Don't mess with Texas!

This post has taken me a long time to put together! I had the opportunity to fly to visit my best friend, Joy & her family. I was very nervous about flying by myself and leaving the family; so much so that I rescheduled my originally purchased ticket from January to March. (Glad I did, some precarious weather situations would have made the trip hard.) So, with a prayer I left cold and dreary Walla Walla and headed for the sunny state of Texas. It was everything I could have hoped for! The flights went well, I navigated the airports by myself with ease and generally tried to enjoy the silence and solitude rarely afforded by a mom of 3 boys. 

I arrived Friday evening to witness a nice warm sunset. Joy met me at the airport and we drove to her home in Frisco with the windows down and a gentle breeze in our hair. Her house is beautiful and nestled in a rather large subdivision full of beautiful homes dotted along the horizon as far as the eye can see. She & her housemate Dawn and her husband, Ricky had prepared a lovely meal of lasagna with a side of butternut squash ravioli drizzled in a butter sauce, warm bread with melted brie and salad. Way more than any of us could eat, but she didn't stop there she also made a strawberry pound cake dessert. Yummy! What a marvelous welcome! Afterwards she, Dawn & I headed out to one of their favorite Mexican restaurants with a patio & a fireplace for a margarita nightcap. (Mine was coconut and was delish) She said every place in Texas serves chips & queso so I tried a few of those as well. When we got home the kids were anxious to visit and I heard they had Just Dance 2 for the wii so I challenged them to a duel. Oh my word was that fun... and the cardio! Phew! I was instantly sweating and out of breath. I loved it! I have to say, I killed them! I think I still have some of the high scores on the dances. (Loved it so much when I came home I asked Jared if we could get it and we've been dancing the night away most evenings since.)

Saturday morning we woke up early and got a head start on one of my main objectives... shopping! And, boy did we shop! With no kids or schedule to worry about it we were able to leisurely browse through shops, took a late lunch at this amazing Italian restaurant Nicolas; at which I had the most mouthwatering

CAPPELLACCI DI ZUCCA (Pumpkin ravioli with mostarda, amaretto cookie crumbles, mascarpone cream, toasted pumpkin seed & pomegranate reduction) that was so bursting with flavor and yet so delicate it melted in your mouth! We also shared a PANINO RUSTICO CON COTTO (Italian ham, green apple, smoked mozzarella, lettuce & tomato on toasted ciabatta bread with Dijon mustard). We were so full there wasn't a chance we were going to get dessert, especially since there was still more shopping to do with our now bloated bellies.

Later that night the girls, Joy, Dawn & I, got dolled up and went out to a local hotel/club Nylo. This place was very urban chic, modern and yet with a hint of retro thowbacks like  egg shaped chairs suspended from the ceiling. The lounge had a game room, library and an outdoor patio complete with pool and huge glass fireplace that extended the length of the pool. Very cool.

Sunday morning we slept in and had breakfast on Joy's front porch. (Her favorite spot) Then we went for pedicures, ahh. They also added on a 10 minute neck massage, we felt totally pampered! Joy really knows how to treat her friends to a good time, seriously!

It's so mild in Texas they have year round icecream trucks!

{Alyssa & I on our way into downtown}

We also did the tourist thing. I wanted to see Dallas and Dealey plaza seemed like the perfect spot to check out a little bit of American history. We parked and walked past all the glittering glass skyscrapers until we reached the infamous (not so) grassy knoll.

We took lots of pictures and tried to step back in time to the day that JFK was shot and imagine what it would have been like to witness such a tragedy. We considered all the conspiracy theories and made some of our own. We walked the streets arm in arm, cameras around our necks and found a little western looking restaurant to grab a cup o'joe for me (and get some lunch for Alyssa who accompanied us). It was great to spend time with her. After our tour of Dallas we headed back home for a nap. I took mine in their hammock in the backyard and snoozed under the blue sky, speckled with white fluffy clouds. I felt like I was on a movie set. It was the perfect room temperature with no wind, the only sound was that of the neighborhood birds singing to me their welcomed songs. I could have stayed in that moment for a week. It was lovely. Wrapped in a blanket (with my sleep mask on) basking in the sun, gently swaying in the hammock...♥

Sunday night I believe we played some more wii dance and started to get sentimental about my impending departure the next day. I focused on the girls, spending some time with them on the couch.

Monday came and Sierra, Joy & I headed out for some more last minute shopping. Then, I packed up my stuff (swollen with new purchases) and the three of us headed out to another great spot- the Gaylord Texan Resort. This place is amazing! It's a convention center/hotel/pool/restaurant/hiking trail/vineyard/exotic plant refuge all tucked in one gigantic climate controlled glass atrium. I've never seen anything like it. We took a ton of photos of ourselves because everything there was a great backdrop. :o)

We had diet cokes with cherry's at a Mexican restaurant with a creek in front and meandered through the winding paths along bridges while doing some souvenier shopping and spied little train sets randomly placed throughout the exotic plants. It was a perfect way to end the trip. Joy & Sierra then took me to the airport where we said our teary eyed goodbyes and off I went, Back to reality. But, I was ready to return to my boys. 

Thank you Joy, Ricky, Sierra, Alyssa, Dawn, Rylan & Joran for welcoming me and entertaining me during a weekend I won't soon forget. I miss you all and love you lots!