We had a great time visiting dear friends in the beautiful state of New Mexico. For this California girl, the highlight was visiting White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo. I've never actually seen a desert, and I'd been hoping to go for some time, so when the opportunity arose, I jumped on it.

Now I've seen a lot of sand, but always accompanied by water, so to see a vast expanse of nothing but sand dunes was a truly novel experience for us. The kids enjoyed sliding down the dunes on sleds, while I scrambled around trying to get as many candid shots as possible.

We arrived just as dusk was setting in, giving me the opportunity to see the sand against the warm evening sun. But I enjoyed it so much, I was happy to visit one more time before we left, and saw the dunes bathed in the crisp morning light as well. Such a wonderful place!