Category: Travel

Enchant Christmas Family 4-Pack GIVEAWAY!

I’m so excited to be attending Enchant Christmas this year.  We went last year and I was blown away by the lights, ice rink, and reindeer games.  This year Enchant has changed things up a bit and instead of an ice rink there is an ice skating trail and several other new attractions.

There will also be a Christmas market for shopping and food as well!  It’s a Christmas experience you don’t want to miss!

Here are some pictures from last year, and I’m sure this year is going to be just as sparkly, if not better.

ENTER TO WIN HERE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
One 4-pack giveaway (Good for any combination of adults and kids ages 4-13. Kids 3 and under are free.)

Tickets are limited to November 27 – December 16 and December 26-30 excluding Saturdays and Nov 28 / Dec 27.

Tickets cannot be exchanged for another day once tickets are pulled.

Dachau Concentration Camp

Okay…I’m finally beginning to gather my thoughts and write about our Germany leg of the trip.  We had a great trip in England, but I was super eager to finally visit Germany.  One reason specifically is because my sister and I were born there.  We shall get to that…we did visit where we lived and even found the apartment my parents had while my Dad was in the Army.

We took an Easy Jet from England to Munich, Germany.  I highly recommend this if you are jet setting anywhere in Europe and want to travel between countries.  It’s fast, easy, and inexpensive.  We flew directly into Munich on my 37th birthday.  I have always wanted to visit a concentration camp, I am a huge history person, and it was such a humbling experience.

I’ll recap a bunch of it below and in pictures, but nothing is like seeing it in person.

My little traveler.  We rented a car to drive through Germany which was great!  Terence got to drive on the Autobahn and I was too chicken to try it! Lol!Read More

England-2018-Part 2- Double Decker Bus Tour

The last time we were in England we didn’t do most of the stuff we did this time.  Partly because we had Connor with us this time and he wanted to do different things.  One of those was riding the ever popular red double decker buses that are all over downtown London.  It’s a great way to cover a lot of the tourist landmarks really FAST!  You have to be quick with the camera as well if you want to get pictures.  But, overall, if you just want to “see” things and not experience them one by one I would highly recommend this tour.

Read More

England 2018 – Part One – Brighton, The National Gallery, & British Museum

Before I get started on this post I just want to say thank you so much for all the prayers, kind words of encouragement, and comments.  If you follow me on Instagram then you know a little bit about what has been going on the last few weeks.  Basically, after we found out the baby didn’t have a heartbeat I had a D&C scheduled.  I returned to work the next week and I thought everything was okay….but I just wouldn’t stop bleeding.  Finally I got so pale that Terence was telling me I needed to check myself into the ER because I looked so bad.

I checked in on Sunday afternoon and was admitted to the hospital.  I had an infection from the previous surgery.  So we did another D&C and started several rounds of antibiotics and pain medications.  I was in SO much pain!  I’m doing a lot better now and I’m just focusing on getting healthy and back to normal life.

Normal life…which is hard right now.  I feel empty and sad.  So sad over something I really never thought about or thought was even possible.  But I’m trying to keep my head high and I know that God is trying to show me something and whatever it is I know it’s His will for me.  We also have a new french bull dog named Hemie who is the sweetest ever!  And NO…our kitchen isn’t finished yet…this has been the LONGEST kitchen remodel in the history of kitchen remodels.  I can’t wait to share the end results of that either.

We had a wonderful trip to Europe in June and I’m excited to post about it!  I’m going to have to break it up into a few posts because I have about a MILLION pictures…but that’s what you do on vacation right?  We had the best time I want to post everything for memory sake before I forget everything 🙂

So, I’ll just start at the beginning…

We have the best cousins that live in England, we are so blessed that when we go to visit we get to see and stay with them.  I just LOVE it over there and would go all the time if I could.  Trying to fit everything into a week’s time with small children is a hard task…so we’ll just have to go back again soon 🙂

Here is Connor with one of the Queens Guards.


Read More

Vacation Destination: Arlington, TX

One of my favorite cities to visit is Arlington, TX…not only because it’s right next to me, but because it has some amazing things to do!  I first visited Arlington, TX when I was 18 years old and my parents took me to Six Flags my senior year of high school to see a concert and visit friends.  Never in a million years did that young girl from Arkansas imagine living in Texas, but here I AM!  I married a Texan almost 17 years ago, and for the past 10 years DFW has been my home and I love it!  Arlington has changed so much over the years and grown into a magical place to visit and explore.  

Let’s start out with Downtown Arlington.  There are so many restaurants and cute shops to visit.

One of my favorite local hangouts is Legal Draft Beer Co.  Legal Draft just opened a couple of years ago and it has a great story behind the brewery.  Not to mention they have every type of beer imaginable!

