Where I Come From- Lynn County Line

While the girls and I where Lubbock, we looked up my Great Great Aunt- Mary Lou. I have met her a few times in my life, but have heard about her far more often than that. Although she is my Great Great Aunt, she is actually the same age as my Nana- such a sweet lady. In fact, they grew up together like sisters. 

Same town, same school, same basketball team.

We went out to dinner and got reacquainted. Here's Rachel and Mary Lou enjoying their ice cream...

After dinner we headed over to Mary Lou and Rayburn's house to play. The girls had a grand time in their beautiful backyard. Don't you just love that chicken feeder flower garden?

"Hey, get back over here and take a picture with me!"

Swingin with Mary Lou...

Maggie decided it'd be a good idea to taste the rocks...

Maggie got such a reaction out of Mary Lou and I that Rachel had to give it a try too,Can you tell she likes attention?

We had such a good time chatting and playing with Mary Lou. I loved asking her questions about her and my Nana back in the "good ole' days". I got this comfortable feeling around her. You would think that visiting distant family might be a little weird, but everything about it felt natural and easy. Kind of like making cookies on a Sunday afternoon.
My Nana was raised in a tiny town south of Lubbock called New Home, Texas. According to the 2000 census, it is home to only 320 people. Now that is a small town.Good ole' Lubbock and it's windmills...

Rachel Lynn was named after her Momma, Jessica Lynn.Jessica Lynn was named after her Nana, Virginia Lynn.And Virginia Lynn was named after the county she was born in-Lynn County.Now that's country. I had to pull over on the highway and take a picture. Look! I found Lynn County.  Miles and miles of Texas farmland... My Great Grandfather served in the 5th Armor Divison during World War 2. During the War, my Nana stayed with Mary Lou. Likewise when times were tough for Mary Lou's family, she stayed with my Nana. Mary Lou told me that she still remembers they each would wear one of their own shoes and one of the others shoes to school. They really are sisters.Easter 1956(Nana-15 Mary Lou-18)

Lubbock Shenanigans

This series cracks me up... 

Yes Maggie? More milk you say?

hehehe...

Daisy and Rachel reading a gross book about vampire bats... nice.

Maggie: "You wanna chill in my crib?"Rachel and Liz: "Okay."It is a pretty cool crib. ;)

Bath Time!
This was Maggie's first time to sit up at the counter... no booster seat! She loved it. I think she'd hang out all day up there if I'd let her...

The Solar Eclipse! Us Lucky Lubbockians got a nice view...

The End.

After Pictures...

They thought pictures would never end! But alas, it did! 

And we made it to Krispy Kreme. 

For Rachel and Maggie there must be chocolate milk and donuts with sprinkles...

I could eat her up!and the donut, haha...

I love this picture...

Afterwards we went to a place called "The National Ranching Heritage Center". It was an awesome place. They had real examples of ranching homes taken from all over Texas. I could have spent all day there. The girls loved the old steam engine...

It was their favorite place to play...



It was lunch time and the girls were worn out, so went spent most of our time playing in the shade at the picnic area.Look who found my keys, Miss Maggie. Happens every thirty minutes... not really, but close. haha...

She's so beautiful. How'd I get so lucky?

My baby girls... This picture makes my Mommy heart so happy! So lucky.


It was a good day!

A Girly Photo Shoot

Five little Payne girls in one house- now that's a whole lot of girlyness!

And a whole lot of fun...

It's sassy...

and confident...

Don't forget about attitude...
but it's oh so sweet...

It's sisterly love...

and it's beautiful...   It's a whole lot of drama...and silly too!
It's pretty...

and squishy...

It will make your day...

and make you wonder how you ever did without it...

It's a whole lot of sunshine...

and it's irreplacable...

And having five little Payne girls in the house can also be quite exhausting! okay okay okayLet's go get some donuts!(I think they've earned it. Don't you?)

Slip-n-Cry

Rachel and Maggie had lots of fun playing with their cousins. The girls were so excited to get wet!

I told everyone we had to wait until Maggie woke up for the slip-n-slide. I was certain she'd love it! hmmm... not the quite the reaction I was looking for...

Trying to take pictures with a screaming baby on your hip isn't easy but can be done!
 It also doesn't hurt to have a few popsicles handy...

 If you want to get the full effect, screaming while you run down is a must...
Will she go for it? And is that a diaper wedgie I see? haha...
Nope Momma, not today. What kind of mother takes pictures of their crying babies? That would be me. Don't worry, I gave her another popsicle.What do girl cousins do after the slip-n-slide you ask? They do a little sun-bathing of course.