Working for the Weekend

Spaghetti sauce faced-kids playing matchbox cars!

Seems I haven't posted anything but a weekend since the holidays. And here I go again!  The week is full of work, school and sleep .. and the weekends are full of fun!

Saturday night we had friends from Bloomington - Erica, Chris and CJ Lockett visit our home!  Chris and Bill worked together in Bloomington and Erica and I have the same role within CCC in different locations (Bloomington and Dallas!).  More ironic yet, Erica's sister, Andi is one of my Supervisors!  Small, small world - that's for sure.

And how fortunate we were that they carved out time to visit with us on their quick weekend trip to Dallas!  Ellie waited all day for CJ to arrive.  And we all know how wonderful she is with the little kids - she took to him like he was her own!  She helped me, followed him so he didn't get into anything and played with anything he wanted!

We had a big pasta and meatballs dinner with salad and bread.  For dessert Ellie and I made Butter Pecan Cupcakes with Trader Joe's Cookie Butter buttercream.  They sure were good!  Since the Lockett family was headed back to Andi's house I packed up leftovers for her to take to Andi's family!

City Line - my new home

Our Dallas State Farm location will begin to transition all its employees to four buildings over the course of this year.  In the end the complex, called City Line will house 8,000 State Farm employees. Its an amazing place just being built in the 'Eat, Work, Live' concept where corporate buildings are surrounded by luxury living spaces, retail shopping and dining areas as well as trails and outdoor space.  Its exciting to be going into something new so early in the process.

Saturday afternoon I took Bill and Ellie on a tour of our space.  We made our way into Richardson - into the new parking garage and the high-tech elevator system.  Security in the lobby was happy to allow them in as visitors since my badge already had access!

The lobby has a huge screen that shows State Farm commercials.  Ellie found a chair and enjoyed the show while we took care of Security!

Watching the big screen in the lobby!

Elevator screen - my office is on the 14th floor!

So we made our way upstairs.

They are still installing things in break areas and conference rooms.  The move begins at the top and our folks will move to the 15th floor on Monday, and even those to be housed on 14 will report to 15 on Monday.  The phone reps will have shared seating - meaning they may not have the same seat everyday.  They only need their headset and to sign onto the system.  Everything happens through the computer these days!

When we arrived at 'my' office it was actually overwhelming!  Its huge!  Which made me feel like Melanie Griffith in Working Girl (one of my all-time favorites!)!  Even Bill was impressed!  The doors are sliding, frosted glass to allow light in and still allow for private conversations.  When we did the tour last week several of my Supervisors said to me, we could have our team meeting IN YOUR OFFICE now!  Looking forward to enjoying the newness this week!

This is what the office looks like now - empty and ready to move into!

Dallas Shopping on a Saturday

Saturday morning we wanted to find a Disney store for treasures to begin our exciting journey where we anticipate our trip to Disney!!  We found one at NorthPark Center Mall in North Dallas ... and what a treat we found by going to that mall.  Lots and lots of stores that we don't normally see in local malls - Nieman Marcus, Dillard's, Nordstoms, and many more!

We had a ball in Disney finding t-shirts, watching the big movie screen and searching for hidden Mickeys.  It was a great reminder of all the magic and excitement we are in store for in just a few weeks!

Ellie looking up at the castle where the princesses all hang out!

From Disney we found our way to the Apple store, Gymboree, the Lego store, Vera Bradley, Aveda, Origins, Microsoft and window shopped at several others along the way!

Lighting isn't great - this is Ellie holding up the Apple outside the store!

a large water and stone arrangement in the center of the mall featured turtles
large and small swimming, eating and resting for us to view

The Lego Store
Ellie choosing colors to fill her bucket - reminded me of a big candy store!

And after all our shopping and tons of walking we found our lunch spot - PF Changs.  Bill and I have each been there separately in different cities when traveling on business.  This was our first visit as a family.  And in all the burgers and BBQ we eat these days - this was delicious!

Spring rolls, Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Shrimp Pad Thai and Crispy Honey Chicken was our feast - and yes, we had some leftovers to take home.  They'll be a treat on Sunday afternoon!

