Deep in the Heart of Texas

For my birthday, George shipped me and our little cowboys off to Texas for a week. My dear motra, Elaine, lives in Dallas, and my other dear moter, Eliza, drove down from Oklahoma. I haven't seen Elaine and Eliza for almost three years, and that was for just a few minutes at Elaine's wedding, so it felt like even longer. It was so fun we were able to make this happen. I love friends that you can pick up exactly where you left without keeping in touch. They are the best!

This photo is random, but the only one I have on my computer from back in the day with all three of us. Here we are dressed up for Halloween in 2006 - really 7 years ago?! Time flies!

We celebrated Flake's (pronounced flaw-kay, haha) birthday while we were there! We went out for Greek food to celebrate...watch out flaming cheese! I was sooo good. My favorite for sure. I'm determined to find the best Greek restaurant in Orlando now.

 Check out that yummy cake Liza made...te lumshin duart.

Dallas is a big, clean city with lots of big trees, restaurants, and shopping...not one cowboy though! Elaine showed us the sites (including the exact spot where Kennedy was assassinated), and treated us to so much yummy food! And of course in good Albanian fashion we enjoyed fanta eksotik, biskrem, and caj mali. Clinton was a sport and let us take over their apartment.

Ella teaching Jack how to dance to "Elmo's Got the Moves". Every time that music video came on tv, Ella would drop everything, run over and start dancing. It was so cute!

If you have a toddler, play this music video for them. They'll love it! Be warned, the song is a little too catchy!

Five kids - 3 and under in a two bedroom apartment. Party!

My babies: Sawyer 2.5, Jack 1-almost, Eliza's babies: Holland 9 months, Hazel 3.5, & Elaine's baby: Ella 15 months. They played so well together and were really good for us.

Out on the town at the farmer's market.

Sawyer and Hazel really wanted this picture...and Liza too, haha!

Hanging out with the famous Texas Longhorns.

Sawyer had the biggest meltdown to date shortly after this photo was taken. That boy's got some lungs!

Group shot - it was so fun to be all together...it went by way too fast.

We got in some shopping. I bought skinny jeans...didn't think I'd ever see the day. Weird.

My motiz and their bebes.

Aunt Elaine treated these two to a ride on the carousel.

Ella is a firecracker with the cutest smile!

What is TX without BBQ? George's dream meal - a tray of meat.

We needed a break and sent the kids out on the town. We found them eating authentic italian pizza. They have good taste!

 Elaine taught us the secret to perfect home-made bread.

On Monday we hit up the brand new Children's Science Museum downtown. There were SO many people there, but we had fun exploring the different levels. I found out that Jack hates elevators. He cried every time we rode on one and would stop crying the second we got off.

This dino makes T-rex look mini.

Sawyer and I experiencing a simulated earthquake (meanwhile George, back in FL, was experiencing a real tornado.)

Oh geez - I can only imagine 14 years from now in a real truck...

 They had a great kids area for ages 5 and under. The water table was a big hit...look how serious they all are. Playing is hard work!

It's really fulfilling to see your friends happy, and healthy...making good decisions and being fantastic mothers and wives. It was such a fun trip and am so thankful it happened. Lot of fond memories.

Side Note: So a 3 hour plane ride with two young kids by myself...went better than expected. I over-prepared with snacks and entertainment. The flight there was a little rough since we departed right at bedtime. Jack had a crying spell of about 20 minutes before he finally fell asleep. Sawyer was wide awake the whole flight and pretty cheery since he'd pretty much rather do anything than go to sleep. Even after we got to Elaine's (around 1 a.m. our time) the boys were wide awake and playing like it was the middle of the day. What the? Why don't my children like to sleep? Flight home was perfect. Jack fell asleep in my arms as we took off. We had a big tail wind so we landed 30 minutes early. 

Future reference entertainment ideas: stickers, mini play dough with a couple tools, crayons/paper, lacing fruit loops and pasta (ziti), ipod for movies, pill container filled with m&m's, raisins, fruit -snacks, pom-poms, etc. They love opening and closing all the little lids and finding treasures! Also sticky notes to write on and hang all over the walls/windows/seats. There is no relaxing really, but I'm ok with that as long as there is minimal crying/screaming. Some lady called me her hero as she passed me juggling the boys and our gear onto the airplane.

We skyped with papa before bed every night :)

I came home to a spotless house! We're talking spring cleaning, move the furniture scrub the floors, type of spotless house. That was such a great gift from George. What a hard-working man I married! We missed him so much while we were away. It's so nice to be back together as a family. Sawyer seemed especially happy to be back home with papa.