Girls' Trip to Texas

 Mid November,  Margaret Gray and I took off on a girls' trip to Texas!

Back early September, Amy came up with the idea of having a girls' weekend in Abilene with our little girlies.... complete with a Sugar Plum Fairy Tea.

Tom didn't have to work that weekend.

Our sweet friends, Meagan and Audrey, Jenny and Bekah, and Kristen and Ava, were able to block off their calendars, too.

Bought our tickets.

Told Henry... the day before we left.

(Which I was terrified of doing! Not only were we going back to see friends in Texas, we were going to take a plane.... He took it sooo well. The words "Good for you Margaret" actually came out of his mouth! I think the promise of going to McDonalds with Tom and Simon took off the edge)

And we were off!

I actually got teary waving as my boys drove off and left us at the airport.

And there was a little craziness going through security that involved a Swiss army knife I bought in college for Tom while in Switzerland ... who knew it was stashed in MG's backpack?!?!

One of those uncontrollable crying moments, that was pretty ridiculous.

Nice security lady put it in lost and found for me to get back on our way home.

And please don't ask a pregnant lady to take off her boots to go through security- that was quite the sight to see!

Made it on the airplane.

We were stoked about our sodas.

Layover in Dallas was long enough for us to get to our connecting flight, and we were on our way to Abilene.

Flight arrived a little after 10.

MG was exhausted, but I'll never forget how happy she was in Amy's car on the way to her house!

Got Margaret tucked in bed and stayed up to 2:30am talking to my friends.

The next morning we got the girls dressed and headed off to the zoo.

L-R

Audrey, Bekah, Brinley, Ava, and MG

We were so happy to be with our dear friends!!!

Audrey was done taking pictures...

... so we captured this jewel.

After lunch and naps, we took a walk around the neighborhood.

... played outside... 

... ate pizza and had a princess dance party.

(We picked up Brinley's friend on our walk)

Got cleaned up

 And got settled to watch The Nutcracker before bed.

 Amy and I celebrated our November  birthdays with a yummy cake.

 MG kinda freaked out about the godfather in the movie and asked to go to bed early... which was good with me- she totally needed the rest.

Sunday morning, we played around the house, and got ready to go the the Sugar Plum Fairy Tea.

The girls had so much fun putting on their fancy dresses, getting their nails painted, putting on make up, and fixing their hair.

 The girls had a great time at the tea- eating cookies, drinking punch, and watching some of the ballerinas perform their numbers from the Nutcracker.

I am so thankful we got to spend the weekend with these ladies!

I know these moms and I will be life long friends, and I look forward to seeing our daughters grow up together and continue friendships of their own!

When Tom booked our tickets, he had us leaving from Dallas on Tuesday, so we could spend a little longer in our home state.

MG and I rode back to DFW with Meagan and Kristen, and Liz came and picked us up from Kristen's.

I was so excited to go stay with my college roomie!

Not sure if I'll get to see her again before we move back...

good thing we talk almost every day.

We got to her house around 9???

MG was really being a trooper...

With all the boys and school, Liz, Maggie, MG, and I had a girls day.

Took a stroll around her neighborhood.

Checked out a toy store in downtown McKinney.

 Ladies who Lunch

 Liz wanted to make sure all my kids got candy when we returned home.

 Was super excited we got to tag along to go pick up Jackson, Cooper, and Charlie....

Liz and I are usually on the phone while she sits in her not so great carpool line ;)

They've all gotten so much bigger in the 6 months we've been gone! 

Had fun playing around the house.. I've missed these kiddos!

We were lucky to have our family drive up to meet us for dinner.

Met up at a mall...

... MG was ecstatic to see her cousins! 

Silly PawPaw 

We were happy leaving them, knowing we would see them again for Christmas in Birmingham!

The final day, we tagged along on a playdate with Liz, Cooper, Charlie, and Maggie.

Funny that I had met all her friends there before... good to see them too!

After a quick lunch, we loaded up the car and Liz dropped us off at the airport... with another suitcase in tow full of baby clothes!

Thankful for this time with Liz and her family! They are so dear to me and really hope we don't live too far apart when we move back!

Security was not so bad this time through- no hormonal me.

We got some snacks and didn't have to wait too long before we boarded the plane.

At least someone got their Bible study done while we were gone. :)

Once we boarded, I had an EXHAUSTED little girl on my hands.

I think she fell asleep before we even took off, and I hated to wake her when we landed in Birmingham.

She had been such a trooper!

I was so thankful for this little getaway with my little sissy! 

We really had so much fun with our Texas friends and family!

Was nice to see my boys again, though ;)