Court Day

Tabitha's adoption is now final. When a child is adopted internationally, it can be complicated. After being in the states for six months, the adoption is finally recognized by the courts. My parents had to stand up and explain that they love Tabitha and can provide for her.
The judge checked to make sure all the paper work was in order. Noodle got to help.


Hopers assisted the clerk in her duties.

Several other families got to become offical while we watched. One, with a little girl from Russia, another with twins from Russia, one with a baby boy from Guatemala, and another girl from China that traveled home with Tabitha. It was a very touching time.

Porcelain Dolls and Stitches

Well, last night, we got home at 6:00 from setting up for VBS. I quickly fed and bathed the girls, put Hopers to bed, and began getting Noodle to bed by 7:00. I was very tired and couldn't wait to get a hot shower, a quiet dinner, and settle down in my bed to memorize my lines before falling asleep. However, all my plans came to a screeching halt when Noodle jumped out of her bed directly onto a porcelain doll on the floor. The doll's foot broke into a razor sharp point and sliced Noodle's foot open at the base of her big toe. Yikes! Wasn't I just telling someone yesterday that my children hadn't had any major accidents yet, but I knew it was coming one day? Why did it have to be today? I quickly scooped her up and brought her to the bathroom, leaving a trail of blood down the hall. I grabbed an old towel and wrapped it around her foot and squeezed, trying to think of what to do. Emergency room? Wake Hopers up? How am I going to get them both to the car while holding this towel on Noodle's foot? Finally, I decided I'd try calling Laura, my friend that lives a few minutes away, to come stay with Hopers while I take Noodle to get her foot looked at. Thankfully, she was able to come over immediately. I couldn't help but be terribly embarrassed of my house, which was a total wreck from our hectic week of VBS. Isn't that awful? My daughter is gushing blood, and I'm thinking about my messy house? Well, that's me. What can I say... Anyway, I was able to take Noodle to the CHP Urgent Care Clinic and she was seen pretty quickly. She got five stitches across the bottom of her foot and was very brave but still cried quite a bit. The nurses thought she was quite a character and asked me if she was always so dramatic. Oh yes, I said, that's my girl!
We got back home around nine and my sweet friend had cleaned up my house! I guess I'm pretty transparent. :)
Oh yeah, and I still had time to memorize my lines.
Noodle is doing well and gets her stitches out on the 30th.

The doll has been kicked out of the house and has taken up residence in the trash can.

The Chronicles of a VBS Volunteer: Part V

Friday: The Leprosy Clinic

To tell the story of Namaan following God's instructions (by washing in the Jordan river seven times to get rid of his leprosy), we set up the Samaritan Leprosy Clinic. We hung plain canvas and white paper all around to create a room within the room and to completely change the look from "outside" to "inside." I decided to utilize the stage in the room as place to decorate without having to worry about kids touching things. I set up two cots using communion tables with white sheets draped over and pillows on top. I also set up a bookshelf on either side of the cots and placed jars and boxes on them that were full of medical looking items. (Note: while setting this up, I should have known that Hopers would sneek over and grab a jar. Moments later we all jumped at the sound of glass shattering in the center of the room and Hopers looking wide-eyed, but unharmed!) In the center of the stage, I used a cardboard box with a lightbox inside it to make an x-ray viewer. I then taped one of Seth's x-rays of his spine to the front of it.

Amy and I had fun dressing up as leptrascoptomologistarians (say that 3 times fast...I can do it now!).

The Chronicles of a VBS Volunteer: Part IV

Thursday: The Garden Tomb

We invite the kids to come into the garden near the tomb where Jesus was buried. We explain that behind the wall, is the tomb and we are sad to tell them the bad news about his death. This was a really powerful day, as our actors lead the kids through a pantomime of how Jesus was beaten and hung on the cross. Lori, one of the two speakers, honestly cried each time she recounted the story for the kids. But then, after listening to the women behind the wall discover that Jesus came back to life, everyone rejoices! Balloons pop up from behind the wall as a spotlight comes on and music fills the room with "Awesome God."

The fire looked pretty cool with the lights out because there were several strands of twinkle lights flickering under the tissue paper.

