A little peek into my week...

This last week I made a last minute "business" trip as a(n amateur) photographer out in New Mexico. My dad and his uncle are developing a ranch out there and it's a huge ordeal, requiring a ton of hard work from lots of family. While a lot of my cousins are hard at work fixing the place up, branding cows, cutting down trees, planting crops, etc., I somehow managed to score the cush job photographing the place for their website.

Horse Springs Ranch is beautiful! I spent a full day there yesterday taking a gazillion pictures of sites for homes, a lodge site, picturesque views, the unfinished barn, you name it, I've got a picture of it!

This is New Mexico in all it's glory.

Of course, this "business" trip wasn't without it's perks. First of all, I was fortunate to go without my kids. I originally wasn't going to go, but my mom pretty much insisted at the last second. So we made some last minute arrangements and I was outta there! It was a fabulous break from the everyday Mommy routine, but I was happy to see my kids and hubby by the time we got back!

The first few days we spent in Arizona hanging out with my dad's family. It was so fun hanging out with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and cute little cousins! I hadn't been back there in a few years, so it was great being able to catch up! They've almost got me convinced to move out there. :)

Highlights of My Trip:

• Getting a second degree sunburn the very first day I was there from hiking at high elevations all day with no sunscreen. I sure paid for my stupidity the rest of the week!
• Hiking to the Bandera Volcano and Ice Cave
• Hiking El Morro National Park to see Indian ruins at the very top
• A family BBQ complete with adorable babies to hold, cute kids to watch running around (just like home!), steaks, a delectable squash casserole, and chocolate zucchini cake. (The Platts REALLY know how to eat!)
  
• Shopping in Greer, AZ at stores with breakable stuff and not having to worry about my crazy kids running everywhere and breaking stuff.
• Aunt Tricia's pancakes and raspberry jam
  
• Molly Butler's - a restaurant with fabulous Green Chile Cheeseburgers and Mud Pie!
• Getting to visit my grandparents graves
• Getting to buy a cowboy hat and 'kerchief to protect my red neck. (I know, ha ha...go ahead and laugh!)
  
• Not worrying about what I ate because of all the running, walking, and hiking I did!
• El Camino - A Mexican restaurant legend where my dad grew up. They have the best Green Chile Cheese Crisps (Yes, we had lots of green chile up there!)
• Four-wheeling
• Hiking up West Baldy in Greer
• Another fab meal at Molly Butler's - this time stuffing myself with steak and gravy and apple pie...mmmmm...my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
• Finally getting to see and hike around Horsesprings after hearing how beautiful it is for years and years.
  

Here I am in all my City Slickers glory.

More pics to come!