Sunday is here! My husband, the littles and I were simply EXHAUSTED from all the running around we had done up to this point by the time Sunday arrived but the whole crew was starving so the entire lot of us went and had brunch at The Cheesecake Factory then my husband and I, plus the small fries headed back to my sisters' house for a much needed nap while my sisters took the "Day Ones" (as Ashley would call them in her Facebook post) off for an adventure.
They went to find some deals at Marshall's and took them to H&M. Apparently there is a multi-story version of this popular clothing store (H&M) near The Cheesecake Factory we dined at. If you haven't partaken in the stylish trends at your local H&M, you should. You will see cute and on trend styles that are very affordable!
After their shopping trek they headed off to cool down at their favorite Popsicle Stand!
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| Ashley's Facebook post read...."The baby nieces are fun but today we hang with our day ones! #auntielove#dontevergrowup" |
Steel City Pops is a kid favorite when they visit the Aunties. This place has the coolest popsicles made from the best ingredients the owners can find. They boast all natural and certified organic ingredients, when possible and the business was started by a family with a dream. I so love the concept.
It cracks me up that despite a menu FULL of options, my son always chooses the Vanilla Bean flavor. He's just like his Dad. He loves the old standard. This pic of my sister and my son is a winner! They look like they are just having the BEST TIME! Plus, they just look "cool". I'm talking "Grease is the word" cool.
Ashley and Danielle graciously kept the older ones busy while we finished napping and I was eternally grateful. Sometimes you need a nap you didn't even know you needed.
After our nap I was hungry. Again. Yes. Already thinking about dinner. I started polling the family to find out what everybody wanted and we ended up at BJ's Brewhouse. The food was great and the service was too.
I was really impressed with the kids' behavior during this meal. It's not easy taming a table full of wild ones. They acted so well that a table full of elderly women complimented us as we were leaving.
These ladies were so cute! They were a table full of friends having a meal and some margaritas! Just my type of crowd! I aspire to be a table of life, happiness, and enjoying my favorite people in my elder status one day! For now I will enjoy family time. I so enjoy it. I soak up any moments like these I can.
After dinner we went to Target to grab some supplies for the impending drive home then headed to my sisters' place, once again, for another night of fun. My son, Little John, chose CLUE for the night's down time. I love CLUE. Little did I know how long it would take to get through the board game version. At some point, I started cheating and showing my cards so we could finish. Warning, don't play CLUE unless you have TONS of time to dedicate. Holy crow. That was LONG! After a run to Taco Casa for some late night snacks, we turned in. It was another great night of gaming and visiting. I am so elated that my husband brought me to my sister AND my home town for my birthday. I have had the best time but for now it was time for bed. We were set to head back to Beaumont the next morning.
We woke up the next morning and started packing things up but before we left town we wanted to feed the mongrels some breakfast. My sisters suggested Torchy's Tacos. My family LOVES breakfast tacos plus, this is another place I have never eaten at so we were all game.
If you ever come across a Torchy's, try it. The food was great and the service was too!
We ate breakfast then headed back to finish packing up the car, say our goodbyes and head out. I hate goodbyes. I balance them out by calling them "See you laters". I hope that one day my sisters and I will end up living in the same city again. I hope it AND I pray it. For now, I am grateful for the visit and hopeful we can visit again, very soon. We packed up the kids and the SUV and drove south to our home. Driving home always feels much longer and more bleak then driving TO the visit. The road feels long and sullen. I immediately miss my sisters' company. We always have the best time together. Going home is necessary. It's inevitable so I will make the best of it.
One of the things I look forward to is stopping at Buc-ee's, which is our half-way point, for a round of rest and some snacks before we get back on the road again.
Here, you can observe Vivian feeding the caged bears the goodies we purchased at our stop (highly unadvised :-) ) as we are driving back home after stopping. If you have a Buc-ee's near you or on your traveling route and you haven't stopped to see what the hype is all about, you should. Some of our favorite treats to pick up include Buc-ee's homemade licorice bites, candy covered pecans and their rice krispie treats. Whether you have a sweet tooth, a more savory palette or just a desire to shop for trinkets and souvenirs, Buc-ee's can help you out.
We arrived back home and unloaded the car. My oldest daughter picked up the Grand-baby then we were off to bed. I love visiting family. I also love coming back to my bed. I have the most comfortable Temperpedic mattress. I slept so heavy the night we got back home. I sincerely dream of the day I can live close to my sister and only have to drive a short distance to my comfort zone. Until then, I will pray for more visits back home and with my sisters. I have a boat load of memories with them and look forward to many, many more.
Here's a link to the brunch item I had at The Cheesecake Factory. It was SOOOOOO good! I highly recommend it...
Plus, you should definitely read about how Steel City Pops got started. I love their story. I wish them many successes!
Please share with me any unique places you recommend while traveling!!!
Until next time... love to you all!!
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