Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts

September 16, 2009

I ♥ Aggieland

I mentioned in my last post that we recently made the trek down to A&M for the season opener! We had such a wonderful time visiting our old stomping grounds and soaking in the Aggie Spirit. It was a great game, ending in a 41-6 victory over the University of New Mexico. Gig 'em Aggies!

Here are a few pics from our trip:

Bevo and the boys...
(I'm surprised they didn't try to ride the bull)



Ready for kick-off...



Loving the Aggie Spirit...



What a great bunch...



The boys are getting ready on the field...



"Ok, last one..."



One more of the girls, for good times sake!


Check out that stadium!


Can't wait to go back! Next game on our agenda--A&M vs. Arkansas at the new Cowboys Stadium!

June 16, 2009

The O’Donnell Hotel

Visit #1

The weekend after we returned from Palm Springs we opened up the O’Donnell Hotel to friends and family! Our first visitors were the Fergusons. Michael, Virginia, and their almost two year old pup, Major, came to visit for the long Memorial Day weekend. This was the first time Cooper had a friend spend the night and boy did they wear each other out! They got in town late Friday night and we all stayed up way past our bed times catching up and watching the pups get acquainted with one another. Saturday morning we slept in and then headed to Wiggly Field, a dog park in Denton. (Cute name, huh?!) The pups had a blast running around and playing fetch in the little pond behind the park. (I didn’t get any pictures from the dog park on my camera, but will update when I get them from Virginia.) Saturday night we went to dinner at Hard Eights, a bar-b-que restaurant in Coppell, and then came home for some more relaxation. Sunday we went to church, ate a quick bite, and then it was time for Michael, Virginia, and Major to hit the road and head to Fort Worth to visit her family.





{Cooper waiting for his friend to arrive!}



{Wiggly Field and the pups after a long day of playing.

Major on the left and Cooper on the right.}



{Plum tuckered out!!}

We had a blast, Fergusons! Thanks for staying and we hope to see you again soon!


Visit #2
The next weekend we had our second set of visitors come stay at the “O Hotel.” This time, it was Kelly’s family. His mom Sarah, sister Mandy, brother in law Ray, nephews Aaron and RJ, and niece Megan came in town on Friday evening May 29. Or should I say early Saturday morning. They technically didn’t arrive until 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning! They were traveling all the way from Midland, TX and didn’t get on the road until late Friday night. When Kelly and I woke up Saturday morning, we were pleasantly surprised to find our house filled with family. Cooper was so overjoyed with excitement that he leaped onto the couch and planted his left paw in Ray’s coffee, causing the entire cup to spill on the couch and all over the carpet. Thankfully, Kelly’s mom brought a handy steam vac with her and we were able to get the stains up with no problem!!

Saturday afternoon, we all loaded up in the car and headed to Kelly’s uncle’s house in Valley View, TX for a family reunion. His uncle lives on a farm/ranch with lots of land, two horses, a 4-wheeler! Even Cooper got to come along for the ride. We had a great time catching up with Kelly’s extended family and apparently Cooper did too! On two separate occasions, Cooper busted through his leash and ran into the horse pin, jumping right into the horses drinking pond. He rolled around in the dirt (which we later found out was mixed with horse manure) and then played chase with Kelly while he tried to wrangle him back out of the horse pin. What a nightmare! But we were thankful he was able to come with us just the same! Sadly, I didn’t get any pictures of Cooper and his antics! On Sunday we ate breakfast and then it was time for the gang to hit the road! But that wasn’t the end of our weekend…

June 15, 2009

On the road again…

Exactly one week after returning from Vegas, I hit the friendly skies again—but this time it was with Kelly and my family. We headed to Palm Springs for 5 days of sun-filled bliss!

This was my parents and brother’s first time to use my flight benefits and they were so excited to travel “Employee style.” We headed out after work on Wednesday May 13 for what turned out to be a LONG day of travel. The first leg of our trip was from Dallas to Phoenix (with a quick stop in El Paso.) We switched planes in Phoenix and headed on to Orange County. We landed in Orange County at 10:00 p.m. California time (which was 12:00 p.m. Dallas time!) We were exhausted, but no stopping here…we still had to get the rental car and drive 2.5 hours to Palm Springs!! Fortunately, I didn’t have to drive so I slept most of the way to the condo. Even though it was a long haul to our final destination, we were so thankful we traveled during the night and were able to wake up in sunny California on Thursday morning.

