Spring Break

Spring Break this year was very busy for us. It is really the first time in a few years that Eric has had it off since he was coaching baseball. We had a family ski trip planned to go to Wolf Creek to teach (or rather expose) Mali to skiing. I learned to ski when I was 3 and had also thought my daughter would too. The day before we were supposed to leave, Eric got a call that his Grandma Gomez wasn't doing well. So, to simplify the story, we went to Dalhart to be with his family during that time. Eric's dad was supposed to drive to El Paso to pick up a Harley that he was buying from a friend from California that would be in El Paso on the 15th. He had planned to drive down and back in one day, but decided he would just have to pass on picking up the motorcycle because of his mother's health. So, Eric decided to do it for his dad. Again to simplify, Mali and I ended up going with Eric too, but turned it into a family vacation so that we still had a trip during spring break. We left Dalhart at 6am on Saturday and stopped in Albuquerque to go to the zoo. The zoo was great and Mali really enjoyed it. The drive to El Paso from Albuquerque was so long and drawn out though. We picked up the motorcycle without any problems and headed back to Albuquerque, it felt like we kept driving and driving and driving. We had told Mali we would stay at a hotel and swim. After an hour of driving around, and calling different hotels (I had thought I was prepared by printing out a list of hotels before the trip), we could not find a hotel with a.) an indoor pool b.) a room due to the state boys and girls basketball tournaments. We finally found a room and went to bed around 11:30. The next morning we headed out for our 3 1/2 hour trip back to Dalhart. We were making great time, Mali was doing great watching her new DVD (101 Dalmatians) when 15 miles east of Santa Rosa the check engine light went on in Rory's pick up (we took his dad's pick-up since that is what they had planned on taking to begin with). Eric pulled over and went to add anti-freeze, but discovered a belt was off. After several phone calls, we had a tow truck on the way, a break for Mali out of the car, and Eric's parents best friends on their way from Dalhart to get us. No road trip seems to be complete without a break down, and especially a road trip over spring break. It is almost a given that I will break down in some form over spring break. There have been several years where the bus broke down on the way home from Mission Trip. 3 hours later Joe and Lori Garcia picked us up from Santa Rosa along with the truck and the motorcycle still in the bed of the truck. We had a great Mexican food meal at Joseph's (we'll never pass through Santa Rosa again without eating there) and hit the road AGAIN! We were so tired of traveling, but so thankful to be back in Dalhart (I think that was pretty close to a first for me!) We came home to a drizzly, foggy (or soggy as Mali said) day, that appropriately fit the spirits of Eric's family as his grandmother, Anastacia Gomez, had passed away that morning at 3am. (Eric wants to blog about that one of these days when he gets a chance.)
We finally made it back to Amarillo the next day. Tuesday we went back to Coulter Gardens (We are pretty sure they are tired of us) and bought some more of the shrubs on our list. We then headed back to Dalhart that night for the services for Eric's grandmother. We came BACK to Amarillo late Wednesday night. On Thurdsay, the Dallas family came to visit and we went to the zoo and out for lunch. It was really fun. We are so thankful for their friendship. Mali still LOVES her Zachy and Calyn! Tim helped Eric plant our shrubs and Beth and Abby Gray and I got to sit and talk some. It was a good afternoon.