A Break from the Books

Summer is going to be a little crazy around here. Carson and I are both going to be taking classes and working, plus we have several family reunions lined up. It is going to be really fun...but really busy. Since we won't have a lot of time to relax, we decided to take a quick trip to Dallas before we start school again. Carson has family there and some companies he would love to work for in the future are based near Dallas, so we even squeezed in a little business while we were there. 

Strangely enough, the weather that week was not very hot, or even very sunny. The first day though was beautiful, so we took advantage of it and got in some pool time. 

 Carson's version of pool time.

And mine. Either way, it was way better than being in snowy Utah that day.

Last time we went to Dallas we were exposed to Sprinkles and we immediately fell in love. So of course, it was one of our stops the first day we were in town. 

 I had a very yummy chocolate coconut cupcake, Carson got a strawberry, and we shared a chocolate peanut butter. None of them disappointed. Seriously, this place is amazing. 

That night we went to a Texas Ranger's game with some of Carson's family. Ever since my dad took us to Yankees and Mets games when we lived in New York, I have loved watching live baseball. The atmosphere at the Ranger's game did not disappoint. Unfortunately, the Ranger's lost. Good thing I'm not really a fan.

Outside the stadium. Yep! We bought shirts. When in Rome...

Our adorable niece.

 And cute nephew getting a little help to see the game.

That night was dollar hot dog night at the game, but our brother-in-law Clinton had other ideas. He had been wanting to try the Boomstick for a long time, but he couldn't get anyone to try it with him. What is a Boomstick? Well, it is a two foot long, one pound, $26 hot dog, loaded with toppings. Lucky for Clinton, Carson was willing to skip the dollar dogs and experiment. 

This thing was seriously massive. They said it was really good, but I think they regretted it later.

One of my favorite stops during our trip...the British Emporium. Carson's sister Elaine and I both did a study abroad in London and fell in love with the city. Who doesn't after staying there for a while? We also fell in love with the treats, so we stopped at the Emporium to get our fill.

I was in heaven. There were so many delicious things that brought back a lot of memories, it was hard to choose what to buy. And no, I did not eat all of this, some of it was for Carson too.

By now anyone reading this blog probably knows that Carson is a huge New York Giants fan. Well, one of the Giant's biggest rivals, the Cowboys, are located in Dallas. They just built a massive new stadium right by the Ranger's field. It is an indoor turf stadium with a retractable roof and it has a lot of art inside, almost like a museum. So, even though they are the enemy, we decided to take a tour and it was amazing. It was one of the nicest buildings I have ever been in, and it is a football stadium! 

Seriously huge! Carson was in big screen heaven. 

Inside the locker room Carson showed his true feelings about the team. No offense Romo. Oh, and he isn't looking at the camera because he is making sure the security guard is still turned around.

 The entrance to the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders locker room. We toured it too and learned that in the old Cowboys stadium there were three outlets in the entire locker room. Now each girl has two of her own. Fascinating...

We saw this and had to take a picture. 

Go Giants!

One of our favorite things about visiting Dallas, besides the family we get to spend time with, is the food. Last time we were there, all we did was eat. This time we controlled ourselves a little more, but still experienced some of Dallas' culinary treasures. Carson's favorite is the Hard Eight. It is an open pit barbecue restaurant where you order meat by the pound. A man's dream right?

Like last time, it did not disappoint. The only drawback, we both smelled like smoke and meat for the rest of the day. Not so appealing. 

Our quick trip was definitely a good way to start our summer. Even though we both had textbooks with us and did homework on the flight home, it was a much needed break from school. Thanks for letting us crash at your place Elaine and Clinton (and Ella)!