Texas, Our Texas

I'm a Texan.  I love, love, love being from Texas.  I also love talking with people who've never been to Texas... you know, to really help them understand what it is about the place that makes people from there so proud. 

Oh, I'm sorry.  Some of you out there don't know what I'm talking about?  Well, let me explain. I'm sure those of you from Texas can bear to hear yet another explanation of what makes us so great. :)

Ask anyone, and right up there with the fact that everything is done BIG in Texas, they'll tell you it's the people that make the place so grand.  Over the Christmas break, we had the opportunity to visit a good friend's ranch for a day of fun and good eatin'.  No wait, actually, let's go ahead and call them what they are: family.  In Texas, you actually call your acquaintances your friends.  But the real friends get lumped in with family.  And when this fun family gets together, we like to call it "circling the wagons." 

This particular "circling of the wagons" over Christmas captured everything I love about where I'm from.  I'll just let the pictures tell it all:

See what's behind us?  In Texas, I love the rolling hills and the trees that grow wide and low to the ground.  Perfect for sitting under.  

(And hello, Bella's snarl face.)

And in Texas, I love watching kids do exactly what kids were meant to do.

 In Texas, I love how the men push the boys on tire swings that hang from oak trees in the backyard.

 And I love how the adults teach the youngin's how to fish off docks.

Oh, how I love the fine lookin' family men one finds in Texas!  Especially the one that belongs to me.  

Did you know that Mike is an honorary Texan?  Perhaps someday I'll blog about the crazy initiation he underwent during one of our engagement parties.

Hey, there's another fine lookin' family man!

Nothing beats family chats around the Gator.

Or even better, how about family chats while sittin' on the back porch?

And if nothing else convinces you, then the fact that these three faces were hanging out in Texas recently makes the State pretty grand to me!

 Like I said, everything is bigger in Texas... including hugs.

And finally, to close my whole "Texas is great" rant, I would like to point out that the adorable girl you see above lives in Texas.

Need I say more?