Every few years I take one child to Oklahoma with me. Grandpa's 80th birthday was coming up and happened to be on a weekend that a scrapbooking retreat was happening in Grove. It was Hyrum's turn so a few months ago, we bought the tickets and just waited...
It was Hyrum's first time on a plane. He was pretty nervous the night before and was full of questions. But no matter how nervious he was, getting to Oklahoma was more important to him.
We got to Jay after midnight so we couldn't go and see anyone but we were up early the next morning and off to see Grandpa and Chuck we went! There were a few times that while I was sitting on the couch talking to them that I thought of Grandma but honestly, it still felt like home. Her presence was there and it just felt good to be there.
When we got back to Poppy and Nanny's house, Layne and Allie were there. Can you see the pure happiness in Hyrum's face? This is what he had been waiting for MONTHS to experience!
From there, Mom, Amanda, April, and I headed to the Civic Center in Grove to be with over 300 (mostly) ladies for the weekend. I hadn't been "home" in almost 2 years so instead of getting a lot of scrapbooking done (for me, it's usually card making) during the 3 days there, I talked, cried, and felt all those wonderful "feels" of being with my sisters and Mom. I got a total of a homemade book and 3 cards made! Ha! That is pathetic but I wouldn't trade it for getting all the cards I had planned on getting done. The memories made and catching up was where the real stuff was.
These are the pictures of a contest we won 2nd place in for table decorations that went alone with the "WILD" theme of the weekend.
Since I had to eat while I was there, why not meet some old friends across the street for dinner one of those nights? I couldn't stay long but I went back to the scrapbooking event feeling incredibly loved. These friends of mine come everytime I'm in town. I have been "gone" from the Jay, Oklahoma scene for years yet they have yet to forget me. How can someone not feel incredibly loved when they show up for me like this. I love them for not forgetting me but also for them just being them! They make me laugh and things just don't change. We just catch right up!
And then I had to eat lunch on one of those days at the Civic Center so why not meet with the girls who know me better than sometimes I think I know myself!? They check up on me, they Marco Polo me, they text, they send random things in the mail (Ok, that's mainly Valerie!) and because of that constant connection, they know when I'm not doing well. Guess who ends ups making it better? These girls! I can be the stupidest of stupid with them and laugh until I'm gonna get sick and then turn around and have the most serious of conversations with them on matters that are important to us. I love them as if we shared blood. That much.
April was 2 years younger than us in school but most of my friends just loved her. She wasn't that annoying little sister. She was the funny, witty sister. So April often would be found in my outtings with my friends when I was in high school. When we would meet new people, somehow being sisters would be brought up and I'm not joking when I say that the majority of the time they would guess that it was Laura and April who were the sisters! Not me and April! But really, can you blame them? They look more alike than April and I do and they are soooooooooooooooo similar in the way they overthink things, interests, humor, and more!
Sista From Anotha Mista!
