The big 4-0

Like it or not, I turned 40 this year, so we decided to celebrate. My in-laws were very gracious, and agreed to stay with our girls while we spent an extended weekend in New Mexico. We started in Albuquerque, in order to catch the balloon festival. Our plane landed in the early afternoon, so we ate lunch and explored downtown Albuquerque. It was a beautiful day and so fun to take our time and explore a new place together.  That evening, we went to the "glow" and were able to see many of the hot air balloons. The weather wasn't really cooperating, so it was a little tricky to get the balloons to inflate, but it was still a fun experience.

After watching the glow and fireworks, we headed back to the hotel. We went to bed early so that we could wake up for the mass ascension the next morning. Unfortunately our early wake-up wasn't necessary because the balloons did not take off until much later that morning (oh well). The storm passing through made the weather unpredictable, so things were delayed a bit.  In the meantime, we hit the Canon camera booth and picked the brains of the photography experts. We got a lot of information and were able to check out a few of the cameras for a few hours. Ultimately we decided we needed to update our camera and purchased on online later that night (oh boy). Don't we look professional.

Although the skies were gray and the weather was chilly, we still had a great morning. Watching all of the balloons lift off was pretty amazing. 

 I am wishing I would have taken the time to apply some mascara but oh well!

We left the festival later that morning and just in time to miss the rain. After checking out of the hotel, we drove up to Santa Fe. I have to admit that I wasn't totally sold on New Mexico until we arrived in Santa Fe. It was such a cute town and the dessert landscape was so beautiful. The big open sky and fall colors were so amazing!

Trever made arrangements for us to stay at a townhouse near downtown Santa Fe. It was a perfect space and definitely had the southwestern feel. That evening we went to the Georgia O'Keeffe museum, which completely exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed looking at all of her artwork and learning more about her amazing life. After the museum, we had dinner at an Indian restaurant and it was AMAZING!

On Sunday we went to church and enjoyed a hike in mountains near St. Johns college. It was a great workout and the views were pretty amazing too. I was really loving the big blue sky and desert landscape.

On our last day there, my actual birthday, we rented mountain bikes and explored the local trails. Now I like a good workout and I like the outdoors, but mountain biking makes me a little nervous. Luckily Trever found a mellow trail close to downtown. It was pretty much a breeze for Trever but it was perfect for me. As the ride moved on, I gained more confidence and even went through several downhill stretches without having a death grip on my brakes.

So although I am not thrilled about turning 40, I had a great weekend! It was so fun to have time with just the two of us and I am so grateful to Brad and Andrea for taking care of our girls. I am pretty sure they didn't miss us one bit because they were having such a good time. Many thanks to all that made me feel special on my big day. Looking forward to another great year!