1,432 Miles of Christmas Fun...

WOW!  What a whirlwind last week was....  Not only being with friends, family and all of our favorite people, but bonding with my hubs over 1,432 miles in our car...  Nothing brings you together like a little road trip!

It started off  in San Antonio, then off to Dallas, then out to Rockwall and back home to LA on Sunday!  WHEW....  

NOW that's a lot of bonding time!  Brad did finally ask me for some duct tape around 9:45 Sunday night, 30 minutes outside of home...  I call that a successful trip!

First stop was San Antonio to visit Brad's family.  We stayed on the RiverWalk Tuesday night and it was GORGEOUS - gorgeously packed.  Dear Lord - People love to celebrate Christmas Eve on the River...

Our beautiful hotel -Omni la Mansion Del Rio...

First Christmas Eve as hubby and wife...  Love him.

Christmas Eve cocktails... Brad trying be "artsy!"

The next day we went to Brad's Grandma's house.  She is just a complete doll.  She never sits down; cooking, cleaning, making sure everyone has been taken care of, never worried about herself, etc.  What a woman!

Brad carving the turkey.  He was a "pro"!  

Carb anyone?

 Brad, his sweet grandparents and mom.

 Beautiful Debra!  What a fabulous mom Debra is.  Brad just adores her and I completely get it.  She is an amazing woman and wonderful mother-in-law.  So lucky to have her in my life.

Then we were off to Dallas to see friends and the Hodges Clan!  

"AAHH" - Love the Dallas skyline lit up for Christmas.

DO NOT BE JEALOUS - This was our Christmas Dinner folks.... SO healthy.

Met these sweet girls for brunch at Breadwinner's on Friday morning.  Love my old Lakewood co-workers.  So many were out of town, but these three we not!  Love you Carrie, Lorena and Steph.

Met up with these friends too.  Brad's two best Dallas buddies: Chris and Mike!  Had such a great night with these special people.  Sweet Jaylen.  She is as gorgeous on the inside as she is on the outside.. (And the best wedding make-up artist!)  What a fun night!

We met up with Joe and Danna too at a new Mexican restaurant in Frisco.  OH MY....  It was amazing.  Dallas people - A MUST EAT - called "Mexican Sugar" at the Shops of Legacy.  Now we waited an hour, but it was well worth it.  (And the drinks made it go by fast!)

 The food was out of this world.  Carnitas tacos, elote, homemade salsa, etc....  

We will be back!

Because I hadn't had enough carbs, let's order two desserts; A pumpkin flan and a chocolate avocado cake.  Words cannot describe how happy I was after eating inhaling the two desserts.  Disclaimer: 4 people shared these.  Not just ME!

Here are the family Christmas Eve pics from all around TX:

Sweet Slade, Lindz, Knox and Briggs

 Sweet Cody, Christy and Marlowe

Love these two - Bebo and Bob.

Now for the Hodges Clan Christmas...

It was NON-STOP fun with the three kids!  I always wonder - What did we do, focus our attention, stare at, etc... before these three loves were around?  As always, I only have kid pics...  Never really any great adult pics!  SO here we go:  

Let's just say that one of the brothers LOVES himself a costume.  He may or may not have mailed Christmas cards (in addition to the "real" ones) of this hot elf named "Chester" to 40+ lucky recipients.  I have no words...  Dear, sweet Christy - she is one lucky GAL!:)

Uncle Brad with lil MJ.

Someone loved him an onion ring.  Devoured at least 8....

Bob and Briggs having a moment.

Slade and the three loves! Rare moment of stillness.

Knox driving us to "Chicken Express" for some chicken.

 Brigg's was happy to sit by the chips!

Strike a pose sister

One of the best gifts I purchased this year - The Doc's Coat.  I think it was a definite hit!

He said this was his serious doctor's face...

Checking out Bebo

 He was amazed that there were 2 of him! 

Grandmother - granddaughter moment...

