OK, I love Dallas, too, but Fort Worth wins me over the most. As expected, my girls' weekend in Texas did not disappoint.
I arrived Thursday night without incident and stayed at the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Las Colinas. That's one area of DFW that I'm not too familiar with, but Stacy and I enjoyed our short visit. The hotel was beautiful and made us feel as if we were in a resort, not in Las Colinas.
After battling the wind during a short run Friday morning, we ventured to NorthPark Center to do some shopping. Boy, did we ever. We enjoyed a fabulous lunch at Maggiano's Little Italy, then hit as many stores as possible. After nearly five hours of shopping (oh my goodness!), we left with purchases in hand and a need to fill up our bellies again.
With blue skies and mild temperatures, we opted to sit outside on Blue Goose's patio on Lower Greenville. It did not disappoint: queso, warm tortillas, chicken fajitas, and a virgin strawberry daiquiri for me.
Next up, we stocked up on snackies for the weekend at the Signature Kroger on Mockingbird. They had a jazz band playing inside. Enough said.
After picking up Sunshine at Love Field, we hit the road to Fort Worth and eagerly arrived at the Blackstone Courtyard Marriott downtown. Friends and many drinks were awaiting us in the newly-popular warehouse district, northwest of downtown. We spent the rest of the night at Ten, a cool martini bar, with other TCU swimming alums. In fact, they had to kick us out at 2 a.m. (By the way, I didn't drink, but I had a taste of Sunshine's wedding cake martini. That may be my drink of choice when I'm back in the saddle.)
Saturday: There are too many highlights to get through them all! We slept in, watched the TCU alumni swimming meet and helped the alums defeat the varsity, 5-0, in animal ball. (According to Richard, this was the first-ever shutout victory in the history of animal ball.)
The three of us quickly headed to Perrotti's for pizza and the BEST breadsticks on earth. We couldn't stop eating them! After stocking up on TCU gear at the bookstore and touring the campus (which is undergoing several changes), we decided it was nap time. I even got to lay poolside for an hour or so!
The day was capped off with TCU beating Wyoming in football. I love college football, especially when it's my team playing. I loved watching the game and experiencing the atmosphere. Several swimmer alums set up camp in the parking lot for rockin' tailgate, which we happily joined!
Sunday morning the girls joined my parents, sister Amy and I for breakfast at Esperanza's, the breakfast wing for Joe T. Garcia's. It did not disappoint. I even busted out and had a sausage/potato burrito. It was worth it!
Though the food was fabulous and I enjoyed seeing the old campus, the trip was mostly about spending time with two of my dearest friends, Stacy and Sunshine. We had such a fabulous time together and can hardly wait for the next get-together. (I'll post a pic soon!) And I'm also so appreciative of my husband, who didn't miss a beat while taking care of the boys solo for the weekend. What a great husband and father.
Until the next homecoming ...
10.30.2006
10.24.2006
Friendships in baseball
There's a good story in the Detroit Free Press today about the Tigers' wives and how they have become such good friends. It speaks volumes about women and the friendships they form, particularly when their spouses in are non-traditional occupations. (I have found this to be important while getting accustomed to my husband's new profession.)
What I found most interesting is that the Tigers provide babysitters in the stadium for all of the players' children so that the wives can enjoy the games. Just think what a world of difference it would make if all employers were so thoughtful and generous.
What I found most interesting is that the Tigers provide babysitters in the stadium for all of the players' children so that the wives can enjoy the games. Just think what a world of difference it would make if all employers were so thoughtful and generous.
10.23.2006
Texas, here I come
In four days, I'll be stepping off a plane into DFW airport. Texas. Ahh ... home at last!
I'm going back to celebrate my 10-year college reunion. This trip is most unusual because I will be solo, without husband and children. Though I have had a couple of girls' weekends since becoming a mother, they don't happen often enough!
What I'm looking forward to most in Texas:
I'm going back to celebrate my 10-year college reunion. This trip is most unusual because I will be solo, without husband and children. Though I have had a couple of girls' weekends since becoming a mother, they don't happen often enough!
What I'm looking forward to most in Texas:
- Spending a weekend with two of my best friends, Stacy and Sunshine
- Eating Mexican (or Tex-Mex) food
- Possibly and hopefully seeing my sister and niece
- Cheering on my Frogs
- Going out in the very cool and hip downtown Fort Worth
- Shopping! Without kids!
