Back to SoCal...

It has been an incredible weekend in Oklahoma...I'm back in Phoenix, one more hour until I'm back in California.

600 pictures...18 hour days...a heart filled with joy and wonder...

Yes, I did get my 24th state...but much more importantly, I was able to visit with family that I love dearly, and I was able to see so much about my family history.

I walked where my great-grandparents grew-up, saw the bridge my great-grandfather helped build during the depression, saw the train station from which my great-grandmother and her three kids left for California in 1942...I saw my great-great-great grandfather's grave, and learned so much about him and that side of the family...as a lover of history, and as someone who treasures family beyond anything else, it was a perfect weekend.

I saw the Oklahoma City Memorial for the 1995 bombing...and that was incredible. There is such a rich history in Oklahoma--more than I ever realized.

I experienced the love for football, especially as my family lives in Norman, which is where OU is located. Go Sooners! :) It was homecoming weekend there, and the town was going crazy for their team...

I was amazed at how much I felt like I fit in there. Granted, I know that I am an Okie at heart because that's where my family is from...but this weekend as I experienced Oklahoma for the first time, I felt at home.

So, all in all, it was amazing. Below are some pictures--and I'll create an album soon.