  Yesterday was an amazing adventure! We took Aidan on his longest hike to date, as we all hiked up to Williams Lake, a trail en route to Wheeler Peak, the highest peak in New Mexico. Our round trip was about 5.4 miles and it was over a considerable elevation gain. The trailhead is at the back bowl of the Taos Valley Ski Area, and right there is also a huge Bavarian lodge. Upon our completion of the trail we treated ourselves to giant German beers and big plates of schnitzel and brats. Have you ever noticed how food tastes better after a huge athletic exertion? The food there tasted amazing, like the best ever eaten and the 18 oz. beers sailed down our throats. Unfortunately, the kids both fell asleep en route back to the tent and as a result, both had very short naps.
After the big hike and after their virtually absent naps, we were a very grumpy family as we moved into the Suncatcher Earthship yesterday afternoon. I hated how short tempered I felt, and how annoyingly the children seemed to seek out trouble. We were at the whims of our emotions. After a good night’s sleep for all and a great breakfast this morning (John’s juevos rancheros), we were back to our happy Earthship selves. We drank tea and stared at the mountains, John and I took turns reading to each other as the children played in the rocks at our feet. And now it’s nap time again, a nice quiet time to listen to the wind blow through the trees and grass, catch up on some reading and writing. 
