Posted on June 20, 2009 - by Larry

We Have Fun Too

I’m sure you’ve read some of the posts from the kids about their funny moments and new friendships. As much as these trips are for the kids, us “adults” get to experience the same. I’ve gotten a chance to meet, know and befriend Matt and Elisabeth Fedde. I’ve also gotten to reconnect with Steve and Marshall, and strengthen my friendships with them and Brian, Dan, and Sheri. We spend the major chunk of our time interacting with the kids, but on occasion we get small windows of time where we can talk to each other. I’ve had great fun moments with each of the adults. Two of the most recent…

Soggy Marshall
(A little back story…earlier in the day I walk by Marshall and the whole front of his shirt is soaked. The water balloons he was filling for Game Awesome kept popping and spraying him and he was on his way to put on a dry shirt.) During the game I didn’t have a “station” so I roamed from group to group to take pictures. Of course it rains during the only night we need to be outside. As I walk to Marshall’s section in the down pour I see him in only his t-shirt and shorts (no rain coat.) He is soaked.
I say, “Hi Marshall.”
His response, “Glad I put on a dry shirt to sit out in the $*@#ing rain.” Not angry, didn’t raise his voice, just matter of fact.
Wow. So. Funny.
Marshall is one of the gentlest, most positive people I know and this seemed so out of character that it took me completely by surprise. Then as the group got close and he headed out to the starting spot. I said, “Oh I need to get some pictures.”
“Yeah get a picture of my soggy, wet ass” he says in the same tone. I spent a solid 5 minutes laughing in the rain with Marshall.

Laughing Old People
Later in the same night, during the game that I am not allowed to divulge any information about, we (adults) were stuck playing on the far side of the room. We started the game around 12:45ish and the “adults” were already exhausted. For each minute that ticked by, we progressively lost a bit more of our sanity. One little quip would send us in to giggling fits. What made it worse was that we were supposed to be quiet. (It is always harder to stop laughing when you are supposed to be quiet.) More than once, the kids would give us the stink eye and we would be sshuushhhh’d (which only makes it funnier.) During the game Brian was sitting with his chin in his hand and his elbow on his knee. Out of the blue we hear a full on chortle. I’ve heard that sound every night of this trip, he was sleeping and he was snoring. That was it, we were done. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.