Sunday/Monday

*Heather = green, Mar = purple*

FINALLY, our FREE DAY! We had NOTHING 'planned' this day and it felt GREAT! We slept in and just took it easy in the morning. But THEN, Mar had to get a wild hair up her...well, you know what...and decide she wanted to buy an iPod! So she spent most of the morning convincing her husband they needed one (like it took much!) and researching which one to get and where to get it. Once that was decided, we headed to...guess where? Yep! Wal-Mart! We bought supplies for dinner and she got her green iPod Nano. I believe that someone had been touting their awesomeness all week, so is it any wonder J I loved the idea of being able to listen to music on the plane ride home, as well as create a playlist for Lea in the car etc. I just saw all these wonderful uses for it! So, I had to try to convince Bee to let me get one. At first he was reluctant but when I told him all the neat things he could do with it too (take movies/tv shows) to watch at work, he agreed. So, after looking at online sales, we headed off to Wal Mart. I also just have to add that hubby has now decided that he needs one of his own. That sharing just does NOT work.

This is also the day that we finally made it to Sonic. I think this was the fast food restaurant Mar was most anxious to see. 'America's Drive-In' But the weather was so nice that we actually parked at ate at one of their tables. Did you know she had never heard of tater tots? LOL I don't think she was all that impressed either. Oh well. And we were lucky enough to actually have our waitress deliver our order in ROLLER SKATES! You forgot to mention that the first one was being totally dug up so we decided to drive to another one instead. (OMG, I need to take a pic of that one because they totally re-did it and it looks so nice now!) LOL… just so I could have my photo op! Tater tots are ok. Not my fave but ok. I thought this was a really really cool idea and loved that she was wearing skates. I was floored when I asked where the washroom (the girls says “we don’t have a washroom” and I’m like, “um a bathroom then?” and she’s all “of course duh!” and I was told that I had to walk around to the back of the store. You actually cannot go into the restaurant. It’s all order from your car or sit at a picnic table. It’s so cool! Each table has an order board where you push a little button when you’re ready to order and then they bring your food out. Definitely something I have never seen before! So awesome and a great way to end my trip.

After lunch we met up with Justin at the house and basically spent the rest of the beautiful afternoon out front with Riley driving his 'big red car'. At one point Mar went in for a power nap while Chris and Justin got on the roof and did some repairs. I believe Riley and I played baseball and basketball. When Mar awoke, refreshed, it was time for cooking class! I think all the late nights and being out in the sun finally caught up to me and I just could not stay awake any longer. So, I set my alarm and took a 30 min power nap. When I woke up I debated sleeping for another 30 mins but everyone was waiting on me for dinner lol… It was great, it was truly a power nap. I woke up feeling refreshed and tons better.

Remember, this was his FIRST time driving it, as we had to charge it overnight before it worked!

Mar makes a beef stir fry dish that I hear about all the time. One of her friends will request it when she comes over for dinner, it's one of those meals that she can just make on a whim, etc. I was anxious to not only taste this infamous dish, but to learn how to make it as well. I ended up not being the only one who wanted to learn! As she started cooking and teaching Justin became interested and we seriously all hung out in the kitchen having our very own Beef Stir Fry cooking class! Then we ate...and it was DELICIOUS! Thank you, again, Mar for making that amazing dinner! We also had a bottle of wine that we bought at a local winery in January with our dinner, as I had been saving it for her visit. It, too, was DE-LISH! It was so much fun to have everyone involved. I’ve never had anyone watch me cook like that before and it was so nice to be able to teach people how to make something yummy. Hopefully Justin’s gf will like it and Heather’s family will think of me whenever she makes it! I just wished it had turned out better. Oh well. Everyone seemed to enjoy it! The wine was delish! Loved it! I was so touched that they saved a bottle for me. I know they were anxious to try it.

After dinner, and putting Riley to bed, I think we had a few more drinks and played a couple of games. Justin left and Chris went to bed pretty early. Mar and I tried to stay up and enjoy our last night together, but it had been a busy week and she had a very early flight in the morning, so we finally gave in fairly early ourselves.

