She Likes Purple

Two Hikes to Tell You About

Hiking has become our favorite weekend activity of choice. In Texas?, you might ask, but Texas has a seriously bad reputation for being nothing but tumbleweeds and flat landscape as far as the eye can see when we actually have plenty of hills! And plenty of trees! And lakes too! (We also have places like Lubbock, hence the reputation.) (Kidding, Lubbock fans!) (Except not kidding at all.)

So, anyway, we're determined to spend as much of our downtime--especially in the magical months we call April, May, October, and November, when we can actually stand to be outside for prolonged periods of time--exploring the different trails in driving distance from us. (See Possum Kingdom, Mineral Wells.) 

In the last month or so, we've been to two new places.

Lake Ray Roberts

This is just a thirty-minute drive from us, and we can stop for lunch on the way there or back in Denton (which has some great restaurants). Mike grew up camping at this lake, and we hope to get back to do just that soon, but the trails were fantastic for a day trip. And we've heard great things about the fishing too. 

Those gigantic sunglasses inspired by Elizabeth

Bob Jones Nature Preserve* 

This is a whopping ten-minute drive from our front door, and I literally had never heard of it until a few weeks ago. Seriously, my own home is a surprise five years later. This was nearly deserted on Mother's Day, and it was wondreful weather, and just an all-around perfect hiking day.

After hiking for about an hour, we were treated to a lovely beach, and though I saw a few too many beer cans for my particular beach liking, the breeze and the water nearly made up for that. 

Kyle also slept 2.5 hours after this hike (so *I* slept 2.5 hours after this hike), so let's stamp it the best hike there ever was. 

*There are some seriously awesome-looking programs, classes, and workshops offered through the nature center, if you're local!

Where should we head next? 

The Kicker

Kyle got very into football this past year (say what you want about Johnny Manziel, but he sure knows how to make a four year old think football is the most exciting thing ever), and he's asked if he can play football himself about a hundred times since September.

Didn't think that sports-introduction through, did you, self?

"You can be the kicker!" I said once, somewhat jokingly, and now he's obsessed with that. 

So far, we've kept his "join a team" requests at bay by playing ball with him in our own backyard. I might try to convince him we're our own official team if some friends wouldn't mind coming over once a week to cheer us on. He'd be a lock for team MVP!

The love for the game is still there, though, so we were all pretty stoked to bring him to Cowbow's Stadium this past Sunday, where Mike's company had a sponsored family day planned. We got to hang out on the field and kids got to try out different football-related stations. One station was kicking field goals. 

Kyle beelined for that particular station and was first in line. He waited patiently for things to get started. Seriously, the kid didn't move for 15 minutes, and that's quite possibly a first in all of his waking hours. 

Just waiting

Setting it up

Kick! 

So his two dreams include playing football and being a MotoGP racer. Nice, safe dreams that won't do a thing to his mother's blood pressure levels, oh no.

I'm in trouble.

Thank everything for people with good cameras and the ability to use them

Kyle's soccer coach's wife took this picture at his first game of the season. He had just scored a goal, turned and pointed right at Mike. She thought we'd want to have it.

She was right.

Las Vegas, 2013 Edition

I have a theory. Okay, it's less of a theory than just a two-sentence opinion. I think you either love Vegas or you hate Vegas. You either can't wait to plan your next trip to the Strip or you would be fine never again seeing that much neon. 

Mike and I live firmly in the first camp.

It's not that I don't get why some might hate it. It's A Lot and it's dirty and it can be expensive (meals, more than anything else) and if you don't gamble, you have to walk through miles of casino to get to things you might actually enjoy (like expensive meals!) and, wow, is everything so spread out, your feet will hurt like hell on DAY ONE. No matter what you actually do that day.

Not to mention it's like 113 degrees half the year. 

Or all the people in ill-fitting clothes. I swear, 75% of people wearing ill-fitting clothes in this world are wearing them in Vegas.

But, it's just a place we love. We do like to gamble, we love so many of the meals we've had there, we love all the lights and attractions and people watching (best people watching, like ever) and every show we've seen has been incredible and, oh, bottomless mimosa buffets are my jam. We like it! It's our kind of place.

We took my in-laws early last month for a quick, three-night, four-day visit, and I haven't shared anything about that trip here yet.  

It was a low-key trip (see: traveling with my in-laws), and there was not a single night we were in bed later than 11pm or a single morning we were up later than 8am (one morning was 6:30am!), but we still had so much fun.

Lame adult fun but fun nonetheless.

We got in at 8:45am on Saturday morning, so we had our rental car (more on that later) and were at our hotel, checking our bags, by 10am. We went straight to The Buffet at Wynn, what we heard was the best buffet in Vegas. It was an hour wait, so I was hoping the buffet would offer back rubs or free drinks or SOMETHING but, no. Still! It was delicious! Better than the Bellagio, where we usually hit up the buffet at least once, but the Bellagio (if memory serves) is a little cheaper.