- Did I mention it'll be in the 70s?
- Seeing all of my TCU friends
- Telling and re-telling our many college stories, as if they happened yesterday
- Isn't being in the great state of Texas enough?
10.20.2006
Home, at last
I just realized I hadn't posted this after our vacation. It's long, but enjoy!
We returned home early this week after a wonderful vacation. It would take me all week to tell each and every story from our vacation, so I'll try to keep it to the highlights.
The first day of driving was good. Very good. Ryan was a little harder to entertain, but both boys hung in there. We arrived in the Poconos in eastern Pennsylvania on Saturday night and spent the evening with Ken's Aunt Lily and Uncle Jack. They were delighted to entertain the children. (Brendan was equally thrilled since they had several toys around for their grandson.)
After an early breakfast, we hit the road Sunday morning for New Jersey, where we spent the day with Ken's Aunt Ellen and Uncle Jimmy. It was humid and hot, but the boys enjoyed the freedom to play outside and get out of their car seats.
Late that afternoon, we drove into Manhattan and found our way to the Shelburne Murray Hill. What a fantastic hotel in a beautiful, friendly neighborhood of Manhattan. Our first quest was to find some NYC pizza, and we did so easily a block away.
We lucked into this hotel compliments of Ken's cousin Tom, whose girlfriend Courtney works for Affinia, which owns the hotel. Are you still with me? It couldn't have been more perfect. We stretched out in the one-bedroom suite and admiringly stared out our window to see the Empire State Building just blocks away. Ahhh ...
Monday morning we woke and headed to the Empire State Building, stopping for an authentic New York bagel on the way. Brendan was a little reluncant about going outside on the observatory deck, but he finally did and was excited to see Central Park and the Statue of Liberty. (Ryan was less thrilled and only interested in eating!)
Next, we met Ken's cousin Allison and her daughter Kaitlyn, who will be 1 in November. We rode the subway, which was another big hit with Brendan. He was overjoyed when he heard the subway pulling into the station. We stopped at Central Park, and after a short stroll, settled for lunch outside of the Central Park Zoo. The zoo was small, but perfect for little ones whose attention span is also small.
After a short rest at the hotel, we took the boys to Little Italy for dinner. Our next day in the city was more low-key, beginning with a walk to Times Square. On the way, we stopped to look at the lion statues outside of the NYC Library. Unfortunately, Brendan fell right into a concrete bench and busted open his lip. That certainly changed everyone's mood ...
After much consoling and an ice pack from a paramedic, we made it Toys R Us in Times Square. Brendan finally smiled when he saw the giant, oversized toy displays. He also enjoyed a ride on their four-story Ferris wheel inside the store.
We wrapped up our visit with a hot dog and pizza while walking back to the hotel. We were sad to leave this wonderful city, but the beach was calling our name! So we headed to Manasquan, New Jersey.
Needless to say, the boys were thrilled to see the beach. They loved digging in the sand and running away from the waves. The weather was picture-perfect, adding to an already beautiful setting. The boys were also thrilled to have Grandma and Grandpa in the beach house next door. Brendan enjoyed being able to go back and forth from house to house. As the wedding weekend neared, more and more family members and friends arrived.
One of the highlights of our beach house was an outdoor shower on the back deck. Outdoor shower seems odd, you might say. This was a staple every day and made the boys so happy. They'd return from the beach and play in the enclosed shower for half an hour. What fun!
We ventured to Joanne and Ed's house the evening before the wedding. (Joanne and Ed are extended family and very good friends.) They were nice enough to host us in their beautiful and inviting home for a fabulous dinner.
I could go on and on listing everyone we saw and visited with, but that would take forever. Let's just say we really enjoyed visiting with everyone. The wedding ceremony was beautiful and Diana, the bride, looked perfect and happy all day long. The reception was a blast. The DJ did a fabulous job moving the party along, though this crowd didn't need much help.
We headed home Sunday afternoon after enjoying a Sunday brunch with everyone. We were determined to make the drive without stopping overnight, and we barely made it. The boys were good, but neither was thrilled about sleeping in their car seats.
All in all, it was a fabulous vacation!
~~~~~
We returned home early this week after a wonderful vacation. It would take me all week to tell each and every story from our vacation, so I'll try to keep it to the highlights.
