descending on spur!

The Smiddleton Middlewartzes just returned from a trip to Spur, Ryan's hometown in West Texas. While we were visiting, we saw just about everyone in Ryan's family, including the girls' many first and second cousins, aunts, uncles, and great-grandparents. Zoey finally met her Texas (and Colorado) relatives, and Elliott enjoyed playing with all the family members we left behind when we moved to NJ. Ryan's parents were saints to let so many of us stay at their house; if my calculations are to be trusted, at one point we had 17 people sleeping under one roof! I'm also happy to report that Zoey finally experienced a swimming pool, albeit an ice-cold spring-fed version that elicited some hearty screaming. And even though it was hot as can be, as one would expect of August in Texas, Ryan and I still preferred the dry heat to the insane amounts of humidity we experience on the East Coast. Though the travel to and from our destination was long, and involved a layover, an unexpected detour, and an hour drive between Lubbock and Spur, it was well worth the stress and a few tears to be able to spend some quality time with our family. We hope you enjoy the following photos of our trip to Spur: