Summer's here...

High school just got out yesterday so we held an end of the year party at my flat. Yes, this is my little kitchen nook. Notice how I'm still connected to the global world and i-tunes. I managed to make chocolate chip cookies, butterscotch brownies and banana muffins. I also bought a bunch of junk food from the store - pretzels, chips, salsa and things like that.

I LOVE hosting people in my flat! I love it! I think I'll do this until the day I die - a house full of people-- young people -- until the day I die! :D

I wasn't really sure what games we were going to play (I had a few ideas on backup), but Chris and Renea are awesome at that!
A few of the students showed up early and were downstairs smoking their cigs. Yes, almost every teenager here smokes cigarettes. Europe is just starting to get the memo that smoking KILLS. I try and tell them that with every pack of cigs they buy, they are paying for their own slow death with these death sticks. I also try to say that they are young enough to quit forever but they just ignore me. I even try and inspire them with my own life - - that I quit when I was 16 and they should quit while they are ahead. But alas... They ignore me. I guess that's typical. I think I ignored everyone who tried to tell me things when I was in high school too.

Well, PB & J sandwiches were the first order of business. I was surprised to find that no one had ever tried the "All-American" sandwich. I promptly made it for everyone who was willing to give it a shot. As they tried to talk through the sticky peanut butter and jelly in their mouths, one of the boys said, "Interesting. It tastes like a Snickers but with less caramel." Hmmm, not my first thought, but OK. :D

We must have been having a great time because some of my neighbors whom I've never seen or met came to the door and asked if we would keep it down. I guess the laughter carried through the building. We played a few rounds of the card games Mafia and Spoons and then the guys headed over to the park for some American football with Chris. Since Renea had the baby at my flat, I stayed behind and Renea and I talked for awhile. When the guys got back from playing football we played Texas Hold 'Em and I made it to the final round!! I shocked myself because even though I'm from Nevada which is famous for Vegas (and area 51) around the world, I can't gamble to save my life. I must say, though, that I'm the most incredible shuffler!! I got many oohs and aaaahs as I shuffled :D....Quite funny. Gabor won a snickers bar as the prize and our "chips" for poker were "apples to apples" cards. Interesting to say the least.




Well, summer is here! They may come over again this summer to hang out. If anything, I hope they see through our lifestyle that we care about them. I do worry for them. Some of them do stupid teenage things like go out until 4 am in the morning binge drinking. I remember the thrill and thinking it was the greatest thing to do be young and doing this. When I think about it carefully, the reality is if you don't give young people something better to live for, other aspirations and possibilities, they'll be convinced that this is all there is. And it's not. God has so much more. I wish they could see that. I sure love these kids and pray that God gets a hold of their hearts.

It's the end of the year but the beginning of summer! Woo hoo! Have a great summer everyone. :D