So, as you may be able to tell....I ran out of storage space on the old blog. I didn't feel like paying for more, so you get a new one! If you are looking for the old one it can be found here:
Yes, we repeated a trip this year, something that we NEVER do...it's actually on a list somewhere...to not travel somewhere we have traveled before again before we accomplish our travel list (yeah, yeah...I am a crazy list maker). This is the exception though, as it was to visit family, so it really doesn't count. The bonus of this trip was that I was able to convince my parents to come with us and it was their first trip back (like it was mine back in May) since we moved away 20+ years ago.
My mom was born and raised in Ballinger, met my dad when he was cruising through town (he was in the Army at Fort Hood in TX and driving around with friends, when he saw my mom and knew it was game over)...so it is one of my favorite places because it is the birth of my ultimate love story (ok, besides my own, but it did lead to me so...) and it is a pretty wonderful place.
I lived there, we have traveled over it a few times, we were here in March, but I am always surprised with how completely flat this part of the state is. The only reason you stop seeing land in the distance is because of the curve of the earth, it's amazing to see this in all directions.
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View from the plane...I always forget how flat TX is
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Keep in mind that I haven't seen my parents since August or my aunt and cousins since May, so I was VERY excited to get off of this plane! The taxing to the gate and seat belt sign remaining on was KILLING me! I am blessed to have a husband that loves me for the exuberant crazy that I can be, he is
definitely the calm to my whirlwind.
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There use to be grape vines here...
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One of our first stops into town was the vineyard that my dad built. I talked about it before in the previous blog, but it was really interesting to hear it from his perspective now that I am adult. I remember all of it from when I was little, but it was with the childlike perspective that I carried my memories.
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My dad built this over 20 years ago
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This was a stop that we did not have time to make on our first trip here and I had regretted in, so it was the second stop into town. I unfortunately never got to meet my mom's parents, but my parents have done a very wonderful job of keeping their spirits strong with their stories. I am also very touched by the fact that my grandfather was not able to live a full year without my grandmother. That is the hopeless romantic in my soul...
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One of the greatest uncles in the world...still miss him so very much!
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This was my Uncle Michael...he passed away when I was 8 and I still remember him as vividly as if I saw him yesterday. He was a huge bear of a man (6'5") to little ole me and he was always around with a pack of gum in his pocket to share.
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| Turkeys just strutting around the neighborhood eating pecans |
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| Me and my tree, I planted this as a 12" sapling |
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| My cousin JJ, Carrie, and baby Mollie |
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| My parents were married here 33 years ago! |
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| Haliburton Girls: Aunt Elaine and Mom |
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| My little Miss Mollie, Adam lent her his sunglasses (shock, I know!) |
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| Mom and her cousin Robert, his wife Kim, and dad |
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| Mom and her childhood friend Kay |
You will see in the background that there is a lot of people around...we happened into town the weekend of the annual Rowena Festival which is a HUGE Thanksgiving dinner (and auction and bingo) fundraiser for the Catholic church...if you are in a 50 miles radius, this is what you do on this day, every year. WOW did we run into every person that my parents ever knew when they lived there, so it worked out really well for them to touch base with people from the past!
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| She has him wrapped so tight around her little finer! |
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| Cutest kiddo ever! |
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| Ok, maybe he is....my cousins really make it tough! |
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| Momma's girl |
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| Dad and Francisco...they built the vineyard together |
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| JJ, me, and Terry...they make me look like a ghost! |
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| Literally the best picture I could get him to take |
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| Shelby and Cayden...cousin love! |
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| Only the best cousins let all the blood go to your brain! |
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| Boys will be boys! |
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| More cousin love |
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| Mom and her cousin Jane, husband Rex, and dad |
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| This is suppose to be a lake, everything that isn't water is suppose to be...wicked draught |
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| Yes, this is Texas and it is October, and it is FREEZING! |
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| The Haliburton Girls |
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| Where the cotton grows |
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| My cousin Terry and his kiddos, Shane and Shelby |
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| The Entire Family! |
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| My and my Mollie Girl |
Overall it was THE MOST AMAZINGLY AWESOME trip and a fantastic time was had by all. I am already looking forward to going back! I am honestly blessed with the family that I have in my life.
