On February 10, we were able to join other homeschoolers from around the state for “Homeschool Day at the Capitol”. It was an opportunity to meet with our state legislators and let them know we appreciate their work, as well as give our opinions on any legislation that might affect homeschooling in the state of Oklahoma. There were over 3,000 homeschoolers present that day, and I know there were thousands more that could not attend.

Our first stop was the House of Representatives. Homeschoolers were recognized from the floor by their respective representatives and a special citation was awarded to one of our state homeschool group leaders.

A selfie in the House of Representatives gallery.

Because we are involved in our county Republican party, we already knew some of our local representatives. Our state representative, John Michael Montgomery (not the singer), greeted us in the gallery and invited us for a photo op in his office. I took a few pictures while we waited for him.

It was a busy day for everyone, so I only got these photos with my phone.

The highlight of the day, and the main reason we left the house at 6:30 that morning, was hearing Dr. Ben Carson speak at the big rally. I was really thankful for my handy-dandy zoom lens, because we were not that close to the podium. I had to stand on tiptoe and hold my breath to capture the following images:

I was especially enthralled with hearing Dr. Carson in person. He has been a hero of mine since I read his autobiography when I was fifteen years old. He inspired me to do my best, set goals and work toward them, and to keep reading. If you have not read his book, Gifted Hands, I highly recommend it. I’ve seen the movie. The book is better.

Yes, Matt fell asleep on my coat during the rally! Laci and Leslie were wishing they could go to sleep.

We had to stand for two hours to hear Dr. Carson. By the time it was over, my kids were ready to go. They had been so good while we toured the building and waited for the rally, I just couldn’t ask them to wait even longer while I got Dr. Carson’s autograph. We also still had to make the 1.5 hour drive home in time for piano lessons. It was still wonderful to be so close to someone I admired. Maybe one day I can get him to sign my tattered copy of his book.

Here are some random photos from the Capitol itself. It’s a beautiful building!

It was a blustery day, so I only managed to get a few outdoor photos. We hope to go back and take a more leisurely stroll through the building and soak up more history. It was a great opportunity to expose our children to how our state government works, and to encourage them to make a difference. The men and women who make our laws are not special. They are hard-working and driven, but they are just regular Americans who took an interest in politics and decided to get involved. So should we all, in some way or another. It isn’t hard to give a few dollars toward a campaign, to make some phone calls or to stuff some envelopes. It certainly isn’t hard to vote, which we should all do. We are so blessed to live in a free country! I want to do all I can to make it even better for the next generation.

Thanks for tagging along with us to the “City”.