March 2017

I will get caught up...I will get caught up...I will get caught up!!!! SO- Here we go with March!
Macie had a week of theme dress up days. We were still in Vegas for "crazy hair day", but Memaw came through for her!

Macie told me "Crazy hair is what Memaw is good at!"

She also had crazy sock day..

And "Mismatched and Backwards day"...

Bow under the pony tail...that was my idea! The rest was all her....

Brenna had her winter volleyball league tournament. We played with the Peaster Pups again since our team didn't play this season. We SO enjoyed being back on Coach Jeff's team! I love watching him coach, and Brenna learns so much from him.
Wyatt and Pops came to watch the first game!

Hat switch! Wyatt was not happy about the switch.

This girl played SO well!

And the Peaster Pups took 1st place with 3 wins!! I got a little choked up when they all ran over to Jeff and started hugging him.

They fought hard, and played harder! This group sure has my heart.

And I proclaimed that I will never survive high school ball. My nerves were shot after three 4th grade games! I'm gonna need to be heavily medicated if this girl decides to play high school ball!

#1!! She has come so far since that very first season.

And when you spend your day at volleyball and work your tail off....you get to eat ice cream straight out of the carton!

Papa had knee replacement surgery. He had been battling the pain for YEARS, and had put the surgery off several times due to Nana being sick and other things that came up. So he finally got it done, and it went really well! But he had to be in the hospital for several days....and we all know how hard it is on spouses at their age to be separated like that. Nana sure missed him. Jana snapped this picture, and it is just about the sweetest thing I have ever seen. What an example and inspiration these two are to all of us.

The week before spring break, I took my interns to Tarleton for a field trip to tour the campus.

It is always so strange for me to walk around that campus now. It looks a LOT different than it did 15 years ago. Sara went with me as my extra chaperone since they required 2 for a group the size of mine, and we were both blown away at all of the recent changes to the campus. I'm glad we had a tour guide- because I would have been lost without one!!

SPRING BREAK!!!
When I asked the girls what they wanted to do for spring break, they said "Go to Mimi's!!"! I love love love that they enjoy a good road trip, and that they love going to Mimi's house. So we left as soon as they got off of the bus on Friday!
Every road trip to Mimi's must start with a car selfie!

The trip there wasn't bad at all! I'm so glad I found a new way to go that involves 75 mph toll roads with no one else on them! And it only takes 3.5 hours! Score!
We got there a little before 8 and enjoyed just sitting and visiting with our Mimi.

This girl can talk her Mimi's ear smooth off when she gets there! And thankfully Mimi is a good sport about listening to all of her stories.

We surpassed Macie's limits that night though... I found her like this.

She managed to get her blankey out and pajamas on...but that was it! Socks still on, and on top of the covers! Poor girl was worn smooth out from a long week of 1st grade. I am so thankful for these trips to Mimi's to just completely unwind, forget about the "to do list", and just have no agenda. I think we all need that at times. And Mimi's house offers that relaxation time for us.
Saturday morning started like every Saturday morning at Mimi's house!

My happy place.

Mimi and I lingered long over our morning coffee, but finally the girls persistent begging got to us and we decided to get dressed and head to SIDS for lunch!

This girl right here put away her usual 2 double meat hot dogs!

It was a rainy and cold day in El Reno. So we decided to head back to Mimi's to watch The Parent Trap! Brenna and I thought it would be fun to watch with Mimi, and she agreed. Funny thing is...by the end of it, Brenna had ended up in the bedroom watching her shows, and Macie ended up asleep!

I couldn't tell you the last time this girl took a nap! Much less one where she just fell asleep on her own will. I guess the relaxing environment of Mimi's house got the best of her!
Later that night, Taron and Nolan came over for dinner and cards. And it was during this game of cards that I found out just how much my Mimi does NOT like to loose. Taron and I beat them something terrible....TWICE! And it was very obvious that I moved to least favorite granddaughter status when I went out while she had 4 red threes in her hand! OOPS! (Let's just say...I probably won't make that mistake again!) But it was SOOOO worth it!
Sunday morning brought another lazy morning of cinnamon rolls and coffee. Mimi ALWAYS fixes cinnamon rolls when we are at her house for breakfast. She knows the girls love them, and I think she has also figured out that making them moves her right up to favorite Mimi status! We finally got up and got dressed in time to go out to lunch.
After lunch, we settled in to watch Sully. Mimi had never seen it, so I went and rented it from Red Box. It was another cold and dreary day, which made for perfect movie watching. After our movie, I returned it, and grabbed us all some ice cream.

