What to do in West Texas

     I got to visit my sister this past week in Odessa and discovered what there is to do in west Texas. My first impression of west Texas was the not so scenic view on the drive there. There was actual tumble weed blowing around in the wind and huge wind mills along the highway. When we arrived to my sister's house, it was in the middle of the afternoon, and their air condition had been off since they left.  So when I entered into the house, a wave of heat hit me like a ton of bricks. The sun in Odessa is very hot during the day, but in the morning and at night it is surprisingly cool and feels really nice. I guess that's how the temperature works when you're living in the desert. A good remedy for the intense heat was to take a cold shower which made me feel a thousand times better.

maybe it didn't look exactly like this... but it was close

     A typical day for me during my visit was to wake up to the theme song of Elmo's world which indicated that it was time to get ready for a walk around the "neighborhood." After the show was over, we got my niece into her stroller and packed along her favorite books and snacks as distractions for when she got antsy. I really enjoyed the morning walks with my sister during which we would spend a little time getting into a morning devotion book together as well as catch up with each other. After our walk, if my niece hadn't already fallen asleep, my sister would usually put her down for her nap. Then there was time to relax. My sister would usually make me some of her trademark delicious dishes like her homemade salsa or stove-top popped corn. She also made me some new recipes like an awesome homemade pizza cooked on a pizza stone. We both love veggies so she loaded our pizza up with them. :) In the meantime my niece would be engaged in various activities such as playing in her new blow-up pool or having books read to her multiple times while stopping on every page to point to every object and ask "What's that?" 

my niece and me :)

     All in all, I really enjoyed my visit in Odessa. One night, we went over to a family's house who my sister knows through church and it was a really sweet time. They welcomed me as if I was family and had delicious tostadas and fruit for dinner! (a true west Texan meal) It's always so touching to meet believers in another part of the country and still feel like you are at home with them.

a little cowgirl in training

What I found to do in West Texas:

1) walk around the block in the mornings or night while it's cool

2) have dinner and spend time with sweet families

3) catch up with members of your own family

4) enjoy delicious food

5) take cold showers to beat the heat

6) identify every possible object for your niece :)