Friday, May 18
After packing up our “turtle” home (Edith calls Jim her turtle son, since he carries his home around), Jim and I headed into town to pay our farewells to everyone. It was certainly a very short stay this time around, but we had places to go and people to see once again!
First stop was Lubbock, where we had dinner with son Jimmy and his family. Then, we got to have Jaycie spend the night with us in the Wally World parking lot! Such memories we are forging with our grandchildren…we told Jaycie…”Just think, you can go to school on Monday and brag that you spent Friday night in the Wal-Mart parking lot!” Don’t think she thought she’d do that. Oh, well, win some and lose some. But, we did spend a fun evening laughing together as we watched Shrek II one more time!Saturday, May 19
While Jim worked on the trailer lights, Jaycie and I
walked across the 
Wal-Mart parking lot to Krispie Kream to find breakfast before her parents arrived to take her home. And, of course, it was then time to have one more photo op session before we said our good-byes for this time.We were on the road by 9 headed to Liberal for the big graduation day there for the Odyssey of the Mind kids and their fellow classmates. Fortunately, the trip was an uneventful one because we were going to need all of our patience once we arrived!
Made it to the Fairgrounds where we were going to set up for a couple of days without incident…but…then the fun began. First, we couldn’t figure out how to get the new ratchets we had bought for the trailer to loosen. This 2 second job wound up taking us 30 minutes! Oh, we technically challenged people! Then, Jim found that one of the locks we had on the trailer ramps had stripped when we hit a bump somewhere and wouldn’t come off. There’s no way to get the car off the trailer with only one ramp!
Fortunately, Shawn Riggs, who was supposed to be helping set up for his son Jacob’s graduation party, came to our rescue by going home to get a hacksaw and then cutting through the lock. About that time, Leah and Ryan arrived and with everyone’s help, we were able to get the Vibe off the trailer and Big V parked so we could rush to Mon Del’s get the much needed haircuts. (No trip to Liberal would be complete without paying a visit to Mon Del!)
(Leah and Ryan had a wedding to attend so their night was booked, but they agreed to meet us at church tomorrow and then we could have lunch together before all the graduation hoopla began.)
Next on the agenda was to Cottonwood to watch the two teams advancing to world competition perform. Josh’s sister Shelby is on one of the teams which means this is the 7th straight year that the Hays will be going to world…that’s bound to be some kind of record!
As you know by now, no day is complete, it seems, without a Wal-Mart run so that’s what we did next to get supplies to fix the Odyssey kids brownies for tonight’s visit, which just happens to be Jacob’s 19th birthday! Happy birthday, Jake!
Back “home” to get things ready for tonight’s late night visit with the kids. Once that was all taken care of, we headed over to the Adams’ to pick up tickets for graduation tomorrow. And, once again, another Wally World run since Jim remembered we had left out an important part of the kids’ graduation present…the glue sticks! We had made each of the kids a repair kit (in keeping with our Odyssey time with them) and a glue gun certainly wouldn’t be much help without glue sticks!
Finally, at 9:45 we arrived back home just in time for their 10 PM visit!
In keeping with the Odyssey theme, Jim and I wrapped each repair 
kit in newspaper and placed a huge newspaper bow on top of each! (Savannah, as we learned later, was still at work when this photo was taken.) In no time at all, Big V looked like a recycling center!Then, when Savannah arrived, we couldn’t let her in until the guys cleaned up their messes and hid
their gifts so we could do it all over again with Savannah in the picture.As usual, time flew by and it was time for everyone to say their goodnights so we could get some shut-eye!
Sunday, May 20
As much as Jim and I enjoy our new church in Artesia, there just isn’t anything like returning to our Liberal church home! So, to be back with our Sunday school class and then in church to hear David preach, is such a wonderful experience! To have Leah and Ryan join us made it even more special!
After a meal at The Taste of China with the kids, it was time for us to head for the high school to stake our claim to 2 seats in the gym for the graduation ceremonies.
Jim: After completing graduating exercises last year, I almost swore that I’d never attend another one; after all, 36 of them should be enough for anyone! But, we had promised our Odyssey team members that we would return for this special occasion for them and their families, the least we could do for a group of students who had become an extended family over the past six years.
Liberal High School graduations are always very special events, with the right balance of pomp and circumstance, recognition of the graduates and their achievements, and the celebration of a milestone in their lives. Today’s ceremony was no exception. Keith Adams, who followed me as principal, did an outstanding job of presenting the graduating class and recognizing their many achievements.
We were especially pleased to find that Khanh Trinh had earned the coveted
title of valedictorian for this year’s class. She had been in Barbara’s classes in middle school, and had been a superlative role model for all students while she was in high school. Immediately following the graduation ceremonies, Khanh took time to join us in a short photo session.Of course, the highlight of the afternoon was to watch “our” boys and girl enter the gymnasium with their classmates, walk across the stage and receive their diplomas, and exit following the ceremonies as the newest graduates in the long and proud history of Liberal High School. We could only sit and wonder about what had become of those little sixth graders who had started their own odyssey when they formed that team seven years ago and subsequently made six consecutive appearances at the Odyssey of the Mind World finals Competition. Truly, we thought, the Lord has blessed us greatly through this special team and their families!
After a quick change of clothes and a visit with our fairground neighbors behind us (grandparents of one of the graduates), we were ready to enjoy the various parties we had been invited to.
First, was to Spencer’s where we were able to captur
e a moment with him and girlfriend Kelly.Then, it was over to Sergio’s house where we got to visit with his family, including his two sisters who had come back to Liberal for this grand occasion.
From
Sergio’s house we traveled out in the country to see Savannah and her family, and then came back into town to the fairgrounds agriculture barn where Jacob, Josh, and several of their classmates who are members of the First Baptist Church youth group were holding their party. Needless to say, we were offered 
wonderful food at all of the stops, and 
it was impossible to sample everything, but we sure gave it the old college try! Just as we thought we had seen and tasted all the food possible, Tim, also a member of the youth group, came by the Ag 
barn to share some of his famous egg rolls…yum-yum!What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, celebrating with the team and their families and visiting with friends!
With the rounds of graduation parties completed, it was time to once more walk across the fairgrounds parking lot to Big V and begin preparations for Monday’s activities.
We had invited Leah, Ryan, and Caitlin to join us for a little “family” time during the evening. We had all been so busy with
other activities that we hadn’t seen much of each other this trip, but we had a wonderful hour or so together, just catching up on what had been happening during the last few weeks.All too soon it was time to call it a night; Caitlin had school the next day, Leah and Ryan had their jobs, and we had a long list of things that had to be done before we could leave on our next adventure.
And so, as all good things must do, this very special day came to an end, but not without activities that will provide us with wonderful memories for the years to come.
From the fairgrounds in Liberal, Kansas,
Jim & Barbara
“When life deals you a curve, learn to swerve.” …a quote used by salutatorian from LHS, Amy Janzen
