Archive for the ‘Halloween’ Category
A Simply Awesome Halloween
Monday, November 2nd, 2009
We had a great Halloween. We actually participated in several Harvest and Halloween parties the week before. Katelyn participated in 5 Harvest/Halloween events. Madelyn got to wear her costume 3 times. So, it was money well spent!
Katelyn was a Bumble Bee and Madelyn was a jaguar or “Baby Jaguar” from the shoe ” Go Diego, Do”. We had a church Harvest Party at our old church ( more on the reason it’s “old” in another post), and Awana Harvest Family night, a Halloween party at Katelyn’s school, a Halloween themed dance class and then Trick Or Treating. All were fun.
Unfortunately, I didn’t know about the Halloween “party” in Katelyn’s dance class. I hadn’t been there in three weeks since Mike had taken her twice and then we were in Texas. There were no e-mails sent out. Mike said there was nothing about it when he went last time, although there were little signs posted about it throughout the studio. So Katelyn was one of three girls who did not have their costume on. I felt terrible! I seriously wanted to cry. Thankfully, her dance teacher had princess costumes in reserve and handed them out to the girls who were costume-less. And, luckily (or God?) my camera had fallen out of my purse into our van so I had my camera on hand to take pictures!
After dance class we went to the mall for lunch. Have you ever been to the mall on Halloween? Depending on your view of Halloween it’s either awesome or a place to avoid like the devil. The stores were handing out candy to mall trick or treaters. The mall itself had some activities for the kids and were passing out goody-bags. There were kids and adults galore dressed up in costumes. There was the cute, the bad and the hideous. We say a family dressed as characters from “Curious George”. The dad was The Man With The Yellow Hat. His costume was perfect!! Octomom was there too. Hehe. A woman was walking around pushing her stroller (with her real baby in it) and she had 8 baby dolls hanging from a chord around her neck. She even had the sunglasses that you always see Octomom wearing in the photos you see of her. I am SO going to the mall next year for Halloween! And I’m dressing up too! Of course, Katelyn noticed all the costumed kids and got upset she wasn’t wearing her costume. Again, I felt bad. While we were eating she said ” Mom, all the kids with costumes on are staring at me.” Oh boy.
I’ve put all my Halloween/Harvest photos on my Flickr album.
Here are a few for you to enjoy here…(in order of the event)
Our old church Harvest Party
It was a warm day so Katelyn didn’t wear the black long sleeved shirt she wore the rest of the time under her costume.
Madelyn minus her whiskers
Getting ready for the donut eating contest
Getting ready to hunt for candy in the leaf pile
Awana Harvest Family Night (or whatever it was called!!)
Katelyn and her friends
Enjoying the wagon rides that were offered all evening long.
Unfortunately, I used up all my camera battery so I didn’t get all the pictures I wanted. My inlaws have some on their camera I need to get. What a cute party New Life had! Each room had different games to play. It was almost like a carnival! They won candy for each game they played. They did a little devotional for the kids and their families at the end of the night. One thing that impressed me was how all the Awana leaders were in costume. I’ve been to church Harvest parties where I was the only adult dressed up. So it was nice to see adults dressed up too. Can you tell I love to dress up?
Faulkner School Pre-k Class Party
Waving at passing cars. The “man” with a cane you see is Katelyn’s teacher, Ms. Debbie. She really did look like a man. Kinda scary…. You can see Nana(not to be confused with our Nana. Ms. Debbie’s mom that also works in the room as like a class grandmother) sitting on the front stoop of the school. She was dressed as a witch and had a pretty scary witch mask on! I was surprised.
The class singing on the front stoop.
They sang three Halloween themed songs and were all really cute.
Here’s a couple of video clips of them waving and singing.
Dance Halloween Party
Katelyn’s dance teacher, Ms. Stacy, is in the red on the left. The owner of the studio, Ms. Kathy, is in the yellow wig on the right. Katelyn is dressed as “Snow White”. It was also “bring a friend” day but I also didn’t know that. Some of the girls took their little sisters but Madelyn would not have sat and followed directions like they did. So, I didn’t let her go in. Mean mom!
Trick Or Treating
Madelyn didn’t want to wear her ears.
In a better mood
Ready to go!
Why I’m Still Saved Even Though I Enjoy Halloween
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
I love Halloween. I just do. I love the decorations, the colors and costumes, the candy and trick or treating. I know many people don’t like Halloween. I know many Christians who just don’t do Halloween. I’m going to explain why I enjoy Halloween and enjoy celebrating the modern day kid version of it.
I know Halloween has roots in the occult. I’m not celebrating that part. My decorations don’t usually involve witches, skulls, skeletons or anything too scary. My decorations are usually cute and friendly and say stuff like ” Boo!” , “Trick Or Treat” or something like that. I don’t put fake tombstones and pretend severed arms in my lawn. When I say I “celebrate” Halloween what I mean is, I enjoy dressing my kids up in cute costumes, passing out candy, making Jack ‘O Lanterns and Trick Or Treating. And sometimes I enjoy dressing up myself. I love a good Halloween party. I was a preschool teacher for many years and I had so much fun planning our classroom Halloween parties and decorating for them. The preschoolers were adorable in their costumes. Sometimes the teachers dressed up. It was a blast.
I personally don’t see a problem with Christians enjoying Halloween. I think we can put too much of an emphasis on it’s past. Have you ever heard the phrase that goes something like this? ” Some Christians are so heavenly minded they are of no earthly good”. Let’s take a look at our list of “don’ts”, and add some “to do’s” and make sure we leave room for God’s grace and love. I’m not saying that Halloween has to be one of those “to do’s”. There are many things on our list of “don’ts” that maybe we could look at differently. I think we need to make sure we’re fighting the battles that are worth fighting for. The end result is that we want everyone around us to know Jesus. Don’t be so busy adding to your “don’t” list that you miss the opportunity to show someone the way to a rich, wonderful relationship with Jesus Christ. Look up from your list and start seeing the people God has put in your life to minister to.
Instead of locking your doors on Halloween night and turning all your lights off so no one thinks you’re home maybe you could find something different to do that night that would help spread the love of Jesus. I know Oriental Trading (orientaltrading.com) has some really cute Halloween favors that celebrate Jesus on them to pass out to Trick Or Treaters. If you’re a gospel tract “passer outer” throw one in with the candy! You never know how God can use you on Halloween night. But, I certainly don’t think you’ll be much use you if you’re hiding under your bed.
Just a thought. Just my opinion.
Each Believer needs to do what they feel is right between them and the Lord.
So, I’ll be sending Katelyn dressed up as a bumble bee to her school Halloween party. I’ll send cute little treat bags for her to give to her friends. We’ll go Trick Or Treating in my inlaws’ neighborhood. We’ll enjoy each others’ company and try to stay warm. We’ll have hot apple cider and eat too much candy. We’ll have fun. And we’ll still be saved.
And in case you’re wondering, Madelyn will be a leopard.
What are your thoughts on Halloween? Love it? Hate it? Think I’m wrong for enjoying it?
Let ‘er rip!
