The end of VBS means that today (the day after) we will be experiencing the gentle led down that frequently follows such commitment-heavy, oh-so-worth-the-investment-of-our-family's-time-and-energy, friendship-building, fellowship-strengthening, endurance conditioning events.
The end of VBS also brings the finale of my niece Sophie's annual pilgrimage to our home to attend VBS with her cousins.
The first day of VBS always brings with it her much anticipated and joyful arrival to the festivities.
The next days find Sophie finding her short-term, albeit important, place among her cousins in the rhythms of a five-kid existence.
Sophie is the oldest child in her family,
...but when she joins us, she lands smack-dab in the middle of our four.
It is an interesting study in birth order to watch the shuffling take place, if only for five days, as each of the younger kids scoot down the line to make room for our VBS gal!
The last day of VBS brings with it the fine sense of completing a rewarding week of summer Jesus-learning...
...but also brings the exodus of Sophie from our summer.
And such a looked forward to part of our summer she is!
We just can't believe that she's here when she finally arrives...
...and we just can't believe that the week has ended when it's time for her to return home.
The weeping and wailing that marks the end of the last night of VBS is pitiful, sometimes even beginning before bible school makes its final wrap-up on the last evening. This year the tears remained swallowed down until we returned home to pack the last of Sophie's belongings and to see her safely into her mamma's care.
The good-bye hugs were soppy.
The good-bye hugs were soppy.
Soppy and drippy.
If the amount of tears was any indication of the level of fun enjoyed by our merry gang this week, we'll count it a great success!!
"...the barefoot kids sharing a long game of cousins and summer..."
~Barbara Kingsolver in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
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