Vacations are an excuse to eat whatever you want, and other realizations.

1. It's a known fact that food consumed while on vacation has no calories. Okay, maybe this is more conjecture than based in science, but who doesn't like to indulge a little on vacay? Maybe I should rephrase. Indulging a lot is okay too. This weekend I learned that you don't have to eat out to eat well. We were kind of nerdy and brought lots of ingredients and recipes with us to Pagosa Springs, CO this weekend and cooked ourselves some amazing meals.

Italian Burgers made with a mix of beef & Italian Sausage; topped with Provolone cheese, crispy prosciutto, basil, pesto mayo, & a roasted bell pepper, served on a toasted ciabatta roll. YUM.

Root Beer can chicken with Asian cole slaw & roasted red potatoes.

2. Much to our delight, some parts of New Mexico are actually green and pleasing to the eye. Maybe the tiny corner of NM we drove through is the reason for the state being called the "Land of Enchantment." However, in our humble opinion, Colorado is still better.

See? New Mexico is pretty, in a John Wayne/cowboy kind of way.

But holy cow! I could stare at that all day.

3. There is nothing like hanging out the window and letting the breeze blow your mouth wide open.

4. If Mike and I win the lottery, we're purchasing a horse ranch in Colorado and also a donkey for Crockett to frolic with. The name of our ranch will be "Hidden Valley Ranch."

The home across the street from where we stayed. Mike and I could totally maintain a farm.

5. Marriage causes you to care about stuff you never did before. For example, we tend to comment on every gorgeous home we see, and I can't say that I ever noticed that kind of thing before. We also critique various styles of homes, as well as the decorating/landscaping choices of these homeowners. I guess the more you watch HGTV, the more you consider yourself in the know.

To pass the Mike/Sarah test, a home must have large windows, a unique design, a large porch, and a large yard. As you can see, we're not asking for much. Any of these homes are acceptable.

6. Rolling around in dirty snow is often the most effective way to cool off, but mountain streams are okay too.

7. I love Mike & Crockett.

8. Relaxing is essential to sanity & well-being.

9. God knew what He was doing, without question, but He pulled out all the stops when He made Colorado. Call me obsessed, but I'm sorry, how can you argue with this?