Livin' Right in the Lone Star State

We have lived in Texas for just over six years. In that time, we have become more immersed in the culture of the state. Yes, Texas has a culture all its own. We have discovered some "requirements" of calling Texas home. Here is a list of citizenship requirements I have discovered so far:

FOOTBALL - The most blessed sport ranks very close to the Divine in Texas. The state requirement is to participate in some capacity: play it, watch it, coach it, discuss it, etc. Your level of participation does not matter - little league, high school, college, pro - it's just important that you do it. Extreme team loyalty is expected, and encouraged.

BARBEQUE - This is the state food, really, state meal. There is but one proper menu, as follows - smoked beef brisket, baked beans, cole slaw and or potato salad, bread, sliced onion, pickles, iced sweet tea to drink, and for dessert, ideally peach cobbler. No variance or substitutions allowed. The state meal is almost universally served at any large gathering of people. Other meats may be smoked or grilled, but the previous menu is the only true Texas barbeque.

TRUCKS - Pickup trucks a versitle vehicles, that are very useful in many situations. If you have the means to afford and maintain a truck, it is highly recommended that you acquire one - even if you live in a metropolitan area. Brand loyalty (Chevy, Ford, Dodge, etc) runs high and is a source of personal pride.

HUNTING/FISHING - The hunting of deer is an annual event in Texas that almost knows no bounds. Everyday life and activities cease to exist at the opening of the season as equipment is purchased and prepared, trips planned, and weapons locked and loaded. Speaking of equipment, be prepared to open your wallet. That 100 or so pounds of deer meat will be the most expensive piece of meat you own once all costs are factored in. But that doesn't matter, it's all about the experience. Fishing, particularly along the Gulf Coast, is a year-round affair. It can be a less expensive means of recreation, unless you buy a boat, then your costs will exceed hunting exponentially.

RODEO - Not just any rodeo, but the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.  It's the largest in the nation.  Every early spring all of Texas gathers together for this 3 week event.  And it's not just cowboys riding bulls. There's acres of vendors selling their wares, amusement rides, agricultural education opportunities, and music concerts every evening.  No invitation required, just show up.

BOOTS - Cowboy boots are the required footwear. They go well with trucks, barbeque, and well, pretty much everything on this list. Just go buy a good pair.

BLUEBONNETS - the Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) is the state flower of Texas.  It blooms all over most of Texas in the early spring as wildflowers filling open fields in a sea of blue.  They are beautiful to see.  What is required of all Texans is to photograph your children sitting among them.  Your photos are to be placed on your wall or mantle, or on your Facebook page.

BUC'EES - It's a gas station and it is a required stop for all Texans.  A number of their locations are huge.  We're talking something like 40+ gas pumps, 30-50 thousand square feet of everything you can imagine for sale inside.  But the real reason you must stop at Buc'ees are their bathrooms.  We are talking stalls that go on to the horizon.  Buc'ees is the perfect stop before or after a long day of football, hunting, fishing, or rodeo.  And here's the best news: soon we will be able to fulfill our state requirements without traveling halfway across Texas!  They are building their largest facility, 60,000 sq. feet, in Texas City - but 15 miles from my home.  How awesome!

Texas friends: am I missing anything?  Let me know!

Milo...RIP

This morning, we had to put down one of our cats, Milo. He died of possibly cancer, or a gastrointestinal disorder. This is his story: Milo blew into our family in 2008. He literally “blew” into our neighborhood during Hurricane Ike in September of that year. Nobody had seen him before the storm. But there he was - a stray, but very affectionate cat. We asked all around if he belonged to anyone, but no one claimed him. So we added him to our family. At first, we called him “Ike” for obvious reasons. But once we got to know his personality, we had a better name in mind. He was very much like Milo in the movie “Milo and Otis.” He loved to get into everyone’s business. He antagonized our other cats to no end, and was always full of mischief. So, the name stuck. He loved to play – especially under the bed sheets while you tried to make the bed. He was always ready to eat just about anything. When startled, his backside jumped farther than his front, almost flipping him backwards. He was certain the random pencil or piece of thread was a clear and present danger and needed to be subdued. Milo liked to get in the way of the TV or computer monitor while you were watching. He just wanted attention and love, and he got it. He will be terribly missed. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

Check Out Her Ears...

Required Eating

Today, Sheri and I took the girls to that staple of popular American food...Taco Bell!!!  They actually enjoyed it.  Mostly because we introduced them to Mexican food a couple of years ago.  (However, many would not define Taco Bell as Mexican - and, to be precise, neither would I).  Anyway, crunchy tacos all around and they had a blast.

San Antonio Vacation

It's been a while since we've taken a vacation.  And when I write "vacation" here I define it as going somewhere for relaxation and recreation that is not at or near relatives.  I also exclude here our annual camping trip.  When defined as such, the last time we went on a vacation was in 2001 - before going to Seminary and before the girls "were".
Last week, we went on a short, three day excursion to San Antonio - only about 4 hours drive from Friendswood.  We have driven through San Antonio on the way to other places, but have never stayed or explored.
We left on June 2nd.  On the way, we made the requisite stop at Bucee's.

We arrived at our hotel - the Peartree near the airport and checked in.  The girls had never stayed overnight in a hotel, so this was a brand new experience.
That afternoon, we went downtown to the Riverwalk and took the boat tour:

We ate dinner right there on the Riverwalk at The Rainforest Cafe.  All the foliage and animals and noise was a bit overwhelming  - especially for Emma.  But she eventually settled in.

All of Friday was dedicated to Sea World.  This would be the girls first major amusement park experience.  We decided to get in all of the rides early and then see shows during the afternoon.  The girls rode the "Shamu  Express" - a small roller coaster designed for kids.  Abby handled it quite well, so I decided I had one chance with her to ride something big: The Steel Eel.  She was a bit unsure, but I assured her the whole time and kept telling her what would happen next.  The look on her face for that first drop was priceless: shear terror and awesomeness.  After we finished the ride, which would be our last major coaster ride of the day, Abby said, "It was scary and awesome all at the same time."

We did a couple more rides such as Rio Loco.  Then we ate lunch and went to shows.  We saw three: the orcas, the sea lions, and "Azule" - combination of dolphins, beluga whales, birds, and human swimmers.  I was impressed by the orca's size and power.  Sheri liked "Azule" the best.

The park really wasn't very busy.  We had a great time, but were really tired by the end of the day.

Saturday morning, we went back downtown to the Alamo - sort of a required visit if you're going to live in Texas.  It was small, but an interesting part of Texas history.  The reason behind a lot of town and street names were explained - all heroes of the Battle of the Alamo.

Then we journeyed home.  A short, but great vacation.

Easter Dresses

I suppose Easter dresses are just something that's required.  Fortunately, the girls' dresses from Mom and Dad's 50th anniversary celebration still fit.
Blessed Easter.

Wax Museum

Two weeks ago, (yes, I'm well behind on posts) the girls were a part of a "Wax Museum" at school.  They chose and researched the life of a famous person - Abby chose "Jane Austen" and Emma chose "Lucy Maud Montgomery" albeit with significant help from their mother.  They dressed the part, and then one evening at school, they held the wax museum in the gym.  I have a short video clip of Abby and it's posted below.  I shot one of Emma as well, but the audio was really poor.

They both did a really great job!