July 28th, 2010
Since we left a day earlier than planned we were able to add the Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands to our travels. I am so glad we did because we had so much fun at both of these places.
Today we left Carlsbad New Mexico area and headed out to the White Sands National Monument. He had to drive over some mountains to get there. I didn’t realize how much I miss seeing some mountains. We stopped out at Vista Look Out area to see the valley below us.
Towards the back you can see th strip of white, that is White Sands.
When we got a bit closer it looked like a regular sand with bits of white and native plants. First we stopped at the visitors center to see what the place was all about and posed for pictures.
Then we were off to see the sand dunes. Driving along it really did look like we were driving in snow.
The sand is always shifting in the rain so they I guess plow this roadway so we could drive through the area. See how deep the sand is, remember this as the pictures continue. You are going to get a lesson on the area as you proceed. 🙂
Over time the living animals and plants have adapted in the moving sand dunes.
This is a bleached ear less lizard who has lost it’s color and is now able to camouflage in the white sand.
The plants in the area have also adapted to the movement of the sand.
Remember how deep the sand was in the picture I told you to remember? Well these yucca plants started to grow at the bottom. When the sand moves it covers what ever is in it’s path. So the yucca plant has a growth spurt so it always stays above the sand. Just as long as some of the plant is on top of the dune it will survive. While the sand is up that high it supports the plant, until the whole sand dune moves. When that happens the plant has nothing to support it’s height and collapses.
Some plants quickly grows it roots so it could be compact the sand into itself. When the sand dune moves the plant is still able to survive and stay where it is at. Then you end up with little plant islands in the sand.
Now class is over and it is time for some recess!
Since the sand looks like snow, why not go down the dunes in a snow sled?
The sled tipped me over, not cool. You may be laughing now but wait it gets better.
3…2….1 ….. we have left off.
Houston, we have a problem.
He tumbled like three times, I was laughing so hard ( still giggling as I type this hours later) I was physically unable to take a picture of those tumbles.
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July 26th, 2010
We left home soon after I got off of work. Even though we don’t care too much for driving at night we have found it to be a much better drive. The kids are passed out during the most boring part of our trip, there is nothing to see in West Texas.
We arrived in New Mexico and promptly went to the Carlsbad Caverns. We wanted to be there first thing when it opened to beat the crowds. Well we got there an hour before they opened, we forgot all about the time time change. So we had some breakfast  in the car while we waited for the place to open up.
If you havent been to the Carlsbad Caverns you are missing something amazing. When you are walking down below the earth and you are inside this cave that is so big there are huge boulders in them. Then all the cool formations that were made over time, drops at a time for some of them.
Rob rented a thing where we could hear a recording of the different highlights of our self guided tour. It also stated the rules, one was whisper as the cavern echoes if your voice is above a whisper. Andrew, Rob and Emily were further ahead of Nichole and I. We were stopped listening to a recording. Then we heard this roar repeatedly echo in the cavern. We and others around us burst into laughing, Andrew still has his cough. No matter how much he tried to smother his cough it still echoed. They weren’t kidding things echo in there!
Next Stop: White Sands
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July 24th, 2010
This post like many others was meant to be posted a long time ago. I figured I would take a look back at the five years we have been away from our Ca family, the Pacific Ocean and Colimas.
Rob had to finish things at work before heading out to Texas. My parents decided to join the insanity and came down to help us move. Us, meaning the kids the dog and myself move out to Texas.
Em ready to help grandpa drive.
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July 7th, 2010
Make a skirt!!!
I had some material and Em was begging for me to make something with it. So after some cutting, some ironing, some sewing this is what we came up with. We are going to still put some lemons on the white shirt to tie it all together.
It passed the twirl test as well. Love how her hair was twirling with her skirt.
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July 5th, 2010
One of my biggest pet peeves is having to upload the pics off of my camera onto the computer. THEN I have resize all the pictures, THEN I have to upload it onto my server, THEN I have to use the link to insert the picture into my post. So I am trying to figure out a way to not have to resize the picture and still be able to upload pictures onto a post. It worked! If you scroll down a bit you could read about Nichole’s graduation. Finally.
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June 8th, 2010
After many years of school, summer school and tutoring Mr and Mrs Rob Duncan finally get to see the end result. Their daughter Nichole graduated from Pflugerville High School on June 5,2010. Many family and friends came out from across the U.S. to celebrate with the Duncans.
The Duncan family with their graduate daughter Nichole. What a happy moment!
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June 7th, 2010
After the party we all rushed home so we could make the graduation ceremony. We only had a couple of hours to have everyone take showers after sweating at the party, get dressed, paint toe nails, take pre-graduation pictures then head on out.
Now hurry, off to the Frank Erwin Center in Austin.
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June 6th, 2010
School has been a challenge for her since the beginning but she did it!
Family came near and far to help her celebrate her big day. Uncle Rodrigo and Aunt Frances let us celebrate at their home, they had plenty of space and a pool. Out came the Luau decorations, with a bit of graduation decorations mixed and we were ready to celebrate. Here are some random pictures of the party:
The cake my sister and I made, my sister Erin helped with the tikis that went around the bottom layer.
Nichole with her sister Emily. I wonder who Larissa was scowling at???
Nichole with her friends Christine and Caleb.
My mom with her sister in laws Frances, Yvonne and her sister Josie.
Most likely talking about their graduations WAY back when.
“If you jump into the pool I will jump in too.” No, you jump in first.” Â “No…you first!” Â Â ( I guess it was never settled cause neither jumped into the pool. )
Rob and I getting some meat kabobs ready for the grill.
More pictures on their way now that I could resize while posting.
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May 30th, 2010
Today I got up early and headed out to Round Rock Donuts in Round Rock. Instead of me making Andrew a cake he had asked for a Texas Donut instead.
These things are HUGE!
Here it is with a normal sized donut on top of it to show you how big this thing really is.
Either Andrew has a really small head or this is one big donut!
There he goes, taking bite after bite.
Soon after this picture was taken Andrew declared defeat, he couldnt finish the donut.
Happy 12th Birthday Andrew!!!!
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May 5th, 2010
Yesterday Andrew went to the Pflugerville Lake to help a fellow boy scout with his Eagle Project. The project was to dig some holes, put in some poles and cement, put a larger pole with a bird house attached.
One of the leaders showed the younger boys how to use the pole digger. The location was great as it was closer to the lake so the ground was softer than in other areas.
O.k. Andrew here is how you do it.
Huh, do you hear that? Look in the sky it is a helicopter! Is it a news station helicopter? No, that is a police helicopter. Hmm… wonder why it is circling the lake area. Looks like something is going on around the neighborhood nearby the last hole. The helicopter is going in tighter circles around the boys.
What??? Someone called the police??? On who?? What is going on?? The leaders go and talk to the police officer who answered the call. Someone in the neighborhood actually called the police on the BOY SCOUTS!!!!  It must of been the red gang aka troop t-shirts they were wearing or  pole diggers they were carrying around. Dangerous things I tell you!
The crazy thing is that they actually called in the helicopter!! How expensive was that to dispatch??
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