came too early but we made it to choir practice and church on time! We did an Easter contada that has a few good songs but is also kind of silly. The little flowers song is still stuck in my head! it was copy writed in 1939 so if you can imagine a laurance welk erra easter program thats what we did. Dad did a great job on the piano as always and I would've rather turned his music but Aaron did instead.

Mom made an awesome dinner and I made some blueberry scones that tasted ok but didn't raise quite as I would wish. The Boyacks came over as they know Elaine and Dick when they were all missionaries on temple square. Boyacks are getting ready for their 3rd mission and I think the Holloways are looking into that too. It was a tasty, somewhat rowdy, fun dinner, the kind I like.

We had warn out grandma by that time. and me too so we got back into the car to make the 2 hr drive to the airport for Melanie and I to catch our planes. I got home about 10pm and went to bed to try and recover. I felt like I was getting a cold but by Tuesday felt much better after getting lots planted and done in the gardens on Monday.

Mom did a lot of prep work and it paid off. I loved all the pretty flowers and fun springy colors. Grandma seemed to have a good time. Thanks mom for putting this together!