Made it back

Since the purpose of  this trip was to visit Preston, and since Preston had to come to Manhattan this weekend to move out of his old apartment, we knew today we would head home.  But we always need one last adventure!   We went back to the Gathering Place.  This time to ride their free paddle boats  and kayaks.  We didn’t really get good photos since you have to leave all your stuff behind so it doesn’t fall in the water!   We had a great time paddle boating.  We also let the girls run off some steam at one of the many amazing playgrounds they have, and cooled off briefly in the splash pad.  

I do not think I could say enough about this park.  They have everything.  Water features, free adventures like kayaks and paddle boats, programs and plays and musical presentations, room for skateboarding, biking, nature hikes, and the most amazing playgrounds I have ever seen in my life.  All spread over like 80 acres of pristinely planted and manicured park land.  Blown away by the amazingness is how I felt. Truly, you could take a complete vacation in this place, and it is all free. 

Preston had 2 vehicles in Tulsa.  We thought he was selling his old car, but he hadn’t gotten it done. He leaves there in a couple weeks, and couldn’t drive 2 vehicles back, so Jim decided we could drive his old car back and sell it here. Preston told us he had been having some trouble with the car. One of the things was that it had a shimmy.  Jim and I decided to check the lug nuts before leaving. And when we opened the trunk, this is what we saw.   Good thing he didn’t sell the car.  There is a lot of expensive junk in there?  Floor jack, carhardt coat, tools, boxing gloves.  

I’m going to say that it was not quite as exciting as helping Cameron clear a trunk, but I do wonder why my boys have so much random junk they carry around.  

My little vacation crew.  I am thankful for the get away and for the time I got to spend with some of my kids. I am also thankful that they are willing to go look at weird junk, try out new activities and mostly get along and have a fun couple of days with their old parents. 

Since I got us lost on the way to Tulsa, Mallory calibrated our phone map apps.  We went down with 2 vehicles and were coming home with 3, one of which we were uncertain would make it.  No time for getting lost or delaying on the trip.  Mallory might have also been a little bit worried about weather (she follows the location of Reid Timmer and if he is in the area, she is worried).  Also, since we missed the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead in the way, we decided to stop on the way back.  Evie did not know Laura was a real person, and when she found out, she was full of questions. 

Wrenley just liked the donkeys. She did not want to leave the donkeys and she didn’t care one bit about anything there except for the donkeys.  

Saige swore she never read the books, we never read them to her, none of her teachers read her the books, and that she thought the show was boring and never watched it.  Her older sisters were heartbroken by this statement, and have declared me an unfit mother.  

We have been to several of these homesteads.  The one on De Smet, South Dakota is by far the best one.  This one was pretty good.  There was a gift shop.  Remember when I said the activities in the Gatherong place were free?   Well one trip into the gift shop ruined our “free” morning?  Oh well, ya only live once. Might as well spend all the money!  

Saige told me I take entirely too many photos.  She told me I need to learn to rely on my memory more.  She underestimates the number I take with the number I WANT to take.  She should feel blessed. 

I keep telling her someday she will be glad I documented her childhood- even if she looks grouchy in all the pictures!  

Did I mention that Wrenley liked the donkeys? 

We had lunch in Independence, and said we weren’t stopping u til we got home.  I didn’t believe it would happen-  but I was wrong. No stops. No problems, no drama. Preston’s car made it.  We did hit some rough weather, but by far not the worst I’ve ever driven through. 

We are all happy to be home - and Maude has been a tremendous mess with happiness. She missed her people.  

Hey kid- vacation is over - tell your dad that Grammy said “tag - you’re it!”  

 

Ok is OK!

 

Would you look at that - my pictures all loaded completely bass-ackwarda.  

Use your imagination. You can figure it out easier than i can figure out how to blog on the phone apparently.  

Or maybe I start at the end of the day and work my way back. 

We ended the day at a minor league baseball game in downtown. The team is the Tulsa Drillers. I believe they are the minor league team for the Dodgers but I could be wrong.  They played the minor league team from Springfield - the Cardinals.  

This is what Jim really wanted to do during the trip.  The girls opted to stay at the hotel, swim, order pizza and not sit outside in the heat.  

Preston and I accompanied Jim to the game. 

The first 1000 fans got a free shirt.  The boys were super excited about the shirt.  I was not super excited, so I had a little contest with mine - I texted Colin and Cameron and told them whoever said they loved momma first got my shirt.  Colin won.  Cameron wasn’t amused with my contest.  

It was so hot tonight.  I was happy we had great seats behind home plate and in the shade.  Also thankful for a little breeze.  And a frozen margarita.  Made the oven feel slightly less toasty.  

The mascot is a cow named Hornsby. Which I think is hilarious.  The cow tried to punch Preston!  

Preston also had his internship evaluation today. He got very high scores, his boss was complimentary and he was told for sure they will ask him back next summer. He doesn’t exactly know what he will do after graduating, but this seems like a foot in the door with a potentially good job at a good company.  I’m so proud of him! 

We did spend some time in the pool before the game!  This is a salt water pool.  Interesting concept that I am sort of fascinated by. 

We spent a couple hours at the discovery center.   This place is neat-o for little ones, but might have been aimed at a little  younger age group than Harper and Saige would actually enjoy.  Evelyn and Wrenley had a blast doing all the things there!  It reminded me a lot of science city in KC.  

And who knew the highlight of this trip for a certain. 2 year old would be using the vacuum hoses to suck up balls in the fancy ball pit/ball launching room!  She seriously sucked up the balls in there for forever.  

Shout out to Harper and Saige.  Despite this being aimed at a younger crowd, they were so kind to climb all the packing plastic slides, help with the science experiments and be an extra set of eyes in a fairly crowded space.  I appreciated it!  

We also visited the Tulsa botanical gardens today.  Mallory’s wish.  It was absolutely beautiful there. It was way too hot for a mile hike around a huge flower garden today!  The kids were hot and complaining. The adults were hot and trying to find shade.  I would go back, but only if the temperature was below 80.  Glad I got to see it.  Glad I didn’t keel over from dehydration.  We did see a woman on our way out, who was confused on how to get back to her car.  I feel like the confusion was coming because she was too hot.  We like being outside this time of year, but it was simply miserable out there today!  

And would any vacation in this family be a vacation without a stop at a sporting good store to look at fish, bait, tackle, and also ride the Ferris wheel?   

We enjoyed Scheel’s, but I did feel bad that everyone rode the Ferris wheel except Wrenley who was a couple inches too short.  Which meant I promised her a trip to the toy section.  Evelyn in the toy section is an expensive idea!  

We had a great day!  We are headed home tomorrow (a micro vacation).  I am looking forward to being back, but I have enjoyed Tulsa.  Especially the part where we got to hang out with some of the family.