Epic

Oh man, if there is one word that describes this girl's weekend, it would be "epic". I wish all the sisters and SIL's could make it to every girl's trip, but we'll take what we can get and make the most of it!  This time Margaret and Janessa hosted it in Dallas and we decided to do Dallas right with a Honky Tonk.  But not just any Honky Tonk, but the world's largest Honky Tonk located at the historic Fort Worth Stockyards.  But first we had to get all gussied up at the spa with massage beds, slimming capsules and spray tans all around.  By the next day we were all varying shades of Oompa Loompas.  It's been 2 weeks and my toenails are still dyed yellow.  But we had to be at the top of our game for Billy Bob's.  It's not every day that you get to go to the world's largest honky tonk (I just like saying the word "honky tonk").

(Can we say "bacon flavored taffy"? Kylie loved her souvenir.  And I'm pretty sure the employees loved us throwing their candy all around for the sake of a picture).

Lucky for this guy, he was the first authentic cowboy we met, so he got his picture taken.  Which just so happened to correspond with the very minute he told Margaret she needed her ID that we left in the car that was parked forever away.  But then he felt bad for us, or else just realized there is NO possible way we could be under 21 and then let us in on a good faith measure.  I partook of authentic Texas BBQ, which is saying a lot for my borderline vegetarian habits.  Then we all partook of authentic country line dancing and had the floor to ourselves, because apparently only grandma's start the night out at 7:00 and retire at 10:00 when the real party is starting. Margaret was the bell of the ball and Pedro, the authentic Mexican cowboy, couldn't keep his eyes off of her. The authentic rodeo was awesome, it was such a small arena that you could feel the impact of the bulls running into the railings, the kids would have loved it.  But you're not allowed to think about kids on girl's trips.  I bent that rule a few times, though. 

Next on the agenda for the true Dallas experience, was an authentic haunted hotel.  Apparently Texan's think everything is haunted.  I was super nervous about this before I left because I am such a baby when it comes to this stuff, but when you're caught up in the moment it just added to the excitement and memories of the trip.  The Adolphus is a really swanky old hotel in the heart of Dallas that hosts the likes of George Bush and A-list stars and we just so happened to luck out on a name your price site and got it for a smokin' deal.  The 19th floor is where a jilted bride committed suicide years ago and supposedly haunts it.  There's other stories of people hearing music coming from the 19th floor ballroom that has long since been shut down. So of course the 19th floor was the first place we went.  Okay, so maybe it took alot of convincing on Margaret's part to get us up there and maybe we screamed like babies when we heard creaking and maybe the mirrored elevators with their unpredictable doors were a little creepy and maybe sleeping 3 women in a queen bed so no one had to sleep alone was not the best idea (Margaret wised up the next night and volunteered to sleep on a rollaway bed.  Thanks for taking one for the team so that I didn't have to spend another night curled up in the fetal position at the bottom of the bed).

 
(Showcasing Margaret's sweet tan line since she opted to wear the booties in the tanning booth. Rookie mistake).

After sleeping in to an acceptable hour, we brunched at a cute and sinfully delicious little french cafe. Oh those crepes could be the death of me.  Then Janessa exposed us to the world of Sam Moon, with it's tantalizing aisles of designer knock off handbags, costume jewelry, rhinestone studded belts and the largest assortment of hair pieces that I've ever laid my eyes on.  At first it was a joke when we decided to try them on, but the joke was on us when Janessa tried one on and she was a total babe! Sold. Crepes and hairpieces in one day, it doesn't get much better than that.

I'm a history junkie wanna be.  I know nothing about the past, but love every chance I have to learn about it.  I didn't even realize JFK was assassinated in Dallas, well I'm sure at one point I did, and we were all anxious to visit the sight.  The museum on the 6th floor where the sniper shot him through the window (the corner window that is partially open) was so fascinating, I learned so much more than I ever did in school, and after experiencing it in person it will forever be engrained in my brain.  The audio tour with the witnesses descriptions were so graphic and I couldn't imagine being there and experiencing it in person. 

They have "X's" that mark the three seperate places that he was shot while riding down the street.  We risked our lives, and one of Janessa's shoes, to get a picture on the historic landmark.

Margaret wanted an infamous girl's trip jumping picture.  We moved far enough away from the site so that it wouldn't be disrespectful.  And then we jumped away, much to the delight of on-lookers passing by.  Girl's trips erase all inhibitions.

We graced the Hard Rock with our presence for dinner that night where Margaret was the unofficial birthday girl and endured a serenade for free ice-cream.  Her birthday is 3 weeks away, so it wasn't too much of a stretch.

