Albuquerque Trip, Part IV

Okay, this is the final posting of our Albuquerque pics.

Without further adieu, for those of you who do not believe that tumbleweeds exist:



That's right. We actually had to drive around this one, as it wasn't exactly "blowin' in the wind." Usually they're a bit smaller. I still can't help but find them so comical.

Next on our agenda was making homemade tortillas with Bob (Steph's dad) and the rest of the family (including Bill). First, you put all the ingredients together, then you roll it into balls, flatten it out, and cook it on the stove! Here's me getting my dough together.



The process was quite fun. I think this was the first time in my adult life that I've used a rolling pin...for its intended purpose, at least.



Here's Steph and Bob getting Steph's dough together.





We thought Steph's tortilla turned out to look a bit like a misshapen outline of the U.S.



And here was mine.



Sadly, eating the tortillas was not as much fun as making them. They turned out too hard and crispy, which we attributed to a deficiency in the mixture. Bob's working on a revision to the formula, so hopefully next time we'll enjoy some great homemade burritos.

Here's us with our Albuquerque families, enjoying lunch (sans tortillas - this was a different meal) and hangin' out on the back patio! (Picture courtesy of Steph!)



For dessert, we had Oreo cookies topped with whip cream. The Shelton sisters got a bit out of control.









Here's the view from the Sheltons' back patio. It's pretty fantastic, especially in the mornings and evenings, when the sun comes up over the Sandia mountains and when it sets. In the evening, the whole mountain turns purple (which is how it got it's name - "Sandia" means "watermelon" in Spanish).





Before we concluded our trip to the Land of Enchantment, Stephen, Bob, Malory, Stephany, and I spent an evening playing poker. Stephen went out first (sorry, bro - but that was Mal's fault), followed by Malory, and then Stephany. I lasted for a while against Bob, but he eventually wore me down to nothing. Considering it was Fathers' Day, it was a good win. However, that hasn't stopped us from taking him out during family games on his birthday. ;)



So, that concludes the picture journey of our trip to New Mexico. It was our big vacation for the summer, and it was definitely a good one. Lots of friends, family, and familiar places.

Now, we're just enjoying the summer, getting some rest, and seeing some friends. I finished my internship at Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas yesterday and will start an internship at the federal courthouse next week, where I'll work for the remainder of the summer. We'll post more soon.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Nathan