we're back...

...after a much-needed yet somehow exhausting trip to texas! gus, sophie and i went last sunday to go visit my parents in houston/washington-on-the-brazos, while rich took a lovely trip to key largo, florida ALL BY HIMSELF. lucky bastard. we had fun in texas--gus got to ride little man, sophie met a bunch of people she never even dreamed existed, and i ate wonderfully delicious chicken fried steak. we were all gone for about a week, but now we are back for what is promising to be a very hot, very bright summer here in new mexico. enjoy the pictures!

DAY 1--(no photos--too exhausted from wrestling a screaming sophie on the plane)


DAY 2--come meet sophie party at my mom's house

sophie warily checking out arms that want to hold her

aunt lindsay and sophie

me with my party face frozen on tight

gus and sophie

sophie, aunt lindsay and jake

mom, gus, and aunt lindsay's backside

look at this beautiful centerpiece!


DAY 3--swimming at aunt lindsay's house

gus and godzilla

zilla and gus

sophie and maddox the dog (who hated her!)

aunt katie swimming with gus and sophie (who couldn't quite wait to get her bathing suit on...)

sophie and aunt katie

such a contented baby!

if gus could curse fluently, i can imagine he would have much to say right now

he did eventually hold the snake


DAY 4--driving to the farm

my mom

gus, being 7, and tyler the dog

a non-screaming sophie and tyler (she's just resting until the next round)


DAY 5--at the farm

gus, finally living the life he was born to live...

...and the apex of it all is that he FINALLY has a TV in his room

did i mention gus can drive now?

gus and little man

and again, on a trail ride

dad, gus and (the other) tom o

and they're off again

"is dinner ready yet?"


DAY 6--aunt katie comes to visit (with barry and aunt ashley)

aunt katie

by this time driving is old hat for gus

as is 4-wheelering

gus and barry (aunt katie's boyfriend) flying a kite in some pretty awesome weather

gus did a great job with the wind!

aunt katie, about two seconds before the kite took a nosedive and smashed into her (she was fine)


ANIMALS

horses...

...pretty, pretty horses

astrid number one meets the newest member of the herd, astrid number two, who is a beautiful little palomino (whose mommy also has dark hair)

sophie looking at the longhorns--the one in the middle, with the pepperoni-pizza styled marking on his forehead is augustusroni

this is a new herd for my dad--black angus with a couple of dutch belted cattle (definitely not a vanity herd)

argiope spiders--also known as zipper spiders, yellow garden spiders, or banana spiders. these guys are everywhere around the farm, are big, and a wee bit aggressive but not poisonous. still, they will freak you out.


DAY 7--on the way home

how sophie saw her brother

gus, with his noise-cancelling headphones on and me about to have a nervous breakdown because someone is screaming, again...but not as much as the first flight

(probably because she got to kick the back of someone's seat for a couple of hours)