Dallas - Texas

We boarded our flight for Dallas nice and early but unfortunately because American Airlines let you book your seats way in advance Alistair and I lost out and had to sit one row behind each other. We were comfortably seated when two young guys sauntered up to the seats next to both Al and I. I can only describe the look of these two young men as something out of the latest gangster rap video!!! Of course our natural reaction was “oh no....here we go” but after a few short conversations with these delightful boys we soon realised they were nothing less than harmless young lads (perhaps a little mislead in their dress sense) taking the first flight of their lives and very over excited about the whole experience! Even when we arrived at Dallas airport and were collecting our bags, there the two hardest looking guys in town were helping families get their bags off the carousel....very sweet!

We were met by Paul at the airport and headed back to their new home (they had only moved in a few weeks before) in University Park. The house is just stunning and we dropped our bags and were introduced to the Dougan clan..... Emelie, Jack and Alex. All incredibly gorgeous children, though they were a little weary of us to begin with. After a short grocery shop and lunch at one of the most amazing deli’s I have ever laid my eyes on we headed home to the babies and to chill for the rest of the afternoon. That evening the boys made incredible steaks on the braai while I watched on with amazement as Elizabeth organised her three children....fed, changed, bottled and bed. After a lovely dinner and wine, some old time reminiscing between Paul and Al, we headed off to bed as we had a big day ahead on Sunday!!

COWBOYS v REDSKINS
We were woken by a gentle tap on the door on Sunday morning (Miss Emelie gives the best morning wake up calls) and headed downstairs for a quick breakfast of tasty muffins etc. Once Rosa the nanny had arrived Paul, Elizabeth, Al and I headed out the door for the Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins football game at the new Arlington stadium. This is the home of the Cowboys, a £1.3 billion 85000 seated stadium and one of the most modern in the world – incredible! Despite it being a low scoring game the Cowboys snuck a 7-6 win. It was a fabulous day. Everything from the big screen, to the burgers, the seating to the bathrooms was impeccable....... even the cheerleaders were flawless!!!! These Americans are football crazy and these Texans are Cowboys fanatics!!! After the game it was home to the family for dinner of pizza and great wine.

DALLAS ZOO
Monday, was zoo day. Now you might think this is just like any other day with a trip to the zoo thrown in..... not in the Dougan family. This is a precision operation which requires incredible planning and execution skills. To be fair we have to take our hats off to Paul and Elizabeth. Organising three children under the age of three is a brilliant feat! After a tasty breakfast of eggs (which Paul and Elizabeth had made between rising at 6.30 am, feeding, changing and packing for babies) we headed out the door to Paul’s car (which can only after Lara and Leise’s hire car be described as monstrous). First Jack and Alex were put into their car seats then placed in position on the back seat. Then Emelie’s car seat was put into the middle row of seats which she duly climbed into, then the bags and buggy were loaded and we were off!!! The Dallas zoo was great and we saw plenty of our favourite animals and reptiles before lunch and a short ride on a pony for Emelie.

SUNSET FLIGHT
We then dropped Elizabeth and the boys off at home and headed to [Ali to insert the name of the airfield) for a sunset flight over Dallas which Paul had organised for us through a South African friend of his named Marlin. Once we had taken off (with big waves from Emelie) and the bumps had settled it was a great flight with such stunning views as you can see from the photos. Paul then fetched us and whisked us off home for dinner with their friends Matt and Mary and their two boys. The evening ended as we sat by the fire drinking lovely wine.

On Tuesday morning we had a little lay in (that’s Al and I not Paul and Elizabeth......sleeping in no longer exists for them). Once up and ready we went out for lunch with Paul and Elizabeth to a fabulous Mexican restaurant and headed to the Galleria to do a little window shopping. The rest of the day was pretty relaxed and once the boys were asleep, Emelie and the big kids had lovely enchiladas which Elizabeth made from scratch (in between all the other goings on) and were DEVINE!

Wednesday, we decided was our day to cook dinner. So after a quick healthy lunch with Paul, Elizabeth and Emelie, we popped into the grocery store and got the little bits we needed. Once home Al and I started work on the Lasagne, which turned out not too bad at all. Even the boys finished every mouthful!

THANKSGIVING
We woke up on Thanksgiving morning to another beautiful day. The winter in Dallas is very much like Joburg. Crisp blue skies, bright and sunny with just a slight chill in the air. We had decided to do our Thanksgiving meal in the less than traditional manner and after a quick supply shop the boys made some great burgers on the braai and the rest of the day was spent in a more traditional manner....watching the football!

On Friday the boys headed out mid morning to play some golf and with the men out of the way Elizabeth and I headed out for some lunch and a girly catch up. After lunch I popped into the local salon for a bit of R&R in the form of a manicure and pedicure. Once back home we had a quick shower and spruced up for drinks and dinner with a few of Paul and Elizabeth’s friends. We started with pre-dinner drinks at Hefner’s apartment which looks across all of Dallas city. After a quick photo session we then headed to [Ali to insert the name of the restaurant] which served the most amazing pizza and tiramisu we’ve ever tasted! Finally we ended the evening with a night cap in the Ritz (this is my kind of travelling!!!).

RUGBY AND THE PARK
Saturday was our last day in Dallas so to make the most of it we were up bright and early and headed out the door to the local Irish bar to watch the South Africa vs Ireland rugby match. After a rather disastrous result we headed home, picking up some breakfast bagels along the way. Later that morning James, Amy, Tommy and Ryan popped in to say hi and we all took a walk down to the park to give Elizabeth a little peace and quiet. After expending a fair amount of energy at the park and having a hilarious catch up with James and Amy it was time for a nap before heading out for dinner with the Dougan clan to Houston’s. The steaks, wine and company were all just fabulous and we had a great final evening in Dallas.

Sunday was a very sad morning as we packed our bags and had a leisurely breakfast with the Dougan family for one last time. After quick goodbyes to spare any tears Paul drove us to the airport for our flight to San Diego.

It was a fabulous week in Dallas these are our highlights and lowlights
- Dinner time with the twins, such fun!
- Cuddles with Benni the dog, he’s beautiful
- Late night catch up’s with Paul and Elizabeth in front of the fire
- Entertaining Emelies numerous and hilarious questions.
- Seeing our first NFL game live