Do You Know the Way to Santa Fe?

Back in 2016 to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Nana Banana and Sport we all went to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. It took us seven years to get the whole gang to do another big family trip, but we managed to all gather again in 2023.

This time around the destination was Santa Fe. Nana Banana and Sport generously rented a house that fit all the Bowes, Balestraccis, and Hannens. We just had to get ourselves there for a week of fun in the New Mexican sun. On day one we visited the downtown plaza in Santa Fe to check out the Indian market and explore the area. All the grandkids were present and accounted for, as this picture can attest.

As the group started dividing up, Sarah suggested that the older crew hit up one of the spots on the Margarita Trail. It's not that often that this group participates in day drinking, but it was the beginning of a great vacation and everyone was up for the fun.

We had a lot of great things planned for our trip, and one of the first adventures took us to Albuquerque at dawn for a hot air balloon ride. Amazingly enough we got a balloon that fit all eleven of the folks who wanted to see the sights from up high. You can see us all smiling in the basket here. However, it must be noted that there was no door to get into the basket - you had to go up and over. It was an impressive feat for the older members of our group. 

The ride lasted for about an hour and was incredibly peaceful and uneventful. We were one of 8-9 balloons that went up that morning which made the experience interesting as the balloons jockeyed for position and relayed information about the prevailing winds and possible landing spots. One of the coolest parts was watching all that went into preparing the balloons and then the actual landing and packing up of the balloons. It was a very neat experience.

The house we rented was a very cool adobe style house and had everything we needed, including a dinner table that fit all of us at once. In addition it had a great patio/covered porch. One night it served as a perfect spot to watch an incredible lightning storm in the distance over the hills. It would have been tough to find a better place for the week, especially since it was only minutes away from downtown.

Another adventure we ended up taking was Bandolier National Monument, which was a relatively short drive away. We hiked up to the cliff dwellings and even got to climb inside of them. A few hardy souls went to the end of the trail to climb the ladders into the Alcove House. Those who turned back to head to the visitor center got caught in a massive rainstorm while the folks in Alcove House got stuck in the cliff dwelling for a period of time. Needless to say only a couple of people stayed dry.

The most unique experience of the trip, however, was a visit to the Meow Wolf Immersive Art Experience and Interactive Exhibit in Santa Fe. This is truly something that you have to see to believe because it defies explanations. For example, this picture shows John as he heads into the dryer of a house in order to go down a short slide that goes into another room. We also have a video of Nana Banana emerging from a refrigerator. 

The girls did end up having a fun time running from one area to another and seeing what strange or intriguing thing was around the next turn. We stayed there for a couple of hours but if we really got into the interactive part could have been there for much longer. We saw that they also have adult only hours in the evening with drink service that might take the experience to a whole new level.

Throughout the week few had days where some folks went in one direction and others took a different path. On this particular day Uncle Brian took the girls climbing at a local spot and paddle boarding at a nearby lake. Callie in particular loved the opportunity to flex her climbing skills and both she and Reese were impressed with Zoey and Uncle Brian. 

While the girls went climbing, John, Sarah, Katie, Michael, and Nana Banana drove up to Taos to visit the Taos Pueblo. This pueblo is over eleven hundred years old and there are still families who occupy some of the residences year round. We were able to take a tour and it was incredible. 

Another Santa Fe hotspot that we visited was the Georgia O'Keefe Museum. Normally you wouldn't think an art museum would appeal to the super young in particular, but everyone seemed to love Georgia. The Museum has a great audio tour you can get through your phone and we all learned a great deal about her incredible life and the artwork she produced. Two thumbs up for this museum from the whole crew!

When we weren't looking at art produced by others we were being entertained by the young members of our group. Honestly we don't remember what they were doing here, but this picture captures our favorite place at our Airbnb. The patio was big, covered, and had a great view of the surrounding hills. We started and ended every day with time on the patio. We think Sport and Nana Banana were especially grateful for this space.