After that, we walked around a few more hotels before going back to our hotel (the Monte Carlo, which is where we'll stay from here until forever because it's affordable, nice, and centrally located) for naps. You may ask what we had done so far that day to warrant a nap, and I will say NAPS ARE ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA. 

After naps, we got fancied up (see: took showers) for Zarkana at Aria.

We've seen three Cirque du Soleil shows (O, Zumanity, and this one), and Zarkana might actually be my favorite. Just incredible.

We had Fat Burger for dinner after the show. Life was good.

The next morning we got up and entered a poker tournament at our hotel (a one-table poker tournament, so basically a home game) and after that we . . . uh . . . I kind of don't remember. It's been over a month! This is why you write blog recaps of your trips immediately upon returning home, kids. 

Oh! I remember now. We went to downtown Las Vegas, to visit the Golden Nugget, one of our favorite plates to play craps and poker. And the people watching just gets better down there.

Side note: Probably a good time to talk about why we sometimes rent a car in Vegas. Yes, cabs are a plenty and you can walk, but cabs add up (the Strip traffic is bananas and it can take 15 minutes to go a couple blocks), and we like to go from one end of the Strip to the other and that's something like five entire miles. Doable but in the summer, it's also horrible. And! We like to get off the Strip. We go downtown at least once a trip and, as you'll see, we also get out of town to visit some surrounding sites. Our car was affordable (something like $120 for the four days we were there, and we split that in half with Mike's parents). 

That night we splurged on a delicious dinner at Stack (the Country Potato Gratin was a life changer). Our waiter's name was Kyle and, as I often do in this situation, I excitedly announced, "What a great name! That's my son's name." "Huh." The waiter was not my spirit animal, let's just say.

The next day we headed out of town to visit the Valley of Fire. Mike and I went way back in 2004, and we had good memories, so we thought his parents would enjoy it too. 

It was still beautiful. But, guys, so hot. Like the surface of the sun. We ended up hiking about a mile and it felt like a marathon.

After that, we drove a couple hours to the Hoover Dam. We were told we might see Big Horn Sheep on the drive, so I basically made everyone do nothing but look for Big Horn Sheep on the drive because that's just not an animal you see every day. We didn't see any but, truth be told, I don't think my road trip companions were as committed as I was. I heard a lot of unnnecessary chatting.

The Hoover Dam was great, incredible of course, but I do have to admit that my favorite part of the visit was making Mike stand in Arizona while I stood in Nevada. (Same novelty I enjoyed at the Four Corners.) 

We got back to the Strip and headed out for an exhausted, late dinner. We went to the Burger Bar, a place we'd been way back in 2009, and it was better than I remembered. 

That night Mike played craps while I read in bed. I know, you're totally embarassed by my antics. 

We had a lot of our last day to hang out, since our flight wasn't until the evening. We got up insanely early to be one of the first at Mon Ami Gabi, one of my Vegas favorites, and it didn't disappoint. I couldn't bring myself to order a mimosa or Bloody Mary at 7:30am, apparently that's just TOO early for me, but next time! I'm coming for you, breakfast drinks.

We played in another poker tournament that morning, and then I spent two straight hours winning money at nickel poker (and then another 10 minutes losing those winnings; DAMN YOU GAMBLING), before we grabbed a very late lunch and then headed to the airport.

Oh, Vegas. I can't quit you. I'm already thinking about my next trip to see you. (We think December 2014!)

Things to To in Texas: Visit Revolver Brewery

My ladies and I had a girls weekend this past weekend many weeks ago because I can't get my act together to post regularly these days, but we headed closed to home, just an hour away. We stayed in Granbury, TX, which is a 10-minute drive from Revolver Brewery.

We headed to the brewery Saturday afternoon (after pedicures!) and while mid-July in Texas is never ideal for outdoor activities, it was SUCH a fun brewery that I'd recommend it to anyone, any time of year. 

It had so much to do, to pass an afternoon: take a tour, listen to live music (they have a schedule of who's playing on their website), play in water tables and on playgrounds (if you're a kid or if you've REALLY enjoyed the beer), eat some local food. You could also taste beer, which I assume is why some of you would go.

The Blood & Honey, a wheat beer, is what the brewery is known for, and it was so much better than I remembered when I tried it at a local restaurant, but I preferred the High Brass, a blonde ale. 

So, if you're in or passing through Granbury anytime soon, swing by this brewery. I'm already planning my return trip.

Pins of the Month: May, June, & July

I'm trying to tackle more Pinterest projects this year. Or, more accurately, I'm trying to buy more things I've pinned and then creatively label that purchase a victory instead of irresponsible spending. I bought something! I'm so productive.

Anyway, here are the previous months: January & February, March & April. 

May: I bought this iPhone case. I love it.

June (& parts of July): Since summer in Texas requires cocktails, I made a handful of drinks from my Pinterest drinks board.