We spent the majority of our days being lazy, laying out by the pool, golfing, shopping, going to the movies, and eating, eating, eating! Mom and I did manage to walk almost 3 miles every morning and we even did the Shred DVD two of the days we were there! We stayed at a condo at the Arnold Palmer Private Residence on the 7th hole of the course. Every morning we would go out and drink our coffee on the porch and watch the golfers start their first rounds of golf. What a way to relax!

On Friday we headed to LA! Our first stop was The Castaway Restaurant in Burbank. This was my brother’s suggestion because he saw The Castaway featured on the travel channel a few weeks before our trip. They had amazing food and the best views of downtown LA. It was such a quiet and quaint place in such a busy and loud city! Our next stop was the Getty Museum in Malibu, CA. Mom read up on this hot spot and thought it would be a great place to visit. We loved touring the museum and soaking in this Malibu oasis. Before heading back to Palm Springs, we thought we’d try and spot a few celebs heading to the beach so we snooped around and found a local market where celebs have been known to drop by every once in a while. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any one famous while we were there…oh well!

All in all we had a great trip and it was so nice to get away and relax at such a beautiful resort! Too bad we can visit the Arnold Palmer every weekend!

May 13, 2009

Tick, tock, tick, tock...

Nothing like a family vacation on the horizon to make the day DRAG by.

We leave for Palm Springs today after work and I couldn’t be more excited!!

And you know what the best part is about going on a trip…PACKING! I don’t know why, but I love to pack. I get some sort of satisfaction out of seeing how much stuff I can cram into my small suitcase. Then I run around the house bragging to Kelly. (Like he really cares. He thinks I have a problem.) But seriously, I love it.

I love it so much that this weekend when we were at my parents celebrating Mother’s Day, I helped my Mom get her bag ready for the trip. Exhilarating I tell you!

On a completely different note, I started the 30-Day Shred DVD this weekend! So far, I’ve done 4 days and I feel great! It’s only 20 minutes long, and gives you just enough energy to get your day started. Instead of hitting my alarm 3 more times, I just wake up when my alarm goes off and then get to work with the DVD. I’ve only lost a pound so far…probably water weight, but hey, I’m on the right track! I find myself eating better and feeling better throughout the day. So…I’ll keep you posted on how it progresses. (And yes, I’m taking the Shred DVD to Palm Springs. Hope there’s a DVD player at the condo…)










Well, I wish I had time to tell you all about my trip to Las Vegas last week. But I’ll have to fill you in on the LIVE Cher concert, laying out by the pool, dancing it up at PURE, meeting the Rapping Flight Attendant, and spending three whole days in casinos when I get back from Cali!

Until then, I hope you all have a great rest of your week and enjoy the weekend!

April 12, 2009

All caught up!

Happy Easter, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful day celebrating our Lord's resurrection and thanking him for his sacrifice on the cross! Kelly and I went to the early service at church (8:00 am!!) and then headed over to my parent's house for the traditional Easter lunch. I always enjoy eating my Mom's home cooked meals!! This time, I made the mashed potatoes and they turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. But, then again, it's pretty hard to mess up mashed potatoes...

Boy does it feel good to get all caught up! This weekend has been a productive weekend in the O'Donnell household. I had Friday off (WOO HOO!!) and I spent most of the day getting our house back in order after our trip to San Diego (more on that in a minute.) I did the laundry and the dishes, swept the kitchen, vacuumed the living room, made the bed, unpacked the rest of Kelly's suitcase, and reorganized my suitcase for my next trip (also more on that in a minute.)

