Fun with Friends and Family

One of my favorite things about the holidays is getting to catch up with friends and family that I don't get to see on a regular basis.  This holiday season did not disappoint!! :)

I was able to meet my friend Megan for dinner at a darling restaurant downtown.  I had such a good time catching up with this lifelong friend!  Don't you just love friends that you can just pick up with right where you left off like no time has passed?  

My friend Lacy and I met for lunch at a yummy Italian restaurant and picked up some after-Christmas sale items at the Hallmark.  She is another precious lifelong friend and it is always so good to hear the latest!  In fact, she has inspired me with all of her beautiful Christmas ornaments and I am starting two Hallmark ornament series for the first time in my life!

Then, I got to travel to downtown McKinney to see my precious college roommate Elaina!

We met for dinner at a cute restaurant called Spoons.  It was so delish!!

Here was a fun Christmas tree on my walk to the restaurant.

It was such a blessing to catch up with this dear friend!

Of course a trip home for Christmas is not complete without extensive shopping excursions to Northpark.  Mom and I helped Muvie pick out several new fashion items at Talbots. :)

Before Christmas I had the joy of a road trip home with my friend Cristen and we were able to meet our friend Lindsey for lunch at a truly heavenly place: The Chocolate Angel.

Oh my word, if you have not been there, please promise me that you will go soon.  Do not pass go and do not collect $200!!  It is fabulous and of course, I had to take a picture of the food!!  I had a grilled jalapeño pimento cheese sandwich and a cup of tomato basil soup and I'm still dreaming about it!  I cannot wait to go back!  Maybe next time I'll try to choose a less filling entrée, so I can try one of their delectable desserts!

After lunch we shopped at several adorable stores.  It was so good to catch up with these gals!!

Please excuse the super intense "happy" on my face, but it was such a treat see my dad's younger brother and his family after Christmas.  Here I am with my sweet cousins Caroline and Rosalie.  We were watching the Kennedy Center Honors on TV that night and it was such a wonderful tribute to incredible talent.  It was so good to catch up with them and hear about their plans for 2011!

Hope you have happy weekend plans!  

I'm planning to watch the #1 Lady Bears open their conference play against Iowa State.  

Go Bears!! :)