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Just as I had hoped, we built up an appetite and ended up going to the Cheesecake Factory for supper. This makes me so HAPPY, because it really has become one of my favorite places to eat. The restaurant is located inside the Southlake Town Center…and if you have ever been there during this time of the year, you know how beautiful it looks all lit up at night. I like to compare it to a real-life Christmas village. We ordered all these yummy things and a cheesecake to-go of course!
Mom booked our hotels for the weekend…and she did a GREAT job. On Friday night we stayed at the Hyatt which was actually in the parking lot of the mall…and it was the NICEST hotel I have ever stayed in. It was so clean and so modern. The only little problem was, the beds weren’t that comfy…or at least mine wasn’t.
The boys came to the Hilton in Dallas where we met up and bundled up for the Wylie State Championship game. As you know…it didn’t work out for the Bulldogs and they came home empty handed. When you get to the state championship game you can’t afford to make errors…Gilmer was the better team…and they deserved all the glory that night. I managed to get one picture before the game…and one of Andy and I in the stands.
Sunday morning we got up early and headed to Plano to meet up with The Hill’s (the people who invited us to the Cowboys game!) My Mom and Dad wanted to show off their little grand baby…so we took Jolea over for a short visit before dropping her off with Andy’s mom. We headed to the game around 12:00…I thought this was really early, but Mr. Hill wanted us to get there with enough time to eat, visit and explore the stadium. The only word I can think of that accurately describes this state of the art stadium is…MASSIVE. It was huge and it was beautiful. The traffic was horrendous, but not for us, Mr. Hill had himself and most of the gang chauffeured in a big black Dallas Cowboys van. Andy and I drove our own car because we had to drive to Keller to get Jolea, but luckily we were able to follow him basically right up to the front entrance and walk right in. It was so AWESOME! The suite was fully catered with all the food and beverages we could ever imagine and they had their own personal waitress that would get us anything we needed. It was royal treatment to say the least. Here are a few of my favorite pictures… (click on the collages to enlarge)
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A little background info...these people have been in my parent's life since high school. Most of the men in the picture played football together in Artesia New Mexico. Artesia has a legacy of state championship football teams and my dad and these guys were a part of that legacy for 3 years. They have been good friends all these years and regularly keep in touch! Its really awesome to hear them talk about each other and share stories...friends like these are hard to find. The man in the wheelchair is Corey. Corey is one of my Dad's dearest friends. He was injured in an oil field accident in his early 20's and has been paralyzed ever since. He was the school hunk, and a football star and his accident was tragic. Corey is so happy to be alive...and he is a shining example that all things are possible. These guys share a special bond with him.
This is just "some" of the food. I didn't get a picture, but there was some gourmet macaroni and cheese that was to DIE for. I have loved mac and cheese ever since I was a tiny tot and this was the BEST I have ever eaten :)
Neal McCoy was the half time performer...and although I used to be a fan...he isn't quite as good as he used to be. The kids you see on the big screen were there to represent Big Brothers Big Sisters...they were pretty cute. They also did a special tribute to the military troops with an American flag that was huge. The Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders came out in cute little Santa outfits too...all the guys were drooling by this point :)
When we walked into the stadium they handed us each a pair of 3D glasses...about half of the 3rd quarter was in 3D on the big screen. You will also see some silly pictures that I just couldn't resist taking...Ha
Of course I couldn't go to a Dallas game and not mention the cheerleaders! OMG...the girls are HOT MAMA'S...I am a fan of the CMT TV show, and it was cool to see some of them are still on the squad. My favorite one is Jordan Chanley...she is Presh! They were right on beat and never missed a step...always smiled...and really kept the crowd entertained with their high impact dances and risque dance moves. Geez...if I tried some of those moves, Id be on bed rest for a week!
At one point in the game, a Dallas player was hit really hard and went down...
I couldn't resist getting this shot of Tony Romo...
Getting out of the parking lot was a nightmare…but considering everything else that we got to experience that day…it wouldn’t have been the same without feeling the pain of a little traffic jam. It took us about 45 minutes to an hour to get to the highway. This was by far one of the coolest things we have ever done…and we are so THANKFUL and so GRATEFUL that we got to be included in this once in a lifetime opportunity.
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