Amusing Knoebels

This probably could have been included in the Month That Was: August post but really, a bonafide trip to an AMUSEMENT PARK warrants its' own post, don't you think?  Particularly when this trip was such a special and very touching one. 

A couple from our church decided to bless the entire congregations' socks off by paying for everyone to go to Knoebels for an overnight camping trip and for unlimited rides at the park for an entire day and bonus night too!  Now, our church IS small but that must have cost a fortune!  And yet, bless us they did.   The costs to go amusement parks is prohibitive to several families in our church, including our own, so this was the first experience at an amusement park for many of us.  And since our congregation is in large part children, and children are never so reserved in their excitement as grown-ups, the rewards this couple reaped in excitement, smiles and gratitude were multitudinous.  They gave us all such a gift; such a wealth of wonderful memories and moments of thrill and togetherness. 

It really is amazing to think about how good the Lord is and how bits of Him sparkle out of the eyes and fingers and mouths of others in how we live for others.  God is good.  And Anto and Roberta take after Him.

My camera has been broken for a while but I continue to *try* to make ago of it.  Here are a few of the many, many smiles caught that were actually in focus out of a sea of blurred ones.

Corynn hates that I am posting this picture.  But I kinda love it.  Seeing these four exuberantly happy children make me smile every time.

I know it's a bit much to take three consecutive photos within a ten-second moment 

but look at that big handsome fellow and the littler one too...

and tell me I shouldn't.

It's an exhausting business, amusing ourselves to death.

Adele wanted to ride The Impulse- a rollercoaster which has a horrifying vertical drop.  And she did it!  I learned that the girl I always took to be the fragile and fearful one, is neither!

Although it may have scarred her for life.

As such, Matt decided we ought to have professional documentation of the event.

And while the biggles and middles were racing to every single death-defying ride, Ineke and I managed to tame a fearsome dragonbeast.  So that's pretty impressive too. 

Just two weeks earlier, the whole place was underwater.  Even getting there when we did was pretty challenging with so many roads and exits being closed.   The drive in is the only part of this weekend I refuse to remember ever again.

Having never been to an amusement park with my family, I thought myself very clever indeed to have everyone wear bright colors.  I never anticipated that 90% of all mothers told their children the same.

As we were leaving the park, Corynn asked me to take a picture of her favorite roller coaster for posterity's sake.  Maybe one day, old rickety friend, you two will meet again.