WICHITA MOUNTAINS

This weekend it was beautiful and we decided we needed a bit of an adventure...so we drove to Oklahoma to the Wichita Mountains. We have been a few times before, but this time we hit up an entirely new area and went on a great hike. McCovey was able to do some swimming and we were able to enjoy each other's company and the lovely fall weather.






Wouldn't be a Texas hike without a few cactus plants!

FALL PARTY

Last weekend we hosted David's office over for a party. The weather cooperated and it was only in the 70's, yahoo, so we used our back patio and backyard to seat the 13 adults and 11 children comfortably.

We served Chilli, Potato Soup, and Chicken Noodle Soup and invited guests to bring a side of some kind. People brought yummy cornbread, homemade rolls, and a fabulous spinach salad.

I was really excited that the soups turned out to have good flavor and depth but I was even more excited with the dessert I made, it turned out pretty great!



This Caramel Apple Cake recipe is so amazing and even more the parts that go into making it are amazing on their own. I will now use the applesauce recipe for our homemade applesauce and if I need caramel, I will use the recipe from this cake.



It took a good amount of time, but I promise it is SO worth it!

TEXAS STATE FAIR

It is with true Texan pride that I write this next post.

It was an amazing 80* when we embarked upon the world's craziest fair. We paid a guy $10 to park on his lawn and joined our friends Natalie and Mark. We made our way to the coupon tent just inside the front entrance. Everything you buy at the fair has to be bought with coupons. So we got ours and headed out (with a cold Bud Light in hand) to see what we could find.

The Texas Eye

The record breaking long horn

The milking parlor



The deep fried...everything

Between the four of us we consumed:
A buffalo chicken wrapped in a flap jack, battered deep fried and served with maple syrup. A corn dog. Curly fries. Deep fried pumpkin pie. Deep fried moon pie. Deep fried Ding Dong. And a lot of cold Bud Light.




It was an amazing experience that we will NEVER forget!

FALL FUN

What a fun season this is turning out to be. We are so lucky that the fall has brought a bit of cool weather to the town of Wichita Falls and with that cool weather, some great things as well!

Halloween Cookies ready for delivery to friends, coworkers, and neighbors.


Oktoberfest put on by the German Pilots, complete with great food and lots of German beer.


A new dark hair color and a festive mantel ready for Halloween.


Happy Fall Y'all!

THE GULF COAST

This post is long over due, but better late than never, right? On our way home from Alabama we stopped on the Gulf Coast in a little resort town called Ocean Springs. We instantly fell in love with the little shops and the beautiful ocean scapes...and the homes? Well those were just gorgeous!


We got to Ocean Springs in the afternoon and after checking into our hotel, went straight to the ocean. A long walk and some football playing with the sand between our toes...perfection.


We headed to the shops to enjoy a little of the local flavor. Afterwards we began our own little pub crawl...enjoying the bars, outdoor spaces, and restaurants that this sweet little town had to offer.


The next morning we waited in line with the locals at the the corner doughnut shop and after receiving our bag of hot doughnuts we got on the road to make the 10 hour drive home in time for the Duck game. We can't wait to go back to Mississippi and enjoy even more towns along the beautiful Gulf Coast.

ALABAMA

We are loving our time in Alabama. It has been so fun being back at Maxwell AFB, where David did all of his training just one year ago. Being in a city that offers independent restaurants, small boutiques, amazing antique stores and history around every corner.

On an after dinner walk in the Old Cloverdale District, we found this old school that is for sale...it would be a dream to buy it and renovate to it's original glory.

Saturday we went just 45 minutes outside of Montgomery to a beautiful hiking trail that wraps through the forest and down to a gorgeous lake.



Such a fun surprise to see these fantastic lakeside homes...

While David has been in class I have enjoyed seeing the sights, hunting for treasures (watch for a post on where those little finds fit into our home, coming soon), going to the gym, golfing at the driving range, and best of all was this week I drove to Prattville for high tea.

I spent a perfect morning browsing through this sweet little historic town before settling into the beautiful parlor of a historic B & B for high tea. I munched on fabulous scones with lemon curd and clotted cream while I tried various flavors of tea.

The proprietors were fantastic people, who gave me a tour and showed me all of the amazing work they have done reinventing this home from the 1800's. Just another one of the many great days we have spent in this sweet home, Alabama.

COWBOY CLASSIC

David and I were so lucky to have our families come to town to watch the Oregon Ducks play LSU. Here is our amazing weekend in Dallas (tailgating and hanging out at the hotel) and Wichita Falls (enjoying time in our home and around the city):







It was amazing to connect with my childhood friend, Elizabeth. She is such a strong and faith filled woman, I always leave our time together encouraged and full of joy!


Lasagna dinner back at our home in Wichita Falls

The lovely Kris

Checking out the falls, in Wichita Falls

Enjoying the sun and a cold beverage on the back patio

The Fox Family checking out David's office at Sheppard AFB


We felt so lucky to have The Foxes come to our home

We were so blessed to have my parents here for a few extra days, it was so hard to say goodbye!

DATE NIGHT

Last weekend we drove about an hour and twenty minutes to the town of Saint Jo, Texas.

We did a bit of wine tasting at Arche Vineyards...

...before heading to Ancient Ovens. This place was beautiful! It is a ranch where you sit and enjoy a wood fired meal looking out over the pastures as the sun goes down.

We enjoyed our bottle of wine from the vineyard next door as we devoured a four course meal complete with spinach and artichoke dip, Italian tear drops (filo dough pockets filled with cheese that explodes in your mouth), crazy-good pizza, and chocolate hazelnut calzones for dessert…all cooked in a wood fired pizza oven!


The setting was beautiful, the food delicious, and the people so lovely...it was the perfect date night!