Proof

This post is way overdue; however, I still wanted to post these pictures if nothing else but for proof that I went. In January, I went to Washington DC for the first time to visit Caroline. It was my first time in DC, and it was a blast. What a great city!

I began the trip with a flight into Baltimore (which can save quite a bit of money) and took the Amtrak, well, actually the MARC train over to DC. I arrived at Union Station and Caroline and Valerie came to pick me up. Valerie had just arrived as well, but at a different airport.

We had dinner at Pizza Paradiso in Dupont Circle. It was fantastic. It was also so fantastic to catch up with my two friends. The rest of the weekend was so much fun. I got to meet Caroline's new roommates, go house hunting with them (which was really cool because Virginia houses are quite different than houses here...and now I know where Caroline's new house is). We had a Marie Antionette brunch, which is an old college tradition of ours. It was really just a grand time. My favorite excursion was a trip to Georgetown!

I am posting the only two pictures that I took the entire weekend. It was rainy and cold and my focus was just on surviving the weather, not snapping photos. However, Val and Carol insisted that I must take a picture in front of the White House. And I insisted on not taking it along. So here you go.

Sweet Abilene

Every time I visit Abilene, I get that same feeling that you get when you go home. You know, that feeling that you are taking a break from the world and going to visit somewhere safe, where everyone really knows who you are and what you stand for, and the people there truly care about you? Well, thats how I feel about going to Abilene. Over the past few years, it has become my home away from home away from home (since I have 2 homes now, Kaufman and Houston). You don't really realize how great Abilene is and how rare being around friends who stand for the same things that you do is until you leave. Then you get it. Then you come back to it for a visit, and it is simply blissful.

This weekend was filled with great friends, great food, and, of course, Sing Song. You have to love that time of year when seeing someone at any given place in Abilene with red dots on their cheeks and long, painted on eyelashes is pretty normal.

We arrived in Abilene about 10:00 on Friday night. Fortunately, we still got to see lots of friends on Friday night.

Saturday morning Belinda, Caroline and I decided upon Whataburger for breakfast...always a staple. Shortly after that, Belinda, Clay, Ryan and I met Courtney and Dustin at Harold's! Still full from our Whataburger excursion, and knowing that I would be eating dinner at 4:30, I only had peach cobbler. But it was life changing peach cobbler. And it just happened to be one of those lucky Saturdays when Harold decided to sing. He told us that he had just had stints put in his heart, so he had a much harder time singing than he used to. He could have fooled me though. He began with "How Great Thou Art."

Now let me tell you something about Harold, the man can SING! I mean, its the kind of thing that gives me goosebumps. He just stood in the middle of his barbeque restaurant where people were lined up from the counter all the way out the back door and wrapping around the building and sang. After a few versus, he asked the whole restaurant to join in and led us all in singing "How Great Thou Art." Of course, everyone knew all of the words. These are the reasons that I love Abilene. Seriously, where else in the world does that happen. After one song, he moved into the next. He got everyone clapping their hands and began a soulful version of "Amen." It was awesome.

And in keeping in tradition, Kara and I got a Sing Song picture together. This is the first time in 3 years that we were not both in costume!

Sing Song 2010

Sing Song 2009

Sing Song 2008

After Sing Song, we all got to hang out again! It was great. I was reminded (not that I forgot, really) how lucky I am to have the friends that I have.

Love this one! It also makes me think of Sing Songs Past...

2009

2008

2006. Hilarious.

Love you all! It was a fantastic weekend!!

Valentine's Day

I have decided that since I am now married, I can give up hating Valentine's Day. Don't get me wrong, I still think that it is a ridiculous, commercial, non-holiday. But why would I turn down an excuse for a nice dinner out with Ryan and lots of candy? Therefore, this year, Ryan and I bought into the ridiculousness and celebrated V-day.

We even watched the movie, Valentine's Day (for the recored, I don't recommend it) with one of my very good friends from school and her boyfriend.

For dinner, we went to The Capital Grille in Houston. It was gooood!! And very stately.

AND, Ryan gave me very close tickets to the Houston Rodeo on the night that Keith Urban will be performing...which I am quite excited about.

I gave him some sweet new Sperry's! They are navy, and I really like them. I think that he did too!

Well, I suppose it is back to the homework that I have been putting off. Have a good one!