And then the thunderstorm that hit was the perfect setting for another night of exploring the hotel.  Men coming out of secret passageways in the wall, more eerie sounds, more stories from the front desk clerk and more pictures that make us look like dorks.  And a late night 7-11 run to sastisfy all our junk food cravings and girl talk that kept us up beyond the decent hour for respectable moms who were returning to their motherly duties early the next day.  Another epic weekend gone down in the girl's trip archives.  Thanks ya'll.

(All-time favorite picture of the trip.  Janessa perfectly captured Margaret's desire to forge on in the 19th floor hallway and my desire to run for the hills).

Dapper little men

Maddox wanted a fancy picnic.  Maddox also wants to make craft projects out of the Costco sample cups.  He wants to save the die cut stars from the Scout Blue and Gold Banquet to make a bedside mural.  He wants to make hats out of the paper snack bowls in primary.  He wants to make masks out of the Zoo Pal paper plates.  He wants to make boats out of Easy Mac cups.  He wants to make a project out of all the kid's Valentine cards. He wants to make flags out of take-out straws. He hangs toilet paper on the fridge for Valentine decorations because it has a heart print on it. He makes scarecrows out of hotdogs and corn holders. He has to make a miniature version of anything we're baking. He wants to make a birthday party hat atleast bi-weekly. He wants to make a snake out of a paper towel roll and be a traveling snake charmer that plays the maracas.  His life is one big craft project.  And I love seeing his little mind at work.  So when Maddox wanted a fancy picnic, a fancy picnic he got.  I dozed in the sun on the patio chair while he got everything set up.  Double neckwear? Check. Silverware? Check. Napkins folded in triangles? Check. Sandwiches cut into perfect little squares? Check. Ryder was a somewhat willing participant.  He mostly liked just sticking the knife through the slots on the picnic table.  But he did look rather charming in his bowtie/necktie combo too.  I'm really going to miss this stage.  I hope I never forget his example of finding joy in the simple and beauty in the mundane. The world is his canvas and he Picasso.

A Valentine's tradition

I love this thing we have going on.  Making Valentine's day all about the kids then sneaking away for a weekend with my sweetheart.  This is the fourth year we've done it and our second year doing it in Utah.  I love sharing one of Jason's favorite hobbies.  He can board circles around and above me, but I love how he hangs with me and I especially like when he shows off.  He's kinda hot. 

We're usually Marriott loyalists so I knew he really loved me when he was willing to forego a free night on points in the name of romance.  He surprised me with a night at the cutest bed and breakfast nestled in the snowy mountains of Midway that we stayed in on our first anniversary (or second--we can't remember, we've been married too long). 

We checked in, showered then headed out for a wild night to...Cafe Rio and Shopko.  He had picked out a great restraunt but there was a 2hr wait so Cafe Rio was the obvious runner up.  Jam packed with the shiny happy people of happy valley brought back so many memories.  We promised the kids we'd bring back treats and the lure of Shopko's flourescent lights were too much to resist.  I think our entire first apartment was furnished by Shopko and hand-me downs.  They still carry the same bookshelf that we bought 14 years ago.  Nostalgic.

We went back and watched Netflix cozied up by the fire, it was so romantic.  And the most romantic part was sleeping in. The breakfast was so delicious, I ate until I was about to pop a button and I still wished I would have snuck an extra slice of french toast in my purse.  Then being the sweet husband he is, he let me spend the entire day shopping at the Park City outlets until I didn't want to see another rack of clothes for atleast a week. I didn't even know that was possible.

Dinner at The Roof was the icing on our cake of romance.  I loved the ambiance and the gorgeous view, the food wasn't anything to write home about, but my dinner date definately was.  He treats me so good.  I loved having him all to myself this weekend, we had some great conversations about some exciting changes this year, laughed at so many inside jokes and soaked up those quiet moments.  It was so refreshing and so perfect, and that's not even me trying to sugar coat it for the blog.  It really was the perfect weekend.  I'm a lucky girl to be loved by this boy.

The Herrera's were so nice to inherit our kids for the weekend.  When we came to pick them up Maddox ran and jumped in my arms and held me so tight.  Before I knew it, he was sobbing and telling me that he just loved me so much.  That boy...words can't even describe our bond.  It was nice having the kids home for President's day the next day. After cracking the whip and doing chores all morning we enjoyed the perfect weather with popsicles at the park.  I did miss the kids, but I think I could have stayed a few days longer :)