Hello World!  We had another one of ‘em packed weekends!  :D  Here’s what we’ve been up to…in case you’re interested. ;)

Thursday and Friday,  6-7 December

A Relative Comes to Visit

Finally, after living in Austin for 7 months (10 for hubby), a relative came to visit.  Yipee!  My cousin, Ate Lissa, who has been living in California since she was 2, had a business trip to Dallas and took Thursday afternoon and  Friday off so she could visit us.  It was Ate Lissa’s first time to meet Abby and they hit it off right away!  A nice pasalubong always does the trick.  ;)  Hee hee!

The last time my cousin and I saw each other was in our 2003 US trip.  As we waited for hubby to finish working, Ate Lissa and I chatted up a storm while Abby interrupted entertained us non-stop with her antics.

We had dinner at The County Line BBQ, the best place for “beef ribs”.  It was our second time to dine here.  According to hubby, “pork ribs” can be had practically anywhere in Texas, but for beef ribs, there’s only one place and The County Line is it. :D  True enough, we had the biggest, juiciest ribs that looked more like they came from a dinosaur.  And the meat just easily comes off the bone.  Yum!

My cousin can be such a dork. :D  It’s very difficult to take a decent picture of her. :D

Hubby and I shared a “rib king” platter of pork and beef ribs.

Sarap to the bones!  No more meat left for “Bantay”.  Hee hee!

It was just before we left the restaurant when we received the biggest best news ever, and that is that my Mom’s well and healthy and will live to be hundred years old…maybe more! :D  God is good, all the time!  Don’t anyone forget that! ;)

On Friday, my cousin asked to be taken shopping.  It came as a surprise but who were we to deny her that request!  Hee hee!  I think any visitor will choose the outlet mall over the State Capitol anytime.  Ate Lissa  doesn’t get to shop a lot in CA because she’s always too busy working.

Time flies when one’s having fun.   And before we knew it, it was time for her to drive back to Dallas to catch her late night flight back to LA, but not without a promise to come visit us again soon…in January most probably!

Souvenir pic with Ate Lissa before she left.  This has become our official picture-taking spot at home. :D

In the evening, we heard mass at St. Albert the Great in observance of the Feast of the Immaculate Concepcion and had a most forgettable dinner at a Thai restaurant.  To think we were short of ecstatic to have finally found a Thai restaurant!  Hee hee!

The next special guest we’ll be having is my Mom.  Yey!  And then, my aunt and uncle (Ate Lissa’s parents) will be coming to visit on January 1 while my Mom’s here.  I’ve never appreciated having relatives come over as much as I do now…for obvious reasons. :D 

Saturday, 08 December

Breakfast with Santa

We woke up early on Saturday, to take Abby to the Lakeline Mall for “Breakfast with Santa”.  The things parents do for their kids, ‘no?  Imagine waking up early on weekends!  Hahaha!  The activity was scheduled for 9-10am and when we got to the mall, there was a long line of registrants already.  Some where already having breakfast and Santa was already table hopping.  There was a free Chick-fil-A breakfast of potato tots and sausage biscuits for the kids and a Market Pantry (a Target brand) juice drink.  The kids also got a Santa tumbler, a “cow” bell of sorts, and some other stuff including discount coupons from several of the Mall’s stores.

waiting in line to register for Lakeline Mall’s “Breakfast with Santa”

Free breakfast from Chick-Fil-A!

Abby was getting restless waiting for Santa to hop over to our table.

Don’t think that Abby was scared.  She wasn’t.  This is just one of those awkward stiff smiles. :D

No US Christmas is complete without the customary pic of children sitting on Santa’s lap.  Hubby lined up for this. :D  I was surprised to see little girls really dressed up for the photo op…you  know, the velvet dresses which make their way to the stores during the Christmas season.  I’ve sworn a long time ago that I’ll never dress Abby in velvet..a material which I’ve associated with, er, religious statues. :D

Before heading home for lunch, I managed to buy some more Christmas presents and birthday presents for a party we were to go to the following day.

Dinner with the Gotos

In the evening, we invited hubby’s “mentor”, Goto-san, and his family for dinner at Tokyo Steak House.  The Gotos will be going back to Japan in early January. :(  Before Abby and I came to join hubby in Austin, Goto-san often treated hubby for lunch during weekdays and invited hubby to join him and his family for meals during weekends.  Hubby also enjoyed free rounds at the driving range!  It’s about time we returned the favor!  We’re definitely going to miss the Gotos. :D 

This time around, we chose to be seated in a booth away from the teppanyaki tables where it would be impossible to converse.

Sunday, 09 December

Pseudo Lunch Date at Carino’s

After hearing mass on Sunday, hubby and I had an imrpomptu “pseudo-lunch date” at Carino’s.  :D  Abby fell asleep on the way to the restaurant and didn’t wake up until after we’ve paid the bill.  We were seated in a booth so Abby could continue sleeping with her head on hubby’s lap. ;)  And when Abby finally awoke, she insisted on eating her lunch at the restaurant instead of at home.  We had to open one of the take-out boxes so Her Royal Highness could eat. :D

Hubby and I had the “two can dine for 19.99″, which allowed us to order 2 entrees, which came with unlimited bread and salad and dessert (not unlimited! hehehe!).

chicken fettucini….which could use a little more sauce :D

zesty skilletini

rich turtle cheesecake

Olive Garden will have to remain to be my favorite Italian restaurant…at least for now. :D 

Miyo & Mico’s 11th Birthday Party

We found ourselves at Bet’s house again at 3:30pm for the 11th birthday party celebration of her wonder twins, Miyo and Mico.  The girls were outnumber and “out-noised” by the boys.  Hee hee!  As usual, Abby had a blast with her fellow 3-year old girl friends: Ren and Cassey.

Mico and Miyo with their Baba (Daddy Tony) and Mommy Bet

Abby with her girl friends, Ren and Cassey

Construction workers or architects?  I’m choosing architects! :D  Hee hee!

Hubby could only join us for about 30 minutes as he had a flight to catch.  For the first time, I drove home at night without hubby beside me.  My first taste of night driving (and on the highway, too!) was when hubby was feeling a little under the weather, so he had to take the passenger seat.  I have to start liking night driving because that’s the only way I’ll ever be comfortable doing it.  I drove like a grammy (no offense to grandmas!) on the entire stretch of Sam Bass Road…but that’s because that street is just so dark and screaming for lamp posts!  I drove like any other normal human being when I finally got to the better lit main roads. ;)

That’s it!  Whew!  There’s so much to blog about but that’s all I have time for for now as I am also currently doctor and nurse mom. :D  Enjoy your week, everyone!  God bless y’all! :D