Week 39
Wow--what a week!  The most important news of the week is that my great-nephew Brigham received his mission call to the Washington Vancouver Mission--he enters the MTC on October 26 (exactly a year after we entered).

The institute was closed Monday for carpet cleaning (the cleaners never actually came, so we don't know when they will show up this week), so we took the day to go to OKC.  First we went to a school supply store to get some materials to redo the bulletin boards at the institute, then we found a really nice Chinese restaurant for lunch.  The day's highlight was going to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.  We expected to enjoy it, but we were blown away by how magnificent it was! There is a permanent exhibit called Prix de West where the winners of each year's art contest are housed, but we were lucky enough to be there for the last week of the exhibit with all the 2016 entries.  The beauty of these western sculptures and paintings was amazing.

There is a gallery devoted to the work of Frederic Remington and one to Charles M. Russell.  While they are the best known western painters/sculptors, they've sure got some competition from these contemporary artists.  There were also galleries devoted to saddles, rifles and revolvers, western performers (the pictures of Matt Dillion, Kitty, and Doc made us weak in the knees, both having grown up watching Gunsmoke every Saturday night). Other galleries had displays of Native American art and life and the American Rodeo.  On the beautiful grounds were more sculptures, including a 33 foot high statue of Buffalo Bill Cody.   http://nationalcowboymuseum.org/explore-the-west/ Just in case you want to check out the museum.

Kerby with anonymous cowboy on left and with John Wayne on the right

Buffalo Bill Cody

At FHE Monday night we did tie dye. As the only folks in the room alive when tie dye was in its heyday, we probably made the worst looking shirts!

Friday, August 5th, marked exactly 9 months from the day we rolled into Stillwater, and exactly 9 months to the day we'll leave (we're extending our time a little over a week so that we can finish out the semester).  To celebrate, we ate at the Rancher's Club on OSU campus.  It is really the nicest restaurant in Stillwater and we had a delightful meal.

Only white tablecloth restaurant in town

Saturday morning we traveled to Norman (1 1/2 hours south) to attend the Scripture Conference--an in-service for seminary and institute teachers from both regions.  It was very good and uplifting.  We should all be ready for school to start again!

On the way home we stopped at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.  There is a visiting exhibit of Matisse and several of his contemporaries (including several works by his "friendly rival" Pablo Picasso).  It was neat to see, but frankly, not our favorite artist.  However, little did we know that OKC owns one of the largest Chihuly collections in the country.  It was an absolutely enchanting exhibit of the magic that Chihuly creates with glass.  I've loved every exhibit of his I've seen in various places, but this one was truly the best.

Must be for OSU--orange bowls

So, the half-way point in our mission caused a little reflection.  We have loved being here and exploring Oklahoma.  Working with our Young Single Adults has been absolutely wonderful--they are certainly choice.  Studying the gospel so intently to be able to teach our classes has probably been the very best part of the mission.  As senior missionaries, we are a little more distracted by the "cares of the world" than are the young missionaries (car registration, property tax, income tax, home up-keep via Ken and Lauren, medication refills, etc) but what a grand experience it is to be able to devote the bulk of our time and attention to the work of the Lord.  We highly recommend it!