Update from Houston!

I took this pic of my nephew, Shepherd, as he sat, perched high up in the tree in my folks' backyard. He looks rather miffed, but actually, one moment later, he was smiling from ear to ear, proud of the small garden snake he found in the soil around the chopped-off Mexican Heather bush! He's the oldest of my brother, Walker's, four kids. He has gorgeous green-yellow eyes and he is all boy.
Next is a shot of Walker. He is five years older than me. He's a goofball and I love him tons.

Here is our pops. The Patriarch.

Below is James' Dad, Marlin, come to pick up his granddaughter for a visit with "Grandma and Grandpa" in La Vernia! Here he is admiring his new grandson.

And here is my girl, my Woo Loo, basking in the glorious Texas sun, getting in some time with her first cousins. My mom loaded up with water guns, sidewalk chalk and bags of M & M's for the kiddos following lunch at Luby's! They got chalky, wet and hyper and had a fantastic day!

Mimi, my mom, holding Lincster.

Walker and Missy's daughter, Maggie. They say she looks like me!

Below, Walker and Missy's older of the two daughters, Eva Rose.

"Ooh! A snake in Mimi's yard!" A Canadian Brown Snake, according to my Aunt Karen, whose boys are boyscouts. Shepherd and Eva Rose later cried and cried because their pet was accidentally, tragically crushed by a rock in the Tupperware. I tried my best to comfort the two of them, saying, "Don't fret. Little things have little lives that don't last so long, but I'm sure God is enjoying him now," to which Shepherd replied through sobs, "No, creatures don't have SOULS! They don't get to go to Heaven!" Uh oh.

Grandma saying goodbye to her newbie grandson after we met up with them halfway between Houston and La Vernia in order to pick up Wendy, who, by the way, had a great time with them and shortly thereafter asked to go back!

Y'all, this is Texas. Where else do babies get bathed out doors, surrounded by kids and yard snakes?!

Walker and Missy's baby, Ingram, or Ike, as he is better known, playing with his beloved vehicles.

We've had so much fun, and we continue to live it up with the ones we love (except that my sweet Love, James, is back in Vancouver--wah!) I got to go shopping with Katie, Christie and Stephanie yesterday, this evening we ate Japanese food with my Aunt Karen and Uncle Dan, tomorrow I get to see Linda, another close friend from college and her daughter, Rebecca, and I've seen my sweet Nicole, and Katie's friends, Christy and Margaret, and Saturday I'll get to see Julie and Curt again! It's nice to come "home" and know that there are lots to love out this way as well! I am blessed!