From top to bottom, left to right: 1. Pomegranate  & Lime White Wine Spritzer (3/5 stars) 2. Grapefruit Sangria (5/5 stars; I added blueberries, to make it festive for July Fourth) 3. Pear Mimosas (2/5; I prefer the original) 4. The Very Best Margarita (5/5 stars; SO tart but that's my kind of margarita)

July: Vacation box! I was inspired by something I saw in Martha Stewart Living, a way to keep vacation photos all in one spot without taking up too much space, and also a cool way to display vacations, so you can reminisce any time you walk through a room. 

What you'll need:

    - Wood box (similar to this, but I prefer the ones where the lid slides out vs pops open)
    - Two cans of spray paint (I used black [for the text] and yellow for the boxes)
    - Alphabet stickers (you could also use stencils, but I just found these plain easier)

Mike sprayed both boxes black, then I spelled out the destination names in stickers, on the front of the box. Mike then sprayed (about a million coats) of yellow spraypaint onto the boxes. Peeled off the letters and there you go!

So easy, especially if you get your husband to do all the spraypainting for you. 

I printed a bunch of prints (all with borders) from mpix.com and tossed them in the box. I also included print-out menus, ticket stubs, etc. I love that I get to keep these things all in one place and revisit the trip anytime I want, without digging through drawers. 

We plan to display the boxes on a shelf we'll hang on our living room wall, along with some other keepsake projects like our family yearbooks. 

Things to Do in Texas: Camp/Stay in an Air-Conditioned Cabin at Possum Kingdom Lake

I've been wanting to visit Big Bend for years. It's in Texas, but it's something like nine hours away from us. (Texas is just too big, my goodness.) Anyway, that's...a lot of hours in the car. That also makes it tough to get away for a weekend without taking time off work. Hey! We're here for three hours! Time to go now. When I was lamenting how unfair geography is, Mike told me to pick a place (much) closer to home for a weekend away, so I picked Possum Kingdom. 

Possum Kingdom is a glorious two hours away instead of nine, but it's also a place I'd never been, and I really love adding new pins to our wall map.

We originally planned to camp, but then we laughed at ourselves because camping in July in Texas is a really stupid decision. We instead stayed at the Hideaway Cabins, and it was a great, centrally located place. The cabins were clean and spacious and the staff could not have been nicer. I can't imagine ever going back and not staying there again. Really recommend.

We hiked nearby trails both mornings. Oh boy, the trails were awesome. If you like hiking, I'd recommend Possum Kingdom for the trails alone. Kyle was a freaking champ for both hikes and the one Saturday morning was long and hot. I don't know if I've ever been more proud of him, quite honestly. 

Oh, and we all enjoyed a three-hour nap after our Saturday morning hike. Hikes, you're my favorite.

We also made s'mores, swam at the lake, grilled dinner, introduced Kyle to Friends in our cabin's living room, drove around to explore and spotted ELEVEN deer (Kyle kept count), and just had a really wonderful weekend. And we brought Molly. It helped her forgive us for at least some of the trips we've taken in the last few years without her. 

Some pictures of our weekend:

Kyle cried when we had to leave, it was that nice of a weekend. The kind of weekend you hope to have when you plan for it.

Things to Do in Texas: Go to a Fort Worth Cats game

After we went to the Rangers game, we knew a couple things: 1) Kyle had a lot of fun and (unfortunately) 2) The cost of professional baseball tickets if you want to be anywhere near the field are stupid expensive. 

But, Fort Worth has the Cats (I don't think it's minor league, but I know that it's baseball with reasonably priced tickets, so that's good enough for me) and that's actually much closer to home, so I bought us three tickets for this past Friday's game and crossed my fingers.

It worked. It was so much fun. 

For $14/ticket, we sat in the first row behind home plate and Kyle actually got to experience baseball without saying every three minutes, "I DON'T EVEN SEE THE BALL."

What was most fun about this kind of game though, besides the cheap seats, is how fun they made it for the fans. They had fans on the field between many innings, playing games and winning prizes. They had "spotlight" players that, if struck out, could get fans two-for-one beers. The mascot danced in the stands and it was just...fun. Especially for kids, my goodness. Kyle had the time of his life. He is SO a Cats fan now. 

So, you know, buy a few tickets and enjoy a baseball game next time you're in Fort Worth. They also have funnel cakes so enough said, right?

Four years later, and we finally win at fireworks

We moved into our house four years ago, right around July Fourth, and that first year I vaguely remember watching a few fireworks from our porch, where I didn't enjoy them as much I prayed my way through that they wouldn't wake up then-five-months-old Kyle.

I don't remember being able to see the fireworks too clearly, or at least I assume that I couldn't see them too clearly, because the next year we piled into the car and headed to the big, open field and festival our town throws in honor of the holiday and where we could (or so we thought) better see the fireworks show. 

The year after that, we drove a couple blocks and watched them from a big, open parking lot because we got a late start.

Last year, we headed back to the festival. 

