The "Real Reason" We Went to Oklahoma City

From the comment Sarah made on my last blog post, I guess I must confess that the real reason we were in Oklahoma City was because of Glen's obsession with BYU sports. Even though he continually tries to con me with the belief that we are going on all these trips to "be together" and "spend some quality time with each other" and "get to go to a new temple", I do not buy into his story. I always know the ulterior motive of my husband, but, for a moment here or there I like to imagine that his sales job phrases are my reality. So, enough of the fantasy--let's just get down to the nitty gritty of the trip--here's the ball game part of the story:

We arrive at the Ford Center for the basketball tournament and Glen is giddy with anticipation for the game to begin.



We have some great seats 7 rows up from the floor right behind the team. Glen gets very anxious when the teams are playing neck and neck and then the game ends in a tie.




The teams huddle or rally or whatever they do and played overtime and that ends in another tie.




It was at that point that Glen's boss sent the following text message. We enjoyed his humor at that tense moment in time.


Some more action and then BYU WINS the second overtime!!! The crowd goes wild--or at least the BYU fans went wild.




I know Glen could have embellished the exciting story with great facts and play-by-play action, but I'm trying to figure out why I'm even posting this because everyone knows how it all turned out. BYU lost the other game and doesn't get to play in SLC and everyone's sad. Boo hoo!

Okay, enough about the games, except for a little story about when we went to pick up our tickets for the second game. Keep in mind that we had been experiencing totally awesome weather--70 degrees--and then Saturday hit and the temperature plummeted to below freezing.



We decided to brave the weather and entertain ourselves before game time by going to a movie and then to lunch at a nearby restaurant. We parked in a location between the Ford Center and the movie theater and braved the wind and the snow to get around on foot. It was a very wet, windy and cold day.


When we got to the Ford Center to the BYU will call window, Glen tried to pull out his identification and found that his wad of money and all his credit cards were missing. His money bundle had to be back at the restaurant we had just come from. Glen took off on a run to go all the way back while I watched from the warmth and protection of inside the ticket office.


When Glen got back, I asked if the restaurant had found the money and credit cards and Glen answered no. I was just sick about it. That was the only place it could be. Glen thought the same thing until he started re-checking in every single one of his pockets in his jacket, his pants and then finally his shirt and that's where the missing bundle of cash/cards was found. He then ran all the way back to the will call window to make his second--and this time successful--try at picking up our tickets.


Here are three things I really enjoyed about the ball games:




Food, padded seats and sitting by the one I love. Who could wish for more?

Two Temples and a Terrific Surprise

It looks like we can now add another couple of temples to our list of different temples that we've attended. With our recent road trip to Oklahoma City, we were able to attend that temple.


We also made a stop at the Denver Temple as we were passing through that city.


After the session, it was time for lunch and I suggested we find a place to eat close by before we got on the freeway. Glen assured me he had it covered. We drove for a few minutes and then turned into a parking lot where my eyes beheld the big, majestic restaurant Casa Bonita.


I screamed in surprised delight!! I could hardly believe my eyes!! Let me explain... When I had recently graduated from high school and had just barely met Glen, I left town for a few days to attend a national typing contest in Denver. That was a big time experience for me because it was the first time I'd ever flown in an airplane, it was the first time I'd gone on a big trip like that without parental supervision and it was the first time I'd been to Denver.

I came home telling Glen about how a few of us had gone to this gigantic, impressive, fun Mexican restaurant and how much I'd enjoyed it. My mind kept that memory alive for many, many years because it had been what felt like a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience. Keep in mind that growing up in small-town Ogden didn't lend itself to such grandiose restaurant choices. Our family didn't go out to eat often and when we did it was either to Utah Noodle with Grandma and Grandpa Malan or else it was Arctic Circle. Casa Bonita was bigger and grander than anything I'd ever done or could even have imagined. For years and years I'd told Glen that if we ever got to Denver, I'd want to go back and eat at Casa Bonita--the grand restaurant in my now-very-distant memory.

That all happened nearly 33 years ago, but I will admit that I've kept the wish alive of visiting there some day. As we were nearing Denver on our drive towards our Oklahoma goal, and knowing that we really were only taking time to stop in Denver to attend the temple, I had a very short and fleeting thought about the restaurant, but immediately dismissed it because I knew it would have to happen on another trip to Denver--when we were actually spending time in Denver. And, to tell the truth, I hadn't thought about that restaurant in so many years that I'd forgotten the name of it.

And then all of a sudden--there it was!! Glen hadn't forgotten the name or my wish to go back there if I ever got to Denver. What a guy! Who says he's not a hopeless romantic after all?!? This proves it!!


I love you, my darling husband! Thanks for helping to revive my extremely dimmed memory and helping me make a wonderful new memory of the place that made such a positive impression on my young mind all those years ago.

Let's face it--the restaurant is along the same lines as the Mayan Restaurant in Sandy (only Casa Bonita has much better food) with a show every few minutes where someone jumps into the water a few times and the small kids in the restaurant are totally excited about all of that.


The show held little appeal for me this trip, since I've seen things like that before. Glen enjoyed a Kodak moment with me and the gorilla who was in the show.


I don't really remember a gorilla--or any of the show--from when I was there before, but I did remember and again took pleasure in the magical quality of the restaurant and really enjoyed being in the same place I was in all those years ago. Fond memories then and fond new memories now. I loved it!!!

Jeff and Sarah Here For Spring Break

Jeff and Sarah came up for their spring break and it was fun to have them here. I especially enjoyed seeing the pregnant girl in person and it's always nice to have Jeff around. Sarah feels like all the pictures we took were of her eating. Let's face it--that's pretty much what she did the majority of the time they were here!



On Saturday the three of us, plus Rebecca, went to the Draper Temple in the middle of the blizzard and no one was willing to pose for pictures there. After the temple, we met Dallas, Brooke and Caroline for dinner at Macaroni Grill. Brooke enjoyed digging in to help eat dessert.







Jeff and Sarah were finally able to go to one of my Mom's monthly family dinner parties. It was a first for Jeff. Sarah was looking forward to the delicious roast beef dinner and had requested Nani's scrumptious strawberry trifle for dessert. YUM!!






Brooke preferred eating the dessert with her fingers rather than using a fork.



Rachel proudly showed us her toothless smile.


We were glad Glen returned home from his Vegas basketball trip with Kenny in time to join us for the family dinner.









Before they left town, Sarah insisted that we take Jeff to Pace's Dairy Ann to show him where she spent 2 years of her life working--but mostly so she could eat a rainbow.




Thanks for coming to visit. Looking forward to the next time you can come up to spend some more time with us. Happy spring break you two!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ABRAHAM

Happy Birthday today my good man Abraham.  We hope you have a great day.