Until Next Year...

Another year of VBS has come and gone.

This year was definitely much more relaxed than any year in the past. The energy with the kids was very high, yet we leaders were very calm and the days just seemed to glide by. This was my ninth year doing the music for our church's VBS programs. Three years ago, the CE director and I revamped the entire thing, adding youth leaders and an actual bible study component for the youth as well. We also added in a Thursday night program for the youth to present skits of what the VBS was about, interspersed with the songs from the week as well.




Our Thursday night program is pretty cool. We start with a hot dog dinner, followed by the program, ending with the giant water slide in the back yard of the church.

Here were some of the highlights from this year:

For the past few years, I have ironed logos onto shirts for all of our youth leaders. They liked them okay, but the iron ons usually fell off and the kids didn't wear them afterward. This year, the youth asked if we could tie dye instead. I think the shirts turned out looking pretty good on the kids and I imagine we will keep this tradition next year.








Noah and Aaron were itching to tie dye as well, which I did let them do the second day and wear the rest of the week.

I LOVE this picture.







The favorite song from this year was "Get Down". The kids loved it during VBS. And it didn't stop after we came home. On Monday after the first day, Deb's girls came over for a few hours to play and the the kids were inspired to continue "getting down" in the bathing suits in the driveway after playing in the sprinkler.








I love the opening and closing every day when the entire group gathers in the sanctuary to do the songs together. There is something so special about everyone worshipping together. For some reason I wasn't brought to tears this year, but I still loved the feeling as much as always.







We added another segment to our VBS this year. Each group met twice with a Spanish teacher who did some Spanish speaking activities with them, including teaching them all to sing "This Little Light Of Mine" (there was a jazzy version in this year's song collection) in Spanish. It was so cool to hear 200 hundred people singing it in Spanish on the closing night. I think I might do it with the kids for Cherub Choir this year as well.






The favorite craft of the week was the lantern they all made. Both kids insisted on having them on as nightlights last night.
















Here are the best smiles I captured from the boys this week:



Noah waiting for his turn at "Chomp, Chomp, Stomp" (Duck, Duck, Goose)











Aaron's beautiful smile doing the motions to one of the songs.










It was a fun week. I woke up feeling pretty awful Friday morning, but I tend to get sick every year during VBS week, so I'm, just glad I got through it without missing a day this year.

Have a good weekend.