This year, Kyle was a little timid about the whole thing, though. He doesn't particularly like loud noises (who can blame him? I find loud noises rather annoying), and he didn't seem all that excited about going to the festival just to listen to loud noises, no matter how many bounce houses we promised him. We invited my mom and Mike's parents and some friends over and told everyone we'd just play it by ear, either pile in the car and head to the festival or try to see some of the higher fireworks from our backyard. In the meantime, I made festive sangria (possibly the best sangria I've ever had; make this TODAY) and Mike bought sparklers and poppers to keep everyone entertained. (Kyle doesn't like loud noises, but he absolutely loved those poppers. So much so that Mike had to go out and buy more the next day. I don't understand four year olds either.)

Sangria. Seriously, so good.

For whatever reason -- those vagueish memories from 2009? our own unimpressive intelligence? -- we just assumed our backyard wasn't the best place to see them, and that we'd certainly make DO, if we had to, but it wasn't ideal or anything.

But we did end up staying home and BOY were we wrong about our backyard. We're idiots, basically.

We can see our town's fireworks show PERFECTLY. PER. FECT. LY. We had fold-up chairs and blankets and drinks and it was the best July Fourth holiday I can honestly remember. The festival is fun, but walking into our backyard without any of the crowds or parking hassles is WAY more fun. Like so much more fun we're never going to the festival again, sorry town festival! 

After the show, we even lit and released some lanterns we'd purchased a few months ago, inspired by our trip to Puerto Rico (minus the almost-burning-buildings-down part, that wasn't very inspiring). My particular lantern ripped pre-flight, but I will not read too much into THAT or what it might mean for my wishes. 

It was a wonderful night, and Kyle did great with the noise. He kept saying, "It's not THAT loud!" It was such a perfect holiday, and the rest of the weekend was great too. 

I hope yours was equally wonderful. 

Also, next year, fireworks watching in our yard. You're invited. 

 

Things to Do in Texas: Hike at Mineral Wells Park

This is a branch of my What To Do posts because I'd like to collect our cool advenutres from around our state into one series, so I can link to it whenever people ask, "But what on earth is there to do in Texas besides eat barbecue and ride horses?" 

I also hope this inspires me to get my family out to do more things in our pretty big, pretty great state. Especially this time of year when "STAY INSIDE AND WEEP" is all we really want to do. 

So, about a month ago, we took Kyle an hour outside of Fort Worth to hike around Mineral Wells state park. Kyle wasn't sure what hiking was, when we told him that's what we were going to do with our day, but he did like that I packed cookies for our post-hike picnic. 

Once we got there, though, parked the car and hit the trail, Kyle said (adorably), "Oh! Hiking is just exploring." Explore we did.

We hope to camp one day (the camp grounds seemed really nice), but it was a great way to test out the park, to see how Kyle would do on the trails, and he was a champ. 

If you're anywhere near DFW, or if you're in the area for whatever reason, I really recommend the fairly short drive to see the park. It's a great one.

Washington, DC: Part Three (Finally!)

We went to DC over two months ago, and I'm sure you've been DYING for this third and final recap of our trip. Constantly refreshing your browser, calling in sick to work. Wouldn't doubt any of it. 

When we last left off (and here's the first part, just in case), we had just stayed the night in Virginia and were heading back toward the city with a few quick stops along Skyline Drive (where we saw snow!) and where Mike also belted out both Spice Girls and Taylor Swift on our road trip but never tell him I told you. He'd deny both.

We were heading toward Caitlin, have I told you this yet? That we planned a night at her house because 1) I adore her and 2) She mentioned I could sit on her couch and drink champagne. Really, she shouldn't have mentioned either if she didn't want me to plan MY ENTIRE TRIP AROUND DOING JUST THAT because couches and champagne are two of my favorite things. Throw in Tim Riggins, and I really may have moved in with her.

This is what our guest room looked like upon arrival so forget all about Tim Riggins (Kidding! Never forget Rigs!) because this may be the nicest guest room I've ever stayed in.

I should also say this is the third trip I've told Mike we're hanging out with people he's never met before (the second trip I forced him to do this over night in the person's house) and it's (THANKFULLY) the third trip that has ended with new friendships and people he absolutely loves. (First trip, second trip.) He loved Caitlin and Zach, absolutely loved them, and asks about them so adorably often, I hate that geography is the way geography so annoyingly is.  

Zach made us such a delicious dinner, and we drank champagne and then played Cards Against Humanity and we cry-laughed and just enjoyed vacation. I love that feeling. Good food, good drinks, good company, and no reason in the world to get up early the next morning. Other than the THREE delicious drinks Caitlin had waiting for us:

 

Really, it was like we hung out with them every weekend, it genuinely felt that way. After breakfast, we headed back to the mall with them since we had missed a lot of the monuments earlier in the week and also because they're awesome hosts. 

Hey, could like all ONE HUNDRED of you get out of our vacation photos, please? (The mall was SO crowded.)

I don't have a photo of the Vietnam Memorial, but what an incredibly special experience it was to walk through that particular monument. You stepped onto the path for it and everyone (as you can see from these pictures, there were a lot of people) instantly got silent. It was as if we all knew what we were in the prescence of. So many names. So much loss. It was incredibly powerful.

