"OOOOk-lahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain!"

Our next stop was Stillwater, Oklahoma to visit another friend I studied abroad with in England, Emily!  

As promised to my dad, we've been taking lots of pictures along the road.  When we drove by these cows, we had to turn around to get a better picture.  This particular breed of beef cattle are known as BueLingo cattle; they were developed in Ransom County, North Dakota.  

While at Emily and Nate's house, we especially fell in love with their dog, Flax.  Our first dog may now be a golden retriever.  When we weren't playing with Flax, we did lots of other stuff in Stillwater.  Saturday morning, we watched a climbing competition at OSU's climbing gym where Emily and Nate work.  We also had a lovely walk around campus to see the crazy tailgators party before the big Oklahoma State University football game (they're ranked in the top three of the NCAA football teams!).  Shortly after we finished watching the football game at Emily and Nate's house, there was a 5.6 magnitude earthquake...my first earthquake experience ever!  It was the largest one in OK history.  The day after we left, they had tornadoes touch down, flash flood warnings, and another earthquake!  Just like the east coast, I guess we left Oklahoma just in time
to miss the bad weather.

We had a great time visiting Emily, Nate and Flax!  (See, she even knows how to pose for pictures.  What a great dog!)

Thanks so much for hosting us, Emily and Nate!  We can't wait to come back!!

On our way out of Oklahoma, we stopped to see the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial.  I was in 4th grade when it happened...I remember being so sad when I heard about it.  The memorial is beautiful and so well done!  This tree is known as the "Survivor Tree."  As one of the only trees in a parking lot right next to the Murrah Federal Building, it survived the massive blast and fires that followed, which claimed the lives of 168 people and injured more than 680.  It was, and continues to be, a symbol of survival and resilience for those affected by the event.

Oklahoma is a beautiful state!!  So glad it was a stop during our North American road trip!