Making Summer Awesome – Week Two

What a week!! We survived. And we have many, many memories to add to our collection for this summer.

Here’s what we’ve been doing to accomplish some of the items on my Summer To-Do List:

1. VBS!

That’s what made this week a bit wild! When Anika attended VBS last summer, it made both Kaylia and me very sad to drop her off at the church, and then go home. We wanted to be in on all the fun!

So I decided that this summer, we would be a part of all that excitement and energy. Anika and Kaylia both loved it. There was a kingdom theme going on all week, and princesses everywhere you looked, so yesterday, all three of us dressed up. (Optional for them, mandatory for me!)

To be honest, I struggled this week. It took far more energy than I had anticipated, and I had a large bunch of extremely cute, EXTREMELY energetic boys in my grade one class. (I was wanting to be in on all the energy, right??!)

Yesterday, I wasn’t sure if I’d be up for another week of this next summer, but today, as I listened to all the stories about kids who became Christians this week, I was reminded all over again about why this ministry is so important.

Last night, I was telling Ben about the day, and about the fact that four kids from my class had become Christians. He thought this was very exciting, but I confessed that part of me wondered how much they understood, or how long it would last. (Obviously, being tired and drained was playing a part in dampening my enthusiasm, and doubts were creeping in.)

Ben told me he’d recently read that if kids don’t become Christians by the time they’re 12, there is only a 5% chance they ever will.

It’s amazing how meaningful these early commitments can be! I can still clearly remember the day I became a Christian when I was six years old. How awesome to think that someday, these small children could look back to the summer of 2013, and remember with absolute clarity that their journey with Christ began at VBS.

Yes, I’ll be a part of it again next year! But I’ll need the year to recover!:)

2) More coloring with chalk!

Kaylia loooooves coloring with chalk. Anika does not. I thought that was so weird. I didn’t know where she got that from.

Then last night, Kaylia and I were coloring up a storm while Ben and Anika went for a bike ride. When they got back, I suggested a family chalk coloring time, and Ben whispered to me, “I don’t want to! I don’t like the feeling of chalk on my hands!”

The truth comes out.

So only half our family will enjoy an artistic summer, but I want to make more of an effort to get out there and do this with Kaylia, even if Anika never wants to.

3) Make pickles!

This is a new experiment. I helped my mom make pickles one summer, but other than that, I am new to the pickle world. I tried this recipe for lacto-fermented pickles, which I’m really hoping will work out, for a few reasons:

1. Fermented pickles are super healthy for you. I’ve read that pickles made in vinegar don’t do much for you, but lacto-fermented pickles are a completely different story.
2. They are fast to put together, and you can make one jar at a time. This is perfect, because the cucumbers in my garden are ripening a few at a time, so I can just fill up a jar as I get enough pickles.

They have to sit on the counter for three days before they’re ready, so we have yet to try them. Who knows – they could be gross. Then I’ll be asking for pickle recipes!!

What have you been up to this week? Have you tried anything new? Accomplished anything on your Summer To-Do List?

*My sympathies go out to all those people who say their summer is over and they are moving on to the fall schedule!!