Oklahoma...again

We were in Oklahoma last weekend while Aaron was in New Jersey, playing with his friends at the beach. The kids had a weekend of "firsts."

Here they are at Josh and Emily's dock at the lake...none of my kids have ever gone swimming in a lake. First of all, I'm not a laker. I like the beach just fine, but prefer a nice, in-ground swimming pool with a bar nearby. Second of all, I'm completely paranoid about my kids drowning in a lake. I have nightmares about it. But, I did want to hang with Emily and her kids Saturday and I did want my kids to have the full Pawhuska experience and Lake Bluestem is part of it...so, we went. I thought I'd have to be in the water with Rhett the whole time. Nope. He jumped off the dock and climbed the ladder at least 40 times. He was a fish!

The girls loved it too. Reese took a bit longer to warm up to the idea of jumping in the murky, dark water that is the lake, but once she got in, she stayed in.

Nobody drowned, so, even though I will probably always be a pool girl, I won't hesitate to go back next time!

Now for the really good stuff....Sunday, Mom's boyfriend, Jerry, took us out to see his horses...and let us all ride. Avery even got to ride by herself, without a grown-up holding the reins. There's a little part of me that thinks she may marry an Oklahoma cowboy and move up there as soon as she has the chance. Not that that's a bad thing, as long as she waits until she's thirty to do so. I'll just have to get some boots and start loving the lake, that's all.

Here she is, showing her skills.

Avery couldn't believe I forgot her boots and jeans. She had to borrow JD's pants, which were about 4 inches too short. And her tennis shoes. "Cowboys don't really wear tennis shoes, Mom." Sorry. We may have to get a pair of boots to just leave at Grammy's. It's too much for a non-cowgirl to remember to pack boots and jeans when it's 105 degrees outside, especially when I have three other people to pack for.

It was a setback, but we made it work. I think that, once she got on the horse, she wouldn't have cared if I had made her wear a skirt and rhinestone flip-flops. Ok, she might have cared about that, but you get my point. She LOVED it.

Reese and Rhett even loved it. No one wanted their turn to be over. Here's Avery, riding with Rhett.

And here's Reese, riding with some girl who also didn't have cowboy boots. Pay no attention to her, please.

I just have one question: How did my hometown, which used to bore me to tears, get to be such a hot spot of entertainment????

P.S. I almost forgot this picture...see the horse trough the kids are walking toward?

When JD spotted it, he said "Hey guys, let's go look at the hot tub."

That's just how they roll in P-town...