Organized Chaos...Smith Style

Boomer had to go to Ruidoso, NM for a 4 days for work. So, we thought we would tag along. It is this BEAUTIFUL city in Central New Mexico, at nearly 7,000 feet in the Sacramento Mountains. Ruidoso in Spanish means, "NOISY". It is also in Lincoln County, better known for home of "BILLY THE KID". It had soooo much history of the "OLD WEST OUTLAWS", it was pretty amazing.

The first night we got there it was pretty late, so we just checked in and passed out.

The first day, Boomer took off to his Demo Day and we started the day off by swimming. We made sure we stayed in a hotel with a swimming pool and that was close to main street. Since we didn't have a car, we needed things close.

After swimming we got ready and walked around main street looking for a place to eat. Main street was amazing, so many great boutique's, unique stores, very high end stores, basically a place you would love to go spend a day shopping without little kids :0). Maybe another trip!!

We found a fun pizza place to eat at that the kids loved.

After we ate we went back to the hotel to relax, the little ones passed right out, I love when I can wear them out!!!

After Boomer got back we went to dinner, then went mini golfing. It was the first time we had taken Luke. He is use to golfing around the house with his putter, and Wiffle balls. So, he got up to the first hole and whacked the ball so hard, it went flying off the green into the water. Boomer was able to fish the ball out of the water. We had to tell him he had to hit soft. Surprisingly, he did a great job after that, he was very serious the whole time.

Another funny story about Luke, is he has a basket full of balls at the house, he will just sit and hit one after another. Eventually we have balls all over the house. After all the balls have been hit, he will just keep going around hitting them where ever they are at around the room.

So, when we got to the first hole, we were getting the kids organized, when we heard Morgan laughing. Luke had gone to the 18th hole, which was right next to the first hole. He saw a bunch of balls laying around the hole and started hitting them. The couples were at the other end walking toward there balls as Luke started hitting them. Luckily they were very sweet and thought it was cute. I about died. He just saw the balls and figured they were there for him to hit.

On the third hole Luke ended up getting a hole in ONE, we couldn't believe it. THEN on the same hole right after I got a hole in ONE, WE ROCK!!! The picture of him and I is at our famous HOLE IN ONE!!!!!!

After golfing we did a family go cart run, it was a blast.

Second day, I found a fun museum to go visit. It was just up the street from our hotel. It was pretty amazing. I can't believe the history that this little museum had...crowns, authentic Titanic items...the entire bottom of the museum was "BILLY THE KID" stories and guns. I have never seen so many OLD rifles, pistols, it was amazing. There was a 5 min. video on the death of "Billy The Kid", Joslyn watched it and now her favorite thing to say is...."And 2 shots in the dark, Billy The Kid went down." So, funny!!

There were A LOT of these freaky wax statue's. For some reason Luke LOVED them. He kept running from one to the other, "PICTURE ME MOM, PICTURE ME"...the Native American one was really creepy. He LOVED it....

Funny story. Rylee saw this picture and yelled for me to come over and see it..."MOM, this is JFK, look its him." I was pretty impressed that she knew who it was......then she added, "That is who Daddy plays when he goes in the Pentagon to shoot the Zombies..." and there it was, she is learning past presidents through shooting zombies with her Dad.

This was a gun that was found months later, fully loaded after a standoff with Billy the Kid and his gang...1880.

OK, so totally crazy, scary part of this museum. Outside there was a tin shed that had signs on it like it was a TOP SECRET laboratory. We walked into complete blackness, except a black light that was shining on some creepy aliens. The one in the gold cloak was at the beginning, then you walk down a black hallway with the sound of alien voices in the back. With a TV above of the President talking about, that you needed to keep this quiet, no flash photography and that you needed to wear a mask, it was pretty for real feeling. Needless to say when we turned the corner, their were a bunch of aliens standing there glowing in the dark, my kids were DONE, I was kinda glad because it was SCARRING me. BUT, Rylee said she wanted to go through the rest of the building. So, Morgan took the little ones out and Rylee and I finished the tour.

