Second time at the Fair

The second time round at the fair, as an Empey parent, you have learned and remembered a few things from last year’s failures and successes.  This year, you skip the allure of the free entry with canned food donation day, and instead scour the internet for the lowest rates of attendance at the fair.  So instead of canned food day, you go on senior citizen’s day.  Half as many people, and it feels like heaven.

And if you’re Nick on your way to the fair, you’re just so, so savvy about saving little kids legs for later and therefore you drop your family off at the gate closest to the pig racing (which was last year’s favorite) and park the car all by your lonesome.  And on your walk back, you stop by the Old Grist Mill and buy a nice big cup of hush puppies, because you know that’s what your wife has been looking forward to buying since last year.

And if you’re Nicole, you’re just so so proud of yourself, and your husband, as you walk a short distance to the pig racing, instead of 2 miles to the pig racing like last year, and you sit and eat snacks you packed while you wait for the show.  And no one has complained about walking yet, and that is just so smart of you.  Good seats, and food that costs an eighth of what you would have paid at the fair for.
And if you haven’t seen pig racing you still won’t have after you watch this video:

So clearly, if you’re an Empey child, pig (and duck and goat) racing should be immediately followed by carnival rides. And like last year, you know exactly which ride you will ride.  The bumpy slide:

And this year instead of disappointment and sorrow and the longest walk you can fathom you walk straight to it, hand the man your tickets all by yourself like an old pro, and climb up the stairs.
Now, If you’re Everett at the fair for the second time, on the way from your bumpy slide selection to the dog show, you ask politely for the camera and then take pictures along the way.   They look like this:Got the fingers out of the way now:
And then if you’re mom, you steal the camera back and take a picture of everyone approaching that ostrich head, because that thing is photo worthy. 
The dog show proves to be absolutely worth everyone’s time.


And you all get to see a world champion high jumping poodle named Joker. 
Then if you’re Brookston and Everett you want another carnival ride, and again, you know exactly which ride you want to go on.  However, you don’t really know what to call this thing, and you try really hard to explain it, but your parents are not really catching on, so you grab their hands and drag them there.  You don’t know what ‘there’ is, but luckily your parents finally ask ‘ did you go on it last year?” And yes, you had, and you’ve finally found it:

If you’re Rosalyn, you know that you’re essentially paying four bucks to run though a playground one time, and you wait with the ‘rents while your brothers waste their money (in your opinion)  so you can go on the carousel. 
but your brothers clearly don’t think it was a waste:

By now it’s time for the BMX/Motocross show, so everyone piles into the grandstand and eats icecream while you watch daredevils. 

And then if you’re Mom at the fair you’re finally over the icecream ‘incident’ that occurred while watching grown men flip through the air, and you’re accompanying your daughter on her coveted carousel ride and thinking ‘don’t throw up, don’t throw up.’

By now, if you’re Roz and you just rode on your slowly spinning carousel, you’re getting to be a bit delirious.  It is nearly bedtime.
The delirium continues as you consume a 50 cent pickle the size of your foot…
…and then lay on the ground and watch your brother and parents shared the Maple flavored cotton candy that you said you didn’t like.  More specifically you said, after sampling it, “I don’t like that fluffy stuff,”  with a rather disgusted and disapproving look on your face.  That is only if you are Roz at the Fair.  If you’re mom at the fair, you think to yourself ‘wahoo, more for me,” and try to eat the whole bag yourself.  The nausea of the carousel didn’t last.
Leadership, citizenship, and life skills.  Yes. Yes, indeed.
But if you’re Brookston and dad offers you a bite of his spicy dill pickle, you remember from last year, that you don’t want a bite, and respond like this to his advertisements:
The pickles and the sugar are in the building farthest from your exit, so you get to see and say goodbye to everything as you walk past. 
Including the horticultural displays all lit up with twinkle lights.
And you say goodbye to lit up waterfalls. 
And goodbye to all the mums.  There were a lot of them.  Oh, and notice how this year Mom remembered everyone’s jackets. 
And goodbye to mom dragonflies and half bee face Rosalyns. 

And goodbye to the fair.

Quotes from the past

Two years ago today I wrote this little note in my journal of funny stuff:

“Everyone has been singing the theme song to wonder pets around here.  It goes “What’s gonna work? Team work!”  When Roz sings it she says “Whats gonna walk? Ewok!”

This is what she looked like two years ago:
I really like Roz.

here: have a halloween coloring page

I loved coloring this as a kid.  Perhaps your kids will like coloring it too.  =)

Duke Chapel Tenebrae Service

I’ve wanted to post this for a while now, and even though Easter was a few months ago, I’m going to go ahead and put this out there. 
This past Easter I went alone to the Duke Chapel Tenebrae service.  This is from the program:

Tenebrae (Latin for “shadows” or “darkness”) is a solemn observance of Jesus’ passion and death. The service marks Jesus’ journey to Golgotha and allows for extended meditation through proclamation of the Word in scripture and sermon, as well as through music, increasing darkness, and silent reflection.

I had never attended a Tenebrae service, but have wanted to for two years -- since I first heard a friend talk about going to Duke Chapel’s service.

Reverend Luke Powery gave a sermon entitled Wounded for Me.  These are some of my favorite parts from his talk:

“We may want to hide our pain and past wounds as if they cannot be a part of our faith. The truth is that the scars from our wounds will always be present as they were on the body of Jesus. …His wounds don’t mean we will never have wounds.  …You know this if you are in touch with your wounds. If you are not in touch with your wounds, your spiritual life will be weak and your ministry even weaker. Your wounds can make you strong. A thorn in the flesh couldn’t stop the apostle Paul who discovered that whenever he was weak then he was strong (2 Cor 12: 9-10). And a cross, we know, did not stop Jesus. Wounds can help you be a faithful witness to the cruciform gospel and just because you’re wounded doesn’t mean you’re worthless. Through the broken body of Jesus on the cross God redeems our woundedness.
And wounds can heal. “By his bruises we are healed.” But the scars often remain. You’re in good company because the wounds of the crucifixion were not erased by the resurrection. The scars are the embodied memory of the wounds of the world that Jesus carried. …
When I look at his body, I’m reminded that wounds, no matter how deep, don’t have to win. Jesus doesn’t allow his wounds to defeat him nor do yours have to kill you.”

