Dallas

Last weekend was fall break here in our fair city.  The girls were out of school for five days, counting the weekend!  So because we had the time away and because we had a wedding to attend in Dallas, we loaded up and drove the 5 hours to Dallas, Texas.

We stayed the first night with some friends of my brother Greg.  They have a lovely home that they opened up to us as if my children would not scar the furniture or mar their lovely floors.  They were gracious hosts.

 They had a sidewalk to run on.

A pool to dip your feet into (or try in vain to talk your mom into letting you dip your whole 5 year old body into).

A beautiful yellow lab named Joey to love on.

We stayed up late talking and catching up.  George and I tried to get Mike and Jim to turn off the baseball game and watch an episode of Glee, but we failed.  After what seems like a marathon summer and fall, it was a relaxing way to start our mini vacation. 

Mike and I slept late the next morning without knowing that Lucy had been up since 6:15, hanging with the boys.  I am so sorry George and Jim.  I thought she was still asleep, I really did.  She is NEVER quiet once she wakes up! 

Little Lucy just barely made the cut in that picture taken by her big sister...

After a leisurely morning with Jim and George we set off to the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.  We spent the whole day there.  It was a blast! 

It has things for so many different ages.  Lucy was still engaged at five years old but it was definitely geared more towards Emma's demographic.  You start at the top and work your way down, floor by floor.  The section on Space was very well done, Emma and I wanted to spend much more time there.  We were all surprised by the huge number of dinosaur artifacts and fossils that were native to Texas.  They did a great job of keeping it local (and keeping it interesting).

We scored some super cute t-shirts from the museum, seen here.

The next day was the wedding day and I made my family get all dressed up and go to the venue early so we could get pictures. 

A few of my favorites... Just fifteen or twenty...

And now for the Instagram recap.

It was a lovely wedding and reception.  The bride looked absolutely stunning and she actually looked like she was enjoying herself.  Emma Jane closed down the dance floor and Lucy took a two hour nap on her daddy.

After the reception and when the bride and groom had made their big departure, I approached the DJ and asked him to play one more song.  He played "Forever Like That" by Tulsa native, Ben Rector.  I danced with my husband while the workers took down the lights and the food service people packed up the table cloths, but it was still the best 3 minutes of the whole night.

Twenty-five years ago this month, I went out on a date with a young man that is now the pillow to my Lucy.  If you had told that seventeen year old girl that twenty five years later he would still be making her knees weak, I wonder if she would have believed it.