This was the World War II Memorial, and this is where Caitlin and I decided to sing the state song and where Zach and Mike stopped loving us as much as they had up to that point.

We also got a peek at the cherry blossoms (a few trees had bloomed but most had not).

We ended the afternoon having pizza and beers at Red Rocks (delicious!) before saying goodbye to Caitlin and Zach. It makes me sad just typing that because you make friends on the internet and you never really know when you'll see them again. (I'm lucky that I know I'll get to see Caitlin this October in Charleston but when will the four of us get to share pizza and beer again? I hate that some of the best people you'll ever meet live so damn far away.) 

From Caitlin and Zach's, we drove to Mike's uncle's house (who lives in the same town! Perfect, right?). We had dinner and ghost tour plans, which is the first time I've ever typed that particular sentence.

Mike's uncle is his dad's brother (the dad of Mike's cousin who got married in Colorado when we took that epic family road trip back in 2011) and it was wonderful to see him again. We don't get to see him often, and it was so nice to be with family for part of the trip. It felt, I don't know, like vacationing with a little piece of home. 

We had dinner at Eamonn's and it was seriously delicious. SO GOOD. It's a small joint, so we had to cram into a table with strangers, but good food is worth that, you know? Whatever it takes, just feed me delicious, can't-have-elsewhere food. Then, we did a haunted tour of Alexandria, which was also rich with history (and I always love that). 

Like, hey! That's George Washington's city house. 

The next day, Mike's uncle, aunt, and cousin treated us to a day trip to Annapolis and when they surprised us with this, my first thought was NEW STATE! I'LL GET TO VISIT A NEW STATE! And I should probably strive to be less lame one day. That day is not today.

We walked around the adorable town square, shopped a little, and eventually ended up at Cantler's for a delicious blue crab feast for dinner.

Post-crab feast!

Mike grew up in a big, booming family, and I did not. It's not even that my small family made me want a big family because we've made the intentional choice to only have one child, but for whatever reason I love being around family: mine, his, yours, whatever. I just didn't have it as often growing up, tons of relatives in one place, so there's something really special about sitting on a couch in a room filled with people related to you (by blood, marriage, or circumstance) and just talking, catching up, connecting. It's one of my favorite activities in all the world, late-night talking with people who you have a history with, and I loved that our vacation (our incredible vacation) included that. Thank you to Mike's family for having us.

The next day, we had quite a few hours to kill before going to the airport, so we headed back to the mall to try and get into the National Archives, one of the places I really wanted to visit. If I was rating "must-do" activities in DC, seeing the Constitution was near the tippy-top. 

It took us about an hour to get in, and there were absolutely no photographs allowed inside, but it was such a highlight of the trip. I cried as we circled the room to get to the Constitution. Of course I did. The Constitution, people! Honestly, I kept looking at Mike like he was dead inside for not crying.

There was a guard who was being asked the most ridiculous questions by tourists ("HOW MANY PEOPLE TRY TO STEAL IT?") and we made eye contact, as I wiped a tear away, and he smiled at me. It was as if he truly got what I was feeling, as if all those hours of standing by this beautiful document, fielding ridiculous questions from people who were actually asking about Nicolas Cage movies, and he still appreciated what he was guarding. It was a really nice moment.

From the National Archives, we wanted food, and there was one place we hadn't gotten to on our trip yet that I really wanted to try: Founding Farmers. We got in with a short wait, and had a delicious last lunch in DC.

We're going to gloss right over the part where I unfortunately made Mike's uncle take us to the wrong airport and instead focus on the part where we STILL somehow managed to get on an earlier, non-stop flight (after backtracking to the right airport) and made it home before bedtime where Kyle hugged us each for five straight minutes.

DC was perfect, it really was, and it was probably one of my favorite trips to date. Get there quickly, if you haven't already been.

Weekend Snapshots

It was one of the good ones.

 

What to Do in New York City: Try a Sugar Sweet Sunshine cupcake

When I was in New York a few weeks ago, I made a point to get a cupcake. I make a point to get a cupcake even when I'm not in New York, but my goal was to bring some of my coworkers to my favorite cupcake place in the city--Butter Lane--but it was (heartbreakingly) closed for a private party. I collected myself and we Yelped the closest, high-rated one near us. 

Sugar Sweet Sunshine did not disappoint, and I wish I had one right this moment, I have to say. It's easily one of the best I've had to date, even making it onto this best of NYC list.

 

I got the Bob, a yellow cake with chocolate almond buttercream frosting. 

*Oh, my total number of New York cupcakes is now seven. I take my cupcakes seriously.

Texas is growing on me

We now have In-N-Out Burger, Trader Joe's, and these views an hour-long plane ride away.

(It's not the Carribean or anything, I know, but it's not half-bad either.)

Okay, so we likely always had these views an hour-long plane ride away, but I had never hopped on a plane with my kid to see them before this past weekend.

Hard to tell if Kyle enjoyed things, though.

We traveled down to Port Aransas for our niece's first birthday. Even though the celebration fell on Father's Day, Mike already had a motorcycle race planned (with his dad) out of town, so I decided spending the holiday with the rest of his family was the next best thing to celebrating with him.

