Merry Tex-mas Y'all!...

Yes, Christmas has come and gone, but I am just now blogging about it, so hang in there with me!

This year, my momma and I had great plans...we would do Christmas up right and go to NYC like we have always wanted to! We had dates set for her to fly up here, time taken off of work, Broadway tickets bought and hotels secured. Then, on Thanksgiving, Joe's family called and said his grandpa was very sick and could we please come down and spend a little time with him. Joe looked at me, wanting to go to Texas so badly, but not wanting to break my heart after how excited i was to go to NYC for Christmas, but I told him not to worry, I would call my mom and we would figure everything out and make Texas happen. Thankfully, (only God can do something like this) we were able to get all of our money refunded for EVERYTHING in NYC and saved that trip in the back of our minds for another time.

Off to Texas we went...make that DROVE! 26 hours there to be exact, and 34 coming back. To you, this may sound nauseating, but to me, it was three solid days of alone time with my sweet man and i couldn't wait! We loaded all of our favorite Christmas songs onto the ipod and even a few marriage and family pod-casts from James MacDonald (Joe's idea), dropped the dog off at "puppy camp"( what i call the kennel so i don't get sad), packed up the car with luggage and presents and a cooler full of snacks and energy drinks and we were off into the night! We drove straight through, only stopping in Memphis to see sweet friends Natalie and Jacqui for a few hours and we were back on the road again.

We drove through Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and finally, the motherland, some may refer to it as God's country...TEXAS!!!!!

There really is just no place like home. We pulled into town about 1 am on Monday morning, tired and ragged form a long drive, but so happy to see my mom I could just spit! (Don't ask me why we say this in my family- i have no idea...we just do! ) We got to see all the work she did on the house and it looked AMAZING! So proud of you momma- and Dave would be too! She got new windows, doors, paint throughout the inside and out, new knobs, switches...anything you can think of and it looks awesome! Great job! We had to laugh when we got there....my mom is the typical type-A who plans everything for everyone. There was a huge calendar on the table with all of our dates and times of Christmas activities and get-togethers...she had even called Joe's mom and gotten all of their dates and times so we would have a master list of everything going on that week! Thanks mom, you keep us very organized and prompt! :)

Enjoy the pictures from our trip...(kicking myself for not getting more with Joe's mom's side of the family.)

Christmas is in full swing at Starbucks! ( We get GREAT tips when we dress up! )

WE got to meet up in Waco with one of my mom's dearest friends, Patty R (i would be severely scolded if i said oldest friend!). Patty's kids grew up with us in Waco... we haven't seen them in YEARS, but so fun to catch up and feel like you picked up right where you left off! Sarah(who writes this blog), Nathan, Ava ( whose mommy Autumn writes this blog I LOVE), and sweet baby Nolan

The whole gang! ( Hey, Joe, i think i look pretty good holding a baby! *wink, wink*)

Aunt R came along too...we had such a great time! (BEFORE)

...and the AFTER. I call this one " Blackmail!"

THe sweetest, most polite little girl you have ever seen. THis was their "signal" so that when mommy was talking, Ava was able to get her attention without interrupting...i think she is 4 going on 14!
Patty and sweet Ava at Starbucks...she loves her "Baba"

Then, it worked out that we got to have breakfast with my sweet friend Lisa and her hubby Jerry, who was a hoot! (Not that you needed it, but we approve, Lis, he's a keeper for sure!). Lisa writes another great blog I follow called the Casting Dock.)

Natalie and Jacqui joined too.... no trip to Texas is ever complete without visiting the Monument in Georgetown, Texas at least once....mmm, peppered bacon! :)

I got to take Meg shopping and out to dessert one night.... Meg was my flower girl in my wedding only three years ago and here she is looking like a beautiful young lady! Time flies!

We went to Mozart's, a little coffee shop in Austin down on the lake and they had a light show that played to the music, and of course at the end of the music, they had to play the University of Texas fight song! Go UT!

Joe and his sister E

Me and Joe at the lights

This is a dear friend from middle/high school, Bethany and her sweet hubby, Emmanuel, who is a youth pastor in southern Texas. This was our first time to meet Emmanuel and their first time to meet Joe!

All the girls back together again.... I felt like we time-warped back to middle school! Sweet girls who will be friends for life.

We always have to take pictures on Christmas Eve by mom's tree.

I had to bend down...I was too tall with my heels on for her!:)

Tradition is, every Christmas Eve, we go to my Aunt R and Uncle M's house for the great "Meat Meal"...a whole meal of meat, and we don't even bother with sides. This year, we had six pounds of king crab legs, (RIP captain phil...anybody ever watch deadliest catch? now i feel guilty every time i eat crab!) three pounds of fried shrimp, and t-bones the size of your plate for everyone.... everything's bigger in Texas, Y'all!
A picture of our fearless flashlight grillers!

The designated Shrimp-cooker

We should have taken a picture of all the meat! It was amazing!
Aunt R and Uncle M

Three generations of handsome "Steins."

Joe's dad's side of the family

We got to see my brother, C, and his girlfriend (who we fondly refer to as "Jo2") before they went to her family's Christmas in Mississippi


It was so good to see family again. You really start to crave family when you live so far away, especially over the holidays, so it was wonderful to see everyone and even get to have a few meetings with sweet friends too! I feel so recharged....Glad we got to go...NYC will always be there, but this was JUST what we needed this year! ( And PS: my momma STILL would have been snowed-in in the airport in NYC, bless her heart! See, it just wasn't our year...next time!)

Although I don't think we will be making that loooooong drive again anytime soon, it was so nice to get away and detach from our crazy lives for a week and reconnect with ourselves and each other. Thanking God for the wonderful friends and family He has surrounded us with.

Hoping you had a wonderful holiday with family and friends, enough laughter to hurt your cheeks, enough love to fill the room and enough joy to warm your heart. Merry Christmas, er, TEX-MAS, Yall!