It's Never Enough Time, But I Really Like My Own Bed

Home again. It was a wonderful weekend visit to Oklahoma. I really love my family. I even got to see a couple of friends. I am grateful for the time we could spend together, but I still wish it could've been just a little bit longer.

On Saturday, my brother and I drove into Tulsa to the Wild at Art art show. My high school friend was a featured artist. Actually, I won a drawing for one of her paintings. That thrilled me to no end. I love her style. Bold color, expressionistic Oklahoma landscapes. She does farm animals, too. The landscapes are my favorite. Now I have a 5x7 of a tall grass prairie. As an added bonus we got to visit for a bit. She is just as fun as I remember.

Miles drove us a bit around downtown Tulsa before we headed back to Claremore. We went by way of Catoosa. We had to see the big blue whale. If you did not grow up in this area you may not understand the awesomeness of the Big Blue Whale. Here. I found a picture.

See? Isn't that fantastic. I remember swimming here. Not this trip. November is not a good time to swim. Just to reminisce.

We stopped to eat at Eggbert's. That is the place I got my first job. My old boss was there. He has a remarkable memory and we had a lovely talk. He did mention how terrible I was when I first started. He was right. I was so very shy. I have no idea why I thought waiting tables would be a good idea for someone afraid to talk to people. Now I tell people that waiting tables is the quickest cure for shyness.

The rest of the evening was spent quietly at Dad's house. The next day we were at Grandpa John's. Mom made a trip over from Arkansas to spend some time with us and to get some family pics before Daniel leaves.

I love my family. I love spending time with them. There never seems to be quite enough time. If I could have my wish we would all live close to each other. Just not in Oklahoma. I like that I grew up there, but I don't really want to go back except to visit. It seems that I prefer nostalgia over the real experience. If circumstances were such that we needed to move to Oklahoma, I'm sure I would be fine. I would be able to find all the things to love about being there. For now, Texas is the place to be. Maybe someday I'll want to go back.

Maybe.

Where the Wind Keeps Sweeping Down the Plain

Quick trip to Oklahoma this weekend. One thing Daniel wanted to do before leaving for his mission is to visit family. I wish it could be a longer visit, but we will be grateful for the time we have.

The drive was not too bad. I was a little concerned about leaving as late as we did. I thought the kids had early release for the Thanksgiving holiday, but that was not accurate. We didn't actually leave Kaufman until just after 4:00. The kids and I crammed into the rental with our bags and went to meet up with Kermit in Dallas. I was stressed at the time, but on reflection it was a bit comical. Kermit didn't think our Suburban would be a good choice for a road trip and rented a smaller SUV for our journey. At first the kids thought the newer vehicle was the pinnacle of coolness, until they all had to squeeze into the little bitty thing with all their bags and accessories. I wonder if this is how clowns feel driving their cars. I bet clowns have more fun. Squished kids are not happy kids. They get testy.

After reaching the office and finally getting everyone distributed among the two vehicles going, we were on the road. The slow road. It was rush hour in Dallas. Actually, it wasn't the most horrible rush hour I've experienced. We got through it in a reasonable amount of time. There were a bit of "are we there yet" and "I'm STARVING".

Our usual first stop in in Van Alstyne. There is a convenience store/Burger King/Subway. It is a great place to refuel cars and people. Joseph discovered a variety of exotic jerkeys. He convince his father that these were necessary for the rest of the trip. We spent more on travel snacks than we did on our supper. The latest report is that kangaroo jerkey is no bueno. Undaunted by the less agreeable flavor, the boy's first words to me this morning regarded the need to find the keys to Dad's truck so he could get meat.

Daniel was DJ in the rental. I appreciate him figuring out the new-fangled controls. I also appreciate his taste in music. I like a cappella. Three cd's of BYU Vocal Point is, however, my quota. We might need to find something else on the trip back.

My favorite part of the trip so far: Jacob telling me, "This is the best day ever. Except for the part when I was starving."

I love my family.