The next morning she and Chris woke up bright and early to get ready to go. I woke up enough to say good-bye (boo hoo) I cannot believe neither of us cried! I was close though. I think you were still half asleep! LOL… and they hit the road for the airport. Chris took her since it's near his work and Riley was still asleep. It was hard to see her leave, mainly because we have NO IDEA when we will meet again in person. Poor Chris. He was so worried about the traffic and getting me to the airport late. I told him that we had lots of time, and that we were on the road and there was nothing he could do, so just to chill lol… We made it there with loads of time to spare. I even had time to get a coffee and muffin and eat at the gate before boarding the plane. She had a busy day flying (with her new iPod) and I had a busy day cleaning my house (after taking the week off). It was so weird to see her again that night on webcam, 1700 miles away again. The week was over, but it was one amazing week. We have been friends for 2 years, and have really grown to be the best of friends, so it was unexplainable, really, to share the same airspace and discover that we get along just as well, if not better, in person as we do over IM! Mar, it truly is a blessing to have you in my life and I am already looking forward to our next visit, which I hope is sooner than later! Heather, you are too sweet! LOL…

Thank you and your family so much for welcoming me into their homes and lives. It was truly wonderful to meet you and your family and I am so glad that we don’t annoy each other to no end! ;) It was incredible to be a part of your life for a week and it already feels like ages ago and sometimes I wonder if it was all a dream. I can’t wait to be able to show you my family and friends and where I live and all that fun stuff. Hopefully it will happen sooner rather than later. I missed you the moment I got on the plane. You have been the best friend I could have asked for and I really love you for that. You have been there for me in times of pain or sadness and you have also shared many joys with me. I look forward to many long years together and hopefully lots more visits like this!

THE END

Saturday

*Heather = green, Mar = purple*

This was the one and only day we had to wake up to an alarm, in order to be ready for Riley's birthday part at 10:00am. We also needed to go by Wal-Mart and get the supplies to make favor bags. Yep, we bought the stuff and put them together in the car, on the way to Chuck E. Cheese. We had tried to do this earlier in the week, at a party store, but they were closed due to the snow, so last minute it was. Gotta love how you can always count on Wal-Mart! It’s a good thing we had scoped out the favor section beforehand. We were in and out of there in a flash!


We arrived at Chuck E. Cheese about 9:45am, which was our goal, so I was very proud of us. However, I was disappointed that there wasn't really anyone there to meet and greet us, and tell us how the party was going to go. We just did our best. Eventually we placed the pizza and drink orders and received all the tokens to give the kids (closer to 10:30 to 10, but what can you do?). Mom was nice enough to help us out and pick up the Spiderman balloons that morning and bring them! We had an amazing turn out and Riley had an absolute blast! I played 'hostess' most of the time, greeting people, etc. (with Mar right by my side, which was awesome, I have to say) while Chris followed the birthday boy around, and his guests, taking MANY, MANY pictures! (I'll put a bunch up on my pics/video blog for y'all to browse!) Awww thanks Heather! It was so nice to meet some of your Mommy friends, and Amy of course. It was so wonderful to be able to take part in such a special event. It was great to see your Mom and grandparents again too. Of course it was also my first time at CEC!



Around 11:15am or so the pizza and drinks arrive, everyone gathers around the table to eat. Chuck E. Cheese HIMSELF makes a live appearance and dances with all the birthday kids. I tried to get a picture with him since I’ve never been before, but apparently he was on a schedule and didn’t have time to take tourist photos. LOL… That or he doesn’t like Canadians! Then we move on to cake, and Riley even joined in, singing Happy Birthday to himself. Everyone was SOOO impressed with the amazing cake Mar created (and of course my cupcakes as well! Ha ha), including me! Once cake was done we were basically rushed away from our table so they could set up for the next party that was supposed to begin at noon. There was absolutely NO TIME to open gifts during the party, even if we had wanted to, so I just hope everyone understood. I guess that pretty much solved your present debate huh!



