Rise

Jen was in Telluride skiing and missed the birthday “martini and movie” night, so we decided to have dinner and catch up once she returned. Christine joined us as well, and we met at Rise for dinner. Robin wrote about rise in her blog a while back and I’ve been dying to try it ever since. It’s a menu based on soufflés, and a few French basics like onion soup and brie sandwiches etc.
The place is adorable, and my food was very good. I’m not sure it’s a “must do” but its fun and cozy. I had the crab soufflé for dinner and we split the chocolate and bread pudding soufflés for dessert. We visited over a glass of wine and talked about all that is, and has been going on. It was fun to sit down and have some time with them. Once the wine was gone we headed home to beat the tornado warnings.

Ladies Night

To continue with the b-day theme Sunday night I had a little martini/movie party for myself here in Dallas. We intended on meeting early to grab a cocktail in the lounge, but we walked in 45 min before show time and the line was already forming. So we decided to forgo the drinks until after the movie. The Inwood Theater was the venue, and the movie was “He’s just not that into you”. The theater is amazing, filled with over sized love seats and couches, you can bring in your own alcohol and they hand out blankets etc. It’s like being in a huge living room.
We all spread out and curled up in our own seats for the show. I brought along red velvet cupcakes and valentines for the girls. (Hey...it’s my party and I'll bring cupcakes if I want too) The movie was funny and true in many ways. I could relate to it, and the cast was great. After the movie we headed to the lounge for some rather strong cocktails.

All I needed for a great birthday was a martini, a red velvet treat and time with some special people, new and old. Unfortunately it was a Sunday night, and we all had to get home at a decent hour.

Let the celebrating begin!

Growing up I was the only February birthday, but as an adult I'm one of many. My friend Heather has a Valentine’s Day birthday, and mine is the day before. We decided to celebrate early beacause I'll be gone Valentines weekend, and Heather shares her day with her twins, which are turning 1. So Saturday night The Shahans and the Heinrichs joined us for dinner at Capital Grille. The host thought perhaps Garth Brooks was stopping in under the pseudonym "Chris Gaines" and I think was a little disappointed to find it was only Chris, and that it is his real name. The food was delicious. Can one really go wrong with calamari, lobster mac and cheese, seared ahi tuna and crème brule? I think not.

They took great care of us by giving us roses, writing out our names in chocolate on the plate, and adding a candle. I thank them for not singing.

Once dinner was over we said goodbye to Rob & Allison, and the 4 of us headed to the Mavs game. Some friends generously gave us their tickets, and we had the most amazing seats. Chris and I were seated 3rd row, and Chris and Heather were 9th row. The Mavs actually won in overtime, and the game was very exciting.

It was a delicious evening with wonderful company. Thank you all for making the trek rom Forth Worth to celebrate!

SMU Crew

Chris went to grad school at SMU, and during that time we made some great friends. It’s rare that we all get to spend time together so we organized a dinner last weekend. It was fun to sit around the table and catch up. They are all such smart and kind people. We are very blessed to know them. None of us could believe that they graduated almost 3 years ago; the time is going by so quickly. We have seen people get married, start new jobs, and move to different cities etc. I promise we won’t wait as long for the next gathering. I didn’t take pictures of course, so here are all of them at graduation (sans spouses).

It’s Miller Time (almost)

This past weekend I went to a baby shower for my girlfriend Robin. Robin is having a baby boy, and his name will be Miller. The shower was a great time with the mommy to be, and friends as we enjoyed the beautiful weather and Courtney’s new house. The food was delicious, the decor adorable, and Robin was glowing. I had to get him some UT onsies so that he would fit in on game day with his parents this fall. Miller will be here before we know it, and everyone is anxious to meet him. Great job to the hostesses Mari, Courtney and Jen.

Truth

Have you ever had lunch, or even a phone conversation with a girlfriend and when it was over you wondered "how is she really?" I mean we get the niceties out of the way, job, house, dog/cat, husband, travel and the like. How often do we really get into it...you know the tough stuff: debt, heartache, family drama, infertility, feeling stuck, behind the scenes of a marriage, religion or on this day even politics? What is really going on with me, and do I share it?
I have to say I share with very few the really big things because it's so personal it's scary. But how do real friendships grow if no one is really saying anything? I wondered if I was alone in this, but I read the BEST blog posting ever today about truth and relationships. I thought it was so awesome that I had to post the link. It doesn't hurt that this blogger shares the same name either :)

FNL

It's finally here, finally!

