Texan Times

As some of you know we decided to surprise Kirk's dad and his wife on their mission. Kirk's dad turned 70 on the 10th and we showed up just in time for the party! They are currently serving in Carrollton, Texas, which is about 10 minutes out of Dallas. So, we are here for some fun in the sun until next Tuesday. :o)

Tuesday night we had some food and some birthday fun, and got all settled in in their snug one bedroom one bath apartment. he he he... We're all nice and cozy, but it's not too bad. We actually flew in during a storm and as the night went on the cooler it got. The storm warning signal went off and transformers started blowing. The sky was lit up bright blue and the lightning was amazing. It was a little scary to think a tornado could be coming in, but it was an inexplicably awesome experience.

Wednesday was Jim and Jerri's "P" Day so they took us around to some of their favorite spots. We started the day with breakfast at a Waffle House. Kirk was so excited. It was funny to me and it was one more reason I fell even more in love with him. He's seen Waffle Houses in different movies, namely "Tin Cup" and he was thrilled to have the experience. And I have to admit, it was pretty good. You can add whatever you want into your waffle, blueberries, chocolate chips, pecans, strawberries, etc..... But more than the food, it was just a fun atmosphere. They have it all set up and you can watch the short order cook and the servers all yelling at each other. Yes, yelling. It was pretty funny.

Next we headed over to the Grapevine Mall. Now this is no small feat, the mall goes in one big circle and I think it's about a mile long. There's TONS of stores, although we didn't buy much, just some small things at the Disney store, surprise surprise. We then drove over by the new Cowboys stadium, which is supposed to be the most luxurious stadium built to date. It's not open for touring yet, which was a disappointment, but we did stop and snap some shots. So, when the Superbowl is held there next year, YES, we've been there!!! Here's a picture of my handsome husband and the amazing stadium in the background.

We then found some great Texas clothing stores, mostly the just had some cool boots and then we went to a locally owned burger joint and stuffed ourselves! After much fun and a long day we came back to their apartment and had a relaxing evening.


Thursday we went to the Fort Worth Zoo. It was very cool and had some amazing sights. They had giraffes, rhinos, hippos, elephants, lions, gorillas, flamingos, etc. We were very impressed. The kids were exhausted from short/non-existent naps, but they did really well. It was a lot of fun, but what can you really say about a zoo? It's a zoo!!! It was obviously very kid friendly and there were lots of little things for Erika to do.

Erika and Me in front of the Flamingos

Erika wanted nothing more than to see a crocodile, this one obviously is fake, but it was pretty cool and she played on it for a long time. :o)






Sorry for the novel, but today was also pretty exciting. We went over to the Stockyards. It's like old town Texas. There were cowboys riding around on horses greeting everyone and it was such a fun atmosphere. They had little shops and saloons as well as some great photo opportunities. They had a real live cattle drive right down the middle of the street with HUGE Texas Long Horns. Such a fun time! Erika even got to sit on one.

Kirk, Rhonda & Erika sitting at the Sasparilla Saloon

Cowboy Kaden

Erika riding a Texas Long Horn

We also got to visit the Bureau of Engraving and Printing which was pretty cool. It's one of the only 2 places they print currency in the U.S. We got to take a tour where we saw all the steps in which they make money. It was enjoyable for us, but especially Kirk as he teaches about financial fitness. The gift shop had some fun things Kirk was able to pick up for some of his presentations, so that was an added bonus. Sorry no pictures. No cameras, cell phones or any other electronics are allowed inside. But it was well worth the trip.

We've decided it's only appropriate to leave Texas with a new pair of cowboy/girl boots. :o) Yes, I got pair of cowgirl boots. Only Kirk's dad tells me their not cowgirl boots because they're not pointed... oh well... Kirk's are very cool, red on the upper part and brown on the base. Rhonda and Andy even spoiled Erika by getting her her very own pair, thankfully they are pretty unisex and Kaden will be able to wear them as well.

So now after my novel we have been having lots of fun and hopefully much more to come!!! I don't know if I'll post again before we get back, if not you'll all have another novel to look forward to!