The Montford Inn - Norman, Oklahoma

Rating System ~ 1-5 Globes. 5 being the best!

Website ~ http://www.montfordinn.com/ 

Location ~ Norman, Oklahoma

Date of Stay ~ May 28, 2017

Name of Room ~ Chickasaw Rancher

Price Point ~ $149+

Innkeeper/Staff ~ Phyllis, William and LeeAnn

Breakfast (Quantity, Quality, Dining Times, Shared Tables, Outdoor Seating, etc) ~

Bed Quality (Mattress, Headboard, Squeaky) ~

Linens (Towels and Sheets) ~

Bathroom Amenities/Toiletries Provided ~

Happy Hour/Afternoon Tea/Snacks Provided ~
Sweet wine and chocolate chip cookies were offered in the living room from 5-10pm. There was also a Keurig and granola bars out at all times for guests to enjoy.

Privacy/Ambience/Noise in House ~
The house was really cozy, and we were lucky to enjoy it while it was close to empty. It seemed most of the other guests, while we were there, were staying in the cottages. The ambience was unique in each room. The only thing that was a little off-putting was how creaky the floor was in our room. But I don’t think there is anything the innkeepers can do about that.

My favorite thing about the house was the big front porch with rockers and chairs. There were plenty of games to choose from in the living room, so Dave and I grabbed Boggle, which we love, and played outside on the porch while drinking wine and eating cookies.

Room Amenities ~

Our room had a beautiful fireplace, a great ceiling fan and cable TV.

Parking ~


Things to Do ~ Located right off Main street, Dave and I were able to walk everywhere, including to Campus Corner and walk the University of Oklahoma campus. Sunday morning we got up and ran around the neighborhoods and picked up a trail very close to the house that was great for running and also would have been great for cyclists.

Restaurants/Breweries ~

Scratch. My mom drove me back up to Oklahoma from Texas (because she is amazing! Thanks momma!), and we met Dave at Scratch for lunch. Their menu was full of very unique entries and drinks. I had a lighter option, avocado toast with tomato jam, and I loved it!

Tea Café for boba tea
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Sweet Basil for a Thai dinner. It was very good. Dave ordered the yellow curry, and I stole at least a quarter of his bowl.

Overall, we had a wonderful stay in Norman, and I would recommend everyone to stay at The Montford Inn! Better book early if you're going up for a football game. If you're in good walking shape, you could definitely walk from the B&B to the games!

Running to Stand Still

This past weekend, my mom took me on an amazing birthday trip (1/2 year delayed, but wait till you hear what we did!). We saw U2 in concert on their 30th Anniversary Joshua Tree Album tour. She drove up to Tulsa Wednesday, spent 2 nights with me and Dave, and then her and I road tripped down to Dallas for the concert. It was amazing, blew my socks off, the boys still have it!

We then played and relaxed at the Gaylord Texan resort Saturday and headed north on I-35 Sunday.

As I danced, sang, yelled and was in awe over my favorite band Friday night, unbelievably, my head and heart turned back to our infertility journey. One of my favorite songs from the Joshua Tree Album is Running to Stand Still. As I listened to Bono passionately sing through the lyrics, I thought, "oh my gosh, some of this is me. Some of this song is about what I've been living the last 5 years." I've been running only to stand still.

"And so she woke up
Woke up from where she was lyin' still.
Said I gotta do something
About where we're goin'.

Step on a fast train
Step out of the driving rain, maybe
Run from the darkness in the night.
Singing ah, ah la la la de day
Ah la la la de day.

Sweet the sin, bitter the taste in my mouth.
I see seven towers, but I only see one way out.
You gotta cry without weeping, talk without speaking
Scream without raising your voice.
You know I took the poison, from the poison stream
Then I floated out of here, singing
Ah la la la de day
Ah la la la de day.

She walks through the streets
With her eyes painted red
Under black belly of cloud in the rain.
In through a doorway
She brings me white golden pearls
Stolen from the sea.

She is ragin'
She is ragin'
And the storm blows up in her eyes.
She will suffer the needle chill
She's running to stand still."

Now if some of these lyrics are about drug abuse, no, I haven't turned to that. But I did experience shooting myself with needles during my infertility journey (good 'ole trigger shot to make ovulation occur exactly when the doctors wanted it to.) But I identify with this girl. This girl that is tired of where she's at. This girl who is searching for answers, looking for help, unsatisfied with what life has tossed her way.

Many times I felt like I had no one to talk to, and I felt that maybe the people who I did talk to were getting burned out from my constant sadness and tears, my desperation to have a baby. I didn't want to make other people uncomfortable or feel bad about their own pregnancies, whether they were trying for a baby or not, so alot of times I just kept my mouth shut.

I had many dark days over the last 5 years where I felt lower than I've ever felt before. Feelings of shame, guilt, unworthiness, deep mourning for lost pregnancies, anger at God, etc.

Today, at this moment, I am happy. I am, at the moment, off the rat wheel of infertility. We're not pregnant, and we're not focused on becoming pregnant. I'm looking for every blessing I have, every person that I can encourage, and focusing on the good in my life. So for now, I'm done running only to stand still.