Kidnapping, jeans, lights, and Whataburger

First I must say that I am wearing my favorite jeans - buttoned and all - Don't even ask, I have no clue.

Second, on to the weekend.

This weekend was so eventful.

Friday
I took Friday off from work to complete Christmas shopping - almost done - and to relax. The real reason is that I lose vacation time if I do not use it - I know poor me. Friday was so productive. I had a great time shopping. I spent some quality time with myself. It was a beautiful day that did not require a jacket.

Friday night
Friday night my Sweetie and I went with MIL, SIL, niece, Grandfather-in-law, SIL's boyfriend, and my mother to see the Trail of Lights. It was wonderful and not too chilly. My niece (8) and I spent most of the time together enjoying the lights and atmosphere. We had such a good time my Sweetie and I took her home with us to spend the night. All in all, a wonderful family outing.

Saturday
Saturday we took my niece shopping. She was so wonderful. She really is a great kid. The best part was as we were leaving she saw the Salvation Army bell ringer and asked to give some money. That made my day.

Saturday night
Date Night!!! This week was the complete opposite from the week before. We dressed up more for Ballet Austin's Nutcracker. While our clothing was fancier the dinner was less fancy than the week before. We went to Whataburger for a nice fast dinner. Whataburger holds a lot of sentiment for us so in no way do we consider it as unworthy. Afterwards we headed to Bass Concert Hall. The Mice greeted us at the door offering programs of the event. That was so very cute. We bought a soldier for our Christmas tree, very cute. The show was wonderful. The children seated around us were all angels. The only situation with a child was when a baby boy tried to crawl on stage during the production. It was quite funny to see the father pull him back. Afterwards we enjoyed a romantic dessert at the Cheesecake Factory. The evening was a wonderful one filled with exactly what we needed - us.

Sunday
After an early start with the grocery store, I met DarkDiva, MotoDiva, Best Friend, and a new member of our group for a late lunch. This was a wonderful meal that turned into a day outing. My Sweetie dropped me off so I was bound to go with my friends wherever they led me. After lunch we went to the Arabic Christmas Bizarre to watch some belly dancing. The woman was very impressive and two of my friends are going to take classes to learn the art of belly dancing. After the belly dancing we took a small break to enjoy some coffee and conversation. At this point the newest member had to leave our adventure. Next stop Toy Joy
Which is a very neat toy store filled from floor to ceiling and open until midnight. After almost two hours in this store, and not seeing everything, we headed to the Armadillo Christmas Bizarre. This is a very Austin tradition with artists and live music. We had a blast. We finished the evening at Magnolia Cafe. By the time I got home I was exhausted and happy.

This week should be very laid back. I believe most are out of the office, which is good for me. I am hoping to work half days today through Wednesday with Thursday through January 3rd off. Hope it works out for me :-)