After my busy morning I took Cooper for a long run/walk. He's still getting the hang of walking/running with someone and not in front of someone but he always LOVES to go for a walk around the neighborhood. We headed to the park that was close by and even went a little further, almost making it to Bahama Bucks before turning around to head home. On our way back I decided to cut through the park and let Cooper off his leash to run around. Just as I unclasped his leash he sat down to scratch his ear and then sprawled out on the concrete, looking up at me like, "What Mom, I'm tired?!" I finally got him home and then he crashed out for the rest of the afternoon. I didn't want to wake him by opening the door, so here's a pic of him through the window. Such a sweet little love!


Friday afternoon I met up with my Mom and we did a little girl shopping and grocery shopping before heading home to have dinner with my family. Friday night, Kelly and I attended a "Service of Darkness" with my parents and brother at their church and then went back to their house for dessert. My Aunt Beth and Uncle Steve came over for a visit and they got to see Mr. Cooper!

Saturday Kel and I hit the gym (which was MUCH needed after skipping out for almost two weeks!) and then headed to the pool to take advantage of the beautiful weather. That afternoon we went to the mall to look around and then stopped in at On The Border for a yummy dinner. We rented The Boy in the Striped Pajamas from On Demand and snuggled up on the couch after a long day. For the first time in a LONG time, I stayed up to watch the whole thing and Kelly feel asleep. I don't know if that's EVER happened before.

And that brings us to today! After lunch with my family, Kel and I came home to catch up on our sleep (yeah for Sunday afternoon naps!) And now I'm wide awake and have caught up on downloading and uploading pictures and reading everyone's blogs (and I'm getting caught up on my blog, too!) One thing I do know, is the longer I wait to blog, the harder it is to get caught up.

One more thing I do hope we get to do today is follow through with this tradition!

Next Post: San Diego, CA!

March 07, 2009

There's a First Time For Everything...

...and today it's my first time to blog from my iPhone! (And best of all I'm sitting on the couch!)

This afternoon Kel and I are spending the day with my brother and parents at their house. We brought Cooper over to romp around in the backyard while we eat a delicious home cooked meal!

Coop loves to go to his grandparents house! My dad has "Cooper Proofed" the backyard that has ropes, toys, and a blanket back there for him to play with. (But he really spends most of the time in the flower bed :))

Well I'm signing off for now. Until next time...

Posted from my iPhone

December 23, 2008

What are you Christmas Traditions??

I was tagged by Jen last week to do my Christmas Survey. So, I'd better hurry up - there are only 2 days left until Christmas!!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Definitely wrapping paper...its much more fun unwrapping!

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial

3. When do you put up the tree? I aim for the day after Thanksgiving... however, the past two years my Mom and I have made it a tradition to hit the "early bird specials" on Black Friday, so the tree usually goes up the weekend after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually the first two weeks of January. This year, we will definitely have our Christmas stuff put away the first week of January because Cooper comes home on January 9th!

5. Do you like eggnog? Ew sick, absolutely not!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Oh my gosh, let me think... I remember getting this awesome sweatsuit that I wore practically everyday for a year! That was the same year my brother got a basketball goal and we spent hours trying to learn how to do a lay-up in our driveway.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Our Dads can be hard to shop for sometimes!

8. Easiest person to buy for? Mom! I secretly try to pick up on little hints here and there to get her those extra special gifts!

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No, but one day we will!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail for sure...mine went out the first week of December :)

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A purple ceramic pumpkin. I got this at a White Elephant gift exchange - however, I didn't know it was "white elephant." So I brought a normal gift while all the other gifts were "gag." As you can tell, it scarred me for life.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Little Women! Even though this isn't really a Christmas movie, my Mom and I watch it every year at Christmas and it always reminds me of the holidays. So does Gone with the Wind. But I do like Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone and The Polar Express (yes, I know I'm 25.)

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? As early as I have every one's wishlist! I try to start as early as I can to get the good deals and avoid the crowds :)

14. Have you ever re-gifted a Christmas present? Yes, the purple ceramic pumpkin. And now I'm a firm believer of not buying a "good" gift if everyone else insists on bringing a "gag" gift. See the scarring?

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? There is so much yummy food at our house... sausage rolls, puppy chow, toffee, queso, sausage balls, and the list goes on...

