The Baby Boy and the "Baby Benz"

We just got home from a very brief visit to my Mom's house, in Carlsbad. Kelsey, who has been visiting her family, drove the kids up to Mom's on Thursday, and spent the night. Dan and I decided, awhile back, that we'd also show up on Thursday. We didn't tell Mom, but I don't think she was very surprised. "I thought you were taking this visit too easy," she said, when we walked in, knowing, I guess, how hard it would have been to have the "grandones" in NM, and not see them.

We had planned to leave early, very early, on Thursday morning, getting to Carlsbad before noon, shortly after Kelsey would arrive. But when the weather forecast for Wednesday night and Thursday morning started sounding ominous, we left in a hurry on Wednesday, around 3:00. We drove, trying to stay ahead of the coming snow storm, to Roswell and spent the night there, with plans to drive on in to Carlsbad Thursday morning.

We were really surprised, though, to wake up in Roswell yesterday and find that the snow storm had caught up with us. Our car was not only covered in a light dusting of snow, but also glazed over with some stubborn ice. It took Dan 20 minutes or so to get it thawed out so we could head down the road to Carlsbad. The roads weren't too bad, but we drove carefully, none the less.



When we arrived at Mom's we were met at the door by Clara, who hollered, "Grandma! Grandpa!" and threw her arms around us. It doesn't get any better than that! Mom was in her chair, loving on Robert, who was being sweet as a sugar dumpling! Here are a few pictures of the kids. Clara wasn't really into posing for pictures this visit, so I just have a couple candid ones of her. Robert, on the other hand, was being very cooperative. What a difference one month makes in a two-month-old baby! Robert is now 12 pounds and "rounding out" nicely. He stares at faces, and breaks out in grins when you talk to him or make funny noises or silly faces. We even heard a couple out-loud chuckles!










This morning we all left - Kelsey & Co. going south, and Dan and I going north. I felt bad for Mom, who had a whirlwind day, only to be followed by an empty house! But how sweet of Kelsey to make the effort of fitting in a visit to "Nanny's" whenever she goes to her parents' for a few days. I have the most thoughtful daughter (in-law) anyone could ask for.

Going home, the roads were just fine, although the countryside still had a blanket of the white stuff. We saw two or three herds of antelope standing ankle-deep in snow as they hunted for the day's sustenance.


Oh! Did I fail to mention that there was a second reason for this trip? Dan was eager to road-test his new-to-him little red sport sedan (corrected - I originally posted "coupe"). Poor guy! He had to wait well beyond mid-life for his mid-life crisis! See the smile on his face as he "races" that train? He won!