Oklahoma
12th Anniversary
October 27, 2006
State of Oklahoma
City of Oklahoma City
Our Lord's Lutheran Church
Day One
We flew in to Oklahoma City with little planning as this had been a busy year for us. We stayed at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown where we had a short walk to Bricktown and all of its activities. It is a lovely pedestrian revitalized warehouse district with restaurants and nightlife. We walked around there and enjoyed the Bricktown Brewery for dinner.
Day Two
Julie began the day with a soothing massage in the hotel spa compliments of her loving husband. Mmmm. We then met our friend Wayne Bryant, who is the producer at Music Theatre of Wichita in Kansas. Julie had worked with him in several productions as a choreographer. He was in town directing a musical and met us for lunch in Bricktown where we tried alligator strips. (Watch out for the teeth!) It was fun to catch up. After lunch we enjoyed browsing through Sheplers, a very large western wear store. Yeehaw!
We then went and changed clothes for the wedding which took place at Our Lord's Lutheran Church. Eric's childhood friends the Wink's recommended their church whose pastor was out of town who in turn recommended this church which was willing and available to marry us. . . even though the power was out in their sanctuary. We had a lovely candlelit wedding service by a pastor with a voice just like Garrison Keillor who shared some trailmix with us as a wedding reception treat in his office after the ceremony. It was delightful!
We stopped by the Oklahoma City National Memorial remembering the bombing in 1995 and came back for dinner at the Mickey Mantle Steakhouse where Julie's parents from Texas were seated ready to surprise her. It was an excellent surprise! They and Eric had planned it, and we all had a fantastic time together. We all walked around that evening and sat for a long time in the hotel lobby and chatted, enjoying one another. It was a good reunion as well as a joy to have loved ones join us on our anniversary.
Day Three
We started the day with Julie's parents including breakfast at the hotel followed by a riverboat tour, a walk, and then lunch before they had to drive back to Texas. We said good-bye and then drove to Norman, Oklahoma to look for Julie's old house. Time has grown the area and we never found the exact neighborhood. We went to Oklahoma University that night to see "Once Upon a Mattress" which our friend Wayne had directed. It was closing night and Wayne had kindly gotten us tickets next to him. It was an excellent production with a terrific lead actress and a great director.
Day Four
We drove a brief strip of the famous Route 66 and stopped along the way for some pictures of the historic sites along the route. Then it was back to the airport; a quick but very fun trip.
October 27, 2006
State of Oklahoma
City of Oklahoma City
Our Lord's Lutheran Church
Day One
We flew in to Oklahoma City with little planning as this had been a busy year for us. We stayed at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown where we had a short walk to Bricktown and all of its activities. It is a lovely pedestrian revitalized warehouse district with restaurants and nightlife. We walked around there and enjoyed the Bricktown Brewery for dinner.
Day Two
Julie began the day with a soothing massage in the hotel spa compliments of her loving husband. Mmmm. We then met our friend Wayne Bryant, who is the producer at Music Theatre of Wichita in Kansas. Julie had worked with him in several productions as a choreographer. He was in town directing a musical and met us for lunch in Bricktown where we tried alligator strips. (Watch out for the teeth!) It was fun to catch up. After lunch we enjoyed browsing through Sheplers, a very large western wear store. Yeehaw!
We then went and changed clothes for the wedding which took place at Our Lord's Lutheran Church. Eric's childhood friends the Wink's recommended their church whose pastor was out of town who in turn recommended this church which was willing and available to marry us. . . even though the power was out in their sanctuary. We had a lovely candlelit wedding service by a pastor with a voice just like Garrison Keillor who shared some trailmix with us as a wedding reception treat in his office after the ceremony. It was delightful!
We stopped by the Oklahoma City National Memorial remembering the bombing in 1995 and came back for dinner at the Mickey Mantle Steakhouse where Julie's parents from Texas were seated ready to surprise her. It was an excellent surprise! They and Eric had planned it, and we all had a fantastic time together. We all walked around that evening and sat for a long time in the hotel lobby and chatted, enjoying one another. It was a good reunion as well as a joy to have loved ones join us on our anniversary.
Day Three
We started the day with Julie's parents including breakfast at the hotel followed by a riverboat tour, a walk, and then lunch before they had to drive back to Texas. We said good-bye and then drove to Norman, Oklahoma to look for Julie's old house. Time has grown the area and we never found the exact neighborhood. We went to Oklahoma University that night to see "Once Upon a Mattress" which our friend Wayne had directed. It was closing night and Wayne had kindly gotten us tickets next to him. It was an excellent production with a terrific lead actress and a great director.
Day Four
We drove a brief strip of the famous Route 66 and stopped along the way for some pictures of the historic sites along the route. Then it was back to the airport; a quick but very fun trip.