Oklahoma Is the Place To Be...

Farm livin' ain't the life for me. It sure makes for beautiful country though. We are only a third of the way through our trip, and I am so enjoying just looking out the window that I made it through about three hours of the trip without any music. That must be some sort of record.

Cows and fields a plenty in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

We stayed with Nana in Osceola, AR last night. It was a quick visit, but we got to chat a little bit. That is, when I wasn't stuffing my face with the fruit dip she had made. Oh my. Equal parts cream cheese and marshmallow cream. Fool proof. That will definitely be on the grocery list the day I return.

We were on the road by 8 this morning on our way to the William J. Clinton Library in Little Rock. Matt felt a bit underdressed when we arrived, so he changed clothes in the parking lot. Of a museum. For the former President. Of the United States. (Ummm...Could someone please help Mama Ese get up off the floor. Mama Ese, I'm sure President Clinton will never know a thing about it, and we will make sure it never happens again.) The library definitely exceeded my expectations. The information was presented in a modern, engaging format. It might not be worth a special trip, but if you are in the area it is definitely worth the $7 entry fee.

Just down the street is the River Market. Who knew Little Rock was such a booming metropolis?

The Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial was so beautiful. I vividly remember the day it happened in April '95. I was in 5th grade but home from school with one of my many cases of strep throat. I watched the coverage all day. The image I remember most is the one of the fireman carrying the baby from the daycare center. That kind of violence is just hard to wrap your mind around.

The two black walls are engraved with 9:01 and 9:03 to represent the innocence just before the attack and the destruction just after.

The sunset tonight framed the grounds perfectly. The reflecting pool's purpose is to provide a peaceful setting for quiet thoughts. The 168 chairs signify the lives that were lost.

For some reason, even though we have four adults in the car, Dad drove all 8 hours today.

We always knew Dad was a morning person...

But Mom observed today that he is also quite an evening person. He is non-stop chatter and goofiness. I guess we need at least one of those in this group of oragnizers and planners.

Since Andrew is a non-blogger, I will recap some of his trip to Cali here. When I talked to him today, he had just left Weinerschnitzel with his Grandpa Tom and Uncle Rick. Andrew ate three chili-cheese dogs. He has been dreaming about these for weeks. I could actually hear the excitement in his voice. All his family was getting together for a barbecue in his honor tonight. I'm glad he is getting to visit his family, but it is day two and I already miss him. Don't get me wrong, I am having a blast, but it would be even better if he was here.

Tomorrow: Santa Fe, New Mexico.