Pandamania!!!

A few weeks ago we had VBS at Grace. The theme was Pandamania (obvious from the cool green T's :) For years I have heard about how hard-core VBS at Grace is....but you just don't get it until you actually experience it first hand! It was a jammed-pack week of fun and festivities for all the kiddos. I think there were almost 100 kids that attended every evening. Catherine, Brynn, and I were in charge of crafts...FOOD crafts, that is. It's a rather cool idea if you ask me. Every night we would have a food craft the kids would make that went along with the theme for that particular day. They would make it and eat it in the classroom before they went to their next station, thus eliminating them having to carry something with them from the craft room each night. After they made their food crafts each night they also had some time to write/draw in their journals. Each child has a journal and there are pages in there for each day. We ask them a question that is related to the theme for that day for them to journal about. For example, on the first day the theme was "God made everything" so their journal question was to draw a picture of themselves in their journal and write out what is special about how God created them. It was really cool to get to know all the kids during the week and interact with them each evening during their crafts and especially during their journaling time. The Lord really worked in many of their young hearts.

Getting our last day of food crafts ready for the first crew!

Below are several "action shots" from the week :)

The church is literally transformed during VBS into whatever the theme is for the year. This year it became a rain forest full of exotic birds and panda bears....of course :)

"He's Wild!! He's Wild!! God is WILD about us!!".....

The daddy got to come help out a couple of nights.....PRAISE the LORD :)

He even got to be Peter one night for the Bible story section....I'm digging the outfit :)

Here is the "Rain Forest Cafe" where the kids ate dinner every night. A couple of weeks earlier, Brynn and I got assigned to head up the decorating of this room. We were pretty nervous about how it was all gonna come together....but it ended up WAY better than I thought it was going to....

On the last day, Saturday, we have a regular day of VBS followed by a huge cookout and party for all the kiddos, their families, and VBS volunteers....Jumpy houses are a must :)

And WATERMELON, of course!

I have a hunch that left alone, these 3 amigos could get into ALOT of mischief :)

I love friends :)

This is a snapshot of one worn-out, filthy little chica :)

Doing what I do best :)