16. Lights on the tree? A MUST! White/Clear only.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Do You Hear What I Hear, Winter Wonderland, Nutcracker medley, Joy To The World, Mary Did You Know, All I Want For Christmas is YOU...I love all Christmas music!

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? This year we'll be staying home. Next year, who knows!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Of course, there's...Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph!!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Last year we had a star, but this year we have a bow.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crazy drivers, long lines and of course, the annual grinch!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I love red and gold! Our tree is filled with red/maroon/gold ornaments and has some poinsettias in it!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Mom's brisket with mashed potatoes, corn and rolls!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Brighton jewelry, dress clothes, Miss Dior Cherie perfume, pajamas, a new robe, house shoes, pashmina, gift cards, anything really!!! (Except the purple ceramic pumpkin :) )

I'm tagging anyone else who hasn't shared their holiday traditions!!

December 02, 2008

Happy Birthday Mama!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear MAMA!
Happy Birthday to you!

To the woman I admire and look up to; my best friend; workout partner; a shoulder I can cry on; a friend I can laugh with; my continuous cheerleader and support system; I wish you a happy birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day filled with love and celebration!! Thank you for being the “bestest Mama in the whole wide world!”

Love you!!

November 30, 2008

Our Thanksgiving Break... in a nutshell!

When I left you guys on Monday I was planning to start {and finish} painting our upstairs bedrooms. That was all I thought we could handle over the Thanksgiving break. Little did I know what all we could get done in the span of 5 days! And by "we" I mean the little army I enlisted to help me get my house ready for the holidays!

Here's a quick overview of our accomplishments.

  • Paint upstairs bedrooms {walls, trim, and doors}
  • Rearrange furniture in the loft
  • Decorate guest bedroom
  • Change filter in attic {this is more time consuming than you think}
  • Clean/Pick-up the house
  • Cook the dish we were taking to my grandparent's house for Thanksgiving
  • Sand and stain two dressers
  • Unpack all the Christmas decorations
  • Put up the Christmas tree and garland
  • Restring the lights on the tree
  • Buy new vanity for upstairs bedroom
  • Order and pick up our Christmas cards

That quick overview hardly encompasses ALL we were able to get done this week, but if you stop to think about it, that is pretty hefty list to tackle all at once.

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent painting and moving furniture back into place once everything was dry. Wednesday afternoon we removed all the decorations from the wall in our loft so we could get up in the attic to get down the Christmas tree. However, once Kelly was in the attic, we realised our tree was still over at my parent's house! So, while he was up there, he changed the air filter, and the had to move some cables around to reconnect the internet in our study. {I didn't really understand what wires had to go where, so I left that job to the boys.} Oh, I guess I should give a shout out to my little army! My Dad helped me paint the majority of the walls on Tuesday and then my Mom joined in on the fun Tuesday afternoon and helped paint the trim. Kelly had to work Tuesday, so when he got home from work, he was enlisted to take over for my Dad. My brother, Joshy, came home from college on Tuesday evening and came over to the house in time to hang out and watch the Dancing With The Stars finale. Dad, Josh and Kelly moved all the furniture on Wednesday afternoon while Mom and I decorated the bedroom and got everything back in order. Thank you Army for helping me get my house in order!!!

Wednesday night Kelly's parents got to town. They didn't make it to our house until about 10:00 that evening, so we just relaxed on the couch after a long day of hard work. Thursday my parents picked us up to go to my grandparent's house for Thanksgiving, while Kelly's parent's went over to Kelly's aunt's house for the day. We all had a great day filled with wonderful food and fellowship with family!

Friday morning my mom and I woke up at 4:45 am to get a head start on our holiday shopping. We made a few quick stops and then headed to Canton. It was our first time EVER to experience the infamous Canton Trade Days, and I have to say, we made it out alive! There was so much cute stuff to see, I still don't know if we saw it all! Of course, we were there on the one cold and rainy day out of the year, but that didn't stop us from power shopping the day away! We made a few purchases for the house and headed back to town around 2:00 pm. We had a few other places to stop before I headed home around 6:00 pm. That evening, Kelly and I went with his parents to The Shops at Highland Village to watch Four Christmases; however, it was sold out that night, so we made a stop at Snuffer's to chow down on their famous cheese fries instead. OH! I almost forgot! The best part of the night was that our PUPPY was born! Abby, the mother, had the puppies on Friday night between 11:00pm and 1:30am. There were a total of 9 in the litter: 4 black, 3 yellow, and 2 white!

