Update

Just wanted everyone to know that my dad is doing great. Thank you for all of the messages!

Dad

I have the best dad in the world! I really have the best parents period. So...I was pretty sad when mom called at the crack of dawn this morning to say that dad was going into surgery to have them remove his appendix. About two years ago dad got really sick and couldn't figure out what was wrong (funny how that happens to doctors who figure out what's wrong with other people all the time). Turns out he was toxic do to appendicitis. The docs thought after draining him that there wasn't really any appendix left. However, turns out he did have a bit left and it just ruptured again this weekend causing him to have emergency surgery today. He just finished in surgery about five minutes ago. Mom called though and said things didn't go as well as expected, and he would have to spend the next couple of nights in the hospital. So...please send prayers his way and hopefully he can get well soon.

Just check out some of the amazing things about my wonderful dad. http://augustalung.com/doctor_haynes.html

The Weekend

I'm running out of titles as you can see above. Yet again Luke and I stayed put in Carlsbad this weekend. However, I must mention we did a little more than just work in the garden and grill out. Thanks to Jacob and Mandy we were able to tag along for their tour of Slaughter Cave in Slaughter Canyon about an hour away from Carlsbad. After the tour we had a picnic in rattlesnake park, a mini oasis of sorts with tall trees and grass in the middle of nowhere.

The weather has just been perfect as you can see.

Maybe Mandy can remember the movie that this formation was featured in. I have tried to remember, but it has escaped my memory. It looks like a hooded creature.

Also, I am proud to report we ate our first garden item this weekend. Huge collard leaves! However, they do not yield as much as they look like they would (see next pic). We are thankful since I'm sure we already have more than we can eat.

I must say I was not a fan of collards in the past, but maybe it's just the lack of freshness! These were yummy.

Our Garden is Growing

Once again we had a lazy Carlsbad weekend. Tending to our garden and grilling out keeps us pretty entertained. Check out these photos of our growing garden! We just recently planted some beans, corn, and more cucumbers that all seem to be just breaking the surface. I'll be sure to put up more pics when they join fully.

Luke watering

Yellow Squash

Lettuce, Collards, Bell Peppers, Brussel Sprouts

Growing so big!

The heat has died down a bit, so I'm off to beat Luke in a game of frisbee golf before the sun sets. I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Early April

So...I've decided Luke and I are pretty boring people when we aren't traveling. This weekend we were able to stay in Carlsbad and just relax. We weeded the garden which is really taking off now ;), grilled out some amazing ribs (thanks to Luke), and watched my favorite golf tournament The Masters!!

I always wish to be home when this time of year rolls around. Something about being in Augusta on Master's week that I just love. I was really routing for Freddie to pull out a win, but Phil is a great guy that I like to see do well, so I was very pleased. On a side note** I really found myself cheering for Tiger Woods. I didn't want him to win the tournament, but I did want him to do well. I surprised myself when I realized I was hoping for him to do well. Who knows why, but true!?

Also, since most of you have asked about my teaching times, I'll say it's going well and keeping me busy. I work almost every day and never get bored. I have learned a lot of things in seeing children the way I do. I bounce around to all age levels and all schools. One of the most amazing and sad things I have discovered is the real difference between the children at the poorer schools and richer schools. Kids of the same age at the richer schools are MUCH better behaving and respectful overall. I think parenting is vital to a kids success. The worst kids I get in every class are the ones that live with their Grandparents! It's a strange correlation realized, but based on my experience a real issue.

Another interesting bit is Carlsbad's median family income is only $35,640. A lot of the kids here are not planning for a life in college after school, and two of the children I polled said they wanted to become drug dealers. I just try and encourage every kid I see that college or tech school is the way to go! Also, New Mexico did have, and is currently in second for the highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. You would not believe the number of pregnant girls I see walking around this high school. Someone needs to step in and give the talk to these kids who are not getting the memo!

On a happy note! I have met many great kids and teachers here, so don't think it's all gloom. I love eye opening experiences. I think I'll be a better parent in the future based on what I've seen, heard, and learned here in Carlsbad, NM.

The Dorman's Visit NM

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter. Luke and I spent our Easter weekend entertaining Luke's family in New Mexico. Wes, Amanda, Abigail, and Abigail's friend Caitlyn all made the journey from Savannah this past Wednesday. I gave them the grand tour of Carlsbad on Thursday, and then headed north to Santa Fe for the weekend. Above is a picture of the traditional Santa Fe building. I love the architecture in Santa Fe and could definitely see myself living in this high town. The elevation in Carlsbad is already a high 3,000 ft, but Santa Fe's elevation is 7,000 ft. above sea level.

Here is a picture of the Plaza. You can see some of the mountain backdrop through the trees. The Plaza is the heart of Santa Fe and just a great place to visit. You can find tons of Native Americans lining the Palace of the Governors a 400 year old building selling their beautiful jewelry. I thinks it's important to note that the Native Americans selling in the Plaza are held to standards when it come to their products. They have to be 98% sterling silver, hand crafted, and tons of other restrictions that allow you as the tourist to know you are getting a quality product.

We also toured the New Mexico History Museum that just opened it's doors in 2009. The museum was great and offered everything you need to know about New Mexico's history. A lot of interesting history: the atomic bomb, the Mexican-American war, the Native Americans who originally roamed these lands, and much more.

Below is a picture of the miraculous staircase in Loretta Chapel. This staircase is an amazing site to behold with no center or outer supports. Engineers today still cannot quite figure out how this works and supports itself. When the stairs were originally constructed there was no railing, so it really appeared to float. Another interesting note is the amazing carpenter remains unknown. As legend has it, the nuns needed a staircase built and prayed about it, a man shows up and spends much time laboring and building the stairs, once complete the man disappears without even accepting payment. I always love a good mystery!

Last but not least, turns out Luke has a cousin that lives between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. His cousin is a very distance cousin that he has never met until this weekend. Luke's cousin is a horseman. People bring horses to his house from all over the country and even Canada that need to be broken in. Sunday we visited his home and horses. His daughter is Miss Rodeo New Mexico 2010, so we were excited to dress up in a lot of her fun things. Jean her mom makes these great pieces in her leather shop. The craftsmanship is amazing and makes me want to try out leather working myself. I wish you could see it better, but my chaps say Tough Enough--it's a breast cancer awareness chap that has a matching jacket. As you can see I'm a little bit tall, so my chaps don't hit the ground like Ab's and Caitlyn's pairs.

Lazy Days

This weekend Luke and I stayed in Carlsbad. We have been traveling so much that a lazy weekend was desperately needed. We grilled out in the beautiful weather, and checked on our garden.

Sunday after church we played Frisbee golf. I was a total dork and embarrassed Luke by wearing a glove on my throwing hand (the darn Frisbee's tear up my fingers if I don't). I looked like a serious contender, but I didn't play too well. When it came to the tournament however, I took Luke into sudden death, and ended up losing by only one stroke. I'll get better and eventually win!

Here is a picture of our growing garden! Lettuce, brussel sprouts, collards, and broccoli

A baby lettuce head

Our yellow squash is really doing well. I think every seed I planted has popped up already.

Luke working the grill and enjoying a mid-day Margarita