SCI Banquet: A Happy Ending

 

This whole experience started back in November of 2014, when Dad persuaded me to enter a writing contest for a chance to win an antelope hunt.  When I was the winning senior girl, we had to go to a banquet in Oklahoma City in March of 2015.  ( http://happyfaceranch.blogspot.com/2015/03/success-is-mine.html )  In October, Dad and I went on the amazing hunt.  I shot, what I think, is a great first antelope.  Sure, he's not record size, but I don't care.  He's impressive to me. ( http://happyfaceranch.blogspot.com/2015/10/antelope-hunt-2015.html )  After the hunt, but before we came home, I gave permission to the man in charge to take my antelope head and cape (hide) to get it mounted.  Dad and I came home with some meat and memories, but nothing else to show people.  I would have to go to yet another banquet in March of 2016 before I could even see my beautiful antelope again.

 

And now it's March.

 

The five of us headed east on Wednesday to make a little vacation out of it.  But it was really on Thursday when we started doing stuff.  The morning was uneventful.  We sat at the hotel and watched black and white or colored westerns. 

 

After eating dinner, we went to a couple of State Tournament basketball games.  As it turned out, we even saw and sat with some family.  The games were well played, but the team we were cheering for lost in the last few seconds by missing a free throw.  It was heartbreaking, even for me and I'm not a huge basketball fan.  Still, we enjoyed the games and seeing family very much.

 



Waiting for our meal at Red Robin



And the rest of the family at Red Robin





You could say Thursday was our sports day.  After basketball, we ate at Red Robin (which was beyond good) and visited our cousin and her husband.  Around ten o'clock PM we went to SoccerCity.  Cousin's husband plays and we country folk wanted to watch some action.  We have only seen soccer on TV and even that is a very small amount.

Let me say, soccer is pretty cool.  It wasn't a real game, per say, and it was played in an indoor field, so it was smaller than outdoors.  The guys playing looked to be having so much fun!  They ran back and forth and hollered and just made the game interesting and inviting...well, except for the times they were hit by the ball, or tripped over each other. 

But hey!  It was a late, fun night!

 



 

   

On Friday we went to the Oklahoma State Capitol.  Let's just say that the building is a beautiful sight and there are countless pretty paintings inside.  I am growing fonder of art--paintings--more and more!  We got to listen to some high school kids debate--I enjoyed that.  Truly, this part of the day was a huge highlight of the whole trip.

 

Mini golf took up the rest of the afternoon.  We ran some errands and attempted to have a family movie night at the hotel.  Well, we did get to eat and drink popcorn and pop, and sort of watched what good there was on TV.  

 

 

 
 

 





 

Saturday was a much needed relaxing, catch up day.  A tad before noon, we went back to our cousin's house to spend a few hours with them, and grandma and my great aunt, too.  The weather couldn't have been prettier, so naturally, we went to the empty plot and played corn hole.  Just the peaceful afternoon of simple games and hanging out with family was wonderful.  I know it improved our attitudes for the much better! 

(Plus we got to eat pasta, chips, guacamole, hot sauce, ham, and cookies.  So, really, how could it get better?)

 

It was well after three o'clock when we got back to the hotel to change, shower, and be ready for the banquet. 

 

Yep.  I was nervous again.

 

The banquet was great, and again, I was nervous for nothing.  I was actually gleefully surprised at how many strangers remembered me from last year.  We talked quite a bit with one girl winner of this year as we were seated at her table.  And, yes, I successfully continued the tradition with the album book.  I gave it to the senior boy winner of this year, and he acted pretty thrilled to receive it.  I also really liked catching up with last year's boy winner and to totally understand the readiness to finally get our mounts.  

 

Getting my mount!  I think the antelope is smiling.

When we arrived at the hotel for one last night, I encouraged us to get a family picture.  Like so many other good pictures of my family, we used the timer on my camera.  The end result is a nice photo of four great people in my life.

Dad, Me, Mom, Little J., and Big J.