5th Sunday Road Trip

The churches of the Mt. Airy Charge give the pastor 5th Sundays off from preaching. I call it my "Day of Refreshing". The fifth Sunday in August just happened to coincide with Labor Day this year. So I had a real 3 day weekend.

Courtney had recently posted video of Lila's first steps. http://splashinggrace.blogspot.com/2008/08/she-waited-and-i-have-issues.html Well, that did it, we had to take a road trip to Albany, New york. A 72 hour mini-vacation, with 24 hours of it travelling.

We were invited to a cook-out at a church member's home. We got a detailed tour of their new house from Levi, Taisie, and Thomas. We got to attend Sunday service at the church where Dave is Senior pastor and hear a visiting missionary from the Ukraine share and Dave preach. Sunday evening we went to the 189th Schaghticoke Fair. It was like the Fairs I remember from my youth in New Hampshire. The best part was watching the kids having fun, riding rides, checking out the animals, with eyes wide open.

Levi wanted to ride this smaller roller coaster. You can't really see his expression, but it was utter terror. Now, look at Taisie's expression in the seat behind him, totally thrilled with the whole thing.

Thomas and Taisie love the thrill rides, all the rides that increase the natural G force and would make us mere mortals lose our lunch.

I rode one of these when I was Thomas' age in Myrtle Beach. As soon as i stepped off, I ran to a trash can and got sick.

Finally, a ride for Lila.
Levi got excited about the next ride, "This ride rocks" he kept shouting. It was probably more my speed, as long as you didn't spin it around.

I got to do the grandfather thing.

The animal displays were great. Check out the double chin on that fat bunny.

Talk about having a "bad hair day"!
"Back off sheep breathe!"

There was a young girl lying down with her cow. She was leaned back against the cow's neck and the cow had turned it head with it almost resting in the girl's lap.
Thomas and Levi didn't want to come into the cow area. They said it smelled bad.
Personally, I think this was done with a blow dryer.
This big guy had his days and nights confused.

This guy kept getting his horns caught on that upper bar when he tried to pull his head back.

Brilliant lights along the midway.

Time for a funnel cake covered in cherries.

Hotel room $$, meals on the road $$, over a thousand miles with high gas prices $$, a weekend with Courtney, Dave, and four grandchildren...priceless.