Spring Time!!!

I know I've said this before, but I love that Nate gets Spring Break off work.  Springtime in New Mexico is the perfect time to be outside.  Most of the break we spent at home with the kids outside but on Thursday we headed to the mountains.  Its unfortunate that the mountains that you can hike in and enjoy the forest in are so far away (1-2hrs depending on the direction) because we would spend a LOT more time there if they were closer.

We had a picnic in the Lincoln National Forrest and then went on a mini hike (about a mile) with the kids and then drove to and toured Ft. Stanton.  I don't know if it is just that all kids love being outside or if its just in my kids' blood but they loved every minute of it.  Carter did get a little tired on the hike (he is a master whiner at 3 yrs old) but as soon as we saw a decomposing deer and then a little green snake, he was fine.

I love hiking with my kids and I hope its one of the things they remember as they grow up.  When we saw the dead deer it led a conversation with Carter about how dead things decompose and then it went into how our bodies will someday decompose and then it lead to Carter talking about how Jesus created us and then it led to him talking about how someday Jesus is going to come to the earth again and "bring us all alive again".  I love my Carter.  I love his little testimony and his faith in Jesus.  Its not often that I get to have real conversations with him.  Usually he's too busy running around or jumping off things.  He later said that "walking and talking with mommy" was his favorite part of the day (be still my heart). 

This was also Easton's first hike.  It seems like it took forever for him to get big enough to ride in the backpack and then it was winter.  Anywho, Easton LOVED the backpack.  He loved it more than Carter did when he was a baby.  He spent most of the hike with a big ridiculous grin on his face.  It was so cute.  That kid is growing up way too fast.  All of them are.

 Lilly is a hiker extraordinaire she loves being outside.  She often takes her camp chair into the back yard and sits in the sun reading or playing with rocks or exploring bugs.  She can't get enough of the sun and the trees.  She was the one who found the green snake. She loves all things about nature and likes learning about everything. It won't surprise me if she brings home a book about snakes on our next trip to the library.   

After the hike, we went to Ft. Stanton which was originally built to protect settlers from the Mescalero Apache in 1855.  It later was used by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War and then as a hospital for the treatment of tuberculosis and then as an Internment camp during WW II which housed some German prisoners of war as well as a some Japanese internees.

It was a lot of fun learning about yet another part of New Mexico's rich history. 

 Lilly got to dress up in a Civil War soldier uniform and took a picture with one of the re-enactors,  and we all got to learn about life at the fort.  

 

I am so glad that I was born in the modern age instead of in the 1800s.  I don't think I would have survived back then.  Anyway,  it was a lot of fun and I love taking these little day trips with our family and hope to be able to do it more often.