And then they ended their day with popcorn for dinner while I caught up Mimi's ironing and Mimi and I watched HGTV. I couldn't think of a more relaxing way to start spring break!
Monday morning we were up bright and early. We packed up and headed out by 9 since Mimi's house keeper was coming. The girls and I headed to the outlet mall, but it was SO cold and windy that we only lasted about an hour before we decided to head back to God's country. But we managed to make a pit stop at Bucc-ees and Daddy's fire station before finally making it home.
On Tuesday, Maylee came over to play for the day while Brandi went to a funeral. I managed to not get a SINGLE picture the whole day... What on earth!! Blogger Mom fail! But it was a fun day for sure! We ate lunch at CiCi's and played all day.
Wednesday morning we got up and got dressed early and headed to Nina's house for a day full of fun! Ever since Brenna and I went to the Cheesecake Factory before the Bass Hall, she's been wanting to go back. And Nina had never been and was wanting to go....SO....We made a day of it! We picked up Nina and Kyson and headed off to Fort Worth for lunch!

I was super disappointed that they had discontinued the wonderful garlic pasta that I ate in January. I had been looking forward to eating it again since I had it last time! But I settled for something different. It was ok- but not as good as the garlic pasta!
Macie Claire had the biggest bowl of bow tie pasta she had ever seen! I told her it was bigger than her head.

She didn't even make a dent in it.
And after we were all so full we could hardly stand it.... we ordered cheesecake! Because isn't that what you are supposed to do at the Cheesecake Factory??

Brenna got that big piece of red velvet cheesecake in the back, Kyson got the vanilla bean, and Nina and I split the turtle cheesecake.

But I really feel like the picture doesn't do these slices of cheesecake justice. They were HUGE. We all took over half of it home.

From there, we went over to DSW where I scored 2 new pairs of shoes! And moved the party on to Trader Joe's- another first for Nina! We all enjoyed looking around, and I stocked up on some $2 wine. Yes Please!
It was a great day of enjoying Nina and Kyson time, and just being together! Thanks for treating us Nina! We enjoyed it so much!
On Thursday we got up with not much on our agenda. I asked the girls what they wanted to do, and Macie quickly said "go to lunch with Mrs. Sara!" That's always a highlight for her, and Mrs. Sara is almost always up for a lunch date! So we called her and met up at McAllister's. The girls enjoyed filling Mrs. Sara in on all of their Spring Break adventures so far.
After lunch, we headed over to Five Below for Brenna to spend her gift card from her birthday. Macie and I played around since we didn't have gift cards to spend.

Cutest bunny I ever did see!
And Brenna joined in on our shenanigans too!

We feel the beach calling our names!

On Friday, Landry called and invited the girls over to play for the afternoon,  so I was left with a morning to myself. What did I do with my free time?? Well, being the wild and crazy woman I am...I did laundry and ironing of course! But it sure was nice to just be at home and not have anywhere to go. We did manage to get dressed and go out to dinner that night at BooRays.

On Saturday, the girls and I went to Pizza Place for lunch. They LOVE to go to lunch on Saturdays at Pizza place with Mrs. Sara and Mrs. Prissy (and Don and Leo, too!). I'm pretty sure it's because Prissy and Sara (and Roger) spoil them ROTTEN! But hey- I guess every kid needs a little spoiling sometimes.
Saturday night we went to the Baldwin's for a crawfish boil. These crazy kids decided it was warm enough to swim...

But I was more focused on this...

