El rancho

The Kritser Ranch is a beautiful and relaxing place to be. The house, and the surrounding land simultaneously defy and embody the West Texas stereotype.

Much more than just a home, the headquarters, a historic, 100 year-old ranch house, lives and breathes its rich family history. The walls are covered in family photographs, mementos, articles, and artifacts. The perfect place to begin and end the day, the screened porches have seen thousands of cups of morning coffee, as well as their fair share of spirits and cigars. The prohibition-era closet still has a secret compartment where the liquor is kept, and a signed photo by Charles Lindbergh, who once crashed his plane on the property, hangs unassumingly in the hallway. The fireplace in the back bedroom has Nicholas' father's name carved in it, along with many of his cousins and siblings; we found a Dr. Seuss book to read Eliza, Scrambled Eggs Super, which was a favorite of Nicholas' grandmother's, according to the inscription inside. Many of the furnishings are original or early to the home, though it's been lovingly "spruced" over the years to keep it a comfortable and enjoyable place to visit.

Ranch days are lazy days. Time passes more slowly, in a good way, and we just kick back and enjoy being outside. We go on ranch rides, walks through the meadow. We hammock. I play around with my camera, the baby plays on a quilt in the grass and the dogs get very, very dirty.

Eliza got to ride in the Baby Bjorn with me for ranch rides, which she appreciated. The ranch is on a really cool geographical cross-section, meaning that on your drive you'll see the terrain change pretty dramatically in a short period of time.

Since it has been so unbearably hot this summer, outside to our baby is pretty much the space between the car and the house. Poor little lady hadn't even truly felt the grass between her toes in her first three and a half months of life. We took full advantage of the cooler weather and spent a lot of time under the shady trees by the house. We attached Eliza's jumperoo to this swingset, which has been on the property a very long time (note how it has grown into the tree).

This trip was brimming with introductions. First and foremost, this was our introduction to "vacations" with a baby. It was nice to get away; not quite the same carefree, responsibility-free getaway it once was, but so fun to be together for a week, with just little E. to dote on. She was a trooper on all fronts and she loved getting to spend so much quality time with her papa. In addition to introducing Eliza to the ranch for the first time, we also were able to introduce her to some of our Amarillo friends, including her precious friend, Lisle, who is just six days younger. I was finally getting to meet her after months of daily texts and pictures with her mother, Dottie. Dottie and I have been on this journey to motherhood together, so it was wonderful to finally hold her sweet girl, and to put our girls together.

On the last night we were there, Eliza was also, we think, introduced to her namesake (or rather, her namesake introduced herself to Eliza…) but that's a story for a different day.