After loading all of Riley's 'loot' into numerous cars, we headed to mom's house to open presents. He got so many new toys and just loves them all. At the last minute we decided to go ahead and put his car together for him to just walk outside and see it, rather than unwrapping the box. We were disappointed to discover the battery had to charge for 24 hours before the first use, but Riley was VERY surprised and enjoyed just sitting in it, and Uncle Justin helped him with a few laps around the back yard.








After gifts at Nana's we left Riley with her and headed home to get the GUNS! Yep, you read that right! Next on our itinerary was to take Mar to the shooting range. For those who do not know, handguns are illegal in Canada. Well, they aren’t illegal exactly. They are just much harder to obtain and are not a common thing. Most of the people that I know that own guns use them for hunting only. You can't go to a shooting range with a pistol and just shoot for fun, (that I know of? Again I could be mistaken!) so we figured it would be a perfect activity for her trip to Texas! We had to clean the guns, give our safety lessons, stop by Wal-Mart to pick up ammo and then headed to the range. Stephanie and Justin joined us as well. We had a great time. I think it would have been better if we could have found an open outdoor range nearby, but our best choice was an indoor range. Mar shot 11 rounds (we started with just one in the chamber for her first try, then she emptied a full clip after that) with one of our 9mm. I am so proud of her! (I'll let her expand on her personal experience at the shooting range)


You know, I still have mixed emotions about the whole thing. I was so stoked to be doing it, and was really really looking forward to it. But, I must admit that when the guns came out, and I saw people handling them, I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I could not help thinking that these were GUNS, they killed people (when used for that purpose) etc. I had committed to going and promised myself that I would give it a try before deciding how I really felt. I was really really nervous when Chris handed me the gun and showed me how to hold it. I could not believe that I was holding, a real, live, actual gun (without the ammo of course). Once we got to the shooting range, and dressed up (eye and ear protection) we got to enter the room and go to our cubicle type thing. The guy beside us was shooting with a really really loud gun and every time he shot the floor shook. It freaked me out! This is why an outdoor range would have been a bit better. I would jump every time. It took me quite some time to get used to the sound of gunfire. I didn’t think it would be a big deal but I guess it’s something I’ve never really heard. I was very hesitant about firing the gun and watched everyone do several rounds before deciding that I could NOT chicken out. So, Heather kindly loaded one bullet for me (so that I would be more comfortable, knowing that nothing could go “wrong”). Once I knew what it felt like to shoot, I decided that I would like to try one round so someone loaded the chamber for me, and I fired off 10 shots. Someone!?! It was ME! And those things HURT to load,so I will take credit where credit is due, thank you! Ha ha. I think I did pretty well too. I believe I hit the target 8 of those 10 times, mind you it wasn’t very far! After my turn, I decided that I had had enough. I just knew that it wasn’t for me, that I had tried it but I was done. Some people seem to feel an adrenaline rush when they shoot, others just do so for practice but I just could not get over the fact that it was a gun, a loaded weapon, that can take a life. I am very proud of myself for trying, and I’m happy that I did since I can now say that I have. I am so thankful to Heather, Chris, Stephanie and Justin for being so patient and nice because I really was a basket case lol… I am so glad to have gotten to share the experience with all of you!
Once our hands were good and tired we packed it up and headed back to Nana's to pick up Riley. At this point I was pretty exhausted not only from the day, but from the entire week, so I'm not 100% sure what we did after getting home. I think we put Riley down for bed, I'm pretty sure C & J went to get some Taco Bell for dinner (Riley ate at mom's) and then we had some drinks and went upstairs to shoot some pool. Well, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it, at least!

I'm Back!

So, I was waiting to be done the updates from my trip to start blogging again but I just can't wait. Things have been a flurry of activity since I got home and things have just been so hectic. I haven't talked to any of my friends or caught up on any of my emails. The reason we are so busy... I got a part time job.

