Mike and Kerwin's Adventure in NM

On Tuesday Mike and his brother Kerwin flew to Albuquerque to pick up Mike's truck. Everything was going according to plan. We had budgeted this trip and new exactly how much everything was going to cost. They had a great time, then yesterday happened. Half way between Albuquerque and Grants (a very very small town) and his clutch goes out. He is dead in the water. I was out running errands with my mom, so I had to go back to her house, look up a mechanic, call a tow truck.

Then Mike calls to tell my how much money it was going to cost, I about had a heart attack, but the work needed to be done. It meant that they would be home early this morning as they weren't going to be able to finish the truck until 10pm. Around 5 he called to tell me that it wasn't the clutch it was the transfer case, and they couldn't find. They finally found one, however it was in Albuquerque, and they weren't going to be able to get it until today. So they stayed the night and now I am waiting for the final word on the cost and that they are on their way home.

I do have to say that the people at the shop have been so good to Mike and Kerwin. They understand that they are stranded in Grants, so the owners wife lent them her car for them to use. They have back burnered all other jobs to get this one done and back on the road.

All of this and we have birthday party tomorrow for Mat.

Memories of New Mexico

On July 31st 2003 we piled into the Uhual and our car and taking Karey (Mike's brother) and Nick (Mike's best friend at the time) with us we set out for our new life, a life that we knew was temporary but essential. We moved to Las Cruces New Mexico, a little town on the New Mexico, Texas, Mexico border. We loved it there. The boys were enrolled in pre-school (where all Mik did was paint and draw). After a year there we had to move as Mike couldn't get a job, and I wanted to go back to school. so we moved to Albuquerque.

Albuquerque was an adventure for us in that we did our most struggling there. I went back to school and was working on getting my teaching degree, the boys were in school, and Mike was still struggling to get a job.

Mike was finally able to get into the field that he has always wanted to be in. He spent 2 years commuting to Santa Fe for the Sheriff's dept there, and then moved down to Sandoval Co (the county just north of Albuquerque), where he spent another 2 years. He loved it, and having to quit that dept was one of the hardest things that he ever had to do.

I graduated from UNM with a degree in Foreign Languages and Literature, and started my Masters Degree. I was able to teach both Italian and Spanish for APS, and I loved it. I loved my students, and constant changes that happen in a classroom. Leaving that school district was very hard for me.

Both boys started school, they had the same kindergarten teacher (Mrs. Zuniga the best k teacher in the world). They had amazing teachers at Sierra Vista Mrs. Zuniga, Ms. Lokken, Mrs. Burschardt, Ms. Chavez, Ms. Lamkin, Mrs. Hampel, Ms. Bowers, Ms. Hannah. The support staff at the school was amazing also, Leigh the school nurse who took Mat's disease in hand, and who knew Mik and when he was faking it and when he was really sick. Ms. Sharon the boys therapist from kindergarten till we left, who gave us so much insight into Mik and his struggles. Both boys loved them all, and are struggling with a new school.

Both boys were also baptized there. One of the best days of our lives as parents was when they decided to become members of the church.

From earlier posts you all know how hard the decision to leave NM was for us, we had so many wonderful friends and memories there. We spent most of our married life there. We discovered who we are as individuals and we we are as a couple. For all the struggles that we had I cannot regret our decision to move there when we did.

We are now onto a new adventure back in Las Vegas, so keep tuning in to see what adventures await us here.