Kyle's four, but it was actually our first flight just the two of us, and I couldn't have asked for a better, more smoother flight experience on the way down (we'll ignore the flight experience on the way back, when American Airlines told us we couldn't get on an earlier flight unless we paid $75/each). On the way down, though, the lovely AA worker waived our baggage fees and let us jump the security line. Oh, airline companies, why do you have to keep us on our toes! Anyway, Kyle was a champ for all the traveling. I don't know how a four year old can channel such patience, but he was a total inspiration to me on the trip. 

It was a quick weekend away (we were gone from Friday morning to Sunday evening), but it was just what we needed. It felt like a real vacation with sandy feet and sun-kissed skin and reading on the porch of our beach house and early bedtimes (and very early mornings, which was less vacation-y than I would have preferred KYLE) even though we were gone less than three days.

I hope Kyle remembers this mini-vacation, holding hands while we walked to the beach each morning and building sandcastles and splashing in the ocean. I hope he remembers slathering sunscreen on his tiny legs and cannon-balling in the community pool, but I'll remember for us both, if he doesn't.

The only thing better than the trip itself was the company, which is the best truth of all the best trips, isn't it? Doesn't matter where we go, not really, just who we go with.

Seven Quick (Jumping Back Into Blogging) Takes

I have vacation recaps to write and Pinterest projects to share and suggestions for where to eat in both DC and New Orleans, and I hope I get to all those posts before 2014. In the meantime, let's dust off this blog. Seven quick (okay, not quick at all) takes...

1. Last week (wait, week before last...April you are so nuts), Molly's eyes swelled up and got a little goopy. At first, we thought it was just allergies, but then we realized she had also stopped eating and wouldn't take a treat. (Molly is like her mother. She will always take a treat.) Turns out, she had a severely abscessed tooth that had infected her nasal passages and was causing her eyes to swell. She is, thankfully, nearly good as new after a round of antibiotics and pain killers and shouldn't need surgery. Phew!

It really sucked, though, during the time we weren't quite sure what was wrong with her. Molly is usually fairly healthy. I mean, she's given us a scare or two before, sure, but it had been awhile. It was this weird wake-up call that our girl is nearly 10 and she's not exactly facing more years ahead of her than are behind her. 

When the vet went over our options with Mike, she mentioned that if the antibiotics didn't work, surgery to remove the tooth would be necessary and it would be expensive (MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS EXPENSIVE). We don't have a budget item for Very Expensive Pet Surgeries, but when Mike talked to me about it, it was just a given we'd figure it out. She's our girl.

She's a dog, yes, but she's also Molly. Molly! I've loved her for as long as I've loved Mike. While she can be pretty irritating on a day-to-day basis (she's the neediest living thing in my house), this was a reminder that she is absolutely part of our family. 

Again, she's feeling much better. She probably wishes she had pulled these shenanigans years ago because we've been giving her cheese on a nightly basis, and we don't protest at all when she worms her away into our bed at night. 

So many of my friends (online and off) sent out love to her, after I mentioned what was going on, and it meant the absolute world to me. Seriously, thank you so much if you were one of those people sending warm thoughts to our girl.

She's doing so much better, she's practically skipping.

2. Have I talked yet about Justified? Well, I fell down a Justified-sized hole on Amazon Prime a few weeks ago and basically watched the entire series in something like two weeks. You'd be disgusted if you weren't so impressed, right? (Or maybe you're just disgusted...)

At first I was hesitant to start this show because I was (foolishly) led to believe there are no love stories, and I'm a girl who really prefers her TV shows to have a love story or two. But, 1) there totally are and 2) who really cares when Timothy Olyphant is wearing that cowboy hat so well throughout the series.

I'm all caught up in time...to wait a year for the next season! Cable TV seasons routinely break my heart.

3. I hesitate to declare this here because I've been doing it for a WHOPPING two days, but I've finally started my 30-Day Shred Challenge. That would be 30-straight days of doing (level 1, I'm not insane) the 30-Day Shred. This is such a quick and effective work-out, and a few Twitter friends are tackling the challenge with me. Want to join us?

4. I read this beautiful post about Holly's grandmother who recently passed away, and besides being reminded that Holly talks about love and family and nostalgia better than anyone, I was also struck that I won't ever be able to write a similar post about either of my biological grandmothers. 

This makes me sad, on a basic that-kind-of-stings level, but right after that thought struck me, it occurred to me that Kyle will be able to write something that heartfelt one day (if writing becomes one of his things) about either of his grandmothers. Kyle is such a lucky boy, for a million reasons, but the relationship he has with both of his grandmas (Nana and Mia, as he calls them) is near the tippy-top of the list. I've said this before and I'll say it dozens more times, but the fact that he has this beautiful, special, unconditional thing with them both, something I never had, is one of my favorite ways we're rewriting history together.

