A Walk in Weleetka

I will make it a point to do that, Boots. Thanks so much!!

oceanblueeyes said:

Here is a big :blowkiss: and hug for all of you! I am so proud of each one of you. I am so glad that each one of you have such heartfelt memories to share. I would have loved to have been there with you all. It shows the tremendous carrying, compassion and love you all have in your hearts.

Now I have so many questions.

How long did you all get to stay?
Did you get to stay overnight and have dinner or breakfast together?
Did the Whitakers or Plackers know that you came?
Did you contact the media or did they find out after you came?
Did you place anything for the girls at the memorial site?

How long did it take each of you to return home?

LOL Sorry but you know Sister Sleuthers want to know all the scoop...:clap:

Again, I am so glad you have created lifelong memories and are helping keep Taylor and Skyla's memory alive.

Ocean

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Hi Ocean~
Here is my take on the weekend:
We arrived in Tulsa on Thursday and Friday. Differing times of arrival due to individual schedules. We ate lunch together on Friday. You could already feel that the weekend was going to be awesome. We all laughed and got to know each other at lunch. Not a lot of discussion about the case.

By Friday (late) afternoon, we had checked in at the hotel. The hotel had it's own uniqueness about it. (Enough said...... ) We had planned on going out to dinner but, we never left the hotel the entire night! We had snacks, water, red wine, and blackberry brandy. We visited w/ each other until very late. (1:00 am or so). One nice thing about the hotel was that the rooms had small 'fridges in them. We were able to keep snacks cold etc.....

Saturday we left for the Memorial. When we got there, the media was already there. I was a little surprised to see them. However, I was so glad that they covered the story and got the case some much needed coverage. We all placed the items we had brought to the Memorial in the same general area. There are a lot of things already there. It was nice to see some fresh colors etc..... mixed in with the things that had already been placed. Everybody brought things that seemed important to them. It was a very peaceful experience. I brought a turtle that held a turtle necklace, and a butterfly that was on a stake and pounded into the ground. Lauren already mentioned that we met w/ the Placker's. One of the family members has the turtle necklace. She seemed genuinely happy to have it. I feel free in expressing that the Placker's were not upset that we were there. They were touched and very thankful for the efforts made by so many. The Placker's were very gracious and warm towards us. While visiting w/ them, they cried and laughed. They laughed (as did we) while they told stories about Taylor and wept (as did we) when we remembered the reason we were all drawn together in the first place.

Saturday night we ate at the local favorite, "The Round Up" That was an experience in itself. The chicken fried steak is indescribable. Huge and delicious. Saturday night, we again stayed up late and visited. Sunday morning came way to early. We all left to head back to Tulsa around 10:30. It was hard to say good-bye. However, we definitely made friends for a lifetime.

It is difficult to put into words all the things that were shared. I have never made friends over the internet. I had no idea what to expect. I can say w/out a doubt that it was one of the most memorable events in my life. I truly believe that we will once again meet. I only hope that it will be when whoever murdered these girls is brought to trial.

Good Recap, Flossie!

I agree, very well said Flossie! I would like to add that we were very fortunate to meet Wanda Mankin and Tammy Smith from Graham School as well. After our visit to the memorial, we were graciously given a tour of the school, and to stand in the same classroom Taylor and Skyla were in just took my breath away. We also got to see the new cheerleading uniforms and buy some more of the memory bracelets. All of that combined with the beautiful people I made this journey with made this truly a weekend that I will never EVER forget.

Boots-OK said:

Should any of you wish to email a thank you to the individuals responsible for the news story - just select Jerry Giordano and Yvonne Harris on the link below. They treated us and our girls' story with such respect and care.

http://www.ktul.com/news/talentbios.html

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Done, Boots! You are right! They did a great job!

It is very important to me that all Sleuthers understand that The Placker Family surprised us by arriving at the Memorial and waited to meet with us.

They reached out to us - this, to me, was the most memorable event of the entire trip.

They were grateful, open and gracious. We exchanged many hugs and tears.

I felt we gave them a little ray of hope - that so many different people from so many different places cared deeply for these little girls - seemed to be very meaningful to all of them.

A commitment was made to Vickie: "We can't promise you that the guilty will be brought to justice - we can promise to keep these girls in our hearts and this story alive."