From there I wanted to make a 'dry-run' to my new building because my department moves over the weekend .. I packed my office on Friday afternoon and will go to my new space on Monday morning.  Kinda scary to have all the newness.  So I took Bill and Ellie on a tour!!

Report Card Time

Dawn and Robin with Ellie and I
at the Whitt Elementary School Friday assembly

Ellie's Perfect Attendance award 

Ellie and Robin earlier in the week!

We are halfway through the school year, can you believe it!  Amazing how time flies - that's for sure! Ellie was receiving an award (or two) this week and we were thrilled to be there to see it all happen.  We walked her to school at 7am, came home for about 45 minutes and walked back to school for the assembly.

Third grade was from 8:10 - 8:40am.  We were fortunate to see Ellie as she entered the cafeteria to find her seat.  We had found chairs in the front row!

We listen for the names we knew - Kalyna Copper, Robin Schuler, Aubrey, and Addison.  And during all our photos of Ellie receiving her awards for A-B Honor Roll, Perfect Attendance and No Tardies I sensed I might know the woman next to me ... so I waited to see who she took pictures of when they headed up for an award.

When she snapped a picture of one of two childen I leaned over and said, "are you Robin's mother?"  She was surprised and said, 'yes.'  "Oh my goodness," I said, "I'm Jude!"  We laughed and hugged at the same time - because 'we're related', of course! Which is what Ellie keeps telling me!

Dawn is Uncle Gary's niece - and they live around the corner with a daughter in 3rd grade like Ellie.  In fact this past week Dawn went to school for lunch and Ellie marched her way over to the two of them to introduce herself to Dawn - "I'm so excited we're related!" she told her!

What a great morning to receive awards and meet our new 'relatives'!

Week in Review

This week was lots of activity or at least it seems like it was full!

You'll see my photo of the beautiful sunrise which is often how we begin our day here in Dallas.  Each morning as we open the kitchen blinds we also check the thermometer for real time temperature and what the high for the day is forecasted to be ... determines how heavy a jacket we need to wear!

And as we wind toward the weekend we know what to expect ... errands, movies, family time and food.  That's really the custom with us.

Sunrise outside our back door at home.

During my car getting washed, Ellie found friends to play Legos with at the activity table.  These twins were super cute and loved chatting up a storm with Ellie!

Couldn't resist a shot in the sunshine of Ellie in front of our church.  They joked they would put me in front of the sign, but I assured them that the photo of Ellie is exactly what we need!

Lunch at Capriotti's for sandwiches after church.
Best hot meatball sub around!

Peaceful, Family-full Sunday

Sunday is our day of routine.  We begin it differently than we used to ... even living in Texas.  And that's okay as we evolve and grow.  We have developed a habit we're keeping! We've continued to attend St. Jude's for 10am mass.  Today was no exception.  Except we arrived later than normal and sat in a different area of the church.  And it actually worked out better.  It was a very peaceful mass.  We've rotated our way through all the priests at this point ... and this one, Father Bartolotta was the most efficient with his time.  And likely the funniest too.  Needless to say, we liked him.  And we liked all the people we sat near too.  Almost too good to be true ...

And we also have a nice routine of going to lunch at a new place after mass.  Its our way of getting out and trying something new without the hustle and bustle of dinner or a crowded spot.  Today's spot was a newly recommended burger joint.

Kenny's Burger Joint was a huge success.  The food was wonderful and the service was even better.  We had a charming young woman, Haley who paid each of us special attention.  And when we were through we found the manager to ensure they knew what a treasure they had in Haley.  We were told she'd only been on the job for two weeks and they were thrilled to hear that she was working out exactly the way they anticipated.

We talked for a bit longer and the manager said, "would you try our Italian Kitchen restaurant in Addison?  Its a great date night place!"  We said sure and she ran to the register to get us a $10 gift card to use on our visit!  What a place!

Ellie's favorite part was not the burger (which was delicious), not the fries (which she finished first) but the ice cream sundae that comes with each kids' meal!  She loved the place!  And of course here's a shot of her enjoying her meal!