The first day of driving was good. Very good. Ryan was a little harder to entertain, but both boys hung in there. We arrived in the Poconos in eastern Pennsylvania on Saturday night and spent the evening with Ken's Aunt Lily and Uncle Jack. They were delighted to entertain the children. (Brendan was equally thrilled since they had several toys around for their grandson.)
After an early breakfast, we hit the road Sunday morning for New Jersey, where we spent the day with Ken's Aunt Ellen and Uncle Jimmy. It was humid and hot, but the boys enjoyed the freedom to play outside and get out of their car seats.
Late that afternoon, we drove into Manhattan and found our way to the Shelburne Murray Hill. What a fantastic hotel in a beautiful, friendly neighborhood of Manhattan. Our first quest was to find some NYC pizza, and we did so easily a block away.
We lucked into this hotel compliments of Ken's cousin Tom, whose girlfriend Courtney works for Affinia, which owns the hotel. Are you still with me? It couldn't have been more perfect. We stretched out in the one-bedroom suite and admiringly stared out our window to see the Empire State Building just blocks away. Ahhh ...
Monday morning we woke and headed to the Empire State Building, stopping for an authentic New York bagel on the way. Brendan was a little reluncant about going outside on the observatory deck, but he finally did and was excited to see Central Park and the Statue of Liberty. (Ryan was less thrilled and only interested in eating!)
Next, we met Ken's cousin Allison and her daughter Kaitlyn, who will be 1 in November. We rode the subway, which was another big hit with Brendan. He was overjoyed when he heard the subway pulling into the station. We stopped at Central Park, and after a short stroll, settled for lunch outside of the Central Park Zoo. The zoo was small, but perfect for little ones whose attention span is also small.
After a short rest at the hotel, we took the boys to Little Italy for dinner. Our next day in the city was more low-key, beginning with a walk to Times Square. On the way, we stopped to look at the lion statues outside of the NYC Library. Unfortunately, Brendan fell right into a concrete bench and busted open his lip. That certainly changed everyone's mood ...
After much consoling and an ice pack from a paramedic, we made it Toys R Us in Times Square. Brendan finally smiled when he saw the giant, oversized toy displays. He also enjoyed a ride on their four-story Ferris wheel inside the store.
We wrapped up our visit with a hot dog and pizza while walking back to the hotel. We were sad to leave this wonderful city, but the beach was calling our name! So we headed to Manasquan, New Jersey.
Needless to say, the boys were thrilled to see the beach. They loved digging in the sand and running away from the waves. The weather was picture-perfect, adding to an already beautiful setting. The boys were also thrilled to have Grandma and Grandpa in the beach house next door. Brendan enjoyed being able to go back and forth from house to house. As the wedding weekend neared, more and more family members and friends arrived.
One of the highlights of our beach house was an outdoor shower on the back deck. Outdoor shower seems odd, you might say. This was a staple every day and made the boys so happy. They'd return from the beach and play in the enclosed shower for half an hour. What fun!
We ventured to Joanne and Ed's house the evening before the wedding. (Joanne and Ed are extended family and very good friends.) They were nice enough to host us in their beautiful and inviting home for a fabulous dinner.
I could go on and on listing everyone we saw and visited with, but that would take forever. Let's just say we really enjoyed visiting with everyone. The wedding ceremony was beautiful and Diana, the bride, looked perfect and happy all day long. The reception was a blast. The DJ did a fabulous job moving the party along, though this crowd didn't need much help.
We headed home Sunday afternoon after enjoying a Sunday brunch with everyone. We were determined to make the drive without stopping overnight, and we barely made it. The boys were good, but neither was thrilled about sleeping in their car seats.
All in all, it was a fabulous vacation!
Catching up
It's been so busy around here, but I am going to take a few minutes to catch up (with a Cliff's notes version, anyway).
Wednesday afternoon we said goodbye to Grammy and Aunt Jenn, who had visited us for a week from Oklahoma. They made the long drive (in good time -- amazing how much faster the drive is without two children!) in Grammy's new Expedition, so they had plenty of room to spread out.
They couldn't have come at a better time, because Ryan truly grew in the six days. He's using his sign for "more" so much these days. To him, it's interchangeable with "eat," but he's able to get his point across. Ryan is trying new words and sounds, which is always fun to hear. He's moving around easily these days and is a bit obsessed with climbing into chairs. (If only we can get him to stay seated in the chairs!)
Brendan proved once again that he is growing and maturing. He had a haircut and teeth-cleaning in one morning. Both activities would have led to meltdowns just a couple of years ago, but he handled each so well.
