VBS

***It has been quite a while since my last post.  We have been pretty busy.  Summer is always busy and goes by way too fast.  This summer was also my last summer at the library and this August I started my new job at an elementary school.  So needless to say, I'm behind.  Way behind.  Thanks for bearing with me.***

In June we had VBS (Vacation Bible School).  It was a small group, but the kids had a great time.  I was in my last couple of weeks at my job at the library, so I was pretty much useless as a volunteer.

 They started off each morning with a little skit and a puppet show.  John was super excited to be a part of this.  He is going to be my theater major.

 Outside time was always a hit.  They started off each recess time with an outdoor game that went along with the theme or story of the day.

 Every church has music with VBS.  Ours does too.  But what you are looking at is not our music time.  This was our "Silly Songs with Pastor" time.  Yep, folks.  That time is written into the schedule and done apart from music.  Kids can't get enough of Hans' silly songs.

 This year Amanda did arts and crafts.  The kids always love this part too.

 Art and crafts is not a one man job with the littler ones.  All hands on deck!

 The snacks also went along with the story.   Although I'm not sure the kids actually remember that.  They seems to eat all of the materials before actually making the specified items out of the food.

**On the subject of food...one of the days we were supposed to cut hearts out of watermelon with a cookie cutter.  This is not as easy as it looks.  I have a new found appreciation for the edible bouquets made out of fruit.**

 On the last day there was a Touch-A-Truck across the street from church.  So we brought the kids over and let them explore.

 Some of our kids...we are missing a few.

Kids and helpers!

I think everyone had a great time!

VBS

This summer we were so busy with our trip to Germany and moving and setting up the new church building that we decided to do something a little different for Vacation Bible School.  Instead of having 5 short days we did 2 long days.  Debbie and Pam had everything organized, of course.  The kids had a blast and learned a lot about Jesus.

 We had a couple of kids we met through Swaddling Clothes in attendance.

 The kids learned a ton of songs and hymns.  This particular one talks about how silly Adam can't hide from God.  The boys still walk around the house singing this.

 This was the first year we had a playground for the kids to play on.  The sand portion of our playground was a HUGE hit.

 Our small and faithful group.

The kids with our wonderful and dedicated teachers and helpers.

I'm not sure what we will do next year.  Only doing 2 days was nice, but those days sure were long.

While I Was In Berlin...

Before leaving for Germany I drove the boys down to Texas to spend a couple of weeks with my parents.  They had all kinds of fun things planned.  I don't think our boys even noticed we were gone.

 The boys got to attend the last two days of VBS as my dad's church.  This was part of the closing program.  Gus looks absolutely thrilled.  This was just too much of a commitment, too soon for this kid. John looks like he's been there all week.  He had a great time performing and doing the actions for songs he had just learned.  If you need a kid to enthusiastically sell something I'll gladly lend him out. And Anders, I don't even see Anders.  That is probably because he was sitting next to the teacher.  Not always a good or reassuring sign when your kid is sitting next to the teacher.  At least not in Anders' case.

 The boys enjoyed fighting Grandpa with water guns.

 Seems that Grandpa was at a disadvantage.  I wonder who was hit the most.

This was only day one folks.  My parents had a lot more in store for the days ahead.

VBS

The last full week in June our church held Vacation Bible School (VBS).  We are small, but our kids are sure mighty and rambunctious and really, really loud.  But the kids had a lot of fun and they learned about Jesus so it was a very successful week.

 Each child was given a shirt that they wore every day.

 We had kids ranging from preschool to 3rd or 4th grade.  They all got along very well.

 Pam teaching the lesson to the younger kids.  Anders was in that group so she had her hands full.

Every morning Debbie would have an ice-breaker game.

 The passing of the wet sponge was so popular last year Debbie decided to use it again.  

 She also had potato sack races, but Anders was too lazy to jump in the bag on his own and wanted someone else to do the work for him.

 Others had a ball bouncing around.

Even after Anders saw all of the kids having fun bouncing, he was still determined to have someone else doing the heavy lifting. Such a stinker.

 I believe that the original plan included me doing the music part.  But Hans is just so much better because he makes up funny songs.

 Our teen helper thought that was a great idea and made up some funny songs of her own.  I don't make up funny songs.  I can't do it.  I've tried...and failed. I've been told they aren't as funny as my husband's.  So now I just let him take care of all of the music.

 VBS is not like a church service.  So silly songs can and should be sung.

 After they shook some sillies out Hans spent the week teaching the kids a hymn or two.

The kids liked learning the hymns and were very good at singing them.  Hearing a bunch of young voices belting out a few hymns is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

VBS in Denver

I find it utterly amazing that it has only been a little over a week since we arrived home from our trip and I've already been through pictures from the first leg of our trip.  I guess it helps that I didn't take very many pictures while we were in Denver.  Why should I?  We were visiting Jan and her family and she always has her camera ready.  She also takes WAY better pictures than I do.  So I'll post my pics and refer to her blog for the rest.

In the midst of planning this big trip, Jan called me and asked if I would teach music for their VBS while I was in town.  I had no idea they planned the week of VBS around the time we were going to be there.  I feel completely honored.  I think we should make it a tradition.  And even though the kids kicked me to the curb and had Hans take my place, I still feel honored that the folks at Mt. Zion still remember us and love us.

Since we couldn't get there in time for Monday, a nice young lady took my place and taught music.  We managed to make it to the church at the end of the VBS day and I heard from a couple of kids that they were excited for music the next day.  I was happy.  My ego was a bit inflated.  However, Tuesday morning rolled around and Jan was going to be thrifting with a friend and I really wanted to go.  So my wonderful husband offered to take my spot as the music teacher.  He said the day went well, but was more than ready to hand over the reigns.  I went into teach the next day and fielded 682 complaints from 35 students about the lack of a certain "funny guy" music man.  I was no good.  I wasn't funny.  My normal awesome teaching tricks and hit songs failed.  My ego deflated.  Thus, I fired myself and handed the music back over to the funny guy for the rest of the week.  The kids were overjoyed.  Don't feel bad for me though.  I got to go shopping with my friend while the music man had kids hanging all over him.

Hans was so focused on teaching that he neglected to notice Anders climbing the communion rail.

 The Wise Man Built His House Upon The Rock was a big hit.  Even with Anders...who is still on the wrong side of the railing.

The kids especially loved the part of the song when the rain came down and the floods came up.  While I would sing this in a normal voice, with actions, while sitting, Hans took it to a new level singing about the rain coming down in a very low voice and the floods coming up in a very high voice.  The song will never be the same.

And this is where my pictures end.  Take a look at Jan's blog to see more VBS photos.