April

Now I'm looking at the other side of a major family change--Josh and Emily Duke's marriage (now Emily Hubbell.  Yes, it has become very difficult to keep them straight now).  The wedding was a whole lot of work and thousands of little details kept us busy until it was all over.  With the help of my Uncle Arnie and Tim, who worked on the 168 Project, I got pictures and videos that I am now trying to edit.  I also took pictures during the ceremony with a remote control on my camera that I hid.  No one noticed!

The Easter Bash is coming up quick!  Just like the wedding, details stack up and things get busier and busier every day.

Spring 2011

Sorry it has been so long since the last post besides cell phone posts, which are not nearly as tidy as posts from a laptop, no matter how hard I try to type neatly on a cell phone keyboard.

Let me list off just a few of the things that have happened recently:  The biker church has swelled into a good 40-60 people coming weekly.  Videos of the sermons and events are being posted weekly at http://www.youtube.com/user/Steelcitybikerchurch/.

Josh and Emily Duke are getting married the day after tomorrow, April 2nd.  Wedding plans are being put through completion, but even so, stress is an annoying little bug that keeps trying to get at us.  Everyone is getting excited.  Emily's family has come up to Colorado and are amazed at...well, pretty much everything.  As the wedding photographer and Best Man, I have had to search for help to photograph the wedding and, after calling everyone I could think of, I finally found someone who was available to help.  I met him at the 168 Film Project.

The 168 Film Project is where a bunch of people get together and volunteer to try and make a ten minute short film in one week.  We were very understaffed but I helped the crew out with slating all of the shots (think of a black clapper with chalk all over it, except I had an ipad with a slate app that made things a lot easier).  Also I helped them edit the video.  I met a lot of intiresting people and learned a lot as well.

Just a week or two ago the Colorado Springs Super Show and Swap came and went.  We had to work with less space than ever but managed.  We could not set up any bounce-houses, but we did have shows and Bibles and all of the other good stuff we usually put out.  I even had to lead the first day's show, which was exciting and intimidating at the same time.  But I did it and was glad afterwards.

The Easter Bash also approaches faster than I would like.  We have made it shorter, only four hours long, but are trying make it more worthwhile to go to.  This year we plan on hiding 10,000 eggs.

I am also going on Run For The Wall again this year after skipping one year so that Mom could have a shot at it.  And of course being fifteen I am riding on the back of Dad's bike, for those who were wondering.

Life keeps moving!

The bikerchurch has been growing alot. We expected christian bikers but ended up getting regular bikers. We're meeting at the Pueblo Christian Activity Center.

Life seems to zoom by without the courtesy of letting me take a breath. Here are a few things that have been going on:

dry out the bouncehouses from severe rain at Sturgis, but now it has become an annual event created by Dad. I hope it goes well as it did last year.

On my way to our next event, just about a week after Sturgis. We call it Fowler Fun Day. Last year we did it just to (continued in next message)...

Sturgis, 2010

According to my dad, this year was one of the most productive we've had in Sturgis, South Dakota.  I know now how fun it was and wish I could replay it a few times.  But I wasn't looking forward to it at the beginning.

Coming up to it I learned the Florida team couldn't come up this year, meaning we would all have to work longer and harder.  But We got new help from more local sources.

The drive was long but the scenery and people I was with made it not so bad.  We had to stop breifly for rain, but besides that it was problem-free.

We stayed at the Rapid City church for a few days, about a half-hour out of Sturgis.  Then we moved the RV to the Sturgis City Park, where we stayed for the rest of the week.

Setup was harder than usual it seemed, but we persevered through it.

The week stayed fairly busy.  We had crafts, bouncehouses, Bible lessons, free stuff, a store, food, drinks, coloring contests, and more.  We introduced our 24-foot slide for the first time in Sturgis as well.

 

We got media coverage from the newspaper again this year.

During the shows we had our regular activities plus a few more:  puppets, memory verses, games, characters, lessons, songs, prizes, candy, the list goes on.  We had several days when the kids shows were packed and had a special guest, Pro Street Racer Rich Vreeland, come to the show, sign autographs and take pictures with the kids on his bike.  We had Josh fill in for Dad for a whole show and he did very well.  And almost every day after the show, we would have a wet down for the kids (or, in other words, we threw water baloons at the kids and dumped a bucket of water on top of them).  In addition, we had a contest.  Whoever had done the most Bible lessons or brought the most friends at the end of the week would get one of two ipods!  That really got kids to do the lessons.

I spent much of my time printing and editing the show schedule, filling water baloons, taking photos and being soundman for the shows.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all provided by Mrs. Tami and the other kitchen helpers.  In the evening we would go to the church to eat, take showers and rest before the next day.  There was one day I got to go to Mount Rushmore.  We walked around and watched the evening show.  It was fun, but took a toll on our legs.

I noticed throughout the week what a difference a large camera made.  Last year with my point-and-shoot, no one asked me for photos.  This year, I had at least seven photo/video requests, from helpers and random people.  I'm still trying to get them all sent out!

As always, about Thursday the week seemed like it was too short.  Things were wrapping up.  Saturday was coming, and with it the end of Sturgis Bikeweek.

Then it did come.  We had picked up some additional help by now, so teardown wasn't so hard.  Dad had to preach at the Sturgis church on Sunday, so we went there in the morning and then spent the night at the Rapid City church.  After that it was a long and depressing drive home, broken only by the gas stops and a stop at Cabella's.

Now, once again, Sturgis seems to be just a memory of good times and friends.  I remember all the kids we helped, all the new friends we made, all the work that was done.

And when I think of those things, I can't wait until next year.