Our last night in Santa Fe we went down to the Railyard area, had dinner, and enjoyed a concert by Ozomatli. Sarah and John remember seeing Ozomatli back when they lived in southern California, and it was great to hear them live again. This is now the second time the extended Bowes family has done a trip like this and we may finally be getting the hang of it. Wonder where we will go next?

School Ends, Summer Begins

 

The girls were running all over the place in spring. And by running, we mean they were running track in addition to playing soccer. Callie really enjoyed track at Morton so Reese was ready to give it a go, and it certainly helped that track would once again allow her to connect with Mary and Emerson. Reese and Emerson in particular often ran the same races which made it super fun for their parents. Reese had quite a successful season and wrapped it up by winning the 800 meter race at the 6th grade invitational. Those long legs and big heart served her well all season long.

On the soccer field, Reese's team was hoping to follow up on a strong fall season in which they held their own against some of the toughest competition in the Girls Academy. They were going to have to work hard because unfortunately one of their teammates suffered a torn ACL in December and was going to miss all spring and the following fall. Reese continued to work her butt off playing defense and showed tremendous skill and resiliency. By season's end the girls finished middle of their division (which isn't bad since the first place team won the national championship) and had the best showing of any of the top girls teams in LSC.

When school ended in May we had to take a moment to realize Callie had just finished her first year of high school and Reese had completed sixth grade. Both girls had strong academic showings and we are incredibly proud of how they balance their days amid all of their sports activities and other commitments.

At the beginning of June we had special visitors in Kentucky. Sarah's cousin Tyler and his family came to Louisville so we drove down to hang out for the day. We had a great time at Top Golf and walking across the bridge over the Ohio River from Louisville to southern Indiana. Clearly we had so much fun that we neglected to get a picture of all of us together, so instead we just have the four Bowes in front of the bridge. We promise that they were really there!

Callie got to spend another week at Cathedral Domain summer camp, one of her favorite weeks of the year. This group of girls have gone to this camp together for approximately 7-8 years and they always look forward to going again. It is a classic summer camp experience without any bells or whistles. Old cabins, no cell phones, and a lot of outdoor fun.

For the second year in a row Reese went to soccer camp at Centre College in Danville. She roomed with Emerson but there were a lot of other girls from Lexington there as well. Reese made sure her room had an ample supply of candy and had a great time playing soccer and getting soft serve ice cream in the cafeteria. It doesn't take too much to earn Reese's camp loyalty. 

One weekend, one family, four different locations

In this post we tell a story in four photographs. It is a story of one weekend, one family, and four very different experiences in four very different states.

Kentucky. We begin our tale in Lexington, where Reese had the opportunity to spend the weekend with the Abrahams and the Hughes. She was holding down the fort, but had to do so in two separate households because everyone else in her family was out of town. You can see from this picture that she wasn't too disappointed or lonely as she had plenty of close friends entertaining her. These friends made it easy for us to leave the state and not be too concerned about her wellbeing.

Tennessee. Pictured here are Callie and her friends strolling down a street in Nashville heading to their first official concert. That's right, Taylor Swift, the Eras Tour. There is a long story behind it all, but the short version is that Callie got a last minute ticket and two different moms took care of the driving and chaperoning. From what we understand from Callie and her friends, and of course reviews from the other millions of people who have attended this tour, it was a pretty decent show. Not a bad first concert story for Callie either.

California. 2023 was the year everyone turned 50. (Unless you are Sarah, who turned 50 in 2022). For their respective 50th birthdays Sarah and John committed to supporting each other in traveling to be with friends to celebrate these milestones. So for this weekend Sarah was in Paso Robles for Auntie D's birthday celebration. The weekend included wine tastings, sitting by the pool, and a party bus. But more importantly, it was all about making more memories with good friends.