I say that, but my mom has Direct TV and has already seen all the episodes that I will finally get to watch starting Friday night. Luckily she hasn't told me anything. Anything accept that I will love Tim Riggins this season more than I already do. I do, I love Tim Riggins. He is the secretly sweet bad boy that I would've had a total crush on in High School. Actually, I did have a crush on a guy like that in HS and now he has 4 kids, works construction, and is balding.

I already have the Tivo set to record, and encourage all of you who haven't seen it to give it a try.

Celine

Don’t be jealous. Kidding I’m sure you’re not…in fact you’re probably going to judge me for this. I went to the Celine Dion concert on Monday night. That’s right. I might have pulled out the old cd case that I haven’t used since the invention of iTunes to find those songs of the past. Who doesn’t remember Titanic, or Up Close & Personal, or Beauty & the Beast? So go ahead and judge…but I bet you remember too.

Christine and I had always wanted to see her. We had talked about going to Vegas a lot in the past 4 years to see her while she was at Caesars, but never made it. So when we found out last fall that she would be here in Dallas we went on a campaign to get some tickets. Come Monday we were on our way to the AAC, tickets in hand. Bless all the husbands and boyfriends that were forced to attend, including sweet Emmitt Smith.

Celine sounded better live than any performer I’ve ever heard. She was funny and enduring and of course made the crazy facial expressions and dramatic arm gestures I was expecting. She is SO tiny, and her dresses were even smaller. Our friend Lacy was in the 4th row and said it was rather easy to see up the dress. She danced and ran all over the stage in 4 inch heels. I can’t even make it to the front door in shoes like that. Overall it was entertaining, her voice was perfect, and we were thrilled we finally had the chance to see her.

NYE

I was given the gift of a nasty cold for Christmas. Come NYE I still wasn’t 100% so I passed on the parties and headed to Ft Worth. My parents were still in town from CA, and had avoided me and the illness, so I wanted to see them before they left on Jan 1st. We all had dinner, and my dad and Rob had made crème brule that was “orgasmic” according to Heather Shahan. It’s my dad’s specialty that he taught Rob how to make this trip.

It was a big family affair with Allison’s parents also coming over for the game time fun. We brought the wii, and played Taboo: boys vs. girls. Of course the girls team dominated. My dad described at length “covenant” and the word was actually “convent" but he didn’t see that. We all died laughing.



It isn’t a trip to Ft Worth without the Shahan family as well so they rounded out the group along with Heather’s sister Elizabeth and her husband Brian. Here is a photo of the whole clan (minus Tim, Allison’s dad, who is taking the picture) ringing in the 2009. Please don’t be frightened by the bearded superhero in the pink mask…that’s just my brother after lots of tequila.

2008

2008 was such a good year it's hard to narrow the list but I will try. Looking back at 2008:

Who Rocked: Kerri, Heather, Erin and Sonia for all giving birth to healthy baby boys, Jen for running the NYC Marathon, and Colleen for taking a risk on a new job.

Big Moves: Celeste moved to Houston, The Butlers to Denver, Rob & Allison to Ft Worth, and we got Elizabeth back in Dallas!

Favorite things in 2008: iphone, spanx, wii, DVR, and Chick-fil-a chocolate peppermint milkshakes (hence the need for spanx).

Favorite Movie/Book/Song of 2008: Book: A Thousand Splendid Suns, Movie: Slumdog Millionaire (yes, I know it just came out, but it is) Song: Natalie Grant, I will not be moved.

Vacation Moments: Taking Chris to the US Open, and a kiss on a park bench in Paris.

Blessed With: A job I enjoy, a house I call home, and selfless love from my family & Chris.

New Pals: Celeste and Callie (bonus points for not dying), Yoshi & Steven.

Daily Loves: Kona, starbucks, and a good morning kiss.

Personal Changes: Becoming a wife, changing my name, and joint checking.

Unforgettable: The time in Tahoe with everyone we love.

Thankful For: Forgiveness. Always given, I just forget to ask.

“Not well traveled, not well read, not well to do or well bred.
Just want to hear instead, “Well done”, good and faithful one”
-Nichole Nordeman: Legacy

4 Christmases

I’m not kidding. This year we have 4…just like the movie. I’m prepared to be both entertained and entertaining, and I’m fairly sure we will argue at least once. I was telling him we needed a video camera to capture the events but he didn’t see the humor.

