Visiting Friends and a Bit More of Vermont

It's been wonderful having two friends from Tejas here with us for a long weekend. The wife got some much needed friends time, and the kiddos and I got to see more of VT then we had before.

We went to Underhill for their Harvest Festival and had a really good time. This is the second type of festival we've been to in the Fall. But this festival was affordable, from reasonably priced food and crafts and art work to free children's games and even a free hay ride. Sonshine and wife competed for fastest time to cut off a piece of log. The kiddos walked on stilts, played tug-o-war 4-way style, potato sack races, and hammering a nail in wood (who would have thought that would bring as much entertainment as it did).

We found Nannie's Christmas presents, bought local honey and jam, and enjoyed being together under blue skies and sunshine.

Then yesterday we went to the Shelburne museum. The wife and I were worried the kiddos would be bored terrors, but they surprised us with their patience and that they were actually enjoying themselves. There's so much to see, and it's wonderfully done. We all agreed that the motorcycle exhibit was way cool, and from there everyone had a different favorite place we saw. Sonshine and I aren't the best go to museum types, but we both had fun and thats saying something - at least for us. And when we just couldn't look at another something, turn the corner and of hey what's this appears, and when our that didn't work there was always someplace to sit or a tree to play on or around.

It was a good weekend.

A Great Weekend

I had a magical weekend with my family. Thursday and Friday I worked a 4:30pm to 12:30am shift so that I could be home with the kids on their days off from school.

Thursday was hard cause we had tons of errands, and then I went to work. But Friday was only one errand and then the rest of the day was rest and play. So play and rest we did. Plus, we had great weather this weekend, which always helps. Saturday we went downtown to Trick or Treat at the local stores...the chocolatiers handed out the good stuff - one even gave out giganto chocolate suckers.

Sunday was church...I gave my class on Lay Liturgical Roles/Why we are all called to participate within worship, which I ended with one of my favorite songs, "They'll Know We Are By Our Love". I started us off and then by the end of the first stanza everyone joined in...it may have been an Adult Ed first for them. I got positive feedback from the Adult Ed coordinator and two people in the class...so yeah...I didn't bomb at least not for them :) After class, the family went home, and I served as an Usher for the 11 o'clock service that had around 100 vergers in attendance; and where I got to model what I taught about making mistakes and it being ok. I forgot to go to the altar first to bow, then pass out the offering plate...but, I did make a quick recovery as soon as the other usher quietly reminded me. So, all 10 people up at the altar (to include the Bishop) saw, as well as, most of the vergers...sigh, all you can do is smile and try not to be to obvious that you forgot a step. Afterwards, we took a family bike ride...it really was a great day to be outside. We went along our usual path, which has been so cool to see the path change as the seasons have turned. So it's never really the same path, at least not for too long. I want to walk this path come Winter.

This post hasn't really described the magic of my weekend, but it was one of those weekends that cherish and hold onto.