Bombs Bursting in Air

Yesterday, the church we go to (Faith Promise Church), had a Field Day for July 4th. They rented out the campus of Pellissippi State Tech College at Pellissippi Parkway and Hardin Valley Road in Knoxville, TN. The event was from 5-10PM but I am sure there were people there from the crack of dawn.




The kids and I went a little early, and helped set up the Snow Cone and Popcorn booths.




We found a nice shady area under a tree and set up camp. Here are Veronica and Josiah next to our real estate, and Beverly, studiously ignoring Mom and the camera.



There were plenty of things to do, like this climbing wall from Knox Rocks.

There was free food for everybody, including Coca-cola soft drinks in cans, bottled water galore, hot dogs, pulled-pork barbecue sandwiches, bags of chips from Frito Lay, popcorn bags, cotton candy, and snow cones.

I ate part of one of Josiah's pork sandwiches (I swear that kid eats like a HORSE), other than that I drank LOTS of water and ate cotton candy. I LOVE cotton candy.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time, like this kid with a monkey on his back. I didn't have permission to post his picture, so I put glasses on him to make him incognito. Shhh!

There were bouncers for the little buddies, from 1 year to to 6 years:

There were bouncers for kids from 6 to 12 years:

There was even a section which had a couple bouncers and a couple obstacle courses, for kids from 12-20 years. There was a HUGE bandstand. This pic also shows some of the people who were there:

Here are more people, with another view past the kiddie bouncers and over the lake:

and even MORE people. Last time we had one of these events, in the sizzling 97 degree heat last September, there were about 4500 people who came. Since it was a balmy 87 yesterday (30C), AND it was a holiday, I can only guess at the head count. 5000? 6000? Maybe...

Here are shots of the Popcorn, Cotton Candy, and SnoCone booths:








There was live Christian-rock music all day. The kids ran around doing whatever kids do. B and I spent some time on the quilts, she lolling around and Mom knitting.

A little later on, she had a nap. The kids got her a temp tattoo, which appropriately, given her mom's penchants for string and pointy things, and her own idea that she knits (which is thinly disguised as tangling up my yarn), was a sheep.

It wasn't all fun and games. Well, yes it WAS... but...
The church did hire a guy to come up and preach, from Texas. He was very funny, starting his short sermon out with a stretching exercise and a turn-and-rub-someone's-back deal.

His sermon was very relevant for a public crowd, and very moving. When he gave the invitation, there were about 100 people who came forward.

After the preaching, the bands took the stage again, the field lights came on, and the games/bouncers reopened until 9:45 pm. DH made an appearance (he had to work until 9 PM), and he and the kids and I walked around talking to people and picking up trash. Then the evening ended with a bang. Thought I would share:


































Beverly kept bouncing up and down, clapping and saying, "Awe-tum!"
One last, which truly was an AWESOME special effect: a Lake of Fire.