In Context { Texas Trip Part 3 }

Keith says one of his favorite things about visiting Texas is seeing me with my family in the culture I grew up in.  It sort of puts me "in context" so to speak! :)

Josiah, me, Jesse, Joshua.
3 of my 4 brothers.

Sarah, me, Keri, Sarah, Shauni, and Hannah.
3 of my 4 sisters and my 2 sisters-in-law.

I grew up in West Texas, near the little blink-and-you-miss-it town of Merkel.  My family moved there when I was 6 and moved away when I was 15 so the vast majority of my growing up memories are centered in here.

The home place.

The playhouse J built for us one Christmas.

 
My parents had this house moved on to this piece of land.  It was wild, rugged country (still is!).  We grew up checking everywhere we went for western diamond-back rattlesnakes.  I've pulled many a prickly pear spine from every body part, including my tongue.

The view from the front of the house.

Castle Peak, a local landmark.

Anyway, when we were in Texas we decided to extend our trip by a day in order to go visit my grandparents who live near San Angelo.  And we decided to go through Merkel on the way.  It was amazing to visit that area again where everything is both familiar and foreign all at the same time.  Everything seemed so small and so much closer together than I remembered and yet the sky was so expansive and so blue!

J and Nan-Naw coming out to meet us when we arrived.

We went from there to Mertzon where my J and Nan-Naw live.  We were so glad to be able to spend a little time with them and to see their place.  Of course, as with anywhere they live, it is beautiful.  They will always have things green and blooming, living in the desert simply dictates what they have blooming.

From there we headed home.  As always, we had a wonderful time!  We love you all and look forward to our next visit!