Get it!! Get Found!!

Last Sunday began Adam and I’s third year volunteering for our church’s VBS (Vacation Bible School).  The theme this year was SonQuest Rainforest so the church was transformed into the rainforest.  That took a lot of prep from a lot of different people!  We had a blast getting ready to wow the kids with an adventure to get found by Jesus!  The crew painted, twisted vines, hot glued leaves, made waterfalls, set up trees all to prepare!  Check out all the fabulous VBS workers…..

     

By Sunday night we were ready for the Butterflies (Pre-K), Tree Frogs (K and 1st), Toucans (2nd and 3rd), Monkeys (4th and 5th), and Crocs (Adults) to join us on our adventures into the rainforest.  Each night was great we opened with a skit that prepared the children with what they were going to be focusing on each day in the different activities.  The main character was Grace and she was a great guide for the children through the week!  Grace didn’t always make the best choices or trust in her friends or adults.   She had to learn to make better choices and trust people to do the right things.  In our society today to do the right thing is so hard four our little children to do.  I think through out the week children saw that choosing Jesus and doing what he would want us to do will reap great rewards.  

The Professor, Grace, and all the other girls who were on the rainforest adventure.  They didn’t know what they were about to learn on their adventure!

Grace learned from the “River Man”  that kindness comes in people you least expect.  The kids loved the river man!

  The girls learned about the rainforest but also how to listen to directions, work together, and trust each other while in the rainforest. 

Once we were welcomed each night by the continuation of the story we got busy in our rotations with the children.  Adam and I were group leaders the first year we volunteered to help. I was excited because I was hoping to meet some first graders that would possibly be in my class come August but we were assigned outgoing 1st!   Last year we wanted to do something more than corral the children.  We wanted to have the opportunity to teach more about God and what he can do in our lives if we choose to follow him.  So we volunteered to teach music.  I was so nervous, but it turned out to be an amazing blessing even though I had no voice by the end of each night.  So when we were asked to head up music again we jumped on it.

I worked closely with the children while Adam ran the music, music videos, motion videos, etc.   He did a great job trying to watch for when I gave him the cut it signal to stop the music.  It cracked me up when I was teaching the song movements and I would give Adam the cut signal and the children would start doing the cut it signal too!! Can you picture it?  Hilarious right…I couldn’t help but laugh out loud when is happened.  When the children were singing and I couldn’t hear them I would hold my hand up to my ear to signal them to sing louder and they would put their hand up to their ear too.  It reminded me how important it is to model and explain everything you do for them little ones.   

  

I loved working with the children, we started each session with the focus bible verse of the day.  We would talk  about what it meant for them in there everyday life.  There answers were priceless.   We would then get into singing and dancing.  I wish I had video because we learned the words A cappella and their sweet voices singing these words about Jesus were so moving at times.   At the end of the week they each had a special  song to perform for their families at closing ceremonies.  They did an amazing job with the words and movements.  After the closing ceremonies the children got to enjoy ice cream sundaes with their families!  It was such a perfect week!  I leave you all with a few pictures of the fun we had!!  Jesus was working in the children's lives and the volunteers lives!  I left this week feeling blessed I had the opportunity to change a child's life with exposing them to Jesus! 

 

 

*LRW*

A 19th Birthday and a So Long for Now

Last week was so super busy with Vacation Bible School, but such a blessing.  We finished up Thursday night and bright and early Friday I was heading to Tampa.  It was my brother Michael's birthday and my last time to give him a hug before he was up at college until Christmas break.  I spent most of the day with my mom, dad, and little brother Matthew, while Michael was catching up with his friends.  The four of us all went together to get Michael’s birthday gift which is hard to believe even now and I was there.  We don’t do things like that in that in my family…haha!  Mom took me to Lake Shore Learning, my favorite teacher store and I stocked up!  Thanks mom and monetarily dad!!

