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So, no trip to New Mexico would be complete without a trip to Albuquerque.  The best thing about Albuquerque is that I (Noel) grew up there and so have many boring, funny and sometimes saddening anecdotes all over the city.  Poor Greg has a hard time getting it all straight but that's okay because sometimes I do, too.
We especially love the people so this section, more than many others, will involve the people I treasure and still go back to see.  Also, the food.  Oh, the food.  To die for...actually, when I think of the great feast, I think of this great New Mexican extravaganza in which all my friends are there answering the Lord's question, "Today I set before you green and red chile, choose today which you will have."  And then He laughs jovially, not unlike James Earl Jones and says, "Just kidding, 'tomorrow', if you can really call it that, is a new day with new mercies and more chile."  Maybe there will be other colors of chile also...oh, the possibilities.  If you don't understand and this picture of heaven does nothing for you, well, don't worry, it just means you're not a New Mexican.  But don't worry, in heaven, you can be an honorary member. :)

But, you just wanna see photos, of course:

a southwestern storm for our trek

Southwestern landscape whilst driving; if you squint you'll see the rainbow!

salsa fiesta in Old Town! we tried about 20 kinds of homemade salsa and if we had paid, we could've voted, but we didn't so we just ate "dinner" of salsa and chips provided by the good gente of ABQ

proper decor for showing at the Salsa Fiesta

anatomy of a salsa fiesta bite

going in for the kill

hoping it doesn't kill me

this is Linda, she's the best.  she used to come and do lots of youth group activities with us when we were mere youths. she's prayed for me since I was an annoying teenager and she was giddy when she found out we were going to seminary and said, "I've prayed all along that this day would come!"  She's also amazingly hospitable and had us over for a spontaneous dinner on sunday night at which we laughed and laughed and had a GREAT time.

these are some of the wonderful ladies with whom I was privileged to hang out with both in my growing up years and then in my brief stint of helping out with youth group.  not pictured: magnolia camp, who is also one of this bunch.  i'm so proud of these girls, getting married, goin' to grad school, saving the lost, all in a days work; love you, brett, jessie & marcie.  most of them still go to the new St Mark's...aka Christ the King which is still home in many ways because 99% of the people I love are still there, just a different space.  that's okay, the orange carpet added character but not much else :P

greg tryin' out cowboying for size

This is Noelle and Noel. :)  Noelle was my grandma away from my grandma (who lived in El Paso).  She would come to my swim meets and have us over to play Monopoly.  Everything I know about it I learned from her...we'd spend HOURS playing.  She also taught me all I know about card games...which, as most of you know, is not much.  We spent some good time at her house, drinking her scotch, eating her peach pie and petting her dogs and yacking it up.  So little has changed in many ways, I miss her very much. 

This is Randy and Redd.  They were kind enough to let us stay with them and feed us breakfast and dinner and tell us all sorts of stories about their lives and the lives of the church family.  They used to live 2 blocks away from us and so they babysat us sometimes and we'd go sell them girl scout cookies and the like.  They are some of the most attractive people I know and they haven't changed a bit.  They know they've been really blessed by God and so they just want to give and give and are truly thankful and joys to be around.  I'm glad we could stay with them.  They also have some AWESOME albuquerque views!

The view from the back patio of the "guests quarters" looking down on the valley where the city is

backyard with a view...a beautiful view of the Sandias, complete with cloud cover [longing sigh]

the following are actually stolen from our last trip to ABQ in october of last year.

the mountains are a personality in their own right and I have missed them for a decade

I have also missed the Frontier for a decade. I think this burrito speaks for itself.

of course, we also stopped this time for some more frontier tortillas for the road trip

a view of Central Ave, Route 66.
we used to walk up and down for fun and explore shops and buy thrift clothes and go to the Frontier

a school with a view; this is the Academy where I went to school.
It has another fabulous view of the Sandias

the natatorium where Noel spent SO many hours swimming and playing water polo

oh, Garduño's salsa, how I love thee.