5. This feels like a very silly thing to mention, but I am trying to fill a list here. I made some small edits to this site all on my very own, so I'm basically a web designer now (ha). I added new social media buttons, new "top post" pictures (right-hand sidebar), new links, etc. Just messing around a little bit, but enjoy if you...enjoy sidebar badges and those kinds of things. 

6. We're debating taking Kyle camping for the first time this year. We need to make this decision pretty much immediately because Texas is going to get really hot in about two weeks. We'd just drive up to Oklahoma for the night, no big deal, and I think Kyle would love it. I mean, he's in such a fun stage, where everything new is So! Much! Fun! Mike really likes camping, too, and I really like when they do outdoorsy stuff together and leave me in peace to read, so it kind of works out for all of us. Last time Mike and I went camping, there was a burn ban, so we "camped" while eating dinner in nearby restaurants. That felt a little fraudy. Anyway, I'll keep you posted on our camping plans as I'm sure you're on the edge of your "WILL THEY CAMP?" seats. 

7. Speaking of Kyle, age four has been a lot of fun so far. I loved age two (so much), and still loved age three (though will readily admit that, oh boy, do you have to pay attention when parenting a three year old--they will take a mile if you give them half a centimeter), so I was a little nervous about age four. But, regardless how hard age four can be (friends start to mightily influence other four year olds, unfortunately, wiping away ALL MY HARD PARENTING WORK IN ONE AFTERNOON), the age is just so HILARIOUS. He says the funniest damn things. He has said in the course of a week, "Slip me some skin, Mommy," and "Oh phooey! Phooey is my new word, Mommy." He spells words and can read a little bit and I'm amazed anew that I get to hang out with this kid. He's my son! It's very delightful every time I remember that.

I've figured out that babies just aren't my jam. I love babies! I especially love snuggling your babies and just...passing them back to you when they show the slightest sign of being unhappy about something. But toddlers? Then kids? Oh yeah. They're my speed. 

I remember when Kyle was between one and two, maybe 15-16 months or so, and the weekends were kind of brutal. One, Mike worked weekends back then so it was just my boy and me, filling up two straight days, and I'd be so relieved by Sunday evening, which is a hard thing to confess. I was just so exhausted and he wasn't quite talking yet but he needed EVERYTHING and I couldn't sit until he went to bed. Now, we watch The Voice and he helps me cook and he makes me laugh EVERY SINGLE DAY and he asks me questions about geography and dinosaurs and stuff I really like answering. So much better than angry pointing, like he did back when.

Anyway, the other day he was looking at a picture of my mom and me from when I was in college and if there's ever a picture of me that he's not in, he assumes he was in my tummy. "Is that when I was in your belly?" "No, actually, that was before you were in my belly. That was even before I knew daddy!" He did not understand. He looked at me like I was nuts. Before him? BEFORE? No such thing. He finally said, "Oh, I must have been sleeping."

He walked off, cool kid that he is, with his hands in his pockets, and I thought to myself: I'm just so glad you showed up.

I'm so glad we're here.

Easter 2013

Easter is one of my favorite holidays, which I know may sound a little strange. I'm not a very religious person, but I do believe deeply in a few things and one of those things is the power of the people I love to make me feel wholer. 

I had a house full of those people this morning, and I felt it very good.

Including these little dudes, who dominated our egg hunt AND our confetti egg stash. 

We thought it might storm during our brunch and egg hunt. Sometimes Texas can surprise you in the best, most sunshiney ways.

I hope your day was just as warm, literally or otherwise.

***

Oh, and these beer biscuits that were on our Easter menu were DELICIOUS and you should make them immediately. 

Fun Things

Some super fun things: 

1. I got a Target gift card for my birthday (thank you, in-laws!) and instead of spending it on laundry detergent or groceries, I bought this purse. I really love it, and I would really love to link to it but where my love for Target is mighty, my love for Target's website is NONEXISTANT, OMG IT'S THE WORST.

2. After I passed on seeing Mumford & Sons when they came to Dallas a few years ago -- when tickets were something like $25, of course -- I swore I wouldn't make that mistake again. Anywhere in the state! I'll go anywhere in the state to see them, I swore! Or one state north, turns out. They'll be in Guthrie, Okla. this September and Mike and I are going. The concert is part of their small Gentleman of the Road series. I'm extremely excited, even if it seems like we might have to camp since hotels in the area are all sold out. I'm trying to convince Mike to buy a tent big enough to house a comfortable armchair. He has not stopped rolling his eyes at this idea since.

3. A couple years ago, I was in San Diego for Comic-Con and I got in a day early for set-up. There was no air-conditioning in the convention center that day and I was so tired when I left that I basically stumbled into the Hopping Pig to kill time before dinner. (Here's a whole list of my San Diego dining highlights!) I ordered a Lagunitas IPA because the brewery is in the town my stepmom and brother live. But, I loved it! Since then, I try an IPA every now and then and more so over the last couple months. I told my co-worker this, and she brought me a couple bottles last week, after a tough, stressful week. We've worked together for almost six years, and I would be such a mess without her. I would say that even if she didn't bring me beers.

