Disney On Ice

Cameron has been begging to go to Disney World, so I jumped on the chance to take her to the next-best thing--Disney On Ice!  It was only 20 minutes from our house, too. 

Samantha and Emily joined us for a magical afternoon.  Perfect!

We ran around like maniacs, but made it inside the building with 10 minutes to spare!

These girls were as excited to see all the princesses as we were.

Little Ariel and Little Anna were simply too cute.

Our seats were so fab, too!  First up, The Little Mermaid.  We got to see Ariel and all of her good friends.

Ursula was scary, as always!

Ariel's high-flying tricks were my favorite, though.

Next up, Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder.

Disney does special effects so well.  The glowing lanterns were spot on.

and the parade at the end with horse was awesome!

After intermission, the girls were super stoked to see more princesses.  First up, Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

Be Our Guest was my favorite act of the day.  It's over 25 years old and still so impressive!

While the girls loved seeing Ariel, Rapunzel and Belle, they were most excited about Elsa and Anna.  Their faces were priceless when these two took the ice.

Kristoff and Sven were awesome as well...

 

and everyone loves Olaf, the dancing snowman!

All of the performers skated together for the finale.

And Elsa ended the show with a bang.  So very entertaining!

We went to lunch afterwards and then this little lady promptly fell asleep on the ride home.  I'm positive it was one of her very favorite days of the year.  And I love that.

Be Thankful

It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.  We all have areas in our life that are not perfect, but we are all abundantly blessed.  Sometimes it's nice to sit back and reflect, which is why I love Thanksgiving.    Time to give thanks!

I'm thankful for the health and huge smiles on the faces of these four little turkeys.

I''m thankful for Uncle Dan and Aunt Ruth being able to make the drive from Oklahoma to spend the day with us.

I'm thankful for Meme being able to come over for lunch, see her sister, and visit with her great grandkids.

I'm thankful that these kids get along more often than not these days--a huge blessing!

When Jared and I used to talk about our hypothetical family, we always envisioned three kids, with at least one boy and one girl.  In our wildest dreams, though, we never imagined being the parents to three kids as amazing as Jackson, Lila and Cami.  They are all so unique and special.  

I'm thankful that Meme got to give these girls big hugs and be entertained by Cami's Turkey songs:)

I'm thankful for an active family that knows how to have a good time.  Football after lunch is Jackson's favorite part of Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful that his little sister can run like the wind and score a touchdown on him!  Go Lila!

Jared (and I ) are thankful for his sweet mama, and I'm grateful that she raised such an amazing man.  Well done, Mama Hays!

Maddie and I are thankful for nice aunts and uncles.

Lila and Jackson are thankful for supportive grandparents, like Poppi, who come to all of their games!  Soccer, football, softball, baseball, basketball--he's one of their biggest fans.

We are all thankful that he was born on 11/24 and that we get to celebrate on Thanksgiving sometimes!  Thanksgiving meal AND chocolate cake?  Now that's a big day! 
Happy Birthday, Poppi!

I'm also thankful for good friends.  The day after Thanksgiving, we went to the Pointer's house for Friendsgiving.  So awesome!  The big kids...

medium kids...

and little kids all had a blast!

2017--a year to be full of gratitude and happiness.  We are thankful!

Growing Up!

How in the world is it already time for braces?

I have no idea how this happened, but it did!

The cutest Brace Face I ever did see.

On the same day, Cami and Maddie got their flu shots AND Lila was chosen to represent her school in a Martin Luther King, Jr. essay contest.  Such a big day!  I had tears in my eyes as Lila read her letter to me.  She wrote it to MLK and told him all about how his vision for a kinder world changed her life.  It ended with "If you didn't do what you did, I wouldn't have one of my very best friends."  Proud mama moment for sure.

A few days later, this little turkey was out for Thanksgiving break!

We met the boys' football coach at PSA and grabbed their 1st place trophies.  Way to go, Cowboys!

First up on our list for a fantastic Thanksgiving Break was to go see Calley in Annie, the musical.

Such a fantastic outing for me and my mini-me!

The show was awesome!  Super cute and Calley did great.

The girls even got to meet "Sandy" after the show.  It solidified the fact that Lila and Cami both really, really, really want a golden retriever for Christmas!  Oh my word.

Cabo San Lucas

We waited 2 long years to be able to come back to Cabo and it did not disappoint!

When we left Dallas, it was raining and 48 degrees.  A few hours later, we had arrived in paradise.  Sunny and 88!

My girls and I were ready to kick back, relax and have some fun.

When this crew is involved, only good times are in store.

After lunch, we got Cabo ready and met everyone down at the pool.

Cheers to 4 days in Mexico!

Life is just better at the beach.

We hung out in the infinity pool until sunset.

Vacation!

The next morning, we awoke to this view from our 5th floor room.

It's gonna be a good day!

The water was a little chilly, but Taylor and I braved it.

Hayley got pretty close:)

After lunch, we went for a beach walk.

Such an amazing feeling being at the ocean.

With no kids!

Our hotel, with the mountains behind and ocean in front.  Breathtaking.

A couple hours later we were ready for a night out in Cabo.

Waiting for our cab to arrive.  This view.  Y'all!

Every night, the sunset was just amazing.  

Edith's for dinner.  It's where it's at! 
Seriously, one of the best places we have EVER been for dinner.

So many laughs...

so much good food...

so many mariachis...

and so much fire!  I ordered coffee with kahlua, baileys and cognac.  I had no idea that it would be made tableside and involve all of this!

After dinner, we came back to our resort and found this beach party, complete with live music.  Fantastic people watching.

One of my favorite parts was waking up before the sun and drinking coffee on our balcony as it rose over the horizon.

Nothing short of spectacular.  Every single day.

We went for an early beach walk one day...

then found some chairs with a good view.  This is pretty tough to beat!

Before noon, all of us were at the pool.  Another day in paradise.  That afternoon, we did couples massages and then got ready for dinner at La Hacienda.

This time, they sat us at the beach under the pergola. 

Between the twinkle lights above our heads, a cruise ship in the bay and over 30 sail boats floating in the water, it was so picturesque.  Cheers!

Our last full day arrived way too fast.  We started out by hopping on a boat.

Our driver took us all around the Sea of Cortez...

over to see lots of pelicans...

and incredible views, 

including the famous Arch!

 

We got to see so many sea lions, too.  This one was my fave.  

Jared made friends with Manuel--he was such a fantastic guide--and even got his number so we can go fishing with him next time.

Soon another cruise ship made its way into the bay.  These ships are huge!

Manuel dropped us off at The Office for lunch.

Hayley and I opted for margaritas, while Taylor sipped tequila with the boys.

We ended the afternoon with a pool party at the Pointers' casita...

then had dinner at Salvatore's.

Adios, Cabo!  Until we meet again.  Stay cool.