Walking Down Memory Lane

Up early again for a bike ride around Veterans Park before heading across town to visit with my step dad for a bit. I enjoy that even though him and my mom are not together any more that we have still kept in touch and make that we make a point to visit him when we are in town. 

After our visit we headed to downtown Dallas for breakfast at Hypnotic Donuts. I'd never eaten there before and some how came across their shop online a couple weeks back before our trip. Their donuts looked pretty amazing and let me tell you they did not disappoint. I only managed to get a picture of one or the two I got. Probably because they where so good I gobbled them up quickly.

 After breakfast we headed to the Dallas World Aquarium where we got married almost 8 years ago. (November 9th, 2007) Every time the hubbs and I go back to Texas together we always make a point to go revisit the Aquarium. Very little has changed which makes it that much more enjoyable. I think I'd be really disappointed if it ever went under a drastic change. I remember the day like it was yesterday. From the moment we arrived on the day of our wedding, getting ready, walking through the reception area and the wedding as a whole. Walking through talking about all the fun we had, reminiscing over our special day and looking at the different animals. We've been to several different aquariums (every where we go, we always try to visit the local one if they have one) and nothing ever seems to compare to the DWA. No, I'm not just saying that because we where married there yes I might be a little biased but it really is a neat open aquarium. I highly recommend it if your ever in the area. 

We took a picture in the exact spot where we said our "I Do's", even though its a little dark I love beginning able to compare the two. 

I can't wait till the day when and if we possibly have a little one that we can take her (because we all know it WILL be a girl lol) back to the DWA and show them where we got married. I always wanted to get married some where different, not in a church and this most definitely did it. The DWA will always hold a special place in my heart. 

After we where done we headed back into Arlington for lunch, and to pick up a few things we needed for our flight out that evening before going back to relax for a bit. I've completely given up fast food and really I don't miss it at all. However I did allow myself to splurge on our trip and enjoy a few of my favorites places. I introduced the hubbs to Chicken Express for the first time, I don't know if he enjoyed it as much as I do but that's ok. I got my fix and that's all that matters right.

 After a bit of relaxing the hubbs suggested we ride our bikes up to Braums for a little Ice Cream treat. Umm YES PLEASE. Don't mind if I do. My NeNe lives literally about half a mile from there so it was a perfect little outing. Brahms is my absolute favorite when it comes to Ice Cream. Probably simple because it's what I grew up on. My two favorite go to flavors are Peppermint Ice Cream and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream. Not even gonna lie each time we went while home on vacay, I got a double scoop waffle cone. One scoop of each flavor and it was fantastic. :) Hey its ok I still managed to work out in some form or fashion every day. When on Vacay right?!?!?!?! 

That evening the NeNe, the Hubbs and Myself met up with two other couples for dinner at one of my favorite restaurants On The Border, you can't go wrong with Mexican Food, like EVER. Ken and Linda and Eric and Stephanie have been such great role models for me growing up and even more so since I've been married. They are all my parents age but sometimes you'd never know that by the way they act. In a good way that is. They definitely know how to enjoy life and live it up. I look up to each and everyone of them as a parental figure in one way or another and I'm so grateful to have them in our life. I love even more that even though I've moved away and am only able to make it home every so often, that each time we get together its as if no time has passed. They love and care for the both of us just as we where their own children. Eric is the one who married us and has always been such a great supporter. I babysat his two boys for several years when I lived at home and now they are both in college. Crazy how time flies. 

I wish I would have gotten a picture of the six of us together but between the tasty Swirl Frozen Margarita, the Chips and Salsa and the not so great service we where just having to much fun. It was a much needed get together and catch up time with them. I'm so glad we where able to make it work out while we where home. 

Strolling Down Wedding Alley

After two weeks apart some much needed us time was in order. I had planned a fabulous night out down in Dallas were we got married. Late that afternoon we made our way down to the Hyatt Regency Hotel were we stayed the night of our wedding (almost FOUR years ago).
We checked into our spectacular room with a King size bed and a stunning view of the city and then quickly slipped into something a little bit more fancy for our dinner date. We weren’t quite sure were we wanted to go to eat so we just left it up to the Navi we have in the car, no help there we found our way to Texas Land & Cattle. Neither of us had remembered eating there before so we pretty excited. I was all about the steak & Gabe wanted Lamb but sadly they didn’t have any so he opted for something else. We shared a yummy pecan pie for dessert & were completely stuffed full. It was so nice to be out with my love and not have to worry about staying out late because of work in the morning or getting back to let the pouches out of their kennels.



This next morning we order room service for breakfast which was nice to just be lazy in bed. The two of us together have only had room service one other time and that was when we were in Vegas for R&R our first deployment. So this was a special treat to the both of us but it was well worth it.



We checked out of the hotel that morning before heading out on our next stop & found that we were only charged for the room. YUP you are reading that right, Complementary Valet parking ($20.00 a day) & Room Service (aka~ our $50.00 breakfast) with the package I booked thank you Hyatt I know I always loved that hotel.

Off to our next stop...... my husbands idea which was really surprising because I hadn’t though about that at all, the DWA. Back to our wedding Venue were we got married & had our reception. When we were looking at wedding Venues I knew I wanted something different and some were unique. Some were know one had been married before that I knew. The Dallas World Aquarium was that special place that we decided to tie the knot at. It was so beautiful and included everything there you could think of, you could go small or you could go big. The guest were able to tour the aquarium during the cocktail hour and we had a diver feeding the fish in one of the large tanks. It was simply PERFECT I wouldn’t have changed a thing about it. I don’t regret a thing about the wedding planning, the decor, or arrangements. Everything came together great and seamlessly, from the rehearsal the day before to the carriage ride ending our wedding night. It was all and more that we both ever dreamed it would have been.




I was so excited to go back to the DWA it’s such a fun place. It’s definitely not your average aquarium, they have animals out in the open were you can get up close and see them. We were able to feed a bird right out of the palm of our hands. Many of the exhibits are open tops so you in look down in side as well as all around. The birds are inclosed and also so are free to fly with in the building. There is a whole area just for penguins and another for pink flamingos. They make it so it is more like their natural habitat rather than a boxed in cage with glass which is really warm and inviting. There are a couple tunnel aquariums were the tank continues up and over your head around to the other side. One of them houses many different sharks, which is kinda creepy to walk through but really fun. At the DWA you will find thousands of different sea creatures from all over the world, a assortment of birds, alligators, walruses and a cheeta. This is just a few the animals that they have. We had such a great time walking back through the aquarium and remembering our wedding day and everything that took place that evening. Many times we caught ourselves say “hey you remember this happened here.....” or “do you remember this part” “this is were we saw each other for the first time” “this is were we had family pictures”.








I absolutely loved going back and remembering our wedding it was the best day we had in Texas while we were home. We decided to start a tradition that every time we go back to Texas we are going to Visit the DWA. Not only to see the new animals and exhibits that they have built but to relive our wedding and remind ourselves of the night how fabulous it was exchanging vowels & committing ourselves to each other.







We had a great morning and even pick up a couple souvenirs to take with me as we move to remind us of the aquarium.
I’m already looking forward to the next time we come back to TX to go for a visit and stay at the Hyatt.