I have totally mixed emotions and have yet to decide how I feel about the whole thing. I promise there will be much longer and in depth entries soon!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

You can see that Anna has already gotten into the chocolate!

We had more fun with the grass from their Easter baskets than anything else!

"Where's Lea?" Lol.. she asked me to do this!

She reminds me of an 80's rock star, or maybe it was JEM dolls? :)

Friday

*Mar = Purple, Heather = Green*

This was the first day that we decided to take things a little easier, especially since we had a lot to do to get ready for Riley’s Birthday party as well as a party at Heather’s Moms that night. We were out bright and early to visit her grocery store, Kroger. I loved being able to just go up and down the aisles and look at all the neat products that we don’t have here. We had Riley and Xander with us so it wasn’t as leisurely as I would have liked but that’s ok. We got all the necessary stuff to bake and ice Riley’s Spiderman cake as well as a few essentials that we had run out of (creamer, Cherry Coke Zero – which I miss terribly btw…). I KNOW! I LOVE IT! I usually don't splurge on coke, so I miss it as well!

I spent a good part of the day baking the cake, making the icing from scratch, coloring the icing and other misc cake preparations. Heather helped by cleaning after me, making and icing the cupcakes and giving Riley a bath and keeping him away from his cake. He kept wanting to see it and I was so afraid that he would pull it off the table or try to eat it! I spent way too many hours on the cake, and it took much longer than I had anticipated. But it was SOOO worth it! What an amazing cake! Everyone...msyelf including...was impressed not just by how great it LOOKED, but how great the homemade icing tasted as well! Thank you so much! What a wonderful memory for us and Riley to have.




Because of the delay with the cake we were a little late getting to Heather’s Moms house to play Rock Band but it was all good. Things were already in full swing when we arrived. I got to meet Heather’s cousin and Justin and of course Danny, Steph and Heather’s mom were all there. We had some drinks, chatted, played Rock Band and just hung out. It was a lot of fun and it was great to watch everyone enjoying themselves. You did more than just 'watch', it was great to see Mar hop on the drums and give it a shot! We totally had a girl band...for at least one song! At one point the guys were doing shots in the kitchen and I went to join them. I got to do mine out of a small Dixie cup! FYI - Shots out of Dixie cups, not necessarily a 'normal' thing, even in Texas! LOL Too much fun lol… We got home really late that night and headed to bed. We needed to be up early to get to Chuck E. Cheese and get everything set up for Riley’s Birthday Party!

Thursday

*Mar = Purple, Heather = Green*

Today we had another full day planned. Heather decided to try to do as much as we can in the beginning so that we could just relax and chill the rest of the weekend. (Yeah, that was the plan, didn't QUITE work out that way, but at least I tried!) She made arrangements to have her bro look after Riley and we were off on our own! YAY DANNY! It was definitely nice to be able to shop without dragging Riley around, and I KNOW he had a lot more fun playing with his aunt, uncle & cousin in the snow than shopping for purses! Of course this had to be the day that Texas got it’s SECOND snowstorm in a week. Yes, we were actually IN Danny's house when Stephanie (his wife) called and told him it was sleeting! Boy was it coming down! We had to make the decision...this is our ONE chance to get to Sam Moon WITHOUT Riley, do we brave the weather? OF COURSE! I even offered to drive, since for me it’s an almost every day thing! Heather did great with the weather and I taught her a new trick! (to get the snow off your side view mirrors, roll down your window and use your hand!) (can you believe we have heated mirrors here, to melt the snow!!! - okay, we do too, lol, it's just not one of those accessories you use often, and therefore require in each vehicle! And yes, it's not fun wiping that cold snow off those mirrors, you Canadians need to figure out a better way! *wink*). So, we were off to Sam Moon. Let's not forget Mar's surprise at seeing 2 guys sitting in the bed of a pick-up truck on the way there! Apparently this is not allowed EVER, AT ALL, NO MATTER WHAT in Canada...she even tried to get pictures! (not sure you can see the guys, but you can see the sleet at least)

OH! We also stopped by another fast food place that Mar had to try on the way to Sam Moon. I think she liked it! She was surprised at the size of American fast food beverages...even mediums are HUGE!