Saturday morning we took it easy and lounged around the house for awhile. Kelly was in charge of staining the dressers that go in our upstairs bedroom, so Mom and I decided to get the Christmas decorations out and put up the tree. {Kelly hates putting up the Christmas tree, so I think he was glad to have an excuse this year.} But let me back up for a second. While my Mom and I were in Canton, I got a phone call from Kel saying that he and his Mom were going to sand down the dressers and stain them before his parents left to head back to Lubbock. Kelly and I had been planning on refinishing the dressers at some point, so I was thankful that his Mom was willing to help him tackle that HUGE project! Back to Saturday... after Mom and I got the decorations in place, Kelly and I headed over to Jan's house, the puppies owner, to pick out our little pup! All the pups were absolutely adorable! They looked like little fur balls moving around! Kelly and I want a yellow lab, we just didn't know if we'd be getting a little girl or a little boy. Well, it turns out that we'll be getting a little GIRL! Here are a few pics from our first visit!

Kel and I are pretty sure we want the pup with the pink collar, but we are going back in a week to make our official selection. The white ones are beautiful and it makes it so hard to decide when you're looking at their cute little faces. Aren't they so cute?!

After leaving the pups, Kel and I made it home just in time to turn around twice and head back out the door with his parents to go see Four Christmases {for real this time.} We met up with Ryan, Kelly's brother; his roommate; his girlfriend {excuse me, the girl he is dating}; and Wes and Brandye. I would have to rate the movie a B, but the fellowship was A+! We headed home and crashed out on the couch. We were exhausted!

This morning we woke up and went to brunch with Kel's parents at Le Peep and then came back home to pack up their car so they could hit the road. A 5 hour drive home seems like a long car ride after the busy week we had! I've spent the afternoon getting the house in order and running a few more errands. I have to say, I'm looking forward to a relaxing night on the couch, just the two of us!

I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Phew! All done. Thanks for reading this novel! Stay tuned for more updates on Christmas decorations and the puppy!

October 25, 2008

Uh-oh...

I have a correction to make to one of my previous posts...

...Yesterday I was informed that while my Mom had the idea of getting my beautiful name plate, it was actually my brother, Josh, who did all the leg work to get it sent home to me! I must give credit where credit is due, and wanted to take a minute to thank my wonderful lil' bro for running all over town to get the name plate ordered, making sure it was correct and then getting it safely shipped home! Thank you Bud!!

October 20, 2008

Sweet Memories

I was driving on my way home last night and I heard the song come on the radio: "I Want To Be Just Like You" by Phillips Craig and Dean. I started crying just listening to the lyrics of that sweet song! It reminded me of the days when my family would pile into our parents bed and read our childhood devotional, "Little Visits with God" or when we use to go to the annual 4th of July event, Celebrate Freedom. I just wanted to pass this along, because it brought a sweet tear to my eye!

He climbs in my lap for a goodnight hug
He calls me Dad and I call him Bud
With his faded old pillow and a bear named Pooh
He snuggles up close and says, "I want to be like you"
I tuck him in bed and I kiss him goodnight
Trippin' over the toys as I turn out the light
And I whisper a prayer that someday he'll see
He's got a father in God 'cause he's seen Jesus in me


Lord, I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be just like me
I want to be a holy example
For his innocent eyes to see
Help me be a living Bible, Lord
That my little boy can read
I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be like me

Got to admit I've got so far to go
Make so many mistakes and I'm sure that You know
Sometimes it seems no matter how hard I try
With all the pressures in life I just can't get it all right
But I'm trying so hard to learn from the best
Being patient and kind, filled with Your tenderness
'Cause I know that he'll learn from the things that he sees
And the Jesus he finds will be the Jesus in me
Right now from where he stands I may seem mighty tall
But it's only 'cause I'm learning from the best Father of them all

September 14, 2008

Surprise, Surprise!