The first boil of the season! And it was SOOOOO yummy! And we enjoyed spending the evening with the Baldwins, Middletons, Rileys, and Butlers! We are so blessed to have such a great group of friends that we love being around. We all love each other's kids, and enjoying being together. I am thankful every day for this group of people God placed in my life.

Sunday was spent getting ready to head back to school. YUCK. Not nearly as much fun as the rest of Spring Break. But the count down was on! Summer is in sight!

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas....

Unless it gets put on the blog!
Josh planned a Vegas trip for us back in August, and I was SO excited to have a few days for just the two of us to get away and spend time together. He even arranged for Pops and Memaw to keep the girls! And I'll go ahead and tell you that the way to my heart is to plan something AND arrange child care! I absolutely hate HATE asking someone to keep my kids. I always feel like I am inconveniencing someone, and it seriously makes me sick to my stomach to have to do it. (yes- I know. I am weird. I admit it). But since he did all of this... he got a Gold Star from me! AND to seal the deal....I got Reba and Brooks and Dunn tickets for my birthday to use in Vegas!
So after lots of anticipation, the day finally arrived! I dropped the girls off at Brandi's early, and headed to go pick up Josh at the firehall since he worked the night before.
I wanted to take a picture of Josh and I to send to everyone telling them that we were "Vegas Bound Baby"! But as usual...this is the face I got from him.

He's such a TURKEY BUTT! And then I end up with these crazy eyebrows that are touching the sky and clinched teeth because I am telling him "SMILE DANG IT!" So I told him we could sit here like this the whole flight while I took selfie after selfie...or he could just simply smile and make his wife happy!

And this is the outcome...two of us cracking up. Always. And thus the hashtag was born- #joshlovesselfies
Upon boarding our plane, we discovered that we had some kind of crazy VIP seating. We had lots of leg room, free TV, free snacks, and free DRINKS! SCORE!

The only drawback was that it was like 10am, and we had a long day of Vegas fun ahead of us. So I mixed this one little bottle with some OJ and called it good. The guy beside me, however, got his plane ticket money back in Bloody Marys! No joke- he had like 8 of those handy dandy little bottles. I was eager to see the plane land so that I could see him try to get up and walk off without falling. But in the end- he let me down. There was no comedy show, as he was apparently a professional at partying with Tito. He grabbed his bag and walked off like no big deal. Darn! I was hoping to come home with a great story to share.
We finally landed in Vegas and grabbed an Uber to our hotel. John and Debbie Summers were there waiting on us. They had jumped on the chance to go to the Reba and Brooks & Dunn concert. And we were excited to have some friends to hang with while in Vegas!
After unpacking, we met the Summers' at a pizza place for lunch. And on our walk back down Freemont, we spotted the Hart Attack Grill restaurant. It was hysterical! Their food is apparently so greasy and bad for you that they go ahead and make you wear a hospital gown while you eat! John insisted on a picture.

 And I attempted another picture because #joshlovesselfies

We spent that day walking around, people watching, and going to the strip to check things out.
John is a better picture sport than Josh Pool...

We found ourselves back downtown before too long hanging out and doing a little gambling. I sent this snapchat to a friend, and luckily she saved it and sent it back to me to show the photo bomber in the back ground! Greatness!

And I found this slot machine at one of the casinos and thought it was surely meant to be!

Nope. It took my money without ever looking back.
On Saturday, we slept in and eventually got dressed and headed to McDonalds to get some breakfast.
I got this picture while we were eating...

They won their Volleyball game, and this girl right here got the game ball for being MVP! Woo hoo!
John and Debbie went to do their thing for the day, and Josh and I ended up at the outlet mall! haha! See- I did marry a good man! But to keep it real and not give you too much of a false impression.... he went along with the intention of finding a place to sit, have a drink, and enjoy a cigar while people watching. Unfortunately no place like that was to be found. So he was stuck shopping with me. And boy am I glad he was!

Oh yes!! I am pretty sure I am the only person who goes to Vegas and spends her afternoon at the mall and ends up with a new Dooney! But we enjoyed the time together and enjoyed lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. And before we knew it, it was time to go back to the room and get dressed for the evening!

