Thanksgiving

While in Hawaii, we met some great friends at FBCPC: Mason and Regina. They are from New Mexico and I remember all sorts of stories Mason would tell about things he would do on the weekend and just talk about his life and family back home. It was hard to fully appreciate some of his stories since it was so different compared to life on the islands. Well, a couple months ago while they were visiting with us in California, Mason invited us to spend Thanksgiving with them in his hometown. Rae and I didn’t want to impose, but he insisted that his family would love to have us over. I started getting really excited about going and the next thing you know I was online searching for the flights. It wasn’t long before the tickets were purchased and the countdown began.

Let the adventure begin...

Flew out of Burbank early Fri. morning with a layover in Vegas. This picture of Lake Mead was taken just as we left Vegas.

It was deer season and Mason and his brother each got a deer. This poor guy's head was frozen and awaiting clean up to get mounted.

It was also quail season. I tagged along with Mason and his two cousins and they got a Blue (left) and a Bobwhite (right).

 Feeding time...These cows belong to their family and live out in their back yard. Mason called them "Rae's kids" because Rae fell in love with them. She could just stand there for hours and watch them (and they don't do anything except eat and poop). In a few months, unfortunately for these cows, they'll end up being supper :) The beef will be able to feed the family for the year.

NM has been experiencing a drought and was very dry, but the sunsets were spectacular.

Land is plentiful here. We spent the day riding four-wheelers across thousands of acres of land owned by a family friend. We got to drive through herds of cattle and had to maneuver around cow pies and be careful not to run over any thorns that could flatten our tire.

Out clay shooting on a friends ranch. Growing up on a small island like Hawaii, owning a gun was pretty much unheard of and used only for self-defense or as a weapon . However, out in the country it's more of a tool.

Mason, Regina and his entire family were so friendly and hospitable. Their home was always open for people to drop by and "visit" (a.k.a. talk story). They made us feel at home and welcomed us into their family. We really enjoyed getting to know them.

This was truly a unique and enjoyable experience for Rae and I. Not only was the scenery different, but the lifestyle was so laid back and easy going. I loved it! Nobody was in a big rush. Everything slowed down and the days even seemed longer. This was made strikingly apparent to me when I decided to check my work email one day. My blood pressure shot through the roof and I was starting to get really warm.

Of course when Friday rolled around, that meant we had to say good-bye. It was really sad to have to leave especially since we didn't know when we would see Mason and Regina again. We really felt blessed and thankful that we were able to be a part of their extended family for the week.