the big d.

after nearly three weeks of vacation, we are back.  while it's always sad when vacations end, it's nice to be settling in back at home and getting the girls back onto their regular routines.

or trying to, anyway.

i had grand visions of still blogging while we were away, which did not happen (obviously).  so now i'll just play catch up and write a couple of posts full of updates and photos.  and there are a lot.  of both.

we were so excited about our trip to dallas a couple of weeks ago!  we were ready to get to hang with nick's parents, visit with some of our family and friends we hadn't seen in over a year and introduce emmy to our world in the big d.  it was a great time--super busy, but we wouldn't have had it any other way!  here are a few highlights from our trip:

- cousin time!  bella got to hang with her cousins, wyatt and sophia while the newest ones (emmy and olivia) got to chill together.  there was a lot of chaos, dancing and getting into things.  it was fun and there was so much adorableness i could hardly handle it.

- nick's parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this year.  can you believe it?!  forty years.  what an amazing testimony and inspiration they are!  we partied it up texas-style with a huge bash to honor them and it was so fun.  how loved they are!

- church.  we were able to visit our old stomping grounds, irving bible church for a service as well as a few trips to let bella play in the tubes.  just walking through that place brings back countless memories.  nick&i both worked there, worshipped there aaaand it was where we first got introduced.  so it's a pretty special place in our book.  to top it all off, the worship team sang "ten thousand reasons" my new fav song.  i may or may not have just sat there and cried.

- we got to celebrate the fourth with family out in the country, about an hour outside of dallas.  we spent the night with jd, stella, sophia and olivia and had a great time watching the kids play and hanging out!  then we spent the following day at nick's aunt ann's.  we love going out there!  it's so pretty and peaceful and there's always kids everywhere and lots of really, really good food.  bel got to play with even more cousins there: mckenna, kaity, luke, tyler, kaylee, allison, lexi and landen!  she loooooved it.  she attempted to swim in the pool (she hated it), blew bubbles and played and played on the swingset until her little cheeks were bright red from the hot texas sun.  that evening, as we sat outside watching fireworks, my tuckered out girl fell asleep in my lap.  and i loved it.

- it's always a highlight for me when we get to have my good friend amanda take photos of our family!  she does suuuuuch an amazing job.  we hiked out into a nature reserve for this shoot which included a quilt, some bubbles, a 1920s baby carriage and a vintage bonnet.  cannot wait to see the end results, but here is a sneak peek...

- baby shower!  my sweet sister in law is due in less than two months with our precious niece, josie anne.  this is one prayed for little girl and it was *such* a blessing to celebrate both she and jessica while we were there!  cannot wait to see her pretty lil face and give her squeezes.  so excited for bella and emmy to have another girl cousin... what fun!

- keeping bella entertained can be a bit of a challenge since she is on the go every minute of the day, but we managed to find a few things to do that kept her out of the heat!  she loved the merry-go-round and the miniature train at grapevine mills mall, as well as her first visit to chuck e. cheese.  she had the most fun just running around and pushing buttons on all the machines.  cheap entertainment, if you ask me.

- we crammed as much time in as we could with family and friends.  nick went to a rangers game with the guys, ate good texas barbeque with his best friend, played poker and a few games of settlers.  i caught up with good friends, visited with the family i nannied for last year, and ate with girlfriends at two of my *fav* spots (breadwinners and chuys).