Just seeing this sign as we walked in made me all excited!!
We enjoyed a nice steak dinner before the concert. But next time, I think we will reserve the steak dinners for Del Friscos.... This place was super pricey. It was good, but I hated to eat a ton and then go to the concert. However...the food WAS good.
Before the concert- I actually got Josh to take a picture with me! It was a miracle!

And finally- the event that I had been waiting for since November was here! REBA!!!!! I was excited to see Brooks and Dunn too, but not nearly as excited as I was to see Reba. I wasn't really sure what to expect of a concert with two different performers. In my mind, I figured one would come out and do half the show, and one would do the second half. End of story. Boy was I wrong!!!
They came out together and performed each others songs for the first part of the show.

And then they bounced back and forth each performing about 3 songs at a time and switching. Then they did a big section together, then more of each one. I was in HEAVEN. And Brooks and Dunn far exceeded any expectations I had. They were amazing! And it goes without saying that Reba was wonderful.

And the best part was that the show was over 2 hours long! I expected 30 minutes out of each performer and that's it. I'm so glad I was wrong. I am pretty sure it was the best concert I've ever been to. And I have been to several.
While we were waiting on our Uber back to downtown, I tried to get a picture of us in front of the fountain. I will admit- I take too many selfies of us. (sshhhh- don't tell Josh I admitted that!) But I am always on the hunt for the perfect picture. I am my own worst critic. I always look at a picture and think "my eyes are too big" or "my face is too round" or "I have 2 chins", and the list goes on. But aside from that....I kind of like torturing Josh with selfies since I know how much he loves HATES them! And I also get a kick out of the faces he tries to make while attempting to NOT smile.

You can almost see him tightening his face muscles to keep from smiling!

And I always end up with one of him cracking up and my mouth open while yelling "SMILE DANG IT!
Also- check out the fountain coming straight from his hat! haha!

Finally a decent picture.
Although I liked the first one of myself better. haha!

The next day we took it easy during the day. Walked around, checked out things downtown, got a massage, and I took myself a 3 hour nap! Heck yeah!
That night we had tickets to a show- Absinthe. It was a comedy/performance/stunt type show. The acts were really good, and the venue was small and intimate, which was neat since everything in Vegas is on such a big scale. But they say it's for "adults with a sense of humor" for a reason! It's definitely not for those who get easily offended!
This may have been my favorite attempt at a selfie of the whole trip!

I can't even remember what we got so tickled about! This was before the show even got started! He makes me want to pull my hair out some days (and I'm sure the feeling is mutual), but he makes life so much more fun. I'm glad I get to be on this journey with him by my side. Loving me, making me laugh, and driving me crazy. He's the whole package, and most days I wouldn't trade him for the world.
This was the only group picture we managed to take the whole trip!

And this was the first time I realized that everyone was dressed alike- except me! I didn't get the memo! I also am ashamed that none of us noticed until we took this picture! ha!
The next morning we got up, packed up, and hit the road to the airport! Josh felt a little under the weather, but we blamed it on being in smoke filled casinos for 3 days.
We did manage to swing by and get a hug from Billy Hughes on our way to the airport! Since he lives close to Vegas, and was in town to bring his daughter to a doctor appointment, it was perfect timing! Since Billy is one of Josh's most absolute favoritest people on earth, I know Josh really enjoyed getting to see him.
We finally boarded our plane, and Josh was going down hill...fast. I was still blaming it on lack of sleep, eating bad-for-you food, and smoky casinos.
We finally made it home to get our girls after 7. We were both SO glad to see them! Mommy and Daddy needed a break, but boy we sure do miss them when we are away.
Then the next morning....this became the story at our house...

Yep. Josh came home from Vegas with the flu. And since he believes in sharing....I ended up with my own prescription for Tamiflu the next day. UGH! Brenna was feeling rough on Wednesday night as well, so she earned herself a trip to urgent care with meds for a double ear infection a box of Tamiflu as well, but only as a preventative. She never missed any school. But I ended up missing Thursday and Friday. And Josh missed a couple days as well. Geez. Not the best end to our get away. But thankfully we were both well in Vegas and enjoyed our time together!