On Friday, we went to Seminole, OK to watch Jake's cousin Kory play football. He's a senior, and this season had the honor of being named offensive player of the week. It was a good game, a GREAT fourth quarter, a pins and needles overtime, and a loss for Seminole by one point. They'd lost a previous game by one point as well. The other team had a crazy accurate quarterback with a good arm. Stigler (the other team) beat every other team they played by at least 40 points. One of my favorite movies is Elizabethtown and one of my favorite quotes comes from it:
"In that moment, I knew success, not greatness, was the only god the world served."
I suppose success in football is a win, but greatness is the entire Seminole team kneeling in prayer between the fourth quarter and overtime. I value greatness.
(I copied this from the school athletics site, can you tell? ;) Kory is #87.)
Cora left with Gram and Offey at half time. Jake, Magnolia and I made our way home. We decided we were hungry around Shawnee, but we didn't stop. Instead we stopped at Big Truck Tacos in OKC and took it to Crown Heights Park.
Yep. We were eating Big Truck Tacos at midnight at a park. It was like old times (minus the sleeping baby in the back and the fact that it was BTT because BTT didn't exist in our old times).
Saturday began with General Conference. Uchtdorf spoke about living simply, which has come to be a sort of motto of mine. I don't publish everything I write on here, but many are about living a simple life. I strive for it. I ache for it. I'm happiest when I'm great at it. Needless to say, his words sang to my soul.
In between sessions of conference, we picked up a Chipotle burrito to share and drove to Lake Hefner. It was the perfect day, and we found the perfect spot on a rock wall facing the lake with wind blowing through the trees right in front of us. I love that sound. Wind rustling leaves. And fall smells so good.
We picked up some mums and pumpkins to decorate with, keeping in mind Cora had decorated a pumpkin at Gram and Offey's. That evening, we watched Angels and Demons, followed by a National Geographic special on the Vatican. It's all so fascinating - and seriously cuddle worthy, for no apparent reason.
The highlight of Sunday was picking up Coco. We met in Shawnee at a park to picnic with Vaughn and Tracey. A park where a sort of medieval weaponry competition was going on (the weapons were made of foam). Youth and Old Age kept creeping through my mind as there were teenage boys warming up in one open area, and adults dressing in the full armor at a table on the other side (I didn't see the adults' weapons, but their protective gear led me to believe they were made of more than foam).
We didn't get to see what they were actually there to do, but in the midst of it all, a group of softball playing teenage girls showed up. The teenage boys really stepped it up a notch when the girls got there. The girls carried on with warm ups. After a while a few of the girls went over and the boys graciously let them hit them with their own weapons. It was so a scene out of a movie. Pretty soon more girls joined in, some taking photos, the boys posing as tough-like and proud as can be, until they were all just mingling. VICTORIOUS on the boys accounts. They were wrapped in black and red material, mind you. And those girls were cute. Really cute.
It felt complete to have our little family back together again. I loved some "alone" time with Jake. All in all, one of the best weekends on record in my book.
Last but not least, the reason why I thought I should write this post in the first place. As we were driving to the football game in Seminole, we could see a fire from some distance. I jokingly said to Jake "I hope it's not the stadium." Luckily, it was not the stadium. It was, however, an old school. This was the school for colored students in Seminole back in the days of segregation before every student could learn together in the school I was staring at across the field. As I sat in the stadium remembering the smoke in the air, and thinking of that old school burning to the ground, I wanted to do cartwheels.
(I also copied this picture. I like it. It is the current Seminole High School from the front. The stadium has an impeccable view of the back and its three stories of bay windows.)
PS: Cora's pumpkin was a "Junkin' Punkin'." It's awesome,so is her name. Cora named her SheenaCake, and it is so funny to hear her ask "Where SheenaCake?" Plus, it's fun to say. Try it. Out loud.
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