Most of you know I love surprises! Not the kind of surprises that happen when someone jumps out to startle you, but the gift kind. My husband thinks I like the startling kind of surprises. He gets the biggest kick out of scaring me half to death... but we'll save that for another post...

Well the other day I got a phone call from my Mom that said "I have a surprise for your new office!" At the time, I couldn't imaging what it could be... a new picture frame maybe, or a cute lamp. I had no idea.

So she came up to the office this last week and I met her in the parking lot to get my "surprise." (She was too excited to wait any longer to give it to me.) As I opened the box, I was so excited to find my very own Texas A&M name plate! I had been wanting one since I graduated and I now had the perfect place for my beautiful name plate; my new office!

Thank you Mom and Dad for my name plate! I love it!


August 05, 2008

A few fun things to share...

I wanted to share with you this pic of me and Virginia's puppy, Major. (And, it's the only pic from their visit.) They came to visit us a few weekends ago and it was a blast catching up with V and playing with Major! It's so funny how he has a personality all his own. He is a great little pup, very calm (at least he was for us) and he'll melt your heart! Thanks for sharing him with us, V!




On a completely different note, I have a few more pics to share from Amanda and Justin's wedding! You can click here to get a sneak peek at some of their professional photos. Their photographer did an amazing job at capturing the personality of the wedding (and the attendees). I know it's kind of back tracking, but their engagement photos are also available to view, just click here and then scroll about half way down the page.

**Ok, so I'm a bragging cousin - but I wanted to share her AMAZING bridal portrait photos with you too. She even made it into DWeddings Fall/Winter 2008 publication! Click here and turn up your music for a fun slideshow!!**

Hope everyone is having a great day!

July 14, 2008

'Tis the Season

Well, I think we've reached the end of what seemed to be the longest wedding season EVER! This past Saturday, Kelly and I both had weddings to attend. One was in Midland and one was in Dallas, so we had to divide and conquer! You know, it’s just not the same when you don't have your spouse there to share in all the wedding festivities! But we were both surrounded by family which made it much more fun. Although I can't speak for Kelly's cousin, Kara's wedding, I will give you an update on my cousin, Amanda's wedding. We began the weekend with the bridesmaid luncheon on Friday afternoon at Times Ten Cellars. We had some delicious hors d'oeuvres and enjoyed spending the afternoon relaxing with family. Friday night the rehearsal was at Perkins Chapel on SMU’s campus (I was the scripture reader in the wedding) and the rehearsal dinner was at Mattitos in Uptown. Saturday the wedding started at 7:30 pm and was followed by the reception which was held in the Empire Room in downtown Dallas. What an amazing view of downtown from up there!! The reception lasted well into the wee hours on Sunday morning, when the couple finally left for their honeymoon in Mexico! Amanda made a beautiful bride and Justin was a devishly handsome groom. Congratulations Amanda and Justin! We’re excited to see where the Lord leads you in your life together.

March 23, 2008

Happy Easter...and a new family tradition!

As Kelly and I were "celebrating" Easter this year we decided that in addition to sharing a traditional holiday meal with our family that we would watch the movie The Passion of The Christ every year at Easter. I know, it sounds a little weird to commit to watching a movie in order to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, but the film gives such an unforgettable image of what Jesus went through in order to save us all from sin. It is a great reminder of how much God loves us, that he sent his one and only Son to die for us, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life!

March 19, 2008

A House Full of FUN

For our spring break this year we did something a little different. Kelly took a few days vacation and we had his nephews, Aaron (14) and RJ (12) and his niece Megan (10) come to stay with us for a long weekend. We hit up The Shops of Legacy for dinner, made a stop at Six Flags for some gut-wrenching FUN, watched movies, played in the park, did girlie things and had a wonderful weekend overall. We were so thankful they were able to make it...but we were a little nervous at first. Their flight out of Midland was sold out; therefore, Kelly had to drive to Abilene late Thursday night to pick them all up. But he didn't mind...it was well worth the drive!