I absolutely LOVED this store. Those who live in Dallas: It was CRAZY! There was NO ONE THERE! I cannot believe we didn't get a picture of our parking spot, it was the CLOSEST one to the door! I kid you not! Wish I could go shopping in the sleet/snow more often! Especially with a pro as co-pilot! It’s a trading company type place that sells accessories but mostly purses. And there are soooooo many. They are piled in mounds in different bins and you have to just go around and look at everything. Our first time around the store Heather and I had totally different opinions on what we liked and didn’t like. She was not crazy about everything I picked out and vice versa. Then, as we were walking around, I saw what I had been looking for, a splash of colour. We went over and both fell in love with the same purse! Heather’s is pink and mine is blue. Kinda corny, I know, but we figured we won’t be anywhere near each other for who knows how long so it was ok ;) We spent quite a lot of time there browsing the bracelets, rings, wallets etc. Mar about a horseshoe cell phone charm, as a reminder of her trip to Texas! When we finally left the store, the storm was still raging on. It had mostly turned to wet snow (it had been sleet earlier) and big fluffly flakes were falling. It was actually quite beautiful and everyone seemed in awe of the snow! Yes, the biggest flakes we have ever seen I think!

Another thing that we had talked about doing, was looking for a great pair of jeans. We both agreed that this was a must have and who better to go shopping with than your bff! So, we were off to Kohl’s, sans Riley again. We actually tried to stop by this local party store next door to Kohl's to get the favor bag stuff for Riley's party, but they were 'closed due to weather'. Are you kidding me?! Because of the storm, the store was deserted and we basically had the run of the place. We just went nuts and grabbed every pair of jeans in the wash we wanted (dark!) and our size and headed to the dressing room. I swear we each tried on 12 + pairs of jeans! Lucky for me, I found a great pair that I really liked, that Heather liked and the kicker, is that they were $15 on clearance! That just sealed the deal for me! Unfortunately Heather didn’t find anything that she wanted. Boo Hoo.

After Kohl’s we decided to stop and pick up Chipotle to have at home with the boys. I had never been to a Burrito bar and the reception I received was just wonderful. Wait until you get to try Free Birds...next time you are in, I promise! Again they let me sample the different sauces and types of rice and were patient with me as I asked all my questions. Heather had ordered, paid and was waiting before I had even started! I had a nice surprise, when I got to the cash the lady brushed me off and said “it’s on me”. Yeah, what a GYP! LOL Don't forget the added FREE chips & hot sauce! I could not believe that she was giving me my meal for free. She said that since it was my first time and I had come all the way from Canada that she was happy to do it. It was a delicious burrito, and not just because it was free! They are actually thinking of opening a store here (at least that’s what she said) and I hope they do, they will have one guaranteed customer for sure! Plus it will remind me of Texas.
In the evening, we had our “girls night”. Chris was supposed to go to pool tourney, like he usually does, but he just ended up going over to a friends house to practice for a little while. We just figured he'd be gone that night, as usual, and we'd be goofy! We had gotten some snacks earlier in the week and had planned to do face masks, highlight our hair, play with makeup, play with our hair and all that fun girly stuff. Did we actually get to do any of it? Well some. The face masks. :) Heather showed me her old videos while we let the masks do their thing and I must admit that I was impressed and amazed that she could do that stuff! We don’t have kicking here, so it was totally new to me. Yeah yeah yeah, I'm a TOTAL LOSER! Don't forget the hour we spent looking at photo albums! In retrospect I really do regret it, since we didn't get to any of the other stuff. I really am sorry that it took up so much time, but I guess I just wanted you to KNOW that part of me?! After the masks, we settled on the couch with our American snacks (I bought all stuff that we don’t have here in Canada!) to watch 'The Valley of the Dolls'. We had read the book a few months ago and had both wanted to see the movie and decided that when we were together in Texas would be the perfect time to do so! Unfortunately the movie was very very dull and didn’t really relate to the book at all. SO DISAPPOINTED! None of the characters were as we had pictured them and poor Chris promptly fell asleep on the couch! I think we watched about half of it before deciding that we just couldn’t watch anymore! I still want to see the end though. All in all, it was a great day spent together...we got the most one-on-one time Thursday and we could really just be candid and be ourselves, I had a great time!