- we had a wonderful time staying with nick's parentsand getting to visit with them, and watch them love on our girls. they were so gracious, helping us so much with bella&emmy, letting us use one of their cars and opening up their home to all of us.  they got up almost every morning with bella and let us sleep.  bob cooked us breakfasts and theda changed lots of diapers :)our girls are blessed to have their nonni and papa!

already looking forward to our next visit to the big d.  it's such a special place to us... where we met&fell in love, had our first home together and welcomed our bella grace into the world.  it's where half of our family lives, and many people who are so precious to us!  we're so grateful to have a built-in family vacay every year for our girls where they can play with their cousins, see lots of family and friends and get a bit spoiled by their nonni and papa (i think bella had ice cream every night!).

here's to you, texas.  we'll be back soon.

ten things {restaurants in dallas}.

i think a side job i would like to have is to be a food critic. i mean, i love food so then i would love working! so... what's not to love? as we are getting prepared to leave dallas in a mere three weeks (ahhhhh!!) i've been thinking about all the things i will miss. besides people (obviously) and our church, i think the restaurants will come in near the top. if you live here--or plan on visiting any time soon--check out this list. seriously some of our *favorite* places to fill our bellies. YUM. along with some great memories. as julia child would say...bon appetit!

1. eno's pizza (bishop arts district, oak cliff).

nick&i were first introduced to eno's at a first baptist academy staff christmas party two years ago. i was then with child, so the experience of having unlimited mouth-watering salad, pizza and pasta was especially fantastic. what we love so much about this place is not only their oh-so-delish thin crust pizza, effort to use locally grown, fresh ingredients and yummy root beer floats, is the rustic, laid back vibe. not to mention it's location in the cutest area of dallas which really feels like you're walking around in a normal rockwell painting in the 1950s. i am seriously in love with this place. be sure to try: central pie, harvest pear salad, gotham kitchen and homegrown sandwiches. also have a great beer selection and, as previously mentioned, outstanding root beer floats!

2. chuy's (knox/henderson, dallas).

ahhhhhhh chuy's. just that word brings to my mind brightly colored, festive decor that just puts you in a good mood, 50s diner-style seats, queso and fixins served out of the back of a plastic cadillac and really, really good margaritas (especially at happy hour when they are like three bucks). i. love. this. place. in my single days, i came here allllll the time. i have fond memories of summer days spent laying by the pool, deciding on a whim we felt like chips and jalepeno ranch, throwing on shorts and tshirts and heading straight there, sunburned skin, wet hair and all. be sure to try: tortilla soup, mexi-cobb salad, fajitas, baja tacos, big as yo face burritos aaaaand you *must* request a side of jalepeno ranch dressing with your chips for dipping. i want this in a permanent iv running through my veins at all times.

3. eatzi's (oak lawn/lemmon, uptown dallas).

feel like going to europe but can't afford a plane ticket? a trip to eatzi's just might hold you over until you can. with it's wine, bread and cheese selections, fresh flowers, bakery, specialty foods and classical music billowing in the background, eatzi's instantly transports you to a world beyond dallas. located near dallas seminary, i may have skipped a few classes on a nice afternoon to go grab lunch with a friend. don't judge. you would have too :) a stop at this italian market is a must for a picnic date, lunch with a friend or just a change from the ordinary. be sure to try: a made-to-order sandwich on the signature bonebread... soooo yum, basil cream spread, southwest chicken salad, hummus or a made-to-order salad with anything you can imagine.

4. daddy jacks (denton tap rd, coppell).

we are *huge*--huuuuuuge--daddy jacks fans. nick worked there all through our first year of marriage as he finished up his undergrad, and occassionally still will pick up a shift here and there. this is one of the best date places to go because it's so small, candlelit and intimate and of course because they have a-mazing food. aaaand we happen to think the owners are pretty great :) i have tried a lot on their menu, so bear with me as i rattle off a list of must-tries: goat cheese bruchetta, ahi tuna, shrimp and grits, hummus, lobster bisque&tomato soup, bistro salad, blue cheese hashbrowns, baked stuffed shrimp, beef tenderloin tips, and they also have a menu with your choice of meat, just brushed with olive oil, sea salt and lemon and grilled for your health-conscious decisions (because you will definitely want dessert). for your sweet tooth: their creme brulee is oh-so-scrumptious, but our favorite is the chocolate bag; a "bag" made out of hardened chocolate and filled with cubed poundcake, berries and chocolate. ummmm... yes please.