Starting the show is Christmas Eve with his mom & John, Matt & Crystal.

Christmas night with his Nana, and Christmas day with his dad’s family, and Grandma Dorothy.


However, it is a sad year because it’s the first for Chris without his Grandpa. He died a year ago, the same weekend we were engaged. Everyone was in shock last year during the holidays, but this year we’re really feeling the loss. Chris was asked to give the blessing at the meal, and it will be the first time in his life that his Grandpa hasn’t been the one to do it.


The 4th and final Christmas is on the other end of the spectrum...Chris and I will be an Aunt and Uncle in 2009!!! I can finally tell everyone that Rob & Allison are having a baby!

So the last stop is in Ft Worth. The future parents and my parents who are flying in from CA will be rounding it out Heinrich style. I’ve been dying for everyone to know, and am so excited I can’t stand it. By now I have gotten over the fact that even though they live 45 min away, they told Chris & I via ichat (Mac video message) on Election night. I was unaware they were calling to tell us about different results. So now my reaction, complete with a curse word, is preserved forever. Classic. Baby Heinrich will arrive in July, and I can’t wait! Chris is equally as excited. He keeps trying to come up with a cool uncle name.

So from all our families to yours, have a safe and Merry Christmas.

Chicken Soup for the Soul

In our case it was more like jager for the soul, but I digress. A few months back, Celeste and I thought it would be fun to meet in Austin for the weekend. It’s the same distance from Houston and Dallas, yet it seems a world away. When we actually tried to pick dates, the only one that worked was the weekend before Christmas. During the planning we also asked our friend Elizabeth if she wanted to join us.

So, this past weekend the 3 of us took Austin by storm, as if anything less would ever do. In the end, we left rejuvenated and ready to handle this week’s impending holiday stresses, our stomachs aching from laughing so hard and our livers praying for mercy.

Here are a few highlights:
- Drinking coffee and eating breakfast tacos at Joes…when I look up and see at the table behind us none other than COACH TAYLOR (aka Kyle Chandler) from Friday Night Lights. I love him, remember? Well, he is even hotter in person - so sexy. He was just sitting at a table, fitting in, non-famously drinking his coffee and reading the paper. Not one single person bothered him, but I had to get a picture.

- Celeste falling. I know she hates this story, but I love it because it just as easily could have been me, as we both have the gift of grace. We had closed down a bar and were trying to get a cab. Having no luck, we headed to the nearest busy looking corner. I'm booking it, since I’m in short sleeves and the temp had dropped about 20 degrees. Celeste is behind me, and Elizabeth is bringing up the rear. I should mention first that I think 6 jager bombs and 7 beers had been consumed by each of us - yes each – thus we were in prime form. We’re not sure if the jiggy sidewalk or the balance of Celeste was to blame, but all I heard was Elizabeth yell “Celeste, no!!” I turn around to see her completely laid out on the sidewalk, face first. Elizabeth and I, being the wonderful friends that we are, start laughing so hard we can’t even help her. Celeste calmly says “I’m just going to lay here until someone helps me up”. The picture below is of her and the 2 nice gentlemen that did just that.
- Vito. It’s 3:30 am, we closed the bar, and we are starving. Elizabeth needs to use the restroom, so on our way to eat we stop by our hotel so she can use the lobby bathroom. We tell her, “use the lobby bathroom, you don’t have a room key”. Celeste and I, not having to go as badly, drive down into the garage, take the elevator to the lobby and head to the bathroom to retrieve Elizabeth. She’s not there. We go back to the car, then pulled back around to the front figuring we missed her in the process. She wasn’t out front either. Apparently, she went up to our room, realized she didn’t have a key and was dancing around waiting for us…when this guy that was in the hall recognized her distress, and offered for her to use the restroom in his room. She had to go so badly that she did, and then she asked him if he wanted to go get food with us. When we pulled out front to pick her back up, there she was, with him and his name was Vito. We entertained him I'm sure.

The First Freeze

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Everyone loves the first major freeze of the year. A million car accidents, the 2 hour drive into work, the school closings, and in my case...every employee calling me to see if they can leave early or come in late. Well, those might be the negative aspects of the frozen roads.

