Team Ipswich, Australia: The Three Stooges

there were birds everywhere!
This weekend, my sister, mom, and I met up in Horseshoe Bay (funny title, huh?). We didn't really realize until we got there that it was right at a four hour trip for each of us, which worked out really well. We wanted to take a chance to just hang out with each other without spouses and children around. We needed some girl time!
The resort we went to was the Horseshoe Bay Marriott Resort, and it was beautiful. The different pools and restaurants of the resort were spread out among a few miles, so golf carts and passenger vans took us everywhere we needed to go. On Friday night we ate dinner at a great restaurant overlooking Lake LBJ, then we sat in the Caprock Pool for about an hour chatting. When we got back to the hotel we walked around the grounds for a while...and they were amazing! The art and landscaping that surrounds the hotel were amazing in the dark, we could not wait to see it all during the day!
On Saturday my mom got a massage for her birthday, a treat from her daughters. Anita and I ate breakfast and got ready to go while she was gone. Then we went and sat on the man made beach for...well, most of the day! I love the beach, but I hate the salt water.

Switch out said saltwater with lake water and I'm a happy girl! I got to spend a little time reading more of one of the many books that have been assigned to our team (thanks Gary!), it's called The Case for Christ. It's about a journalist who set out to debunk the existence/purpose/history of Christ. I was reading in the chapter where he interviewed a Jewish Christian, and it was by far the most interesting chapter so far. The book is getting better the more I read!
Saturday night we got dressed up and ate at one of the fancier restaurants at the resort, I had great slow cooked short ribs with polenta and seasonal vegetables...and orange truffle cheesecake with ganache for dessert. Have I ever mentioned that ganache is one of my favorite things in the world? You could put it on top of just about anything and make it taste like a million bucks!

Saturday night I walked around the hotel and took some pictures of all the cool stuff I saw on Friday night, but the camera (probably actually the photographer!) was not at the top of its game. I didn't get the best shots, but I still got some good ones.

Saturday night we watched some movies and then hit the hay.
Sunday we ate breakfast at a golf course that had been skunked the night before. I don't know exactly how it happened, but they said a skunk got under the floor and did its magic (wording my own, who really talks like that besides me?) Anyway, we ate our breakfast outside to avoid the smell, and the food was great. After that we went back to the hotel and played golf...well, miniature golf. It was like putt putt, but with actual putting greens and no clowns opening and closing their mouths. It was really neat, I felt like Tiger Woods (but poorer and much less talented). After that? You guessed it, we went down to the beach again and sat around!

It was wonderful, I really loved it down there. That night we ate dinner together and then my sister Anita had to leave. Her little boy started kindergarten today, and she needed to be there with him. How exciting, and a little scary, for all of them. Mom and I watched a few more movies (well, I watched them and she fell asleep!) and then hit the hay again. This morning she and I ate breakfast and then said our goodbyes as well. I came home to a husband who has been doing many much needed and much appreciated odd jobs like getting our closet light to work (thanks also to Aaron, sorry I was so bossy about you coming as soon as possible. I was tired of taking a flashlight into the closet to see my clothes!) I also came home to a dog who has had projectile diarrhea for the past three days. We think the combo of having other dogs in our home for the past two weeks and me being gone for three days might have had some stressful effects on him! Usually when I'm gone Matt is too, so he's kind of used to how all of that works. When I just up and left though, we think he got a little confused and worried! Who knows, I just hope he doesn't get sick again (like I can complain, Matt's been cleaning up after him!)
My sister, mom, and I had a great time. We talked about growing up, marriage, divorce, the future, our friends, our family, money, etc. It was great to share our hearts with one another in a slow paced, relaxed environment. I'm grateful to my mom for treating my sister and I to such a wonderful weekend.