Shawnee,Oklahoma - March, 2008

In January, 2008, Jennie and I decided it was time to visit Stephen at Oklahoma Baptist University, located in Shawnee, Oklahoma. So, in March of 2008, we did that. We arrived in Shawnee on late afternoon of March 5. We found out that he had a ping-pong game scheduled for later that evening, so we went to watch. After warming up with me, he played his game.

Notice the concentration as he takes aim at returning the volley.

Good return!! That just goes to show you what concentration can do for you. If you look real close, you can see an orange streak just coming off the paddle.

Waiting for the next serve.

The following day, Kevin showed up from Longview, TX. He had a couple of days off from school, and the next week was spring break for him, so do you think he was going to miss out seeing his folks and his little (?) brother? I think not.

Anyway, that evening, we went along with some of Stephen's friends for a fun night out. We drove to Stillwater, OK, and just outside of town is a place called Tumbleweeds. Thursday nights is "College Night" and the place was packed with mostly college kids. And what do they do there? Why, two-steppin' and line dancing, of course.

Stephen out on the floor with one of his friends.

The song is over and they are leaving the dance floor.

It was kinda fun watching all those people two-steppin' and line dancing.

This is Kerr Hall, where Jennie and I got to stay during our visit to Oklahoma Baptist University.

The next day, Friday, while Stephen was in class and Kevin was still sleeping, Jennie and I drove to Oklahoma City to do "the tourist thing". Hey, why not see some of the sights in places where one has never been.

Our first stop was the site of the Oklahoma City Bombing. It was very interesting being in a place that one hears about in the news and see pictures of on the nightly news when it happened. It really helps put things in perspective from a more personal point of view.



This is a view of the Reflecting Pond. This was put in place to help people heal from the hurt of what happened. After some regrading of the site, the reflecting pond was put in where NW 5th Street passed along the north side of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. I believe the bomb was set off on this street. The above picture is from the west side of the block, looking east.

Again, from the west, looking east across the field that once was the Alfred P. Murrah building. There are 168 chairs in nine rows. Each row represents a floor, and the chairs that are in each row represents each victim, corresponding to the floor they were on. On the near, or west, side of the field are 5 chairs that represent the five victims that were outside the building.

This view is from what was a parking lot on the east side of the site and across NW 5th Street from the former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. This view is looking SW across the Reflecting Pond at the field of chairs.

After viewing the site of the Oklahoma City Bombing, we went on a short tour of downtown Oklahoma City and what is called Bricktown. We walked along the River Walk that wanders through Bricktown and got to see the Bricktown Ballpark.

And then, while walking back to our car, what did we see in the distance? Why, it is Ford Center.

Could this be the new home of the Oklahoma City Sonics? Time will tell, I guess.


We returned to Shawnee and later that evening, Henry showed up all the way from Houston. He wasn't going to let his little brother, Kevin, outdo him in seeing the folks. For the first time since August, 2007 at Lake Roosevelt, we were all together again.

On Saturday, all six of us (including Henry's girlfriend, who came up with him from Houston) went back to Oklahoma City again. This time, we went to the National Cowboy Museum.

Me posing with John Wayne. Well, at least a statue of John Wayne.

Kevin and Stephen goofing off with the statue of John Wayne. One would think that with them being college students, they would have done SOME growing up.
This is our whole family, together once again. Who knows when this will happen again.
This is Jennie posing with Ronald Reagan. Well, at least a statue of Ronald Reagan.

We had a very nice trip to Shawnee, OK, getting to see where our youngest is going to school and meeting a lot of his friends. Time to head back home and back to reality.