My gates that I painted at midnight last night ended up being more work than I intended. But hey, I brought it on myself, right?

The Chronicles of a VBS Volunteer: Part III

Wednesday: The Jericho Walls

Today's drama was based on the story of the Israelite army marching around the walls of Jericho seven times to make them fall down. We talked to the kids as if they had just volunteered to join the army as soldiers. I designed the set so that as they came marching in, there was plenty of stomping ground to wind around while keeping the next turn a secret. We
placed a canvas "rock" wall to the left side of the door so that once the kids had marched to the back of the room an around the other side, the wall could pivot over to the right side of the door. This made exiting easy, so they wouldn't have to wind back out through the maze of paper bag "bricks" and plants. I tucked grass into the brick walls for added interest. We also scattered shredded raffia all over the floor to make it look more authentic.

This is at the back of the room where our marchers are traveling through on their way to the final section of the drama.

The last section of the room. This is where we had the kids pretend to be walls by forming into pyramids themselves while we marched around them seven times. The floor in our room was solid concrete. So, in the interest of safety, we decided to put a bunch of blankets down and cover them with a tarp to help prevent bruises and teeth getting knocked out as the children collapsed from their pyramids.

I may look calm listening to Liz, but this was the most wild day out of the whole week. I had to shout at the top of my lungs most of the time. The whistle hanging around my neck was indispensible!

Is anyone else exhausted? And it's only Wednesday!

The Chronicles of a VBS Volunteer: Part II

Tuesday: The Crossing of the Jordan River

This was a complicated day and it took me a bit of planning and thinking to come up with something interesting! If I had gone by the book, it would have been a pitiful looking sheet hanging between two ladders with a tarp on the floor behind it. We can do better than that, folks! Yesterday, I hid in supply closet with my notebook and some colored pencils until I came up with a sketch of the layout. Hey, it was a big closet! And, there was food in there.

The kids enter this area barefoot because the towels on the floor are sopping wet. Lots of "ewws" erupt from the crowd as it squishes between their toes. It's explained that they are standing along the flooded banks of the Jordan and the water is really deep (indicated by the height of the blue sheets hanging). Hiding behind the banks are volunteers with spray bottles that mist the kids on cue.

I was hiding under this "rock" to release the rope that held up the water to reveal...

A dry river bed for the kids to cross over and get to the camp on the other side. It wowed the kids because we stopped the rushing water cd and flipped on the spotlight at the same time the water dropped. Oooohh, ahhhhh....




The other side with the river parting back. (The water was very glittery, but you can't tell in the picture!)

Kids making their memorials out of the rocks they picked up from the river bed. Paul, dressed as a Bible-times river guide.

The Chronicles of a VBS Volunteer: Part I

Our church chose to do Vacation Bible School this year and I, of course, chose to get involved again. I was really excited about it because, 1. I was familiar with what was expected of me since I had done something similar two years ago and am no longer among the uninitiated, and 2. I get to use paper, glue, canvas, paint and my imagination to MAKE stuff!! If you know me, you know how I get into crafty stuff. Well, the area I am in charge of is called the Bible Expedition. We basically teach the kids a different bible story each day by creating a scene for them to experience. We act out imaginary or historical characters and involve the kids in the drama also. It's a lot of fun, but it's also a lot of work. Once the day of VBS ends at noon, we grab a quick lunch and then head back into the room to tear down that day's scene and construct a completely new one for the next day.

Monday: Rahab's Roof

Along the back is the wall of the city of Jericho. Rahab's roof was situated against it, so we used paper bags stuffed with newspaper to make bricks to define the "roof" area. She explains that her roof is where she does laundry and keeps her garden. On the left are the "bundles" where the Israelite spies are hiding. The kids had to hide under sheets when soldiers came knocking and then they got poked with swords (actually pool noodles). I asked Noodle if she liked it as she was walking out and she said, "NO!" It was a little on the scary side for the youngest kids, but the wide-eyed look on Noodle's face when she popped out from under the sheet and stood up looking for those soldiers was priceless!

Amy, our volunteer who played Rahab, with the Red Rope.