Wednesday

*Reminder: Mar = Purple, Heather = Green*

Wednesday we woke up to a beautiful sunny blue-skied day. I got to finally wear my capris and sandals! I was so excited! That was one of the highlights of my trip. :-) We were out fairly early since we had lots planned.

I also needed to stop by the bank to cash a check and Mar was FASCINATED with the teller drive-thru window and the 'msyterious tube'! ( "Dont question the tube Marge, it knows where to send things")


I was very very excited to start at Target! We don’t have them here but I see the commercials all the time and had heard great things about it so I was very happy to get a chance to go. We started by hitting up Starbucks inside Target and I got a chance to try sweetened iced tea (Southern style) for the first time. It was really yummy! (I’d since had it a few other places and I must admit I am not fond of it) WHAT!?!? NOT FOND of SWEET ICED TEA!!?? Once we had our caffeine fix we were off to the Sunglasses section. I knew from the start that I wanted to get a new pair with Heather (so much more fun with your bff!) so we spent a few minutes there. (hopefully there are some pictures later int he day and week that will show off our new shades!) After we had each settled on a pair (for $4.99 no less!) we wandered around the store looking at misc things. I picked up a few things for the girls and then it was time to move on.




Heather’s mom joined us and we all made plans to have lunch with Heather's grandparents and sister in law, Stephanie. We decided to go to Dickies for real bbq. I have never had bbq (other than what’s cooked in my grill at home) and I must say it was very, very good. The restaurant was cafeteria style which I am not used to, but the employees were really sweet. They let me sample all the things I had never tried before (fried okra, spicy corn casserole ) and Heather and I split a 3 meat plate so I could try a little bit of everything. It was so nice to sit and chat with Heather's grandparents. They were very sweet and asked me lots of questions. I felt really welcome. They asked about the girls and of course I had to bust out the pictures! (and let's not forget who ELSE busted out pictures she carries in her purse at all times!!) Little did I know that that was the beginning of my only bout with homesickness. More on that to come.




After lunch we parted ways and Heather, Steph, Riley and I headed to the mall. The first stop was Barnes and Noble to replace my copy of Helter Skelter that I left on the plane. (interesting side note, Heather and I decided to read that when we did since we thought it would be kinda cool to be reading the same thing at the same time while I was in Texas). I was able to get a discount since Steph works there so it was a great place to get it. When we had decided to go to the mall our mission was to find the perfect pair of jeans. However, we ended up in the time stopping, awesomeness that is Sephora. Who knew you could buy new eyebrows!!! Heather needed to pick up some products that she was running low on but before we knew it, she and I were getting our make up done by a really nice pro lady! We ended up spending close to 2 hours there!!! After spending all that time at the mall, we decided to let Riley (who had been a perfect angel in his stroller the whole time!) run around the play area while we chatted. He used up a lot of energy running and climbing all over the structures. We decided that, since we were still mostly full from lunch, we would have a light supper of Tortilla soup. It is a recipe that Heather shared with me and that I absolutely love! ME TOO! And it was so fun to cook it TOGETHER! Can't believe we didn't get any pics of that!










During dinner I struggled and even shed a few tears. Riley did something cute and of course I had to share a story about Lea doing something similar and the tears just came. I laughed and cried at the same time. I think what happened is that it was the first time since I’d gotten there that we had a low key moment. We were just sitting around the table having dinner and I realized how much I missed Bee and the girls. I ended up going to bed early that night and just needed to get caught up on some sleep.