Boots, that is so beautifully expressed! You have brought me to tears again!

Boots-OK said:

It is very important to me that all Sleuthers understand that The Placker Family surprised us by arriving at the Memorial and waited to meet with us.

They reached out to us - this, to me, was the most memorable event of the entire trip.

They were grateful, open and gracious. We exchanged many hugs and tears.

I felt we gave them a little ray of hope - that so many different people from so many different places cared deeply for these little girls - seemed to be very meaningful to all of them.

A commitment was made to Vickie: "We can't promise you that the guilty will be brought to justice - we can promise to keep these girls in our hearts and this story alive."

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That just warms my heart. I am so proud of all of you. We need more people spreading love and compassion around to those who desperately need a kind word or a soft touch. How was Vicki doing? Is she holding up any better?

imoo

oceanblueeyes said:

That just warms my heart. I am so proud of all of you. We need more people spreading love and compassion around to those who desperately need a kind word or a soft touch. How was Vicki doing? Is she holding up any better?

imoo

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Thanks, Ocean...

I believe Vicki is slowly gaining strength. She appeared stronger than what she was in pictures I had seen of her a couple of months ago. She loves to give and receive hugs. Here I go again...sorry.:blowkiss:

oceanblueeyes said:

That just warms my heart. I am so proud of all of you. We need more people spreading love and compassion around to those who desperately need a kind word or a soft touch. How was Vicki doing? Is she holding up any better?

imoo

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Thank you for saying that Ocean. Our only goal in going to the memorial was to pay our respects to two angels taken too soon from our earth. We were not seeking publicity for ourselves. Having the media there last minute to bring this story to the forefront was a bonus we never really imagined would come true.

We hope that we were able to bring some hope to the Placker Family. They are holding up as best they can. They shared some wonderful stories of Taylor and Skyla. They brought tears to my eyes but also joy to know how truly loved they were. I also wanted them to know there are good people out there. People that won't let these girls ever be forgotten. Never. I know for a fact that Taylor and Skyla will be with me every day.

This trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I feel so blessed about how everything turned out. What I do anything differently? Not a chance.

It was so nice hearing her tell a story about the girls and then smiling.........I pray that she is starting to heal.

I have to say one of our funnier moments on the trip was when we all went to the Roundup for chicken fried steak. We all ordered the exact same thing, except for the salad dressing. When our dishes came out, omg, we couldn't stop laughing, which I think annoyed some of the patrons. But you had to have seen the portion size. Can you say clogged arteries?

I also want to say that everyone was so friendly (locals). I never would have thought in my wildest dreams that I would have gone to Oklahoma, but boy am I ever glad I did. I have made forever friends. The bond we shared can never be broken.

You guys had me in tears watching you walk down that road -- one I've pictured so many times. What a wonderful group you are. :blowkiss:

Lauren - CA said:

I have to say one of our funnier moments on the trip was when we all went to the Roundup for chicken fried steak. We all ordered the exact same thing, except for the salad dressing. When our dishes came out, omg, we couldn't stop laughing, which I think annoyed some of the patrons. But you had to have seen the portion size. Can you say clogged arteries?

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Lauren~
Just reading your post made me laugh again. Make no mistake about it, the locals were annoyed that we were laughing. However, when the first platter (I can not call it a plate) was sat down in front of Boots, (who could not have been any more of a lady, and a very classy lady at that) I lost it. She is the last person who looked or acted like she would order that much food. Her facial expression was priceless. Pure shock! I swear, I am still chuckling at the memory.

ttyl~
Flossie

STEADFAST said:

You guys had me in tears watching you walk down that road -- one I've pictured so many times. What a wonderful group you are. :blowkiss:

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Thanks, Steadfast! (I've always liked the word steadfast!) :blowkiss:

LOL! Lauren and Flossie, you've got me laughing again!

Thank you steadfast!

Yep, Lauren, we're BFFs now, aren't we? I agree that was hysterical when they brought out the CFS! The looks we got were priceless!

I have to post the photo so people will believe us!

OMGosh, the picture says it all. You can not even see the corn. Can we count the gravy as a "dairy" since it is made w/ milk? Just a thought...........