And she's back.....

People would ask us if we missed Jena while she was at Camp K and I would say, "It is really quiet when she's gone." It was a funny thing to say, because she is not a noisy teenager to have around. She keeps herself busy and she makes us laugh and we did miss her.....

(A side note: It is amazing how much you miss one of your children...I have grown use to not having Jessica and Scott around and don't start missing them unless it has been awhile since we have seen them (Jessica is at that point as it has been a month since we last saw her.) With Ben, Tosha, and Jena at home, I definately notice when they are gone for any length of time. Tosha is away most days with work and life so I can go a couple of days and not see her, but I listen for her each night to make sure she is home safe. It's a mom thing. I don't think I appreciated that my mom might have missed me as I left for camps, college, and marriage. And that was before the ease of email, testing, and facebook.)

Back to Jena: She loved camp and is planning to go back next year. After she had been home less than 24 hours, she mentioned that it was a bit boring at home---of course, after having a camp counselor named "Burrito" keeping you busy from dawn to dusk. She swam evey day, went horseback riding, did rope courses and rope swings, fed fish off her hook while fishing, and did arts and crafts whenever she had extra time. She got an award for "Amazing Artist". Next year, she told us, the only thing she would change is that she would bring her yoyo.

Some pictures from camp:

Camp K is located up Emigration Canyon east of Salt Lake CIty (up the road from the zoo.) It is located in a beautiful location in the mountains with all of the "camp" things--horses, swimming pool, pond, basketball court, arts and craft yurt, cabins, and a dining hall. They had lots of grass area and a large obstacle course with a huge ropes course (which Jena didn't do) and a large rope swing (which she did do). It is over 30 years old and is specifically for people with different type of disabilities. Different weeks are assigned for different types of disabilities and age groups.

This is Jena's counselor, Burritto. All the counselors had camp names.

This is at the end when Jena got her artist award. I guess she liked to do art whenever there was spare time.

Jena and Kaitlyn in a "friends reaching out their arm to take the shot" picture

I am assuming that on Kaitlyn's camera there is a picture of Jena taking a picture of her.

Their feet (a Jena shot--notice Jena has her shoes on. She isn't much of a barefoot person.)

A shot of camp.

Jena went with Kaitlyn who is just a year old than she is. They are cute friends and enjoyed camp together.







On the home front, we continued to watch our home project in the back yard inch forward to completion. I have somewhat given up on the whole clean house thing as the dogs continue to track in dirt from the back yard. It should be done in another 2 weeks is our guess. It is looking great and today I sat on the edge of the deck under the roof and listened and watched the rain for a few minutes. It was great. I can't wait to sit on the deck and read and listen to the rain/snow. You are all welcome to join me!

Jena, Gary, and I went to the "Stadium of Fire" at Lavell Edwards Stadium on the BYU campus. It was a great program and an amazing fireworks show...the best I have ever seen in the US (fireworks on Victoria Harbour seen from a junk with music going is the best in the world that I have seen.) These fireworks were awesome and I would recommend it to anyone who is in Utah around the 4th. Extra bonus was the fact that David Archletta (however you spell his name--the American Idol guy) performed. Jena still is smiling about that. The headliner was Brad Paisley who did a great show as well. (It has been a long time since Gary and I have been to a concert. Computers have really upgraded the whole background of a concert. They showed amazing videos to go along with the songs including his last number "Water" in which it looked like he jumped into a pool of water complete with a huge splash. Did I say it was amazing.) The whole thing last almost 3 hous and we got home around 12:45 a.m. Sunday morning. Luckily there were Sunday naps for Gary and I.

And Happy 4th of July. We had our first official July 4th posting of the flag complete with flag, a thought, the Pledge of Alligence, and a french toast breakfast. We might have a neighborhood flag posting and breakfast next year...if we get our back yard put back together in time. Hope your celebration is great.