Around the next corner were monitors and a row of aliens standing there...the picture of Rylee with the aliens around her is so funny. Remember is it completely black except for the aliens are glowing..so Rylee backed up slowly so I could take a picture, her face is priceless. Then we saw the doctor doing the autopsy...it was crazy.

The outside of the museum.

I fell in love with the outside of this Boutique, aren't those

doors breathe taking.....

Ok, back to the trip...we then walked down main street and got ice cream and relaxed while the kids jumped in a bouncy house. Rylee in the lower left was running back from giving this guy some money that was playing the sax.

That night after Boomer got back to the hotel, we headed to Capitan about 30 min away and went to a rodeo. Right has we arrived, they asked anyone from 12 yrs and younger could get in the arena and do the calf chasing. Joslyn was sooooooo excited, she begged Boomer to let her go do it, so Boomer put her over the fence and she headed to the center. Rylee as a love/ hate relationship with animals, she likes them until they come over to her and then she gets scared. But, she felt like she needed to be the big sister and go with Joslyn to PROTECT her from the calves. Our little CITY girls in there flip flops and shorts, lined up with all the cowboy and cowgirls with there wranglers, hats and boots on. Too finish the story, you have to watch the video below....needless to stay, the girls started off OK, then a CALF "CHARGED" them and they lost it. Our little girls holding each other, standing in the middle of the arena SOBBING......watch below. AND yes, Boomer and I are HORRIBLE parents, we couldn't help, but laugh. We did comfort them later!!!!

The Third Day, Boomer had to head out early for his last Demo day, so we loaded the car before Boomer left with all the huge things and left behind what we needed for the day. We swam in the morning, then we got ready and had to be checked out at noon.

The night before I talked to a sweet older lady that told me there was a park near a river about 2 miles away. So, I decided to walk down there and play till Boomer got off. It took us awhile to get there, me pleading with the kids that we were almost there every 5 min. It was well worth the craziness walking to get there. The water was so cool and refreshing. The kids played and played, catching fish and exploring the river.

Boomer got done about an hour and half later, so he came and got us and took us back to the golf course so, he could pack up his clubs.

As we drove up to the driving range, Luke started yelling, "I golf, OK, I golf" he was soooooooo excited. He went running up and grabbed some kids clubs and was out hitting balls for the next hour. He was in heaven, unlimited bucket of balls to hit, what else does a little boy need!!!

Morgan and Rylee had fun using the TRACK MAN to see the

distance of there balls.

This is Boomer's office.....

Luke was watching the "TRACTOR BALL PICKER UPPER" that is the official name :0) He kept asking us, "I want it, I want it". The head pro was nice enough to call the guy over to give Luke a ride. OH MY GOODNESS, he was sooo excited. It was the highlight of his trip. Of course, the girls got a ride too. They told the guy that drove the tractor he had the BEST job EVER, he didn't agree.

Things we learned from this trip......that Joslyn (4) is now TOTALLY obsessed with "Billy The Kid", she can't understand why someone would shoot a kid. I had to explain it was just a nickname, that his real name was William and he wasn't a kid like her. SO many other questions, it is funny what she comes up with. AND we don't like alien's, they are creepy!!!!

Now back to Albuquerque for the 4th of July!!!!

My kids have wanted to do this FOREVER!! When we lived in California our library had the same program, we always forgot about it and never were able to go. We were soooo excited to see that they had that program here in Albuquerque. We went to our local library and the kids were able to pick out a book and read to these sweet dogs. There were 4 dogs, you were able to stand in a line and when it was your turn go sit by the dog and read them a story.

This is Sprite

This is Gus (HOLY HUGE DOG)

He looks thrilled to be here :0)

Luke reading to Gus, I hope Gus understood babble,

Luke was going on and on.....

This is Joslyn reading to Toby

Jos loving Gus

Rylee reading to Emily

The kids all read to all four dogs. They had a blast.

The funniest thing is Morgan has been wanting to do this since she was little. So, she was SOOOOOOOO excited to FINALLY go and read to DOGS. When she found out she had to SHARE the dogs and wait in a line, she wasn't has excited. In Morgan's little world, she thought you would walk in and they would have a rescue dog for everyone to lead around the library, cuddle in the corner and read to them. Then at the END you could sign a paper and adopt them.... So, cute!!!