The first flying days of summer.....

Although we all know that summer doesn't officially start until June 23 (give or take a day), two things really indicate summer---hot weather and the end of school.  It is that first day after school is over and you get to sleep in which brings that pleasant reality of summer times.  So we have arrived.

Jena finished school last Wednesday with an assembly and yearbook signing.  I headed over to help her pass out treats to her teachers.  When I arrived at her functional skills class, she was not there and they said she was out in the halls signing yearbooks---along with 2000 or so over kids.  It took me about 15 minutes to find her and then another 10 minutes to walk back to class because people kept asking her to sign their yearbook.  She was one HAPPY girl!  She is now a junior and proud to tell everyone that.

She has quite the summer lined up.  Jessica asked about taking her one Thursday on a tour of a candy factory.  As I went through the Thursdays I realized that except for July 4th which was going to be out of town for six Thursdays in a row (Camp K, Youth Conference, trip to Mesa for a wedding, home for the 4th of July and then gone again for Girls Camp.)  I guess on July 18th she will be gone with Jessica to the candy factory.  Busy life and we just have one teenager still home.

She had a fun couple of weeks finishing up the school year.  We did rockets with her functional skills class which they loved.  We got to shoot them off in the middle of the football field while the PE classes were running their mile.  She then had her final choir concert for the year and they did Broadway show tunes which required three costume changes for Jena's choir.  For being on the quiet side she loved to perform and be a part of a group.  She is always so excited about these things and we love to watch her perform.  It is like when Jessica would play volleyball or Tosha would dance--it speaks to their souls and it brings them a unique bit of excitement or thrill in their lives.  All though our lives, we need to find those things which do that for us!

She just finished track for Special Olympics and also did the "Torch Run" again which is a fundraiser for Special Olympics.  The term "Run" is used very loosely.  The policemen and women run---the kids mostly ride.

Jena's Ride for the Torch Run

Jena with some of her Comet Teammates

We enjoyed a quiet Memorial Day without accomplishing any.  We did enjoy our second "roasting dinner" and I remembered to take pictures this time.  Jena wasn't happy that I didn't get any pictures of the fire last time.

The cooking process

Enjoying the finished product

I was driving to pick up Jena from work at the bowling alley and had to stop to take a couple of pictures of the beautiful sky---the clouds and light and rain were so amazing.  As usual, the pictures aren't quite the same as "real life".

Within the week  the awful storms ripped through Oklahoma, killing people and destroying so much.  It was a sad reminder of the damage that can be done by wind, rain, and lightening.  For us it provided much needed rain and some beautiful skies, for others, sorrow and tribulations.

The view later that evening:

The reminder of infinite hope which we must seek and cherish within ourselves no matter what kind of storm is raging on the outside!