Bass Pro Shops

During our very first trip to Grapevine, Tonto and I took the girl to Bass Pro Shops. To see the Christmas decorations. She loved them and even made a reindeer ornament (out of a candy cane) for a little keepsake. She did not, however, have any interest in the goods sold at the store.

My, my...how times have changed. My little stock showing girl and her friends just HAD to visit as soon as possible. And they may have taken a bunch of pictures that looked like they were kissing fish. You will not find those here.

Unlike the downtown area, BPS was already completely decked out for the holidays.

And either my memory is not as good as it used to be...

...or they've really stepped up their game.

The decor was absolutely beautiful...

...and some might even say breathtaking.

Of course, there were the usual areas for kiddos to take photos...

...and a special place for the jolly fella.

The usual centerpiece was grand as ever...

...and even the largest taxidermy pieces had a festive flair.

Each of the girls found something they could not live without - H & E purchased long sleeve T-shirts while my girl finally got a beloved Columbia jacket. Coming from a self professed "hoodie collector," this mama welcomed the change of pace.

But - let's be honest - these were the most special treasures of all. :-)

Holiday Fun in Grapevine

Last Friday, my mom and I set out with Taylor and two of her sweet friends for some holiday fun in Grapevine. This is an annual trip (with various participants) that usually doesn't occur until December but I got an email for half price ICE! tickets before Thanksgiving. Sometimes a little incentive like that gets you in the mood a bit early. :-)

After a construction filled drive that took a bit longer than anticipated, we checked in at Embassy Suites and soon headed to dinner at Applebee's. It was quite entertaining but - let's be honest - any outing that includes three teenage girls is usually pretty entertaining.

Here we are trying to decide if we're brave or crazy. :-)

And three angel girls awaiting appetizers.

After dinner we headed to the Gaylord to see the outside lights at night and then hit Downtown Grapevine for a little stroll. Unfortunately, most of the Christmas decorations were up but not yet lit. We were able to find a few, though.

Such a quaint little town. Love. It. 

Also love this candy chandelier. Like, a lot!

Once we wrapped up our downtown excursion, our three FFA girls insisted upon going to Bass Pro Shops. It could NOT wait until the next day. No way. No how. So we, of course, obliged. But that's a place that lends itself to a lot of photos so I'll save your retinas and give it its own post. ;-)

Everyone In Black

So there was a football game in Waco last week. And it was kind of a big deal, y'all. Perhaps you heard? :-)

I took off at noon and the girl may have been picked up from school a bit before that time so we could all go tailgating. Even Gilbert came along this time.

It may have been the #EveryoneInBlack game but, y'all, there was more electricity in the air than I've seen since a certain men's basketball team debuted brightly colored uniforms.

Needless to say, March of the Bears was unlike any I've ever seen. People were everywhere and some, quite frankly, just cut in line in front of children. The players barely had enough room to walk through, which would explain the ONE photo I got. Hello, Cyril!

Soon after we caught up with Dr. Cox - Taylor's principal. He's a phenomenal leader at her school who really cards about the kids and is also a HUGE Baylor fan. What more could one want?

Soon after, Brenda, Taylor and I found Judge Starr so - of course - we had to take a pic.

And then Karen joined the party. :-)

After a raucous tailgate that, at one point, had Tonto and I looking at each other trying to figure out who all the people were (hint: one was All Floyd Casey Team member Lawrence Elkins - that was a surprise!), we hit the stadium for what was the most amazing atmosphere I've ever witnessed at Floyd Casey.

And the Line. Well, it was large.

Aforementioned All Floyd Casey Team. In its entirety.

Seriously. The crowd. This is after the first touchdown when the Line ripped off their gold jerseys to reveal blackout shirts. It. Was. A. Sight.

This shows more than nine minutes left but the score did not change. And did I mention we were playing OU?

There was stop after defensive stop, friends.

And, after a shaky start, the offense proved once again that they are SCARY GOOD.

And can we talk about how amazing Mr. Bryce Petty is at QB?

Our British friend, Jason Osei, is also getting more and more playing time. And he's also looking fierce.

And, if you're a Baylor fan, you both recognize AND appreciate this "We Are Going to Win" sign. :-)

Sic 'em , Bears!

Lazy, Rainy Days

If you aren't in Central Texas, you might not realize that it's been raining lately. A lot. Like, more than any one area could possibly use. It's making me cranky. And allergy-ish. It also means simple pleasures have been found in odd ways - like finding Diet Cream Soda. It's an incredibly rare find in these parts. :-)

I finished up with the class I was teaching this fall and took several photos of my students with the Judge Baylor statue. Their "mean muggin'" pic was my fave.

There's also a pretty big football game going down tomorrow evening in Waco. I'm both excited and nervous. Kind of ready to get it over with...

...and definitely ready to wear my new shirt.

This boy has continued on his road to recovery and is not fully healed from surgery. He is also definitely has a gluten allergy, which means all the guys are now eating new food. It's been kind of a pain BUT he's doing so well that it's hard to be cranky.

Unless it continues to rain, that is.

Robinson Alumni FFA Livestock Show

 A couple of Saturdays ago, we loaded up the goat boy and headed to the first jackpot show of the season. Thankfully, it was in Clifton so the drive wasn't bad and, though we didn't realize it was all outdoor accommodations, it was a pleasant day so it was nice to be outside.

The boy got a good shining before he headed into the ring...

...and these cuties made us laugh (as usual) while we waited for their classes.

Now, I won't say that he did as well as Taylor expected. Or that she was really all that happy in any way. But I can tell you that I knew it was coming because ol' Forrest had gained too much weight and had to go on a strict diet before beginning muscle training the following week.

At the end of the day, it was a good opportunity for him to be in the ring again and my girl got to practice her super serious face again. (Honestly, y'all, this child is soooooo serious in the ring. Don't even know her...)

And, perhaps best of all, Tonto finally saw what I was trying to explain to him about what judges look for when it comes to goats. (He worked all but one show last year so he's been at a bit of a disadvantage). Not to mention the girl talked him into getting her a fancy new show box for Christmas.

All in all, a good day of family fun. :-)

A Cyclone Homecoming

Before the plague struck our house last week, we had a great Saturday celebrating Baylor Homecoming. After a super fun tailgate that full of yummy brisket, sausage and pork loin, we settled in for the ol' game activities. There was, of course, the annual lighting of the torch (after being passed from class to class) to kick things off...

...and it was also the annual pink game. Gotta love pink pom poms.

This girl didn't tailgate with us but came later with my parents after they checked on their dog. I was completely unprepared for her showing up in my new scarf looking like a 21-year-old.

Sometimes she just strikes me, y'all. And I really couldn't be more proud.

Before long, it was time to take on the Cyclones.

And this week's photos focus on the defense. Here's where you should be grateful I'm focusing on one aspect each time and not making your retinas bleed on a biweekly basis. :-)

And since Ahmad Dixon and Tonto seem to have developed quite the relationship this season, seemed like a photo of the Midway boy was a necessity.

Soon the sun set both on the day and the Cyclones' hope of stopping the Bears.

The students were in rare form...

...the old fashioned card sections were brought back one last time at The Case...

...before Blake Shelton introduced Baylor girl (and The Voice alum) Holly Tucker...

...who rocked our socks off with a Super Bowl like halftime show.

Let's just say the girl can SING!!!

And it truly was a Homecoming full of food, fun and throwback festivities. In other words, it was PERFECT!