Our favorite 4 yr. old...

Sweet Dad and daughter moment...  

What a sweet day Sunday was.  Marlowe Jane was dedicated at church.  Both sides of the family and tons of friends were there.  What a special day for Cody, Christy and Marlowe. Not a dry eye on any of us!

Nothing like a TX size chicken fried steak, fried okra, mashed potatoes and a roll to round out our Texas Christmas.

Back to the gym MONDAY morning.  After eating my way throughout the last week, it's time to get serious about the food I am putting in my mouth (or maybe I should skip a few meals). I am seriously nauseous thinking about it ALL...  But boy - It was DELICIOUS FUN!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.  One more week off til school starts back up.  Hoping the next 6 days creep by - SLOWLY!

Happy New Year Everyone!  What a fun, exciting, and life-changing year 2013 was.  I cannot wait to see what 2014 has in store for the Wainscott's~

Love~

H

 

Two With the Wild...

As many people know, I am not the least bit an animal/pet person...  I blame my mother and father:)  Or the one brother that was allergic to pet hair.  As I have said before, we did have one dog growing up; Teagan...  He passed when we were on vacation by inhaling a large amount of snail bait in the flower beds...  Poor little guy.

That was the extent of my pet days... 

Not only am I allergic as all get out to felines, I am scared to death of cats.  Sneaky, snotty, hissing, scratching, shedding nasty fur...and the list goes on!  If you are a cat lover - I am sorry....

BUT - I love exotic animals!  I have been wanting to go to the New Orleans Zoo ever since we arrived here in July.  Now- I have no idea if it is a good zoo or not, but I love a zoo.

Here was our zoo conversation a couple months ago:

Me: "Hey Babe - let's go to the zoo this Saturday!"

B: "What? Why?  You do realize that football is on..."

Me: "Because it will be fun..  Something different! - Yes, but football will be on Sunday too."

B: "Um no - And we don't even have kids."

Me: "Oh, I was unaware that you had to have kids to go to the zoo? Interesting.  Before I met you, I went on a date once to the Dallas zoo and it was sooo much fun!"

B: "It looks like that relationship worked out well."

Me:  Sigh.....

Ok - I gave up!  No more talking about the DARN zoo.

But this weekend - He surprised me.  The plans were to head to the city to take a Christmas Carriage ride through the Quarter, but the rain ruined those plans....  BUT little did I know what Plan B was; another place other than the zoo that I have been wanting to visit.

The Global Wildlife Center.  I.was.ecstatic to say the least....

(Obviously there wasn't a football game on Saturday morning.)

 

  

I think his name was "Edgar"!  Beautiful bird.

The kangaroos were hilarious.  Straight chilling...  They were the only enclosed animals.  The guide said this was because the other animals pick on them.  The llamas were gorgeous.

Well hello there!  The deer were not SHY at all.

The zebra were extremely MEAN and hungry...  She told us NOT to feed them because they could bite.  But.....

Brad is all about breaking a rule.

Pucker up!

The llamas were gorgeous animals...  I mean you should have seen their eyelashes.  JEALOUS of those suckers.  And some of us (Lorena included) pay for our three month supply of Latisse and OURS aren't half that long.  Not.fair.at.all......

The giraffes were not feeling it Saturday.  They kept their distance and just stared at the 40+ people in the wagon that kept shaking the feed cups.  I can only imagine what they were thinking.

And last but least, the cows....  Little did anyone know that these gems were a daily sight growing up in a small, Texas cow town.  I mean we were the Whitefaces and the Lady Whitefaces.  So yes, we were cows.  Felt right at home with this fellow.

What a fun day with this guy!  We, or I enjoyed it.  He didn't miss any FOOTBALL and we didn't even have to kidnap a child to take with us....

On the road tomorrow to San Antonio and then on to Dallas.  Cannot wait to see family and friends.  Loving this time of year...

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Love

~H