We arrived in Cincinnati at approximately 5:00 am on Thursday, July 5, 2007. We had left Thursday afternoon from my Grandma's house in Arkansas. We knew that the trip to Ohio would be a long one, so it was an added bonus to have a short layover in Arkansas and at the same time, also getting to visit with my family. We did not make very good time on the trip to Ohio because Kiahna had a really bad case of diaper rash, AND she had diarrhea--this meant that we were having to stop about 1-2 times every hour. We did get to see 4th of July fireworks as we were passing through St. Louis. At least we timed that just right!
When we arrived at the hotel, we quickly unloaded the van, washed up in the shower, and went right to sleep--there's nothing like sleeping in a bed after you've been driving all night! Later that evening, TJ got to see his Grandmother. It had been 31 years since the last time they saw each other. The girls were also excited to meet Daddy's Grandma. Out of all the family members that we would meet over the weekend (almost two hundred), she was the one that we really wanted to meet the most.
On Saturday (July 7, 2007), we rode the bus to the Underground Railroad Freedom Center. This was my favorite event and also Niah's. Aliya's favorite event was the bus ride itself.
I could have stayed there for hours, but we only had one. There was not enough time to really go through the whole center. It wasn't easy to walk through the stories--some which are really close to home for all of us--it was an experience I won't forget. Out on the balcony, they have a flame that never goes out. The flame represents the hundreds and thousands of flames that helped guide many people to safety. From the balcony, you can also see the river which divides Ohio and Kentucky. Countless people lost their lives trying to escape captivity by crossing the river to get to freedom.
Samantha found her freedom in the bathtub in the hotel room. We would put her in the bath tub at night and also when we were in the room, but we put her back in her box in the morning before the maids came. We were sure that they would not appreciate a turtle in the tub! That could be quite a shock!
Kiahna loved to wake up her sisters. It wasn't always an easy task, but she did a great job!
The girls enjoyed swimming every chance they got. We tried to swim at least once a day--sometimes we got to swim a few times!
Sunday was the day we would be making the journey back towards Oklahoma...BUT before we could leave, we had to see the famous house that TJ remembered visiting when he was 4 yrs old.
In the Harris History Hall of Famous Tales is a story of a little 4 year old boy who loved firetrucks. He loved the flashing lights and the loud siren so much that he pulled the alarm on the street twice in one day! The first time was dismissed as a mishap, but after the second time, they soon discovered the prankster--a little boy named TJ who was found hiding nearby. Many years later, that small boy returns to where the hydrant and alarm once were--only this time he wasn't the small one any more.
We went back to the hotel for the last time to say good-bye. Grandpa Harris has lots of granddaughters to keep him busy for many years to come!
The ride towards home was much smoother and shorter. We didn't have to stop very much because the girls slept most of the way.
We arrived safe and sound Monday morning at my Grandma's House in Arkansas. I got to see my cousin Becky again for the first time in 17 years. I enjoyed really enjoyed visiting with her. After resting for a few hours, TJ and Becky followed each other back to Oklahoma City. Becky then continued on to Amarillo where she lives. The girls and I stayed an extra day to visit my family. We enjoyed the trip, but were ready to come back to Oklahoma.
