Texas

Four days after Switzerland, I left for the Great State and have nothing but good memories and terrible pictures to show for it.  On the 16 hour flight, I managed to watch 4 movies (including one weird documentary called The Imposter - check it out), a few episodes of Downton Abbey and even get a few winkles of sleep.  Emirates is a supremely comfortable airline, but even with the extra pillows, blankets and meals, I was hurting by the time we landed in DFW.  And even though I had only been gone one year, it felt so weird to be back in Texas.  Everything seemed so flat, but compared to the Rocky Mountains and skyscrapers of Dubai, everything seems flat.

I sucked at taking pictures on this trip, probably because I was on picture overload in Europe.  I stole most of these from other people because I literally have like 3 pictures from 3.5 weeks.

Morgan and Reese, my favorite parts of the trip (sorry friends).  My goal was to make Reese my BFF by the end of the trip because she was scared of me when I got there.  I moved to Denver weeks after she was born and Dubai when she was one, so to her, I'm like the scary new lady that keeps smiling at her and trying to pick her up.  I'm happy to report that we were, indeed, BFFs by the end of the trip.  The challenge now is to not let her forget who I am while I'm away this year. 

Morgan's always my BFF, so no news there.

Sibling time!  Check out the sweet photo of Casey in the traditional UAE wear.  Awesome, eh?  He's posing in the traditional pose, too... serious face looking off to the side. 

The family minus Shannon and Casey F. at BABE'S!!!!!  I had two places I needed to go when I got back - Piranha and Babe's.  I'm embarrassed to say this, but I think Babe's is my favorite restaurant of all the places I've been.  It's at least tied for first with some nicer establishments.

Baby Nate!!  When I found out Alyssa was pregnant, I cried.  She's wanted this for SO long and struggled SO hard to get pregnant, and I'm so happy she finally has the baby she's been dreaming of for so long.  Dumbly, I didn't get a picture of Alyssa, even though I saw her pretty much every other day. :(

More friends!  EJ, Amanda and I had a mini high school reunion.  We haven't all been together in ten years or so, and it was so good to catch up.  I can't wait to do this again next summer!

3.5 weeks in Texas go by so quickly.  I'm so happy I got to see some of my favorite people, and I'm sad I wasn't better at taking pictures of these favorite people.  Oh my gosh, I almost forgot that Casey's mom drove down from Oklahoma to see me!  She got to meet the whole fam (finally).  It's about time for that.  The only two things that would have made this visit better would be more pictures and Casey.  Poor Casey was in Dubai working.

Welp, that's about enough of that.  I went to Texas.  It was fun.  I can't wait to go back.