A birthday weekend with Grammylou and Pop and mommy and daddy date night

I have cherished each and every moment that I've been afforded at home with Harper, but from time to time, I find myself missing conversation with my TI friends and contacts in the community. So, when Robin and I received an invitation to join the TI table at the Obelisk Awards, an awards dinner hosted by and benefiting the North Texas Business for Culture and the Arts, I immediately called Grammylou and Pop to see if they could come to Dallas to stay with Harper. The timing couldn't have been more perfect - not only did Harper get to see her Grammylou and Pop -- she got to help her Pop celebrate his 62nd birthday. What a special weekend!

Yesterday, we had a nice, lazy Saturday morning. Harper is so much more interactive now then when Grammylou and Pop last saw her two months ago -- they really had fun playing with her!

Grammylou and Harper giggling and playing on the deck

They usually put themselves to work when they are here and while we truly appreciate all of their help more than words can ever express, we knew they needed a change of pace (we did, too!) so we took them to the cute, quaint downtown McKinney square for Art Walk. Robin and I love to poke around the McKinney boutique and antique shops a few times a year, so we had fun revisiting and showing off our favorites.

Yesterday evening, Robin and I dressed up for the Obelisk Awards, which this year were held in Dallas' historic Union Station. It was such a special evening -- it provided a perfect opportunity to catch-up with former colleagues as well as my fellow Leadership Arts Institute classmates. It also ended up being a very special and emotional night as we all honored Pat Porter as she retired from the NTBCA after serving as their CEO for the past 21 years.

We were gone for about five and a half hours and came home to a very quiet house -- even Grammylou and Pop had been dozing on the couch. Harper was sleeping soundly and reportedly had a fairly good night, though she refused to take a bottle. I'm beginning to think she may never drink from a bottle, which makes it difficult for me to go anywhere without her, but it also leaves us with one less habit to wean her from. Grammylou and Pop - thank you so much for staying with Harper. We had a great time out and didn't have to worry once because we knew she was in loving care!

all dressed up with somewhere to go

Today was Harper's Pop's 62nd birthday. And, it was this weekend last year that we helped him celebrate his birthday at Oak Ridge with the news that he was going to be a grandpa! This year, we celebrated with a trip to the Dallas Zoo before they headed back to San Angelo. Happy Birthday, Bill, Dad, Pop! We had a great time with both you and Grammylou! We hope to see you again soon!

Pop, Harper and Mommy

Daddy and his little monkey