texas//louisiana.

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maybe it has something to do with the fact that our skin is darker, but I can't help but notice that all our vacation photos are popping with colors. you know how some people's instagram's feeds are only muted|natural tones all the time? how? Do people plan for that to happen?

anyways,
the mission trip. & in my case T.H.E. Mission trip (Texas, Houston, East—it's clever, right?) Almost every mormon family has to take the obligatory let's-visit-your-mission trip. I had my fair shares of, your typical, 'this is where I attended church', 'these are some of the people I loved', but also some quirkies: 'this is the restaurant the Zone Leaders didn't let me eat at for my birthday' (not.bitter), 'this is where I fell off my bike and the whole mission found out.'

Our trip took us from New Orleans-->Lake Charles-->Houston-->Dallas. The humidity was SO real (hence that slick wet look to all of our faces in the pictures, yum). I still hate Texas (the place), but love Texas (the people), and my life will forever be connected to that little patch of sacred ground.

here's just a rundown of the trip, for posterity & you.

+ all you can eat shrimp! Pay definitely broke the record at the restaurant for the most shrimp consumed. give that man a medal!
+ bluebell! I don't care if you had listeria in your pints or if i'm lactose intolerant. you were heavenly. I couldn't visit the south without purchasing you.
+ southern rainstorms! you haven't lived till you've experienced one of these. one minute beautiful sunshine, the next torrential downpour like it's the end of the world.
+ beignets, beignets, beignets from Cafe du Monde making all of my princess & the frog dreams come true.
+ getting treated to dinner by the Ortiz in Lake Charles. they are the real MVPs, attending church in a language they don't understand for years:::hero status.
+ bayous. took a walk through the swampland and came out 75% dehydrated and forever changed. I know I'm crazy for saying this, but I loved it! the need to move to the south is a very real thing.
+ baseball game(s). because what's a flores family vacay without a visit to the ballpark. no such thing! Minute maid park you get the gold stars with your airconditioned♥ ballpark and your seventh inning stretch rendition of 'deep in the heart of texas.' globe life, maybe it's because the rangers lost, maybe it's because the heat was unbearable, but you were kind of the pits.
+ Dallas and l.i.t.t.e.r.a.l.l.y. being in the same spot where the officers were to be gunned down later in that day, scary out of body experience. i kept asking myself, 'are we really in dallas right now? is this really happening HERE?' yeah. that happened.
+ visiting the broadway third ward=two thumbs up, visiting the Texas branch in Baytown=amazing, but I somehow look different because how about that part where the members recognized my Mom more than they did me. Not like I lived there for 4 1/2 months or anything. Apparently I look like the sister I never knew I had? it's fine. we're fine.

.....