BREAKAWAY! A.K.A. Vacation Bible School

We just finished up a super fun week with Superheroes at Breakaway! As usual, the Breakaway team did an over the top job and my kids want to go back another week. Here are some highlights for Grandma and Grandpa:

The church builds their own sets every year with the theme. This years theme was Breakaway to the City and the Superheroes did a skit everyday that told kids about Jesus.

Go-karts during recreation time!

I never want to miss out on the fun, so I volunteer every year. This year I was on snack duty. 

The zip line was a HUGE hit!

Superhero masks!

This little guy had a great time too!

The music is all original and goes with the theme. The kids all bring home a CD the first day, so we get to listen to it all week in the van.

The final rally and music time the kids are surprised with confetti!

Such a great week and lots of memories were made!

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The latest issue of Creating Keepsakes is out now . . .

And you can find this layout in the Reader Gallery section.

This history behind this layout . . . My husband started taking the kids on a "bottle hunt" after dinner multiple times per week over a year ago to earn extra money. Every year our family participates in Operation Christmas Child that Franklin Graham puts together. The kids each get to fill a shoebox with toothpaste, a toothbrush and other essentials and some toys for a child in another country that otherwise would not receive a Christmas gift. We have always paid for the shoeboxes in the past, but last year we wanted them to pay for the shoeboxes themselves--we average about $15-20 per shoebox. They were able to completely raise the money on their own by recycling! I was so proud of them. 

Since then, they have continued to collect cans and are able to pay for Christmas and birthday presents for each other and for their friends. I think it teaches them to work hard for their money and gives them a sense of accomplishment from being able to purchase gifts without mom and dad's help. A win-win for all of us!

The idea came to me one day (while in the shower--that's when it's quiet and I get many great ideas) to make a layout using some of the cans that they had collected. Yes, they had to sacrifice a few potential nickels for this layout. It was not an easy task get the cans flat enough to put on a layout. I attached them to some cardstock and left them sitting under some heavy books for a few days--even then, they still wanted to curl. I then attached them to my layout and outlined them.

The best part about being published in this particular issue is that my friend, Brandi Williams, made it into the same issue. Not only that, but we were on the same page! And this was her first time being published . . . she has yet to put the layout on her blog . . . hopefully she will remedy that soon! It's such a great layout and I was so excited for her!

Have a great start to your week!