I love that for just a day or two it feels like the Christmas season. I can see my breath in the morning, have hot chocolate to warm up my hands, and drive around to see the holiday lights at night.

Tree Time

With Christmas around the corner it was time for a tree last weekend. We debated over fake vs. real for a while and eventually agreed that for our first “married” tree we wanted a real one. I was nervous about this little adventure because we all remember the last time we tried this (see #2). It almost ended a relationship. With only 3 married months under our belt I didn’t want this to be the beginning of a very long year.
I have to say, it was actually a great experience. We walked the tree lot for a while, and selected a few we liked, narrowed it to one and took the slip to the tree guy. In total it took about 30 min, no arguing, no crying….but that was only step one.


Once the tree was loaded we headed home, got it in a stand and trimmed the bottom. Again…peace on earth at the Gaines house. I think the only, and very brief, issue of the day was colored vs. white lights. I told him he could have colored, even offered to run and get them at the store. I’m working on compromise because we all know I love the white lights. He thought about it and decided white would be alright.
We also decided we needed some shared ornaments, ones that were new for us both to add to the ones we brought along. So we did some searching and now have an Eiffel tower (Paris honeymoon), a golf ball (Chris), and a cowboy boot (me becoming Texan). So we mixed the old and the new, added the lights…and voila. Here is our beautiful tree.

Attention Jersey Nation

* Disclaimer: Some of you won’t like me after reading this, however, the following was not written about anyone I know, might have passed in the hall, am related to, or went to high school with. This is merely a general statement regarding my personal opinion on a certain item of clothing. That is all. I plead for people to relax and have a laugh.

This is a slight rant about a particular high-grade, polyester, ill-fitting item that I have an issue with: Sports Jerseys.



A jersey is very expensive, and generally unflattering. I understand at an actual game. I endorse it at an at an actual game. I don't feel the same about wearing it out as a general item of clothing. I saw one being worn in Target on a non-game day, and at church on Sunday. Someone was even wearing a Redskins jersey at the Cowboys/Seahawks game. What?



I love the teams I follow. I have ball caps, t-shirts, and a few sweatshirts. I feel that wearing one of those items is a little more age appropriate, not to mention cheaper. One has to admit it's kind of bizarre for grown adults to declare their love of an athlete in the form of embroydery. Let’s not even get into the personalized jerseys, or those worn tucked in.



Here is what I would consider a few exceptions:

1) Under 18 years old. Come on we all remember high school.
2) A hot chick. Even then let’s not forget the Jessica Simpson pink jersey issue.
3) Anyone Mentally challenged.
4) Mother of the actual player.

Go ahead, tell me I'm not a true fan, or that I don't understand the team spirit of a jersey wearing fan. You're probably right on both, but it's just my opinion so keep on keeping on.

Cowboy Thanksgiving

We shunned our families and had our first Thanksgiving solo this year, deciding to spend it at the Cowboys game. I have to say that having a very dear friend that works for the team occasionally has its perks. She gave us her season tickets because she needed to be on the sidelines (not fair).If you know her, you can see her below.


The game is a tradition, and with this being the last year at Texas Stadium, we didn’t want to miss it. The crowd was insane



We grabbed a Fletcher’s corny dog on our way into the stadium and settled in. We had great seats, and were able to get some fun pictures.







I think the question in many minds that day was: the Jonas Brothers for a halftime show? Really?



I think most of the fans would have been fine with just about anyone else, but not all the 12 year old girls! I don't even think they were at the game until the end of the 2nd qtr when they started to funnel into the sidelines.



In all the game was very exciting, and other than my boyfriend DeMarcus leaving the game with an injury.


It was a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving

I love this holiday, and have so many things to be thankful for that the list would be way too long. So I’ll start with these (in no particular order):

Parents: Married 36 years this past weekend. 36 years!

A Job: Seriously, in this economy it is a blessing beyond words.

Family: I wouldn’t trade with anyone, even with all our unique qualities that make life so interesting at times.

Cheaper Gas: Enough said

Chris: I’m thankful that he married me, and gives me new reasons every day to want to do it again.

DVR: I would be lost without this wonderful invention.

Friends New and Old: Friends are family we choose in life. My cup runneth over with you all.

Starbucks: Everyone should know by now my love of the red cup season.

Kona: That ugly face that only a mother could love.

Happy Day of Thanks to all of you. Eat, Drink, Nap and watch the Cowboys of course!!