Oh dear--it's been a LONG time!

My handsome little cowboy on his way to the square dance.

The beautiful chalk cliffs at Deer Valley Ranch, Buena Vista Colorado

So it's been nearly 6 months since I've blogged. There's no way I can catch up! So here's what's going on right now.

I'm working as the props mistress at OAT this summer! It's been fun---I'm still "involved" in the process, but I work on my own schedule. Two shows down, one more to go.

I'm taking Jenna to Harding for summer orientation on Thursday. I'm so excited for her to get her classes scheduled and all that jazz. I have this feeling that I'll be envious of all the fun stuff she has ahead of her! I'm not going to talk about how I feel about her leaving me in about 6 weeks...... :-(

On Sunday, I'm taking Clarissa to Harding for Summer Honor Choir. Then going back again on Friday to pick her up. Yes, that's THREE trips in 8 days. I have this feeling that I better get used to it.

Summer activities: We cut our school year short and went to Joplin, MO to do tornado recovery work. On May 22 an EF5 tornado tore through about 1/3 of that city. We drove down on Wed., May 25. I worked 2 days, while the girls worked for 5 days, sorting food, and other donations, distributing these donations to those who had lost their homes, and sorting through homes, helping to recover what could be saved and cleaning up what couldn't. There really are no words to explain any further. It was overwhelming. Kenny worked one day, then we needed to come home to care for Meredith and Matthew. We didn't want to leave---there is so much work still left to be done.

In June, we traveled to Deer Valley Ranch in Buena Vista CO with my parents, and my niece, Nickie. My brother and his family met us there. We had a week full of hiking, horseback riding, swimming, square dancing, eating, and making new friends.

We stopped in Colorado Springs on the way to DVR. We had the famouse chuckwagon dinner at the Flying W Ranch---a place my parents took me when I was about 5. We visited the Olympic training Center (a very cool FREE place to visit!) and we drove to the top of Pikes Peak. (If you ever go, you have to buy the donuts at the top! They're yummy!) We stopped in CS again on the way home, visiting the Focus on the Family visitors Center. The girls recorded their own episode of Adventures in Odyssey! It was a cheesy script--but they had fun, and we got a CD of their show.

OK--that's all for now! Maybe I'll stop in again sometime soon!