5. seven salsas (macarthur blvd, valley ranch).

this place is not only great because of their fantastic-mexican-fare-that-doesn't-break-your-wallet, but it is also special to nick&i because it is where we had our first date (everyone say it with me now "awwwwww"). yes, that's right. this is where we first spent time together, where we first knew we liked each other and where i first ate off his plate. yes, yes i did (to my mother's dismay). oh well. guess it didn't scare him off, did it?! needless to say, we love it here. their salsa (no big surprise if you note the name) is amazing; and sometimes they will bring out a platter of--you guessed it--seven different salsas to sample. delicious. laid back, authentic and just good, good food. be sure to try: cadillac fajitas, chicken soft tacos, ground beef nachos, sangria swirl margaritas.

6. breadwinners (mckinney ave, uptown dallas).

one of my all-time favorite places to eat in dallas... especially for brunch. when i was training for a half-marathon with a couple of my friends, we would do our long runs on saturday mornings... a couple times with the motivation that it would be immediately followed by a brunch at breadwinners. this place not only has amazing food, but a unique, artsy, fun vibe and is perfect for everyone... but especially perfect for girl time, i must say :) be sure to try: homemade granola, nature pancakes, san fransisco cobb salad, waldorf chicken melt or california turkey club sandwich. their flavored iced tea is amazing and so are their homemade potato chips. yum.

7. cafe brazil (many locations in the metroplex).

i was lucky enough to live close to a cafe brazil when i first moved to dallas and was a seminary student. it was open 24 hrs, so when my roommate and i would get hungry we would sometimes make a trip to cafe brazil. it's eclectic, unique style is not only evident in their decor but also their food. aaaaand they have a bottomless coffee bar with flavors like "vanilla colada" and "butter pecan". yesss. be sure to try: veggie deluxe sandwich, their version of a grilled cheese which is complete with every cheese under the sun, make-your-own crepes, not just another egg sandwich, breakfast migas, and pancrepes. you'll never go to another place like it.

8. trinity hall (mockingbird station, dallas).

a couple of summers ago, this became a favorite hang-out-spot for our group of friends. the perfect place to go sit for a few hours, have a drink or two, people-watch, chat and maybe get some food. an old-world-ish irish pub set in trendy mockingbird station, trinity hall is always a-buzz with live bands, sporting events and trivia nights. a really, really fun place to go with friends. voted "best beer selection in dallas" in 2010, it also has great irish fare. be sure to try: fish&chips, irish soda bread, shepherd's pie, irish chicken enchiladas, and for dessert? steamed bread pudding. super scrumpsh (i just made up that word).

9. johnny b's (southlake blvd, southlake).

this family owned burger joint is one of our *favs*. my father l-o-v-e-s this place and would seriously consider flying to dallas just to grab a hamburger (and see his granddaughter) and fly back. just kidding, but maybe. this in-and-out-burger-inspired-hole-in-the-wall establishment is just so cute... and you just feel good knowing you're supporting a family by bringing your business here. right? yes. their signature sauce (like i said, similar to in-and-out) and their fresh baked, slightly sweet, buttery hamburger buns are hard to beat. be sure to try: their BURGERS! (duh) and fries. and the shakes are out-of-this-world, too.

10. fireside pies (knox/henderson, dallas).

love. this. place. they not only have mouthwatering pizzas, but just-as-delish salads, appetizers and really, really yummy drinks. aaaand you can eat outside on a patio when the weather's nice and it just makes you love this place more. perfect for a girls night out, a romantic date for two, or a dinner with lots of friends. i mean, who doesn't love a good pizza? yeah. everyone. be sure to try: fireside fondue, fireside cheese salad with chicken (one of the best salads that has ever blessed my tastebuds), peta pie and any cocktail i've had there has been really, really tasty. yum. now i'm hungry.