In Picture - 2019 Volume VII

Last week you saw all the high points of Junior Nationals.  This week, I thought I would show you some of the behind the scenes happenings of our trip to Claremore, Oklahoma. 

These are the unedited as they happened moments...

We spent the first few days of our trip with Daniel's Great Uncle Perry in Wellington, Kansas. He had arranged for us to keep the cows at the farm of someone he goes to church with.  

The Meekers were great hosts and we enjoyed getting to know them...and the little kids loved playing with our "big kids".  

Uncle Perry owns a railroad museum and we got the first class private tour.  

Wow...that is a lot of Wiley right there.

Daniel's grandpa was about 16 years old when his dad was sent to France during WWII.   I can only imagine how hard that was on Papa and the family.  Papa doesn't talk about it. ​

Daniel's Great Grandpa...and the boys Great Great Grandpa...was injured during the war.  Uncle Perry still has this piece of shrapnel that was removed from his dad's leg.  He spent over 2 years in the hospital before he was able to come home.  The hospital was only a few hours from home, but they were only able to go visit him one time in that 2 years.  

How times have changed.  

We spent an evening with my college roommate who now lives in Wichita, Kansas.  This is only the 2nd time we have seen each other in the last 20 years.  It felt like we had never been apart.  

The kids don't really know each other...but you would never have known.  Isaac and Walker have been looking forward to riding the dirt bikes for forever.  All the kids spent a good long time making plans for next time...

We made about a 12 mile detour to stop at the Pioneer Woman's Lodge.

Yes...I much shorter than Ree Drummond.

Mornings started early in the tie outs.  Oklahoma is not for the faint of heart...or cows that aren't used to the heat.  These tie outs were great...but you had to make sure your cows were in the barn before the sun got too high in the sky.  

I loved the peaceful, slow pace of the mornings.  

He's never met a stranger.

Walker made a friend too.

Always a little kid at heart.

Finding a way to make the work more fun.

There is nothing better than a man that can cook.

Angel was not a fan of all the poking and prodding from the vet.  She may be small...but she sure is mighty...even when she is sick.

That's my boy.

At the end of the day...when you think you are going to have an early evening...but it is still after 11:00 before you leave the barns...

You grab Whataburger to go because it is the only place still open...

And use the hotel ironing board as a table...because white bedding and cowboys do not go well together.  

Through the good, the bad and the ugly...we made some great memories.

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