Texas Trip - part 3

So the last night of our visit we went to eat at Bucca, which is a really fun Italian place (if you haven't been there). It was a really fun trip, and the wine flowed freely!

The whole group: Carroll's and Amersons

Missy, Jane and Emily outside the restaurant.

Mark with one of the many statues!

Emily and Emma - too cute cousins!

Nannie Jane and Katie

Emily and Emma in the Pope room

I think she taught me chemistry!

The cute couple!

One of the finer things in life!

In the picture below, we had an arguement about whether this woman was with a goat, a dog or a pig.  It seems to be a very fat dog after close inspection. After many glasses of wine, we weren't sure!

Mark and the goat dog.

Trip to Texas - Part 2

So everyone knows the REAL reason we go to see Nannie Jane... that's right, its the closest American Girl store.  And I have to admit, if they'd have had it when I was little, I would have been addicted too.  So on our last day there, we drove into Dallas to visit our favorite store:

dressed and ready to go

we hope Nannie Jane never moves! (unless its back to La!)

Oh!  Mama looks sleepy.

Picking out our outfits

McKenna - the new girl for 2012

Emma in her best gymnastics pose.

The store had activities to complete and you could get a McKenna poster

Emma completing a memory game.

The much awaited spa time for Amber and Mia.

Emma waits for Amber to get her hair done

Her new style!

Mia gets her spa on!

Mia's new hairdo!

The girls and their freshened up dolls!

The outside of our favorite store.

Thanks Nannie Jane!

New Year's trip to Texas - Part 1

My sister and her family didn't get a chance to come in for Christmas this year, so the Carrolls decided to make a New Year's trip to Dallas (Plano, actually).  We left on New Year's eve b/c Mark worked a camp the day before.

the Girls and I at the Texas state line

Me, Mark and Emma at the state line.

The girls with Nannie Jane when we got there that night.

Playing outside on New Year's day.  The weather was beautiful but a little cool!

Nannie and Emma tossing a ball.

Katie and Mark

Jake also enjoyed all the extra attention that weekend.

Big Head self portrait.

Who's ready for baseball?

The Carrolls, minus one!

Katie jumped behind us....

... and Emma jumped in front!

Emma and Nannie Jane dancing later that night.

The Amersons

The Carrolls (minus one again)

Reading about my eighth book during the holidays!

Praise for social media!

 So keeping up with old friends used to be so difficult with kids and busy schedules but what would I do with out Facebook now?  I fought it for a long time b/c I didn't want my students "up in my business!" so to speak.  When I finally caved, it became an obsession.  But I digress... b/c of the Facebook thing, I have reconnected with my high school "group".  Some of us send the annual Christmas card, but we very rarely get together.  Well, for the first time in probably over 20 years, maybe, all of us got together for dinner over Christmas.  

This is Kristi, me, Stephanie L., Shawn and Stephanie S.

We all live in the BR area, but rarely run into each other.  (At least I don't).  We probably hadn't seen Stephanie L in at least 10 or so years.  We got to catch up and find out about family (some good and some sad), but great none the less.  We promise to do this more often!

Christmas Day

Ahhh!  Christmas morning!  I snapped a few pictures before the girls got to their gifts.  Its almost embarrassing how much they get.  Katie's "big" gift was her TV:

Emma has a Nintendo 3DS under all her stuff;  its pink!

Emma and her loot:

Katie and her stuff:

Santa brought the girls some 'gansta' DS hats (I think Mark found them in the field house in an old box or something.  We had 'dance party' in the kitchen later that morning with some of our new music:

Mark and Jovi having some Christmas fun:

Kevin, our Elf on the Shelf left the girls a note that they could give him a hug before we put him up for the year.  Emma was so excited b/c she really loves him:

Emma and her stocking:

Jovi and one of her new toys:

Mama with her Nemo jump drive and some new Michael Jackson music:

Mama and her LSU themed gifts, a new shirt, new scarf and the Mignon Faget tiger glasses that I really, really wanted (b/c I gave some of her other glasses to my sisters, and my husband surprised me with the tiger ones!):

My dessert project for this year.  Most family gatherings I make the dessert and I get most of my ideas from my magazines.  So this year I decided to make the peppermint cheesecake cake from Southern Living's white cake contest.  (See magazine pic below).  After this two day project, I may drink all the Crown and Absolute you see in the background:

Me and the magazine layout.  (I know, I look hot!)

Emma helping me with the project (she is pouring me my first cranberry juice and Absolut!)

Voila!  The finished project (decorations by Katie):

Later that night my family came over for the Weimer gathering.  The tree:

The girls and Paw paw (my dad):

Paw paw and Juju with my nephews, Jason and Chad:

Jason and Chad with the traditional pooping Christmas characters from Aunt Missy:

Nannie Kim and Mister Richard discussing one of Katie's presents:

Nannie Kim's present to Katie came in a sexy box!  (Don't worry, its not what you were thinking!)

Emma and her nuts!  (Kim and Richard discovered when the girls spent the weekend that Emma loves to crack her own nuts, so she got some with her own nutcracker - my kid is strange!)

Paw paw and Juju check out Emma's book that she made with her class:

Me and my sweetie with his new shirt:

And also a usual tradition - playing Wii with the family.  This year Santa brought two more remotes so 4 of us could play at one time.  Too bad no pictures were taken of me playing Just Dance 3 (... and guess who gets the high score every time?  ... that's right... I should have been a golden girl!)