January Evening Skies here in New Mexico
Does life ever get so crazy that you don’t know whether you are coming or going? Ever get that small voice in the back of your mind saying “Umm, and how exactly do you expect to get all this done?”
It’s been one of those weeks here.
Up early, trying to fit in a little exercise time before starting the day’s chores, catch up on the weather and news & check emails, then it’s time to get breakfast going and roust the boys for schoolwork (all before 7:30 am). Then it’s back to the computer to try to answer a few emails and phone calls while R.W. does a bible study with the boys.
From 8:30 to noon it’s a balancing act of 5th grade and kindergarten lessons while R.W. does ranch chores and practices his music, a short break for lunch and a few minutes outside to lend R.W. a hand with winter projects he is working on here at the ranch, then it’s time to get the boys back to their schooling, fix dinner, do a couple of loads of laundry, straighten up the living room and kitchen from the day’s studies (yes, the books seem to end up everywhere in the winter as we gather by the fire most of the day.)
Most evenings as soon as the dinner dishes are cleared and washed, the nightly ritual of putting kids to bed is upon us. We haven’t had TV reception in years but on the occasional night we all finish early we like to play games or curl up and watch a movie as a family. Almost every evening one of us will read a chapter or two of a book of the boy’s choice before it is “lights out” for them somewhere between 8:30 and 9 PM. That leaves roughly an hour or two for me to tackle whatever else awaits on my desk or in my kitchen before we fall into bed. And there really isn’t ever enough time to get it all done.
But tonight, amidst our last lessons R.W. came in and announced – “School is OUT! You all HAVE to come outside right now!”
Sunset behind the Sangres
Well, he was right, as usual. No matter what was going on it was one of those moments that time stands still and as we stood there as a family our New Mexico sky turned oranges, pinks, violet, vivid reds, and deep turquiose blues.
Thank you God, for the wonderful reminder of why we live here in this land.
Thank you for giving us moments when time stands still, moments we can share with our children and thank you so much for the beauty that is uniquely your creation.
Thank you God, for making us take time out.
I wish my photos could do justice to the changes in colors, they really don’t, but I wanted to take time out of our crazy week and share the moment with you.
And I want to thank you, for riding this trail with us, no matter how busy we are, we always love to hear from you.
Love you all,
Lisa, R.W. and the boys
The trouble with Christmas for me is that it’s always hard to find. Every year it’s the same; in fact, it seems to get a little harder as I get older. It’s that elusive Christmas Spirit, that old time feeling of wonder and joy that seems just beyond reach. Without it, I’m just a tired, over-extended, over-spent man waiting on this all to pass so a new year can start. Snow won’t make it happen, nor will the music. Although they can sure add to the spirit of the season, these things alone are not enough. I swear sometimes between the spending, ordering and charging, my heart cries out, “Where’s Christmas? Where is baby Jesus? Where’s the Christ Child in all of this?”
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