Fall Family Fun Fair, 2013

     We are finally settled into a new school year, past the first round of sick bugs and Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  The days are getting shorter as the clock winds us ever closer to the holiday hub bub.  This year, we got to kick off fall with a bang by hosting the first ever annual Fall Family Fun Fair at our church.  What a great time we had planning, organizing and pulling off what turned out to be a truly successful event.  In my old life, BC, (Before Children), I was promoter and event planner, so this was an opportunity to dust off my old skill set and use them on something other than an insanely elaborate, themed birthday party for my kiddies.
As an added bonus, I got to utilize Pinetrest.  I have a love/hate relationship with the site.  As anyone who knows me can attest, I have a multitude of boards covering every conceivable topic and am constantly looking for great ideas to add to them.  It used to be that I was the one that threw the best parties because I was the one with the best ideas and I guarded them jealously.  The recipes, the decorating, the projects, the themes.  They were mine and if you wanted access to them it cost you.       Thanks to Pinterest, all that is over.  Anyone can plan a great event, with a minimum amount of time.  It's not all bad though.  I have a great new career in real estate and I can use my old skills for charitable events and fun, with much less stress.  I'm a little new to working cooperatively, when you're working with friends and volunteers, it's very important to be inclusive and polite, I've learned.  No paycheck means people are less likely to tolerate even a benevolent dictatorship.
Our lovely group of volunteers from Providence Community Church put together an amazing list of super fun activities for the families in Oak Bay to participate in.  We had pumpkin bowling, ring toss, an obstacle course, mask making, beading, face painting, clay creations.  Our big crowd pleasers were the Imagination Station, I was completely stunned and amazed by what the kids built out of blocks of wood, buttons, string, feathers, marbles and glue guns, The "Make Your Own Caramel Apple Bar", where kids got to dip a granny smith apples in a home made caramel dip and cover them in their choice of toppings, raging from mini marshmallows to gummy bears and everything in between.  Outside we had a "Haystack Candy scramble for kids to dig through for prizes, under a huge tent of course because this is Victoria.  Add to all that hot dogs and tons of baked goodies all donated to help raise money to send kids to school in Uganda.
    

Local Oak Bay businesses also donated a great array of prizes to be won by attendees.  It was a great way to introduce our selves to our neighbours, and in turn introduce them to a wonderful cause worth supporting in one of the most needed areas of our world.  Next year, hopefully, we'll get a little more cooperation from the Big Guy, and not have to implement a rain plan, but even if the weather is worse next year, we'll still have the inside of the Monterey Center, just in case.
Providence Community Church meets every Sunday at 1442 Monterey ave, Oak Bay, Victoria, at 10 am.  Everyone is welcome and we have a coffee meet and greet afterwards.  There are also lots of special events all year long.  For more information check out the website:   www.providencecommunitychurch.com