Pandamania

We have survived VBS and lived to tell about it!

PANDAMANIA. The theme for this year's Vacation Bible School was Pandamania. It's where God is wild about you. We had pandas everywhere. We also had kids everywhere. I know our average attendance (all people) was 210 and I think about 130 of those were kids. I know our boys had a lot of fun.

Jenna had fun at VBS as well, but this year she did so as an assistant teacher in a preschool class. It was really neat to see her use her gifts and talents in working with others. Actually, she has been a great worker all this time. She has been at Vicki's right hand practically every day, and during this past week, when more folks were at church, many of them needed her help and came to depend on her being there. We had several people sing her praises all week which is most rewarding to me as her father.

I must also compliment my wife. She was on top of details. She was great with people. And for someone who has battled stage fright she was the stage presence that held it together during our opening and closing group times. It was a pleasure to watch her at work.

My only job this year was to run sound. I am glad Kathy Raglin took the slide show project on as work and other things did not leave any time in my schedule for that. I think Kathy has videos posted online and I'm sure that can be found through our church website (http://www.mtcarmel.cc).

CONGRATULATIONS. Last Saturday Sarah Yergler got married. Unfortunately for us the wedding was in Dallas, Texas. Distance and scheduling prevented us from going. (At least the Tennessee branch was represented by the Dee family.) From the pictures I've seen it was a beautiful wedding. Sarah was certainly a gorgeous bride. We wish her and Jason well as they begin their life together.

SURPRISE VISIT. We had a surprise visit this week. After getting back from the wedding Aunt Linda, Uncle Bob, and Ann Beth drove up here for a quick visit. They arrived Tuesday and left Thursday. It was good to see them. On Wednesday Amanda, Riley, and Tanner (Harper was in Florida with her grandmother) brought lunch and visited all afternoon. They also brought pictures from the wedding they had printed so we got to enjoy lots of snapshots.

SYLVESTER AND FRIENDS. A couple of weeks ago Jenna and I stopped by Aunt Mar's late one evening. While we were there we heard a cat crying out in the corn field. As it turns out there was a momma cat and two older kittens. Ever since then we've been feeding them and trying to tame them. I think Ann Beth was the first to touch any of them while she was here. We've been able to pet them, and even pick one up several times, but they're all still pretty skittish.

One of the kittens is black and white so we've started calling it Sylvester (it's the most vocal and outgoing of the three). It got its name partly from its coloring and partly because it was seen on the roof of the birdhouse Mr. Killebrew put up for Aunt Mar looking into the hole at the birds inside. The birdhouse has since fallen off the tree. I assume it couldn't hold the weight of the cat. We haven't named the others yet.

THRESHING WHEAT. Since we couldn't make it to the wedding last weekend the kids and I broke away and went to the Threshermen's Show. This year they had some minor mechanical problems, but they were fixed quickly and the engine ran well. Charlie and Mary's older son, Will, has taken a more active role in helping his dad out with the engine and I must say I am most impressed with his maturity as he works on the engine. I hope my boys turn out so well.

Speaking of boys, my boys and I enjoyed hanging out together at the show (Jenna and Bonnie disappeared pretty soon after we arrived both days). We had a great time walking around and looking at all the different things to see. We stopped at the blacksmith shop and got a lot of personal attention from the gentleman there making hot dog forks (for roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over a fire). However, I think the boys most enjoyed Mr. Wally Watts.

Mr. Watts has been coming to the show for several years. He brings several tables full of miniature steam engines. Most of these are replicas of big engines that used to power factories, but some are copies of farm engines like Jackie's. Most of these units burn alcohol to generate steam. Mr. Watts enjoys kids and involves them as he fires each engine up and lets it run miniature tools or a small generator. My boys were fascinated and I left them with him for quite a while. I think they were too mesmerized to be any trouble.

Mr. Watts lives less than two hours away. He told me he has one of the largest O-scale model railroads in this area of the country. It sounds like we'll need to schedule a road trip soon.

MY TWO GOOBERS. I was mowing our yard Monday afternoon. The boys were here at home with me to get them out of Vicki's hair. The pear tree outside of the kitchen window is one I can usually trim around with the mower, but occasionally I have to touch up around it with the trimmer. It has one low hanging branch I easily ride under on the mower so I usually forget it's there when I have the weed eater in hand. It is just the right height for the crown of my head. In the past, when I've been bare headed, it has brought blood. Fortunately I was wearing a hat Monday when I beamed myself on the limb and I only staggered backward a few steps until I quit seeing stars. Then I looked over at the kitchen window and saw those two snots laughing themselves silly at my expense. I'm glad I could bring some laughter to their day. I'm even more glad they weren't filming me for America's Funniest Home Videos.

Joe