Shopping Trip and other random things

Friday evening the four of us went down to Dallas to spend the night so we could get up early on Saturday morning and do some shopping. Plus Joe is looking for a new(er) car and he's been looking at cars in the Dallas metro area. We got up early and Joe dropped us off at Northpark Mall. This is "the" upscale mall in Dallas where everyone wants to shop. Kristen wanted to buy some more work clothes and Kaitlyn needs a specific dress for sorority Rush. The sororities have specific outfits they wear on specific days of rush. You have guidelines and rules for what you have to wear (both the girls already in the sorority and the girls coming thru Rush). While we were in the mall, Joe was test driving cars at various locations in the same vicinity. This was one of the pretty fountains in the mall.

After about 5 hours in Northpark Mall we went to Smashburger to get a late lunch. Kaitlyn and Joe had eaten at one in Colorado and Kaitlyn and Michael had eaten at one in Tulsa. It is VERY good!

After our lunch we went to Grapevine Mills outlet mall to shop for a couple of hours and Joe drove a few more cars in the vicinity of that area. Then we left to come home.

Last weekend was Father's Day and I got this shot of Joe taking a rest in the lounge chair he bought me for Mother's Day. He was going out to feed the dogs (hence the can in his hand) and decided to have a sit for a few minutes.
The day before we had gone to the lake and I took a picture of our boat. It's kind of been too windy lately to be on the lake. It's not fun when it's too windy!

Fun Weekend!

We've had a crazy busy weekend thus far. Friday night, I went back to the dance studio for the first time in about a year and a half. They were having their weekly dance party but the dance lesson for the evening was the "shag." I had to go to that! We learned the proper technique during our lesson and then the dance party was the rest of the night. I danced a few times; I danced a rhumba, the cha-cha, the shag, a fox-trot (which I don't really like). Lots of my old friends I took dancing with several years ago were there and I had a great time.

When I got home, Joe and I decided to go out (after 10:30 PM). We went to The Mont (a local college icon that's been there since Joe was in school - all the old Normanites hang out there), sat on the patio and had a drink. Kristen and Kaitlyn couldn't believe I was actually out after 10:00 on a Friday night.

Kristen's birthday was Saturday; she turned 22. She wanted me to make her favorite cake. I made her the "flag" cake with strawberries and blueberries. She came home and we took her to Texas Roadhouse for a birthday luncheon. We didn't embarrass her and tell them it was her birthday or they would have made her sit in a saddle and sing to her.


This weekend in Oklahoma City, the city is hosting the U.S. Conference of Mayors where all the mayors across the United States can come for a conference and some super fun. They have different activities on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening. Joe asked me what would I like to participate in and I said the hoedown on Saturday evening. Friday evening's event was in Bricktown, where they had the Taste of Bricktown, then the afterparty at The Skirvin Hotel. Last night, we went to the Oklahoma Hoedown at State Fair Park, and the afterparty was at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (we didn't go there). Tonight, there is Flaming Lips concert and something else going on.

When we got to the hoedown, they give you a hat and you can have your picture taken. We decided we wanted a black and white one instead of color.

Outside the Express Personnel Clydesdales and stagecoach were on display for the mayors.

Inside they had a dance area set up (I'm guessing) like the Oklahoma Opry and the Red Dirt Rangers were playing "Red Dirt Music."

The tables were set up real cute. Your silverware was rolled up in a bandana which you could keep. I tied mine around my hat. The food was WONDERFUL. They served Made in Oklahoma products (from the Griffin's jams to the bison meat). There was a full-service bar with everything you could want for free.

The Oklahoma State pom girls were there (I guess to make it seem more "cowboy"). Joe couldn't resist going into enemy territory to have his picture made with them.

I had a glass of wine before dinner and a budweiser after.

They had several games set up around the arena. Horseshoes, calf roping, and mechanical bullriding. Here's Joe receiving instruction on roping the mechanical calf.

Trying his best to capture the calf. Never did it though.

As we were getting ready to leave they had a different picture booth set up. We both got into the picture but it really looks better if there is only one (we discovered after). It looks like you're riding a horse looking at a bull charging you.

Here's a very quick video of Joe riding the mechanical bull. The guy controlling the bull was really just circling the bull around. I missed Joe's first opportunity because of my camera "operator" error. So I got this one which wasn't as good, plus Joe had had a couple of drinks beforehand. I'm surprised it didn't make him sick!

Today, we're taking the girls to the lake again. That is if Kristen isn't too hungover from celebrating her birthday with friends last night!

1st Official Day of Boating

Sunday was our first official day of summer, we got the boat out! Joe, Kaitlyn, and I (Kristen wanted to move more of her stuff over to her new apartment and get it set up) decided to go to the lake for the late afternoon. You know, just to get it out, get it set up, make sure everything was running okay, etc. We had a good time, just the 3 of us. We took some little sandwiches and some beer. Kaitlyn rode the tube for awhile and Joe wakeboarded a little. Kaitlyn is getting very adept at driving the boat (I hate driving it) so she usually drives when Joe is wakeboarding. Here's a short video of us just "chill-axing" on the boat while Kaitlyn is driving.