Massachusetts. John was the only one who headed east, making a dash for Boston and the 50th birthday celebration of his good friend from college, Masu. As with any celebration like this it brings together all sorts of folks, and John got to reconnect with numerous college friends who got to enjoy the great party Masu and her husband Bader put together. It more than just your average birthday party and each guest went home with at least one book that was a favorite read of Masu's. 

Not bad for a weekend full of fun, and while we don't want to make a habit of being in four different places, it's nice to know that we have the ability to do so.

Easter to Prom for a Goal!

Before we had our bearings in the new year, Easter arrived and spring was fully in bloom. We always enjoy seeing Mrs. H at FPC, but this was a special occasion because Reese and Mrs. H were twins without even pre-planning their outfits. It is crazy to think that Mrs. H first came into Reese's life when Reese was four years old when she taught her music through LOGOS. Now Reese is almost as tall as she is!

Of course Easter is also a day when we try and make sure we get our annual picture of the Abraham-Bowes girls. It's year two with Ella in college so we only got three of the four, but those three are pretty special. And Callie is now officially taller than Claire, so the arrangement looks a little different. This is also Claire's senior year in high school, so it is likely that the Easter 2024 photo will just have our two girls.

Our family photo was even more fun than usual this year. As we posed in the church garden we had a little friend join us. Ethan's family is part of our church and he was very interested in being a part of our family photo. We obliged and then took one without him. But to be honest, the picture with Ethan was the best one we had so that is the one we are using.

We have come a long way from the days when Callie sat alone on the stairs at home in bunny ears to take a picture on Easter. Now our two girls are growing up so fast and we can barely keep track of them. And as you can see, Reese is shooting up right before our eyes and one day might even challenge her sister's height.

As mentioned above, this is the spring of Claire's senior year in high school. That also means it is her last season of lacrosse at Lafayette. And boy did she have a fantastic year. She scored over 100 goals and was one of only two female lacrosse players in Kentucky selected as All-Americans. She was fun to watch even when it was below freezing at the beginning of the season. Hopefully we will get to see her play in college when she attends George Fox out in Oregon.

Claire is impressive in many ways, not the least is her dedication to fitness. Sarah once again stepped in to be the Abraham prom hairstylist, and she did a wonderful job. But she also insisted on getting a muscle pose from Claire and Claire did not hesitate. You do not want to mess with Claire.

As we always say, the girls are very lucky to have such great friends and role models in the Abraham sisters. It is always wonderful to share these special occasions with them. The thing that is getting harder is to know that these milestone events are not that far in the future for our girls. Time keeps moving on.

Tampa 2023

In case spring in Lexington wasn't warm enough, Reese got the opportunity to head to Tampa, Florida to play in a USL Cup tournament with her current team and number of very familiar guest players from the younger team. To be specific, two of Reese's favorite people, Emerson and Mary, were playing with this team. So John and Reese headed to Tampa for a four day adventure in March.

It was plenty hot in Tampa and the girls were also coached by two folks who were not their usual club coaches. Coach Michelle was insistent that the girls aid their post-game recoveries with at least 20 minutes in an ice bath. Although they weren't excited about it they figured it would go better if they did it together and timed themselves. It was impressive commitment to their coach's recommendations and they stuck it out.

The team played well and won their first three games handily which qualified them for the championship. Reese did a great job on the field, but this tournament really showcased her abilities to braid hair. Reese's pop-up hair salon became a popular appointment pre-game, and what started as a line of girls stopping by the hotel room spilled over into the hotel lobby on day 3. 

Our last day in Tampa saw Reese and her team win the championship for their age group in convincing fashion. They played strong through the heat and for their work got to experience a whole awards ceremony with individual medals and a team trophy. It was a good experience and the team's success certainly made the trip even more worthwhile.

On our way home we had to make sure we took a picture with one of the neat features of the Tampa airport. The sculpture gives you the perspective of watching from below as a giant pink flamingo puts its head under water to catch a fish. Reese and John had a great time traveling together despite the unfortunate misunderstanding regarding a candy purchase on April Fool's Day.