Dallas trip – SANS kids!

Bryan and I are back in College Station tonight after spending a few days up in Dallas without our kiddos.  On Monday, Bryan and I drove up to Dallas (it’s about 3 hours) so we could beat the snow/ice/muck that was predicted for Tuesday.  We spent the afternoon wandering around the Galleria…a fancy schmancy super-mall with an ice skating rink in the middle.

Then Monday evening, we headed over to my uncle Kirk and aunt Sue’s house.  Kirk is my mom’s little brother, and I had’t been to his home prior to this trip.  We had a great evening together:)  We started out with dinner at a restaurant that serves a sushi buffet (Osaka Sushi), and then we headed back to his place where the boys played the Wii and the girls looked at clothes.  Overall, it was a fun and happy opportunity to see some lovely people, and I think back on it with a smile.  Kirk and Sue, thanks for hosting us on short notice and for giving us such a nice time!

On Tuesday morning, Bryan and I took the train from Plano to downtown Dallas and spent several hours walking around the amazing Dallas Aquarium.  I was sooo impressed at the layout and the exhibits and the beautiful birds and fishies they had on display.  My favorite critter was the three-toed sloth.  It pulled back from its branch and peered right into my eyes/camera lens for several long moments.  I feel like I was inspected by an alien!  My photos of manatees, toucans, and sea anemones can be found in this photo album.

We met up with Melanie on Tuesday afternoon just before snow started falling with big, thick, fluffy flakes.  Stores closed almost immediately.  They aren’t accustomed to wintery weather here in Texas:)  We ate a late lunch at an amazingly good restaurant called Gorden Biersch. So many key words in their menu…and the Doppelbock beer that Bryan ordered was delish.  I say that as someone who doesn’t like beer-but I kept snitching sips because it was so good!

Since the weather outside was frightful, we spent some happy hours playing cards and watching the Wisconsin Badgers bowl game in the warmth of Mel’s apartment.  Then we headed out for a yummy supper at Melanie’s favorite restaurant, La Hacienda Ranch.  Two margaritas makes me feel quite happy.  That and two days spent without the responsibilities of parent-hood, and Bryan and I were feeling foot loose and fancy free.

We celebrated our lack of responsibilities by going to the 10:45pm showing of the movie Avatar.  And what a movie it was!  We saw it in IMAX 3D, and I can easily state that I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life.  It was visually stunning.  Magical.  Spectacular. I got lucky and dreamed I was one of the People all night.

We all slept until almost 10, which seemed the perfect way to celebrate not having Andrew and Sylvia around.  After poking around town a bit and enjoying a good lunch, Bryan and I said goodbye, hopped back in the car, and headed back down to College.

It was so nice to see our kids!  There’s nothing in the world like being apart from them for a while to make me delight in their little selves all the more.

Tonight, Bryan and his dad are playing chess, LuAnn is reading a new book on Norman Rockwell, and I’m sharing stories with anyone who is interested in listening.  Melanie drives back down tomorrow, and we’ll all get to celebrate new year’s eve and day together before we fly back home on Saturday.

Hope your week has been a relaxing one!