Thanksgiving Trip: The Recap

I don’t really know where to start. Our trip to Texas was filled with fun, traffic citations, good food, family and friends.  Did I mention the traffic citations? Yeah. There were two of them.

Barney Fife was bored in Nebraska when we were on our way to Texas, and the next day he was still bored in my parent’s hometown. We were stopped for no front license plate in Nebraska (which we are not required to have where we live). And then stopped in Texas for not having lights on our back license plate. Apparently Barney has never lived in gumbo country or on a gravel road. It’s impossible not to lose the light on the back license plate. Gravel, Barney, gravel and mud!  Anyway, we weren’t given tickets for those offenses. Nooooo, we were given tickets because Zach’s license had expired on his birthday and he was unaware.   I’m sure it happens to everyone at some point.

It is at this point that I need to remind everyone that I have two Zach’s in my life- my little brother and my cowboy are both named Zachary.

We made it to Texas just shy of 2am Wednesday morning.  We stayed with my sister in her new, really cute, house! Wednesday I had some highly important appointments. I got a smashing new ‘do, and then had my brows and lashes tinted. You know those both are necessities. We did some hanging out with the folks,  went through some of my late grandmother’s things, and threw in some last minute Christmas shopping, just for fun.   That evening  my brother, Zach and his wife, Amy, got in, and we visited with them for about 2 minutes, before we had to leave to go have supper with my friend Lacee and her husband Mark and their two kids, Rilee and Tanner.  Good Mexican food was enjoyed by all.

Thursday morning I baked two pumpkin pies- my second favorite part of Thanksgiving (though if I’d have had my way there’d have been some rum glazed pecan pie too).  And no pumpkin pie is complete without homemade whipped cream, so I whipped away.  No pun intended. Ok, well maybe.  Regardless, there’s only one response, “Yummy”! My favorite part of thanksgiving, is mom’s gravy. I could just bathe in it.

When those were done I went to my mom’s house to make some maple glazed brussel sprouts. Hat tip to Jan at the Sushi Bar for sharing that yummy goodness!  Then I ate too much. I was so stuffed I didn’t even eat dinner. Though I did manage to shove another piece of pumpkin pie, covered in whipped cream, down my fat face.  While the food ruminated, we watched the Cowboys actully look like they knew how to play football; and then that evening we watched The University of Texas (my brother and his wife’s alma mater) squeak out a win against a very fired up Texas A&M team. My Zach finds it humorous that I cheer for UT when I am technically an Aggie due to my graduation from a Texas A&M subsidiary school, Tarleton State. And he finds it more humorous that my family just doesn’t bring that little fact up- we just don’t talk about it. At all. Maybe that is a teensie bit funny.  I think it’s made a bigger deal because my brother is a Big 12 Champion and an All American, as well as record holder at UT. So that might be part of the reason. Needless to say, we’re all proud of him.

Friday we decided to do some more shopping- I snuck out of the house early and headed to Hobby Lobby where I had a great deal of fun buying Christmas decorations for out new house; I was in and out in about 25 minutes, because my friend, Devon, and her little girl, Stella, were on their way to visit us.  That was fun that we got to see them.  After that visit and some lunch- like I needed to eat anything else, Zach and I went and did more shopping. It really wasn’t crowded at either the Best Buy or the Lowes. Really surprising if you ask me!

That evening we had planned a sibling outing- mom and dad had agreed to watch my neice, Tatum, Zach and Amy’s daughter. We headed to PF Chang’s China Bistro to enjoy some fabulous food and drinks. Then we decided to go bowling.  That was just excellent fun. I totally creamed my brother in the first game, much to his chagrin. I’d have beat him in the second round too, but on the last frame, I tripped over my too long pants, and fouled. The bruise on my knee is just now going away.  When we set up the games, little brother Zach gave us all funny nicknames:

Little Brother was The Bomb Digitty,

Little Sister, Megan was Meegan,

I am JayZ, of course,

My Zach is, Arm Deep, a funny little joke due to Preg Checking cattle,

And Amy is The Ringer, because apparently she bowls pretty good when you don’t expect it.

We had an nothing less than an absolute blast that night.

Saturday morning we were treated to brunch by my folks. I’m certain by this point my mother wants me to be fat. Like we needed to eat any more. Don’t put me in front of a buffet. Ever. Again. Please? I am so fat by this point.

After brunch, we had Christmas with the family and got all kinds of good loot. Zach and I got some new books, and a 17 piece set of Cuisine Art Stainless Cookware, which we really needed. Confession: I have made it a year and a half with what I’d consider sub-par cookware but no one starved and no one died, so maybe we didn’t need it. Or maybe we were saved by the Lodge Cast Iron Skillets and Griddle that we own? Hmmmm…  Regardless, I asked for new cookware, and mom and dad like to deliver, so that’s what we got. Needless to say I was giddily excited. Zach and Amy hooked me up with more roosters for my kitchen, which is never a bad gift, because I don’t think you can have too much cock in the kitchen! Was that crass? Maybe a little. Sorry, Mom. Am I really sorry? I don’t know. I might have to think about it

Mom and Dad hooked my niece, Tatum, up with a pretty Christmas dress.  Like she’s not cute enough on her own? Seriously. You’re not helping my baby fever here!

Saturday, after we’d opened presents, and dad made our vehicle *legal*, we headed north. As much as I love my folks, and love (and miss) Texas, I have really grown to love and adore this piece of paradise where we live. Did I mentionI love it? Even if it is in the frozen north. I am afforded so many luxuries and so much freedom in this place.  Ready as I was to get back, goodbyes, from family that is a thousand miles away is always bittersweet.

Now we’re back on the ranch, with just a few days until we jet set again, this time to Vegas. We decided to road trip it this year- it’s about a 21 hour drive. But it should be fun. We’ll eat some excellent food. do some serious window shopping (and real shopping at Cowboy Christmas), probably see a show or two, and maybe even make a performance or two of the National Finals Rodeo. I’m sure I’ll see some friends, and possibly make some new ones! We are leaving Saturday before noon, so I have to get myself in gear. I need to get all the outside Christmas decorations up so it feels like Christmas around here, since I won’t be putting a tree up until we get back, and I have laundry to do and a week’s worth of mail to go through!

I’m scatting for now. I have more to share so I’ll be back at some point this week.

Have a good one, y’all!