His words reminded me of my favorite scriptures:

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

After his sermon, there would be a scripture reading followed by the reader extinguishing one of seven candles, followed by some of the lights in the nave being shut off. 

Matthew 26:36-46 Jesus’s disciples fall asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Matthew 26:47-56 Judas Betrays Jesus with a kiss.
Matthew 26:57-68  Jesus Before the Sanhedrin.
Matthew 26:69-75 Peter’s denial.
Matthew 27:15-26 Jesus before Pilate.
Matthew 27:27-44 The soldiers mock Jesus. 
Matthew 27:45-50 The death of Jesus. 
                   The last candle extinguished, DARKNESS & SILENCE. The bell tolls 33 times to signify each year of Jesus’ life.
Matthew 27:51-54 Surely he was the Son of God.

Right before the sixth candle was extinguished the choir, who were now sitting amongst us in the congregation, sang O Sacred Head, Now Wounded.  It was perfect stereo.  I can’t describe how perfect it sounded and felt.  You simply must click on that link and listen, but it won’t do the live experience justice.  The Reverend had said earlier in his sermon:  “What really can be said when the creator of the cosmos finds himself on a cross?  Not much can be said but a lot can be sung.”  It is true.  This song captures my heart for it.
After sitting in the darkness, the lights come up just enough for worshippers to see their way out.  Everyone remained silent as some prayed, others meditated, and we all departed in silence.  I stayed until the chapel was nearly empty.  When I stepped out into the night it was softly raining.  I was so glad I had been there that night.

On Sunday it was a gorgeous morning.  I sang in our Easter choir and loved singing the song Oh Light of Life!  (you can see it sung here).  I love the words:

O Light of Life! O pure Light Divine!
Thou art in us; Our ember is Thine.
Kindle our faith, Give hope when we fear,
Deepen our love– Thy Fire appear!
Light of our souls– Thou spark at our birth– 
Glow bright in us, Shine in all the earth!
O Light of Life! O true Light of Peace!
Storms will arise, Let Thy light increase.
Pierce through dark clouds, Give pause to the proud;
Let Thy shafts fall, Lift humble heads bowed.
Answer our pleas, Melt hearts in thy flame.
Make us as one, As one in Thy name.
O Light of Life! O sweet Light of Grace!
Thou bids us come, We follow a pace.
See the bright tree! Behold the white fruit!
Feasting we weep, We witness the root!
O Light of life! O dear Light of Love!
Washed clean we rise, Descends the white Dove.
Fill us with fire, Enlighten our eyes;
Help us to love–  'Tis price of the prize.
Then let us come, Enrobe us in light.
We cleave to Thee, Light unto Thy Light.
O light of Life! Light unto Light.

I love that the song is about light.  That is what my faith is to me, and how I feel about my Savior.  One of my favorite hymns is “Sweet is the peace the gospel brings to seeking minds and true.  With light refulgent on its wings, it clears the human view.”  I think this phrase often during my week.  It comes to me when I recognize how much my faith helps me and sees me through my personal storms. 
For me, this Easter I contemplated a lot about the symbolism of darkness and light.  The darkness of the Tenebrae service and contemplating that I do experience darkness in my life.  But even as I sat there in the dark in that silent chapel, there was light in my soul!  Oh how I felt like I was on fire.  And then to sing on Easter morning about light and pleading for it to come into my life. 
To me this Easter’s message was that our darkness, our storms our weakness, can become beautiful light filled moments if we turn to the Light of the World. 

Roz is an artist

A chicken:

Emily never looked better:

A more different chicken:

Fluttershy – she painted this all by herself!

I guess all that mad artistry deserves a mad artist haircut.

It was done in a corner, by the mad artist herself.

How she could remove this from her glorious head is beyond me:

But it happened.

Goodbye perfect curl.  We’ve known you for nearly 3 years now.

But at least you left some friends behind.

We’ve finally had our rite of preschooler girl passage. 

But will I ever be able to cut those curls off?

Our Sorts of Forts

I remember when I found out that my twins were going to be boys.  I firmly believe that when you find out the gender of your kid you have to give yourself a moment to mourn the loss of the gender you didn’t have.  It’s just the way it is – even if you’re excited about the gender you are having.  So I said goodbye to butterflies and ruffles and got really excited about forts.

But now that I have kids I realize that boys get pretty excited about butterflies too, and what girl doesn’t love forts?  I mean, I grew up building forts on a near daily basis.  You can ask my mom.

And one of the many things I love about my mom is she was pretty great at letting my forts take over the front room or dining table, or wherever it was for a good while.  She’s the one who taught me to make a sturdy and tight fort.

She had a ready supply of clothes pins and clamps for the process.

It’s a tradition I pass on with relish. 

So, here’s a fort building tip: (if you’re looking for that sort of thing) if you have a stand-on-its-own vacuum, it makes a great tent pole.  (I slipped a pillowcase over mine so the kids wouldn’t attack it constantly.  They would do that.  Buttons can be more interesting than forts sometimes.)

Good times.

---

This fort was back in December, but it had an ‘upgrade’:

We hung lights inside. 

Not much beats a little Calvin and Hobbes in a twinkle light fort on a cold day.

Mom, do you have any pictures of our forts?