New Year’s Eve is a day of down time for us. Everybody just got up at their convenience and before you knew it, a group of us had congregated at the breakfast table.
Uncle Joe told us that today was the Sabbath day of our vacation; a day of rest. That remark is funnier when you understand that Uncle Joe is a retired Methodist minister.
KK walked in and proudly told us that he was well rested, and woke up before his alarm went off. I asked him what time he had his alarm set for, and he told us 10am. Scott thought that was part of the secret of waking up before your alarm.
While *most* of us did have plans to lounge today, and rest from all of our shopping and visiting from the past two days, the Dahlens and Miles took a day trip to Stillwater for the Oklahoma State vs Gonzaga basketball game.
Scott and I took a trip out of the house to pick up some surprise cupcakes for Mallory tonight. We also visited the DART train station near our house to get some schedule information since we plan to take the train to the game tomorrow.
I was surprised that Scott wanted to leave the cupcakes in the truck outside, but he stressed he wanted this to be a surprise for Mallory. Of course, the moment we walked in the door, PK asked “DID YOU FIND THE CUPCAKES?” with Mallory sitting a few feet away. Not sure it is still a secret…
Around 3:00, we decided it was appropriate to leave the house and get some lunch. We visited a Mexican restaurant called Mena’s that the vacation home owner had recommended. If you want a place that gives you plenty of food, this might be the place for you. The brisket chimichanga was outstanding, and something I’d never seen before.
At 5:00, we settled in to watch the basketball game on tv that the rest of our family had traveled to. We were excited to see Miles and Matthew on tv multiple times in their seats in the student section behind the basket.
Matthew did get some good pictures of him and Miles at the game, which he shared with me.
The Cowboys didn’t win the game, but Miles said he had a great time and he loved the sold-out atmosphere of Gallagher-Iba Arena.
During all of this excitement, Stephanie and Mallory drove back to the Allen Outlet Mall and Sam Moon to continue their search for bargains. They enjoyed a 100% success rate.
This evening, Scott went to the airport to pick up Erin, who was able to come down for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Even though it was only about 8:00, there were several people who were only still up because they wanted to see Erin before they went to bed.
Erin did not disappoint us. She brought Harry Potter cupcake toppers for the cupcakes that Scott bought earlier in the day. Mallory is a major Harry Potter fan and she was very excited!
But Scott and Erin were not through with the giving. They presented Mallory her birthday present tonight since Erin was unable to be here on Mallory’s birthday. A new bling-filled case for her yet-to-be-purchased iPhone and a pair of gloves you can text in. Scott and Erin know how to push the buttons of a 13 year old!
After a cupcake snack, most everybody started making their way to bed. Scott did give Erin a tour of the house, as it did have a couple of aspects we found charming and unique. In particular, one bedroom has a closet with a window in it that looks out over the hallway, and the laundry room is hidden behind cabinet doors in the kitchen.
It has been a LOT of fun staying here! Let’s hope 2013 is as full of surprises as this house!