Saturday at Starbuck's

This morning we were off to do some mattress research and run a few other errands.  It did include a stop at Starbuck's, but of course.  In fact when Ellie asked if she could have coffee before we even got there I knew I had to have a plan.

I explained that hot cocoa would be the best thing for her even though she loves the smell of coffee.  And it would come in a wonderful Starbuck's cup - just like my coffee.  Since Bill gets the frozen frappachino she and I would have twin cups.

My order was the long overdue Flat White.  I couldn't wait to try it since it's been advertised.  No sweetness, just espresso and steamed milk with a 'flat top of white'.  It was delicious!  And Ellie had the added treat of a few mini vanilla scones to go with her cocoa.

After successful mattress shopping, Ellie and I went into the office to welcome the new wave of representatives starting today and to see Miss Cristal that Ellie has been asking to see since before Christmas!  What fun we had with her meeting nearly my whole team - Erika, Tiffany, Alberto, Jay and Jeremy.  And, yes, she has her favorites.  She decided that Bill would love Alisia - and if given the chance he would have liked to marry her!  All I could get out of her was that to her Alisia was a lot like Bill - caring and gives compliments.

She was quite a success at work.  Being called my mini-me several times.  And since she really didn't want to leave and volunteered to stay behind even when I left to go home to watch the Patriots game the crew really loved her!

Where does the time go?

Grown up girl!

When I left work on Christmas Eve I knew I wouldn't be returning to the office until Monday, January 5th.  It felt like an eternity until I would return.  And yet here we are just a weekend away - where did the time go?

Truth be told, it's not the detail of accomplishments that are worthy of listing.  Its the feeling of taking time off without a plan and reaching the end knowing that the perspective has changed that worth noting.  It was time to take a few days off.  Eleven in a row if anyone is counting.  And the opportunity to return with a rested spirit, after the new year has begun just feels right.

Perhaps the accomplishments are few, yet the rest was worth it.  Bill and I watched movies, we spent time in the kitchen cooking, we shopped for things around the house to feel at home and then there was all the time Ellie and I shared.  And believe me we did more than eat burgers.  Although that was so much fun too!

She is growing into such an amazing young lady.  She amazes me every day with what she says, what she does and how she is kind, sensitive and so stinkin' smart!  Wow!  And funny, yes how could I forget the humor?  She takes such pride in making us laugh.  And she loves.

We've read, we've watched movies, we've shopped and lunched, we've walked the neighborhood all bundled up from the cold and rain and most of all laughed together.  My girl and I.  And now we take the time and memories that we've shared and keep them close while daily life begins again.  The new year.  The school year.

This time together was so rewarding and overdue that we've booked an actual vacation for March - during Ellie's school recess.  We're already counting down the days until Disney!  And that will give us a wonderful countdown to look forward to another well-deserved vacation all together!

New Year, New You

Me and my girl for the last day of Girls' Week of Adventures! 

The winning burger!!

"Give Me Liberty, or Let Me Starve!"

Nah, it's just the same ol' us it always has been.  Making sure we share our winning burger with the world .. or at least all our friends and neighbors!

Friday we headed out as a family to take care of the number agenda item today:  Texas Drivers' Licenses.  And it only took two trips to have everything we needed with us.  Torturous on any other day.  But today we only had this on our to-do list.  And we made sure that was the first thing to get done.

And with that chore complete we found our way to Hobby Lobby to look for things for the walls.  And of course we took in a Tj Maxx/HomeGoods that was right around the corner from Liberty Burger.

I know what you're thinking.  How could you possibly want another burger?  Well, truth be told I voted for the German place that i've been wanting to try in Richardson.  But Ellie wanted a burger and we thought a good time to have Bill compare Motor and Maple to Liberty - knowing he was judging.  Still he sticks to M&M, while Ellie and I are truly convinced Liberty is the winner!

Its a rainy day in Dallas - and a tough day to be in and out of the car all day.  So after our morning errands and lunch stop we found our way back home to enjoy some quiet time - each retreating to a different part of the house!