4. Natalie and I are headed to College Station later this month, to celebrate being friends for 20 years. I get sappy when I think of Natalie because, well, it's Natalie. She's known me two-thirds of my life and there is really no one who has seen me through so much and still come out the other side to like me, except my mother. I don't know quite how to articulate what it's like to have a friend for so long, through so much, except to say that at some point she (thankfully) became a certainty. She'll be in my life forever. So, we toast that truth in our college town next month, over greasy potatoes and cheap drinks and, lamely but wonderfully, sleeping in. Twenty years! 

5. Mike and I were planning an Alaskan trip this year. A dream trip! But, siiiiigh, dream trips are not free. We just couldn't afford it. So, we swapped our tickets for a closer-to-home, much more affordable DC trip. We're still really excited about it. I've only been for work and something tells me the convention center isn't top of the must-see DC list. We have a lot of wonderful people offering us great tips, but if there's a must-try restaurant or an off-the-beaten path suggestion you think we should absolutley know about, let me have it! I love travel spreadsheets. Let me add your picks to this one. 

6. My mom turns 65 this year (she looks at least a decade younger, I know) and we've decided to take a girl's trip to Kansas City to celebrate. This is where she's from, and a place I've never been, so I can't wait to go. I can't wait to see where my mom grew up, where she went to school, and to just see this lovely new place through her eyes. I think there will be a bottle of champagne (or a couple cold beers; she's into beer lately) and a lot of good conversation in store for us. And a new map pin for me! 

7. I'm hosting a champagne-inspired dinner sometime in the next two months, and I'm excited to invite some of my favorite ladies to my house for a dinner with a bubbly theme. Here's my Pinterest board, but are there any recipes that really need to make this menu?

What To Do: Eat a Few Pretzels at Mellow Mushroom

This isn't exactly a super unique recommendation because there are Mellow Mushrooms all over the damn place but, let me tell you, if there is one near you, head there immediately and get a half order of the pretzels as your entree. Get the regular butter and kosher salt flavor and add a side of beer cheese.

One of the best things I've eaten in ages. 

Oh, and if you're me, you'd probably add a draft beer to the side of those pretzels. 

A (Couple) Pins of the Month

I had a goal (on my to-do list this year) to choose one pin a month that's been gathering dust on my Pinterest boards and attempt to tackle it. It could be anything, really, from a DIY project to a local restaurant I've been wanting to try. Annnnd then I failed right out of the gate because January was pin-less. I know! But, hey. My list, my rules. I still get to cross that bad boy off if I finish 12 pins by December and since I did TWO in February, I'm back on track. 

Phew.

(I also might attempt Janssen's Pinterest challenge, so there's an extra six. I will basically own Pinterest by 2014.)

Pin of the Month #1: Dinosaur Egg Party Favors 

(original pin)

I won't quit my day job to create dinosaur egg party favors for a living, but I still think this was a solid attempt. Even Mike was impressed, and that's saying something.

I bought clear party favor bags (at Michael's), candy rocks (I bought 2 bags, which was a good amount for about a dozen favors), and tasked Mike with printing the notes (front and back) on regular ole printer paper. Then I folded evenly and stapled. I would have preferred a sturdier stock, but this was a night-before-the-party project, so. 

Pin of the Month #2: Kyle's Party Shirt

Turns out, I really like buying Kyle shirts to wear to his birthday parties. Here's a snapshot over the years. (Minus his third birthday, when I didn't buy him anything special except a few hundred balloons.) 

I pinned a few possible shirts for his party, and purchased the winning one about two weeks before his party. The seller was awesome and put it in the mail the day after I bought it, since I left a note about when the party was.

In fact, all the Etsy sellers I've bought his party shirts from over the years have been great. Here are links to each: first birthday, second birthday (we had a small family party, with a transportation theme, so this airplane shirt was perfect), and fourth birthday. 

I know, hitting purchase and calling that a Pinterest project might feel like a stretch, but I often (LIKE, WEEKLY) pin things I'd like to buy one day only to forget all about those things and wind up just dropping $50 at Target on similar (but less awesome) things instead. 

So, there you have it! One post with a lot of references to pins. 

Girl's Night

I bought some high, high heels a while ago (I'd link to that post if I weren't typing this from my phone) and told Kristie how impulsive and ridiculous such a purchase was. I work in a casual office. I grocery shop, go to three-year-old soccer games, and blog in my spare time. None of these activities require high, high heels.

She's a great friend, though, that lady. She organized a "wear your fanciest shoes" girl's night out, where cocktails and dessert were also encouraged.

I was really tired a couple hours before leaving. I also have a scratchy, kinda sore throat. I thought that sitting on my couch sounded so much better than high, high heels and even dessert with good friends. I was wrong, thankfully.

It was a good decision, the shoes, the friends, the night. Lesson: try to say yes more to shoes, to friends, to dessert.

(Oh, we also saw The Bachelor's Jake at our restaurant. I can add him to my Dallas-area reality star spotting list, which also includes David Archuleta.)