The summer before co-vid hit, we traveled from California to Oklahoma and back to visit family and friends. It was a trip that I have made dozens of times. As a child, it was always about getting to our destination (my grandparents' home in northern Oklahoma) as fast as we could. However, this time my husband pointed out that traveling with our kids (who are both on the Autism Spectrum) meant that we needed to have a plan ( and a schedule) that we could explain to them. Scheduled stops at a local park or playground to help them get some energy out and also allow us to enjoy the sights needed to be added to the trip. So we got to do some tourist stuff! I was a little sad to see that most of the road-side attractions of my youth are long gone, but we did find a few things to take advantage of- many of which were new to me as well.
This little pit stop on the side of the road was such a fun experience! If you are traveling through the Texas panhandle make sure to stop... and it doesn't hurt to bring along some spray paint (but if you don't, many of the people there offer it to you after they are done.) What is it? A public art installation and sculpture in Amarillo, TX named "Cadillac Ranch" and it's just off of the Interstate for you to visit. We almost missed it, but it caught my husband's eye and we turned around so the kids (and I) could check it out.
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Has it really been over a year?
While it has been a trying time, I have to admit that my family really bonded and came together throughout this last year and a half. My kids got to spend WAY more time together than they ever had before, and I watched as their bond grew immensely. I documented all the little stuff, The tree blossoms in the first photo are from our walk the first day of quarantine. We took our time and looked at all the colors of the spring blossoms. A few weeks later, we drove to the foothills to enjoy nature. This last year, we have had front yard picnics, backyard dinners, read hundreds and hundreds of books, and just slowed down from our normal everyday hustle and bustle. Has it been hard? Yes. Have tears been shed? Oh, yeah. But overall, the slowdown of it all was kind of a strange gift that made me understand how much I should appreciate the life I get to have. I had meant to share these pictures last year, but as usual, time got away from me. But this trip meant so much to me that I don't want to just forget about it, so here they are. I hope you enjoy!
Stillwater, Oklahoma is the place of my birth. My parents met at Oklahoma State University and then moved out to California (where my Dad is from) when I was about 3. I am Oklahoma born and California raised... and both states have a big part of my heart. I returned to Oklahoma at 19 to attend OSU and to be closer to my Mom's side of the family. This part of Oklahoma still feels like home to me, even though it has been nearly 20 years since I moved back to California. I loved watching my kids explore and fall in love with it as much as I have. While visiting, I took everyone to the University and we wandered around the campus. Visiting the library, student union and Theta pond brought back so many memories! Of course we had to make a stop at Eskimo Joe's (a local bar and grill)... if you live in Oklahoma, you know Joe's. My Mom also let us know about a couple of new sites to go check out. The two transformers were a hit with my kids, they thought that we should go look for more! I'm hoping we make another trip this summer so I can show my family that there is so much to love about Oklahoma. The route from our home in California's San Joaquin Valley to my grandparents and my mother's homes in northern Oklahoma is one that I have traveled many times, However, this summer was very different- instead of driving to get to our final destination, our family took some of the scenic routes and found adventures along the "mother road".
I plan on sharing these summer adventures here on the blog in the next few weeks along with the pictures I took (mostly film). We didn't get to see everything we had planned on, but we also took the time to go see sites that our kids would enjoy and remember. So many of the experiences were brand new to me as well. We are planning on taking another trip next summer and I plan on doing a little more research of the fun things that may be a little off the beaten path- but well worth the time. I hope our adventures inspire you to find the hidden gems in your area and beyond. XO, Melissa At the beginning of 2017 I decided to make a goal for my personal photography- I wanted pictures of my family doing out everyday thing. Nothing fancy, just documenting our everyday life. I was sure it was a project doomed to fail. I've tried things like this before and never got to a half-way point... I'm not sure why I thought this would be any different, but it was. I documented our family with both digital and film cameras (waiting for film scans was torture but always worth it). Now, I am at the end of this project and I have this incredible amount of pictures from the last year. I haven't quite figured out what this year's project will be, but I know I want to do another one! The best thing that came out of this project are all the little everyday moments- that I might have forgotten about- are captured for me to remember. Here are a few of my favorites from the last year.
Some girls get excited about shopping for clothes, I get excited about shopping for plants. I know, it's strange but that's what I like. Last year the drought took a toll on our lawn and flowers... we stopped watering because we thought it was the "responsible thing" to do. And let me tell you, our house just looked sad. I hated driving up to see brown dead grass and no flowers. This year with things looking up we are thinking of better ways to deal with the water shortage and still have a nice yard. My hubby has been fixing up our backyard and told me we were ready to plant the fruit tree and vines that I have wanted since we moved in almost six years ago. Now I just need to get to work and get everything planted!
One of our favorite places to visit, especially in the Spring when wildflowers are out and everything is blooming. Wonder Valley is located just east of Fresno in the Sierra Nevada foothills. They have free-range cattle and other animals wandering through the valley. Our boy loved being able to run through the field and down to the stream, our daughter had fun investigating nature.It was a much needed retreat for our little family; we're planning a picnic during Spring Break.
We had a busy weekend and I didn't get anywhere near the computer, so tonight I am playing a bit of catch up with my blog posts. 18/365 We went to the park while her brother was at Speech today, but it was just too cold to stay very long! 17/365 Taking a few steps with her Daddy 16/365
Feeling under the weather (but Lulu is there to give him comfort) |
AuthorHi, I'm Melissa. I am a wife, mother, step-mother, Gigi (step-grandma) and a photographer. I started out as the family member always asked to bring my camera along and it has turned into my life dream. I just love being able to capture moments for others that they can always cherish.This is my little corner to share my sessions, projects, and a little piece of our daily life. Thanks for stopping by! Archives
July 2021
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