We took Grammy and Aunt Jenn back to the u-pick pumpkin patch, where both boys were mostly interested in the goats. Brendan fed them several times, and Ryan loved watching them. Ryan was also interested in the tractor during our hayride.
Tomorrow marks the start of the World Series. The Tigers will take on the St. Louis Cardinals, which I believe is a rematch of the '68 series. The city is thrilled, and we'll be cheering them on, though from the warmth of our home. It's supposed to be cold at the games! More soon ...
Go Tigers!
Wednesday afternoon we said goodbye to Grammy and Aunt Jenn, who had visited us for a week from Oklahoma. They made the long drive (in good time -- amazing how much faster the drive is without two children!) in Grammy's new Expedition, so they had plenty of room to spread out.
They couldn't have come at a better time, because Ryan truly grew in the six days. He's using his sign for "more" so much these days. To him, it's interchangeable with "eat," but he's able to get his point across. Ryan is trying new words and sounds, which is always fun to hear. He's moving around easily these days and is a bit obsessed with climbing into chairs. (If only we can get him to stay seated in the chairs!)
Brendan proved once again that he is growing and maturing. He had a haircut and teeth-cleaning in one morning. Both activities would have led to meltdowns just a couple of years ago, but he handled each so well.
We took Grammy and Aunt Jenn back to the u-pick pumpkin patch, where both boys were mostly interested in the goats. Brendan fed them several times, and Ryan loved watching them. Ryan was also interested in the tractor during our hayride.
Tomorrow marks the start of the World Series. The Tigers will take on the St. Louis Cardinals, which I believe is a rematch of the '68 series. The city is thrilled, and we'll be cheering them on, though from the warmth of our home. It's supposed to be cold at the games! More soon ...
Go Tigers!
10.10.2006
Fall in Michigan
Many folks in Michigan will tell you Fall is their favorite time of year. I can't completely agree. After all, fall often feels like a repeat of Spring. Rainy. Grey. Cold.
Then there are unseasonably warm Fall days that make the season enjoyable. We had such weather this past weekend. Cool mornings and evenings, warm afternoons in the 60s-70s. To enjoy it to its fullest, we engaged in the most Michigan-like Autumn activity we could think of: visiting a u-pick pumpkin patch and having donuts and cider.
Then there are unseasonably warm Fall days that make the season enjoyable. We had such weather this past weekend. Cool mornings and evenings, warm afternoons in the 60s-70s. To enjoy it to its fullest, we engaged in the most Michigan-like Autumn activity we could think of: visiting a u-pick pumpkin patch and having donuts and cider.
Brendan and Ryan hang out with the mums, gourds, and pumpkins at Three Cedars Farm.
Three Cedars Farm is about 10 minutes from our house and makes for a picture-perfect visit. During our Sunday visit, the boys enjoyed meeting a family of goats, going for a hayride, and finding a pumpkin. Brendan was much more excited about navigating the patch than finding the pumpkin. I think next year he'll be ready to try the corn maze. After finding our prize pumpkin, we enjoyed homemade donuts and cider.
Brendan loads up a truckload of pumpkins to take home. OK, maybe that's a few too many!
10.06.2006
Ugh ...
Speechless. Disappointed. What's happened with those Frogs? Did Patterson fail to mention that the season was only beginning when they beat Tech? At least we have that win to hang on to.
And, for what it's worth, they really shouldn't schedule anymore Thursday night games as long as Grey's Anatomy is on. I couldn't be the fan I wanted to be, somewhat because of the way the Frogs played, but also because Grey's is just so much more entertaining!
And, for what it's worth, they really shouldn't schedule anymore Thursday night games as long as Grey's Anatomy is on. I couldn't be the fan I wanted to be, somewhat because of the way the Frogs played, but also because Grey's is just so much more entertaining!
10.05.2006
Frogs get back on track TONIGHT
OK, last week I wasn't anywhere near a computer to post after TCU's loss to BYU. That's all I think I'll say about it.
Tonight, the Frogs try to redeem themselves against Utah. The game's on Versus (now it's officially changed names from OLN) at 9 p.m. Eastern. Come on, no fairweather fans around here. Cheer 'em on!
Tonight, the Frogs try to redeem themselves against Utah. The game's on Versus (now it's officially changed names from OLN) at 9 p.m. Eastern. Come on, no fairweather fans around here. Cheer 'em on!
10.03.2006
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