“So how did a trial lawyer and a medical logistics professional wind up founding a craft brewery?  About 15 years ago, Greg (the lawyer) and Curt (the logistics guy) were hanging out with friends, enjoying a cold beer and discussing family, business, and life its own self. With very little introduction, Curt announced that the assembled group of friends should open a brewpub in our hometown, to serve our friends and neighbors along with the many tourists who visit the area. Everyone agreed, then finished their beers and returned to making a living and raising a family. In early 2015, Curt and Greg and their friends were again enjoying a cold beverage together (a theme has now appeared) when Greg let everyone know that he had decided to open a craft brewery in Arlington, so that our hometown could take part in the craft beer revolution and participate in the revitalization of downtown Arlington. Curt, of course, simply couldn’t resist. Thanks to a recovering attorney and a retired logistics guy, here we are.”

A fun atmosphere and a place to gather with friends.

If you are looking for a sweet treat there is nobody better than Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery.  They have amazing cakes, cupcakes, and cake balls.  I’m always in the mood for cake, and they never disappoint my sweet tooth!

 

For the perfect girls day out try the Rose Garden Tea Room.  It’s inside of Decorator’s Warehouse, which has every decoration imaginable for every season and holiday!  The food is delicious and I literally have dreams about that white cheddar soup.

Do you have a bowling fan in your family?  If so, Arlington has just the place with the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the history of bowling and exhibits is all right here!

Globe Life Park is another landmark in Arlington, TX.  It’s the home of the beloved Texas Rangers and it’s always packed with fans.  If you haven’t caught a game here…then you MUST come visit!

Let’s not forget about AT&T Stadium– Home of the Dallas Cowboys as well as several great concerts throughout the year.  Even if there is nothing going on at AT&T Stadium it’s still quite a site to see.  You can take a tour of the venue, it’s mind blowing and larger than life!

I love this sculpture in front of Globe Life Park…random but so cool!

Let’s not forget about Six Flags!  I’m a big chicken when it comes to roller coasters, but it sure is fun to watch people scream their heads off!  Six Flags is always coming out with fun events and new rides.  One of my favorite times to visit is at Christmas when everything is lit up and they HONESTLY have the best hot cocoa in Texas 🙂 The swing ride makes me shiver just looking at it.  Have any of you been on this ride before?  It’s SOOOOOOOO high up!!!

A favorite local burger restaurant is The Grease Monkey.  It has a vintage garage type of vibe with indoor and outdoor seating.  Video games and a Juke box for the kiddos too!  There is also a long list of concerts throughout the year performed on stage at The Grease Monkey.  Check it out here.  

I love Ripley’s Believe it or Not!  Not too far from Arlington is one of the best ones I’ve been too.  Well hello there Mr. President, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Jason Statham, and other stars.  Have you ever wanted to mingle with the stars?  Well, here’s your chance….to at least get a selfie! Lol!  Ripley’s also has fun seasonal events and a fun 7D “moving theater”.  

Check out more in my video below and I hope you get the chance to visit the city of Arlington, TX!  Summer is right around the corner and there are so many fun places to visit…I don’t just live here, but I love to visit too.  For more information on the city of Arlington, TX visit HERE.

The Toyota Highlander Is Worth The Hype

Hello Everyone!  So, I just got back from the DFW Auto Show this past week and it was AMAZING!  I was super excited to be covering Toyota this year and check out all the new and upcoming models.  Terence and I have talked a lot about what our next car will be and we’ve decided on an SUV or a truck.  Just this weekend he had to pick up some shelves from the home improvement store and he said “Man…if we only had a truck to pick up those shelves I ordered”.  I get so excited when we get to drive new cars and try them out.  It definitely helps narrow down what we like and don’t like.

Late last fall we were able to drive a Toyota Highlander SE model.  I think someone was a little bit excited about this car???  Ya think???

The Toyota Highlander was basically the perfect vehicle….if it were up to ME!  We have gone back and forth between the Toyota Highlander and a Lexus RX.  They both have great qualities, but the Highlander price point fits more in our family budget.
I really enjoy being a bit higher up off the road in an SUV.  For some reason this makes me feel more “large and in charge” while driving.   The automatic trunk opens and closes with a push of a button.  You know those days when it’s raining outside and you have your hands full of 20 things and can’t dig through your purse for the keys?  Just press the button on the trunk and “viola” it opens for you!   Of course Connor’s favorite thing was the TV.  Oh my goodness I’ve never had a more quiet car than when I was driving this Highlander! LOL!  It comes fully equipped with headphones and a remote.  Roadtrips would definitely be much more smooth with these fun extras.

I’m sure a lot of Mom’s have heard this before….“Mommy…Mommy…the sun is in my eyes!!!”  The built in sunscreens are a life saver on those hot, sunny Texas days. The dashboard and command station have everything at the press of a button.  This car was sooooo COMFY y’all!  I didn’t find myself reaching and extending for things or pressing certain buttons because they were all within an arms reach. That third row seating is a definite bonus too.   I could car pool ALL the kiddos in this Highlander!  The third row also folds down for extra storage, so the next time we need to pick up a bulky item…like shelves for the garage…just pop that seat down.
Do you ever find the smallest things to be your favorite as well?  This little shelve that was in the front dash was my FAVORITE thing!  My phone is usually sliding all around my car, but I found it so easy to just pop the things I needed right there on this little shelf.  
The Highlander is definitely one of my most favorite Toyota vehicles. It’s got just about everything you could ever want and need for any adventure.

Until our next adventure…..xo Becky