Happy New Year

a shot of the sidewalk where leaves have left there 'art' for all the enjoy
we spied it on our walk this afternoon while everything was still wet

Today we stayed close to home and enjoyed the warmth of being together as a family.  It didn't matter that it rained on and off most of the day and never got above 40 degrees.  We made pizza dough.  We made calzones and pizza - and the warmth of the oven filled the kitchen.  We made vacation plans for Ellie's school recess in March.  We stayed in and stayed close - like a family.

And during one of the breaks of rain Ellie asked me to go out and walk with her.  We'd been on several walks this week but they usually ended early as she became tired or bored.  And those were the sunny days!  Today she told me she just wanted to keep walking and talking .. and so we did.  We walked by the pool, the new house our friends from Arizona will move into come January, the house of our friends around the corner .. all the while walking and talking.  And she returned come with rosy cheeks and a happy disposition!

Another shot of my girl this week during one of our Girls' Adventures Out
Isn't she just all that??

Girls Gone Wild Day #3

Today was the grand finale of the Burger Week Challenge.  It also brought to an end the Girl Time for the week.  And, we sure did have fun .. shopping, lunching, laughing and living to tell about it!  Phew!

After four different burger locations in four days - we have a winner!  At least Ellie and I agree on the same place!  Liberty Burger!  Bill disagrees and ranks Motor and Maple as his top spot.  At least between Liberty and M&M he says.

We've had so much fun with our adventures this week - art projects, games, finding treasures at TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Home Goods.  And today we made our way to the library - got our library cards and got lost in the stacks for over an hour.  What a nice treat to have a daughter who gets as excited to see the 'new arrivals' shelf as I do!

Missy Miss enjoying her Twisted Root burger today!

A new mug treasure at the nifty price of $2.99 it was a steal!

A vulture that we found en route to lunch today.
It was a sight to see - hard to believe we could see one so close up!
Meaning of the Vulture to follow soon ....

And the fun continues into Tuesday!

Manicures were on the schedule for our Girls' Day today.
Ellie's stocking stuffer colors of light blue and purple served her well - one color on each hand!

Although Flaming Burger is #3 of 3 on her list, she enjoyed while she ate!

We mixed it up this time.
Tater tots for her, Sweet Potato Fries for me!

Girls Day Out!

Ellie and I can always find fun things to do!  We love to do the same things - go to book stores, stop to enjoy lunch and find adventure wherever we go ... and boy, did we GO on Monday!  It was the first of three days we will enjoy together.  Feels like we've been long overdue for some 'girl time' .. and we made up for it, that's for sure!

We shopped at Ulta with coupons.  We browsed Barnes and Noble in search of nothing in particular - we found sale tables, new kids' books and lots to things to enjoy along the way.  We found our way to Liberty Burger for lunch and came home to work on our Dream/Vision Boards for 2015.

It was a very full day!

And then we had Ellie's end of the soccer year celebration with trophies and sprinkle cupcakes .. at Main Event in Plano.  Boy, was she exhausted by the end of the day!

My beautiful girl at Liberty Burger!

Group shot at Barnes and Noble

Sprinkles Team with their Trophies at Main Event

Ellie's Dream Board for 2015

My Vision Board for 2015

We may have found it!

The outside of St. Jude's Parish

An inside view of the church.
No, I didn't take this photo -  I used the one on their website!

As our search for not only the best burger in Dallas continues, so does our search for a church we can call our own.  We've been here over seven months and tried three different churches.  Each was nice enough but didn't feel right.  And I know that if it doesn't feel right, it's not going to be somewhere we look forward to going and therefore it will fall off our priority list.

I drew the circle a little wider from our house this time and found two more churches to try.  One is in Allen and one is in McKinney, Texas.  About 25 and 35 minutes respectively.  And although that didn't thrill Bill, it is worth it as a family to find the right spot for us - and for Ellie's continuing Religious Education.

Today was the day we began with the one in Allen - St. Jude the Apostle Church.  How could we go wrong, right?

