Hi everyone! I promised I would become a better blogger so here's another blog! I've been really excited about sharing this blog topic because it was such a cool experience. Last month Stuart and the kids and I all went down to Alva, Oklahoma for a reunion of Stuart's dad's side of the family. Alva is a small farming community just south of the Kansas border. Both of Stuart's parents were from Oklahoma and they met, fell in love and got married while going to a small college in Alva. Stuart's dad's side of the family has lived on farmland outside of Alva for several generations. His Uncle Warren, who is his dad's oldest sibling, still has a house on the farm. Stuart and his brother Steve used to spend time there and on farmland that belonged to his mom's relatives during summers when they were young. It was great for me and the kids to get to see where Stuart's family was from and where he had spent time while he was growing up. Stuart's brother Steve, his wife Jill and their oldest daughter Allison were there and it was a great to see them again also since I didn't go with the kids an Stuart to Oklahoma earlier in the summer. It was also great to meet everyone in Stuart's family that I hadn't met yet. They remind me a lot of my mom's family in New Mexico.
Stuart's Uncle Warren took us on a great tour, via hayrack ride, all over the family land. He told us the story of how Stuart's family originally came to own the land and the interesting things that had happened there since it had been settled. Stuart's ancestors settled the land back during the Oklahoma land rush days. It was actually his great grandmother, (All Little family members reading this: please feel free to correct me if my lineage is off. I'm having Stuart fact check this too!) who had staked out a claim on the land and then lived there until she owned it. How's that for some 19th century girl power!!
There were so many cool things that happened while we were there for Stuart and the kids and I as a family. We had a great time together seeing all of the sights and spending time with family members. It was great for Stuart to see everyone again, great for me to meet everyone, and great for the kids to see their relatives and learn about their heritage. This brief synopsis of the trip really doesn't do it justice, but I don't want to make this entry too long! Just suffice it to say it was a great experience and here are some of our great pictures!
Here's a picture of everyone on the hayrack tour. We disembarked the hayrack to hear Uncle Warren tell a story about where Stuart's great grandmother first set up her homestead on the land. This is the very spot where she first camped out to claim her land.
The red dirt and the hills are beautiful.
Stuart and his brother Steve. Stuart and Steve's Uncle Ronnie is on the right side of the picture.
Steve, Stuart, Uncle Ronnie, Uncle Warren, and Stuart and Steve's Aunt Sherry.
We came to an old house that some of Stuart's relatives lived in some time around the 1930s. Sam, who is especially adventurous sometimes, wanted to go check it out so I went with him to explore while Stuart stayed by the road with Ben and Caroline. I thought the house was so cool!
The inside of the house. The nests on the sides of the walls are swallow nests. We also discovered that there was a bull snake living upstairs!
Here are Sam and Caleb, (my apologies if it's spelled with a "K" and not a "C"!), Uncle Warren's grandson. They were having a guy talk. I think it was about the snake:)
Sam and a dog regarding each other. (I just thought this picture was too cute, so I had to post!)
This is what they mean when they sing about "the waving wheat" in the musical Oklahoma.
I hope you all enjoy the pictures and have a great day!!
