OOOOOkklahoma....

I'm in the great state of Oklahoma and I couldn't be happier. I love being here with my family. It is my dad's side of the family, and they are just the sweetest people ever. My aunt and uncle are quite possibly the happiest people I know. They are still madly in love with each other and are both well into their 60's. I hope I marry someone who I still love that much for that long! My aunt is one of the nicest people I know, she is caring and never speaks a bad word about anyone. I wish I had more of her characteristics. She and my uncle both have an amazing outlook on life. I idolize them in many ways, they are caring people, involved in the community, still very much in touch with high school friends, giving, healthy and fun. 

I also got to meet my cousin's first born for the first time Sunday. He is ADORABLE!! He has the biggest eyes and the roundest head. My cousin, the father, had been in Iraq for most of his wife's pregnancy, which I'm sure was incredibly hard. He was able to come back for the birth, but had to go back to Iraq for a couple of weeks before he could come home for good. When he is not serving in the National Guard, my cousin is a police officer. I was lucky enough to go on a 'ride along' with him last night. His shift starts at 9:15 PM and doesn't end until 7 AM! I only stayed until 1 AM, though. We had one burglary, a wandering drunk guy, and pulled one person over. I guess cold Tuesday nights don't bring too much crime. It was really cool to see and I definitely will do it again next time I visit. Although, I hope I don't take his driving habits back with me (running red lights, speeding, etc)!

Spending time with my grandmother (who is 87, I think) has been the best part of the trip. I look up to my grandmother in so many ways. When she was young, she was the poster child for high society. She bought the best clothes, had the best manners and went to the best parties. She fell about 10 years ago, and has not been able to live the same life since, but she is still the most respectable person I know. My aunt took me to her house that she still owns but does not live in, and I got to look through all of her vintage clothes. AMAZING. I'm under the impression that I can have anything that I love and can fit into, but I'm not ready to take her things. It makes me feel like she has passed or something. I cannot say enough to justify the wonderful woman my grandmother is, and it kills me to see her unable to live like she used to (post to come soon on this topic).

Being here with my family makes me think of all of the great things that I could do in the future. The question, "What are you going to do in May?" has come up countless times, and each time my response inches closer and closer to finding a future here. Who knows...maybe I'll return to my roots after all. I need to do some investigating first.

Hope everyone is having a great week! I'll be back with more details from the trip soon!