The drive was pleasant and reminded us how easy it is to get to Allen - where Ray's BBQ, Liberty Burger,  Top Golf and lots of shops to choose from are located as well.  And easy to find.  When we drove up it was big, spread out and inviting.  Ironically the car that parked right in front of us had a New York State plate.  When we got out I checked the license plate holder to find they were from Syracuse, of all places!

So we were off to a good start.

They begin each mass with Family Rosary half hour before each mass.  Ellie would really like to bring her rosary beads for next time as they go through the prayers together - and she really liked following along.  Additionally, it's setup like St. Peter's with the pews on all three sides of the altar.  It's bright and open - and best yet the people are friendly and we fit right in.


We look forward to continuing our journey.  If the road stops here, then we've found our home.  If it continue to a different location next week we'll keep you posted.  At first polling of the family they both enjoyed today's adventure - so the journey may have found its destination!

Diners, Drive Ins and Dives

We watched an episode of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives this week and knew we'd make time to visit this local burger pub.  Today was the day!  I've often commented here about our love of burgers - and I mean each of us loves them!  So the quest for the best burger in Dallas is like an adventure for us... and even when we feel we've found it, we'll continue the adventure just to be sure!

We were fortunate to find Maple and Motor  in a section of Dallas we hadn't visited before.  Bonus for us as we got to experience a whole new area.  Getting in and out of Dallas is a lot easier and more enjoyable than it was 6 months ago - and truth be told, I'm not afraid of driving 75 any longer!  I needed to be pulled from my comfort zone and it worked!

Here's the photos from our experience today!  Great thing is that they have a brisket sandwich that we'll order in addition to a burger and split!  Today was not a splitting day.  It was a burger day!

sign on the side of the building
no, the building is nothing to speak of
but the burgers are what counts - and they are phenomenal!

This was my burger.
Gorgeous with cheese, mustard, ketchup, lettuce and sweet relish

Here's my girl enjoying her burger.
No cheese, no mayo, no nothing but burger and ketchup - old school style!

Christmas 2014

Best. Christmas. Ever
the year of the iPod Touch for our girl

Christmas Morning
Under the tree

She is loving her new device!

Christmas Treats

Yes, Santa had plenty of cookies to choose from this year.  Bill and Ellie decorated lots of Sugar Cookies, Bill made his famous cheesecake and I made cinnamon hazelnut biscotti and caramel pecan rolls ... And they all need to be gone by December 26!!

Christmas Eve

From our home to yours, Merry Christmas!

Ugly Christmas Sweater Saturday

You may recall I take my turn working every 6th or so Saturday.  I actually like Saturdays as it allows  me to see folks I don't normally see during the week and let's me enjoy the energy of our 'game day.'

We tend to have a theme each Saturday - and this week was Ugly Christmas Sweater!  So I had the pleasure of hosting, photographing and judging the contest this weekend! Here's the amazing results of such a wide variety of entries ...

AM Representatives showing their style!

PM Winners happy to have their sweater be seen!

Chicago-style pizza - DELIVERY

There are many things that I miss about living in the Midwest.  The convenience, the middle America sameness and yet most of all - the people.  I've known for some time now that my very favorite people are from the Mid-west.  Two of my greatest teachers - Pfitzer (American Studies Professor at Skidmore) and Rod (Former owner of Carlson Travel) were both from the Midwest.

So when I lived there I was surrounded by all that Midwest goodness and people, I likely took it for granted in the flatness of the Plains.  Fast forward to Dallas - the South - and yes, the people are friendly, and the food is delicious.  Truth be told, most of the people I've met and learned to love are not from here originally.  Dallas a melting pot too.

And with that melting pot, and moving for State Farm comes with it lots and lots of State Farm friends and neighbors that moved from, you guessed it - the Midwest!

Friday was a day that Santa came early for me - a friend at work ordered multiple Chicago-style pizzas to be shipped to Dallas... and I was 'gifted' one of them!  Amazing!  I'll consider it a Christmas Miracle - 1) because it took three times for the delivery to arrive, 2) it brought back memories of the Mid-west and 3) it was just so amazingly delicious!

Before going into the oven ...

Wow! Hot and delicious right out of the oven!