Marko & Tic take their Youth Group to Creation

On a sunny June day, Tic and Marko pack up their youth group for an amazing week at Creation Music Festival in Mt. Union, PA. Known as one of the largest Christian music festivals they would join ~100,00 people in worshipping God.

While they thought this would be a relaxing week, they thought wrong. The youth are hyped up on Fun Dip (who bought that???) and don’t listen to them at all. 20 kids, and two adults, what are they to do? (Can we say “safe sanctuary”, child safe policy rule breaking?).

When they asked the youth to have quiet time and journal they REVOLTED. They had enough of the buddy system, check ins, going to bed and listening to speakers.

The youth grabbed the rope that the ever prepared leaders brought and tied them up to a huge water tower and almost chopped their heads off.

Marko and Tic begged for their lives, ”anything but cutting off their heads” they pleaded. Since they had brought them this far, the teens decided to be nice and just use a medieval torment of dunking them in boiling water.

At their wits end and VERY scared, Marko and Tic looked for help in their “Have you Ever?” book.

Not finding help there, what else to do but look to Yac for guidance? Ah, the answer was there, take em’ fishing. It’s relaxing and cigars are illegal for minors.

Grabbing all the youth and piling them in 15 passenger vans (SHUSH, don’t tell the insurance company) they headed to the local state park to see what they could catch.
Oh no! The youth are calm and behaving but are really bored.

Time for the hula hoop contest!

While Toby Mac blasts over their stereo Marko lost it, lost the hoop and the contest.

Competiveness got a hold of him (hasn’t he learned anything from the numbers game?). “Tic, I challenge you to a jump roping contest”, Marko yelled.

Marko was so good that he could get the rope under his feet 3 times before he touched the ground. Oops, but he accidentally tripped and failed at the contest. “I’m a failure” he cried with a red face from embarrassment and ran to hide in a large weird tube.

Tic was so happy that he won both that he took a dip in the coolest pool around.

Seeking to reconcile Tic invited Marko for a dip in the pool. Tic decided to play a little joke on Marko and pushed him in, but he doesn’t mind and just laughed along with him.

The youth join Marko and Tic in the pool and start chicken fights and getting rowdy again. Marko decides to take them to Mount Sleepmore. He thought that it might make them….. sleepy. He poses for a picture, and soon gets sleepy himself, falling asleep right there on Mt. Sleepmore.

Marko suddenly awoke and realized how late they were and drug them all back to the campsite for a healthy dinner of peanut butter sandwiches.

From his earlier dip in the pool Marko got the blues (he turned BLUE) and in order to try to look normal so they stayed at the campsite while the kids headed to the concerts in hopes of recovering.

Knowing that the youth were occupied and not expecting them, the guys snuck away to the Youth Leader Hideout (aka: Interlinc’s YLO Tent).

There they got drinks.

AHHHH~ uninterrupted sleep, what a luxury.

They arrived at the concerts just in time to hear the amazing strings of Phil Keaggy and hang with their buddy. The older (non youth) guys gotta stick together.

What a treat! They got to see the most famous dance of the year from the big winner at the MTV VMA’s Napoleon Dynamite.

Convicted by the speaker to love as Christ did the youth apologize and buy Marko and Tic popcorn to make up for everything they put them through. Yea! They get it!

After the drive home, which always seems shorter than the drive there, Marko and Tic get on their knees and praise God for how He used the trip, for the commitments the youth made, for the bonding that happened (even through tormenting them), and for no hospitals visits and speeding tickets.

Finally they crashed for a much needed rest, since just next week it’s off to camp and then to the shore, youth ministry never ends.

Marko and Tic thought it would be really fun to set sail for the state of Michigan. We drove through Pennsylvania, then Ohio, and finally arrived at Michigan. They started fighting over music choices as always. Marko wanted to listen to Barry Manillow THE WHOLE WAY, while Tic wouldn't stop taking about Blondie. So I had to fold them in half and shove them in my purse. They had a smashing time hanging out with Youth Specialties forumites in Michigan, checking out Lake Erie, and going to Pittsburgh! 

Here's Jenna, a way cute baby, chewing on Tic and Marko. She also thought it was very funny to continously throw them on the floor. Silly baby! 

Here are the guys swimming with the fishes at the Rainforest Cafe. Notice how all the fish have left the picture.  

Marko's trying to reenact a scene from JAWS here at the Rainforest Cafe. 

Here's Tic being mauled by a white lion at the Rainforest Cafe. Tic says the lion didn't MEAN to try to bite off his head, it was merely trying to keep him from falling onto the floor. 

Submit your photos!!!!

I've been having so much fun with my paper dolls, I thought others might want to get involved. So, hey, submit your photos with witty captions (or I'll write them, after all, I am a writer) to ShineLikeAStar7@aol.com.

Of course, picture credit will be given to you. Here are some PHOTO IDEADS...

*Take your Paper Dolls on vacation with you. It would be great to have Marko and Tic at major attractions throughout the country.

*Pictures with action figures and other small folks. I'm personally going to take pics of Marko and Tic with my LOTR figurines. The Fellowship just got two more folks. I

*Pets and kids always make for good photos!!!

*Random celebrities or general people like cops with the dolls are funny.

And, we're a creative bunch...I'm sure you have ideas. So send me your photos and let's spend the summer chuckling over the shenanigans of paper dolls.

Marko and Tic were once again goofing off this weekend. This time they decided to cause to play around at my parents'/my stand at an outdoor market. Marko decided to take TIc for a ride in a mini Radio Flyer wagon, but...uh...they seem to have forgotten to take it out of the box.  

You heard of the kid who got stuck in the stuffed animal machine at Walmart. Well, Marko and Tic find themselves in the same predicament. Looks like they ate all the candy from the machine. I guess can buy either Tic or Marko for a mere $.25 

Marko and Tic fancy themselves as modern day versions of Fonda and Hopper imitating a scene from "Easy Rider", even though they couldn't even dress the part (or change their clothes yet!)  

Here Marko and Tic invaide a lovely scene of a boy and his son fishing with their antics. 

Here they are getting ready for the craft show...and showing off their fashionable t-shirt collection. I hope to make them lots of great clothes like dresses, custom t-shirts, and great colorful hairstyles for their many adventures. 

Marko was feeling a little silly, and decided to try on one of my wire wrap earrings. I lost the earring that matched it. I think maybe Tic stole it so he could match Marko. They sure are tricky for a couple of guys made of paper. 

Tic liked this butterfly jar I made. He thought it looked so realistic that he had to pose with it. What looks more realistic--Paper Doll Tic or the fake butterfly? 

Paper Doll Tic, however, decided to gage his feminine side by hiding in this LITTLE MERMAID girls gift set I made. I think he liked the shiny blue paper.