I went to the rally at the Texas Capitol today. Wow. It was just amazing. People came from all over the state. We filled the whole south lawn -- all the way down to the street, and it's a big lawn. And it was noon on a Monday in Texas. Come with me to see the pictures.
We were apparently so scary that mounted officers had to be imported from Houston:
![photo deeac119-2a55-4db3-b4eb-d17c291c234b_zps971bcf31.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/deeac119-2a55-4db3-b4eb-d17c291c234b_zps971bcf31.jpg)
now, granted, there were a whole lot of us:
![photo 0ef3b3c4-0fcd-431c-9f6d-7afc27a975b6_zpsd93cc957.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/0ef3b3c4-0fcd-431c-9f6d-7afc27a975b6_zpsd93cc957.jpg)
![photo 8ee42e60-d731-49f3-8b6b-d9213b8ee0b3_zpscd2dcbe5.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/8ee42e60-d731-49f3-8b6b-d9213b8ee0b3_zpscd2dcbe5.jpg)
![photo e6e63a78-4cde-40ca-ab09-0da9682bf5ce_zps13aed6fb.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/e6e63a78-4cde-40ca-ab09-0da9682bf5ce_zps13aed6fb.jpg)
Natalie Maines sang the national anthem & of course, that song about not making nice -- the whole crowd sang along:
![photo 0f4b6f0b-5d27-41d4-8ee4-3373d66529c4_zps1f9c223e.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/0f4b6f0b-5d27-41d4-8ee4-3373d66529c4_zps1f9c223e.jpg)
this airplane circled us the whole time (I cropped this picture down, in photobucket, it shows the plane with the banner saying "Stand with Wendy, I don't know why it doesn't here):
![photo 8bb383f1-eef7-457b-808e-15dfaa7499dc_zpsee91d4f2.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/8bb383f1-eef7-457b-808e-15dfaa7499dc_zpsee91d4f2.jpg)
did I mention that there were a whole freaking lot of us
![photo IMAG0240_zps68a7776a.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/IMAG0240_zps68a7776a.jpg)
there were speakers -- 2 amazing rabbis, whose names I don't remember, sorry - but they were both great - and my friend the fantastic Jim Rigby
![Jim Rigby 2 photo jimrigby1_zps487e7ba7.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/jimrigby1_zps487e7ba7.jpg)
and the fantastic Senator Van de Putte, she of the "how loud does a woman have to speak?" question (and this picture is oriented right in photobucket, I don't know why it isn't here, but I'll try to fix it)
![Leticia Van de Putte photo speaker_zps4677c099.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/speaker_zps4677c099.jpg)
and my state senator, Kirk Watson - who I am so proud to call my friend - he was the one playing the Senate rule book like Clapton on guitar
![Kirk Watson 1 photo kirkwatson1_zps86162861.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/kirkwatson1_zps86162861.jpg)
then there were 2 actresses - Lisa Edelstein and Stephanie March (& if anyone recorded Ms March's speech & loaded it on youtube, I would be so grateful -- she was freaking amazing)
then there was Cecile Richards, who is so very much her mother's daughter:
![photo cf141b91-c09a-472b-88cb-76cd49b5ba5a_zps71389cb7.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/cf141b91-c09a-472b-88cb-76cd49b5ba5a_zps71389cb7.jpg)
![Cecile Richards 5 use this photo IMAG0246_zps639ff5e0.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/IMAG0246_zps639ff5e0.jpg)
and of course, the star of the show, Wendy Davis, here she is with all the other elected officials who spoke:
![Wendy Davis & speakers 1 photo IMAG0251_zpse99c03a3.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/IMAG0251_zpse99c03a3.jpg)
and here she is speaking:
![Wendy Davis 1 photo WendyDavisandeveryone_zps7ee5f9af.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/WendyDavisandeveryone_zps7ee5f9af.jpg)
I think this is the best one -- you can see my state Rep, Elliott Naishtat, behind her & to the left (he is the best, kindest person you could ever hope to meet)
![Wendy Davis 4 photo wendydavis5_zpsca76df25.jpg](http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb189/BeckyHelton/Stand%20With%20Texas%20Women%20Rally/wendydavis5_zpsca76df25.jpg)
an exhausting, amazing day -- as I go through my pictures, I'll edit this diary & add to it