Big Fun in the "Big D"

So, last week, Torrey and I drove to Dallas to spend a long weekend with Melinda, Gretchen and Megan. Megan's volleyball team was participating in the Junior Olympic Volleyball thingy at the convention center ... it was kind of neat because there were several girls on both the 12- and 13-year old teams that went to school with Torrey in Orlando. We stayed at a beautiful hotel in downtown Dallas (The Fairmount) and navigated our way around town (thanks to the Garmin ... we only had to "recalculate" a few times!) Torrey had gotten her braces the day before, so the trip was a good distraction ... because Brother! was she in pain! So, here are a few pictures from the trip ...

When Melinda said we were going to a volleyball competition, I didn't know she meant I was going to a volleyball competition! Fact: the 12 year old team that won the championship could have taken me blindfolded. They were good. We didn't stay to see the 13 year old team championship ... I'm sure they would have beaten me blindfolded AND sitting in a chair!
I always get a little happy to find an allee ... I wish I could figure out a way to plant one in my backyard. Here are Torrey and Gretchen on Day 1 ... I think I might have heard Torrey whisper to Gretchen, "Just smile and get it over with!"
This little cabin is the actual cabin of the first settler of Dallas. The plaque says "Bryan Cabin". It is literally in the middle of downtown. I saw it when I was 12 on my way through Dallas while on a mission trip to Mexico ... I really thought it was in a big grassy field then. Who knows. I will say this ... it was hot this day. I mean really hot. I didn't think it could get any hotter ... and then came Day 2!

One last pose on our way out of town ... I realized we really hadn't taken any pictures of the skyline (we really didn't take that many pictures to begin with!) We were tired and hungry and dreaming of a grand slam from Denny's (OK ... that was me. I had been talking about it since the night before!)

It is always nice to meet up with friends. This wasn't our first "Girl's Weekend" (we did Chicago in 2004) and I'm sure it won't be our last ... we were all sad when it came time to put our sweet friends back on the plane!