Later that night we all went to dinner at Flemings for steak.   It was delicious and we had a great time.  We had appetizers and two types of potatoes.   TWO TYPES!!!  I got excited about the potatoes because it was the first time I had eaten any since Adam and I started the South Beach Diet.  We did have asparagus but, I think I had more starches on my plate than the green stuff!  Michael and Lande

  Matt and Me (my date for the night)

Dad and Mom

We went home for presents and cake before my final big hug.  I was heading back north in the AM to be with the hubs family at the river!

A print of the Tampa skyline so that he may never forget his roots!

     

The Nook  for the avid reader!  With over 5,000 free westerns!!

  

Michael getting some Boostie love!!!

I wish Michael the best of luck up at school and I will miss him when and if I get to Tampa  this fall! 

 

*LRW*

I like Coke

I like coke but,  I don’t know much about NASCAR.  This was the response I got when I wrote a letter to one of my students before I attend the NASCAR Coke Zero 400 July 3rd!  This post has been lingering above my head to get done so here goes…

I had the privilege to attend the race with my husband, his dad, and two brothers.  Let me say before I met Adam I was right with my student, because I knew nothing about NASCAR.  Since them I have learned how long the race season is, what race tracks are in what city, what trademarks each racer has, the racers number, etc, etc, etc.  I root for Dale Jr, which is Adam’s favorite, but I like most of the racers for different reasons.  

Dale Jr. = Adam’s Driver

Kasey Kahne = Cutie

Mark Martin = The Oldie but a Goodie

Carl Edwards = Does a great back flip

You all get the picture!  We had been at the beach since Thursday and had cloudy weather the entire time.  We were hoping it would be clear for the race that Saturday night.  We hoped but, it did not change the weather.  It rained the hardest right as Annie dropped us off at the International Speedway.  BOO!  We were soaked, but I tried to keep myself up beat for all the fun we would later be having if the race would even get to go on that night.  I had to make a purchase since my hair was matted to my head with rain water.   I proudly wore number 88 which is Dale Jr’s number.            Not the best picture  and I am sporting my poncho, ha!

Usually the boys go early and watch the pre-race stuff and watch the concerts, but since it was raining we got there later.  We did however still get to see the fly over and sing our national anthem.  It was such a wonderful moment to show how grateful we were to be experiencing freedom during the fourth of July weekend.  

I was in awe of how large the speedway was, I was snapping pictures left and right when we got there.  I thought, “Who knows if I will have this opportunity again?”

    

We got there right when the race was supposed to begin but since it have been raining  they had to dry the track off before any racing could commence.  TV is so deceiving because those dryers were louder than the actual race cars going around the track and the cars are pretty loud.     All the cars were ready to go across from the finish line but, we had to wait for the track to dry.  The NASCAR people tried to  keep the fans entertained with interviews, games, and a MARRIAGE PROPOSAL. Oh yes we got to see a proposal at a NASCAR race…ha!  They were so excited, here are the love birds being interviewed.

Shortly after the proposal we got to hear the famous race words, Gentlemen start your engines and then 88 was off! 

You about needed a manual for all the flags they used through out the race.  You have the green, yellow, red, white, black and white checkers.  I was so confused thankful Adam and his Daddy helped me out! 

  Green Means GO…….

The first lap…

Kept up with who was in what place with the Placement board.

      Then we got a red flag because of this….

 

A race car on fire!!! Thankfully he was ok and not one of our drivers. :)

There were many wrecks but they all seemed to happen on the other side of the race way so I don’t have pictures.  I was so intrigued by the accidents that I forgot to take a picture of the yellow caution flag.  It is true I believe people go to see the wrecks, because they really are something. 

  Finally these two flags came out signally the end of the race.  It was a long night but a great one, my father-in-law’s driver won the race!  The race car driver Kevin Harvick had never won the Coke Zero 400 so we all went home happy! However we didn’t get home till after 1 pm (I think or at least it seemed that late). 

Thanks for letting me enjoy my first race Pappy !

I am also thankful my hunny put up with all my questions…haha!

Oh and the fireworks after the race are amazing.  I wish I had taken picture but I was too busy trying to keep up with them boys running to the car!  A great first experience and I look forward to experiencing it again soon, or at least hopping to!

*LRW*