Roommate Roadtrip to Joplin!

The weekend of October 16 Jenni and I took a little roadtrip to Joplin, Missouri to visit our friend Elyse! We were the 3 musketeers in jr. high and high school, and really miss being together so we'll take any chance we can to reunite! Elyse happens to be 38 weeks pregnant, and since it would be hard to take off work spur of the moment when she goes into labor, we decided it'd be easier to plan a trip before Avery is born. We hit the road super early Thursday morning and spent the next 10 hours in the car. I was kind of excited to drive through Oklahoma, for some reason I thought maybe as soon as we left Texas state lines things would be different and there might be some sights to see...but I was so wrong! Oklahoma was SUPER boring, and the road we had to take was just a strand of small towns and low speed limits. I was SO glad when we hit Missouri and the last hour of our trip flew by on a tollroad!
Here are a few of the monuments passed on our 10 hour drive:
Creepy Sam Houston, he's just too big! No me gusto!
McDonald's over the freeway, this made me happy because I remembered it from roadtrips as a kid when we would come to Texas from Denver.
A giant Indian was our landmark to turn off and head towards Missouri, HOOOOOWWWW!!

Once we got to Missouri things started to look and feel like fall! Trees were changing colors, the temperature was much cooler and it even smelled like fall!
Thursday evening we went to dinner at Carino's where Elyse's husband works and enjoyed a tasty, and heavily discounted meal! Thanks Josh! Elyse had school the next morning and we were tired from all that driving so we laid low and got in bed at a decent hour that night. Friday we slept in, went to Target (where I got some super cute sparkly zebra flats) and met Elyse for lunch after her half day of work and a Dr. visit to check on little Avery. Elyse's blood pressure had been high, so her doc highly suggested she begin her maternity leave a little early, so that day we went back home for her to get a few things in order for her long term sub. We spent a lot of that afternoon with our hands on her tummy, feeling Avery kick & roll, and even being able to see him move from the outside! I'm pretty sappy myself, but when your childhood best friend's baby is kicking, it's such a wild mix of emotions, happy, inbelief, excitement, and maybe a few tears too :) We were beside ourselves!
We drove to Oklahoma on Friday night to make my first ever trip to a casino! I went in with $20, and came out with $18.50. Not too shabby, but I had been up to $38.50 after my first slot machine, so I kind of regret not quitting while I was ahead. Oh well! Here's me with my loot!

On Saturday Elyse's friend Carolyn had planned a baby shower, so we got ourselves together and went to her apartment to party! She had fun baby shower games based on The Office, and who doesn't love The Office? We played games, decorated cookies, ate a lot and showered Elyse and Josh with baby gifts!
After the shower we decided to head out to a pretty area in Joplin known as The Falls. When I visited Jenni & Elyse our freshman year of college we went out to this area and took some really pretty pictures, so I thought it'd be fun to go back 7 years later and capture similar shots of us looking very different!
Isn't it beautiful? We were happy to get some good roommate photos to decorate the house!


Jenni and I with Elyse, and Avery! I can't get over how cute she is as a pregnant lady!
I had to climb a few rocks to get a better picture, and decided it would be fun to get my feet wet, so I reached down to take off the previously mentioned super cute new zebra flats..but sadly I lost my grip and also lost a shoe...so long cute zebra flat! We had a good 12 hours together....

That evening we had just about worn out Elyse, but she had the fun idea to make dinner at her place, and get pumpkins to carve! Mine had a Texas star theme (shocker, right?), Jenni used a really cool Boo stencil that turned out amazing, and Elyse's was a big ball of love, similar to what is growing inside her tummy! So precious!!!
Sunday we went to Elyse and Josh's church, and then headed home to rest and enjoy the cool weather. We got up really early Monday morning to make the drive back home, and after 10+ hours in the car, we were SO ready to be home!!
Home sweet Texas, I was so glad to be back in my favorite state! Let's not forget fellow Texans- apparently we need to Drive Friendly---It's the Texas Way!

We made a stop in Dallas on the way home to deliver birthday presents to my nieces so I got to have lunch with my sister in law Jess, Emmy & Hayden Kate. I love those girls!! I was spoiled even more when I got home and heard my brother Greg, sister in law Gina and niece Ava had stayed in Houston an extra night to see me! How was I so lucky to see my best friend, all 3 nieces and 2 out of 3 of my brothers in one day?
It was so fun to get away and be with my best friends. I wish we could go back tomorrow, but any day now Elyse will be in labor and will have an adorable little baby boy to take care of! I can't wait to meet him this Christmas, and to get to spend more time with one of my best and favorite friends!!

UPDATE: 1 PM-I just got a call that Elyse is at the hospital in labor, stay tuned for a post about her precious baby boy!! Oh and perhaps some prayers that it's a smooth delivery!