Your route will probably be o.k. weather wise by then. But narrow two-lane US 54 is undergoing major reconstruction with miles of slow zones (45 mph) and rough road, especially south of Vaughn. I'd suggest heading south from Amarillo to Canyon on I-27, US 60 to Clovis and US 70 to Las Cruces. It's mostly all four lane in NM (65-70 mph) and the drive past Ruidoso and Sierra Blanca peak is beautiful.
As Slim suggests, check out the state road advisories before you leave.
Thanks for the tip! Checking road conditions, it looks like this would be a viable alternative. I think we will try this, but of course, will continue to monitor the situation. We're planning on leaving here in Iowa around 4:30am - 5:00am tomorrow. Haven't decided if we will drive straight through with my wife doing some of the driving, or if we'll have to stop somewhere along the way. At the very least, I'd like to make it to Amarillo by tomorrow night. Anyway, thanks again, and have a very Merry Christmas!