Spring Break

We decided to mostly stay home for Spring Break this year; with a toddler, a "stay-cation" sounded more relaxing than packing everything up for a vacation!  We had a lot of fun doing activities in and around Gallup that we don't often get to enjoy, then finished the week with a wonderful overnight stay in Albuquerque.

Day trip to Window Rock, AZ

Our first little outing was to the Window Rock Zoo in the Navajo Nation capitol.  This is the only zoo operated by a Native American tribe, and we were really impressed both by the animals there and the layout of the zoo.  Plus, it's free!!  I loved how the animal habitats are tucked between the beautiful rock formations:

When asked, Benji said that his favorite animal at the zoo was "tractor" (the little ATV that the zookeeper drove around...)  But he also liked the cougars, the bears, and the wild turkeys!

After a picnic lunch, Benji also had fun playing on the zoo's playground:

Wednesday's little adventure was a trip to library story time.  Benji was a little overwhelmed by the new experience and all of the children, but once singing time got underway, he had a blast!

Thursday was my 28th birthday.  Jonathan made it really special by hanging funny signs around the house, cooking breakfast, and taking care of Benji when he was fussy.  We also took a little hike to Resurrection Rock...

...and had dinner with some good friends, followed by a chocolate peanut butter Reese's cake!!   :-D

On Friday we drove to Albuquerque and headed straight to the BioPark Aquarium.  Benji is really into fish right now, so he was fascinated by all of the sizes and colors of "goldfish" that he could see there (he got especially excited by the "BIG goldfish!" aka sharks!)

After the aquarium, we walked through the botanical gardens.  I thought this part would be less exciting for Benji, but in fact he loved it just as much!  Between the Bugarium exhibit, a children's fantasy garden, and the extensive outdoor model train set, he was pretty much in heaven!

We stayed that night at a wonderful AirBnB place just a few blocks from Old Town.  After some delicious pizza at the Old Town Pizza parlor, Benji enjoyed splashing for a while in the "swimming pool" (hot tub) at our little apartment.

On Saturday morning, we went to the Albuquerque zoo!  It was fun to see the zookeepers feeding the seals and sea lions; other highlights were the polar bear and eagle exhibits.

Finally, the moment came that Benji has been counting down to for a month: "airport time!"  We picked up my parents at the airport and drove them home for a 10 day visit.  It's so much fun to have Nonnie and Papa around!!  <3

France Part 3--Saint-Malo

My final adventure with Genavee on this trip to France was a day in Saint-Malo, a spectacular walled city that juts out into the English Channel.

Saint-Malo is home to a lot of history: it was once a favorite port of corsairs, privateers, and pirates; in 1944 about 80% of the city was destroyed by bombing, but the old stone buildings were reconstructed so that the city looks much as it did centuries ago.  Somehow the medieval stone ramparts survived World War II, and Genavee and I walked on these ramparts all the way around the town with beautiful sights on every side:

This town is also the setting for the recent bestselling WWII novel All the Light we Cannot See.  I was reading this book during my trip and it was so exciting to pass the Rue Vauborel where the fictional Marie-Laure resides (if you have not read this book, I highly recommend it!)

The coast of Brittany is naturally famous for its seafood, so for lunch I had my first taste of mussels (delicious!!).  I almost finished my whole pot of "moules marinieres"--Genavee managed to eat every last one!

In the afternoon, the tide receded and the sun came out.  We walked across the newly-exposed beach to one of the outlying fortresses (where the Frenchmen of the town were imprisoned during the siege of Saint-Malo in World War II).  We climbed on the rocks and explored the tide pools.

There is something about Saint-Malo that is peaceful and almost magical: the changing of the light and the tides, the cry of seagulls, the waves breaking on the beach...This was a perfect place for my last day in France.  I hope I can return one day!  As my dad likes to say: "Au revoir pour maintenant."

Final note:  This trip would not have been possible without the help of many people, especially Jonathan, Mom, and Dad, who "held down the fort" at home and took care of Benji, and Genavee, who was such a generous hostess and put tons of work into planning these fabulous experiences.  "Merci mille fois!" to you all!