Houston Round 3 {Part 1}

I'm back, I'm back! Did anyone miss me?

Don't answer that.

Now that my stomach is fully digested from eating my way through the state of Texas and I feel way less sleep deprived, I guess I can recap my trip! 

I'll be honest...I've never had such a love/hate relationship before when going on trips with Steph. Even before on our other trips/vacations, I still somewhat expected that you know, it would end at some point, but this time when I got home it felt different. Different as in since I've been there three times now and created so many new memories with her that it feels more natural to always be around each other and it kind of does have a small feeling of home to me (maybe it was the fact that I drove us around in her car, around her city, or that I had some of my clothes delivered there in "my" room...I can't be too sure about all this...) But we joke that since "we" have a house in Ohio and a house in Texas, that now we need one somewhere in the middle of the U.S that we can go to. ;) We better get to work on that one...

 

This trip was already so special due to the fact that it was Steph's gender reveal party that me and her two best friends hosted, so there was no way in you know what that it wouldn't be amazing already (I will recap all the details of this tomorrow!), but we had so much fun the other days as well. Would you expect any less? I think NOT! AND I can't forget to mention that I got to get in so many kisses and cuddles with my other favorite pooch, miss Oakley (I'm her favorite aunt by far, naturally...)

The first few days that I was there we: got pedicures, ate at Zoe's Kitchen (Holy cow! Why Ohio doesn't have one of these fine establishments is just RUDE), laid out at the pool (do you see it up there? #heaven), had priceless drives around in their golf cart going to garage sales and meeting all her neighbors, and going to one of my now favorite places, Dekker' Mesquite Grill, with their friends Brian, Kristen (blogger Kristen who now doesn't have her blog..wah!) and Chris.

When Steph and I originally talked about what I wanted to do when I was there, one of the things I mentioned was "dinner at a cute place where we could sit outside and hang out by a fire pit with good Texas food"...Dekkers delivered.

I mean, I knew it would be a winner when we spotted this truck in the parking lot....

Everything really is bigger in Texas, isn't it!? This picture doesn't even do the truck justice! The sweet owner of it actually told me to stand up here for the picture (after Steph told him "she's from Ohio!" ha)...I'm not just randomly posing on it, don't worry.

 

{dress from here and on sale!}

 Beau, Chris, and Brian

 Of course we got a picture with the Chef...

 Kristen, Me, Steph

 The soon to be Wylie's! 

This was probably my favorite night on our trip, which you can pretty much see from this last picture. It was just what you think of when you think of good ole Texas fun and I loved every minute of it...from the food, the setting, the weather, and of course I loved getting to hang out with the Kristen and Chris (love love love them) and spending girl time all three of us together! One happy Ohio girl that's for sure...

{new favorite quote right there}

The day after Steph's party, we went to get BBQ for lunch from Goode Co., which is the best of the best in Texas so I've heard! Billy was insanely jealous that he was missing out on this at this point of my trip. He is a HUGE BBQ fan and I couldn't help but text him a bunch of pictures to make him jealous...and yes, of course I splurged and got a huge beef brisket sandwich (there is absolutely no way that Steph would let me go to a BBQ place in Texas and not get any meat, it just wasn't happening...but one time was a-OK by me!)

It was worth every single bite. If you ever visit Texas, please make sure you go to eat at Goode Co. Heck, eat there more than once. Eat there daily. I won't judge you.

And just to prove my point that I literally ate my way through the state...my last night there was spent learning how to eat 2 pounds of crawfish, or mud bugs as they call them. I liked the crawfish (it was actually really spicy!), but the best part? The corn on the cob that came in the bucket with them...oh my lanta, I could've probably ate 12 of them. Oh, and my last lunch before the tears starting streaming down at the airport? The most heavenly Tex Mex you will EVER have from Lupe's...

Next up will be all the little details about planning and prepping for Steph's gender reveal!

Sadness that I'm not there but 1200 some miles away setting in right about....now, but hey I did come home with a bunch of goodies!

 

thank you Steph for both of these amazing necklaces & also notice the adorable keychain (from here) she got me...there's a heart leading from Texas to Ohio! This makes me happy. :)