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While we TRULY enjoy FALL, we are amazed by how Halloween decorations and activities overshadow the beauty of this awesome season. Halloween is a holiday that can be tricky for a Christian family... While billed as a children's holiday by some accounts, it is something children must be protected from in many ways. This couldn't be more clear than walking into a store with young children and seeing walls full of bloody, gory masks, and skeletons. Or on a walk around the neighboorhood, passing several yards with make-shift graveyards. Even children's books, toys, candy, and television shows for this season are filled with images of ghosts, witches, and haunted houses. When did these themes become appropriate for young ones? It is no wonder that some people choose not to celebrate Halloween at all.
Our kids love dressing up in costumes, and what could be more exciting than getting a basket full of candy? Brian & I loved this as well when we were young and we enjoy being a part of this tradition with our own children. It's just a shame that as we prepared for this event, we also had to shield our children from the darker aspects of this holiday.
Nathan was with us last night for trick-or-treating but it ended up being a miserably rainy night so we had to curb our plans a bit. We drove to a few family & friend's homes and then Brian took Emma & Nathan & a BIG umbrella to trick-or-treat a few houses in Grandma's neighborhood. The kids didn't seem to feel short changed at all.
To us, this is what Halloween is all about:
We SO look forward to Fall and to the beautiful changing leaves on the trees... A favorite family event in Fall is when Brian collects enough leaves to make a huge pile at the base of the slide and we get to just play in it!
October is always such a busy month for us, but it is lots of fun! On Saturday we took the kids to the ISU Homecoming Parade. It was great to be downtown on a chilly morning with the bands marching by... it brought back lots of memories! We were happy to see some of the REAL parade elements that were not present in the Labor Day parade, such as:
It's hard to believe that our baby boy is already six months old! He is becoming quite good at sitting without support, loves his excersaucer and his toys, and is VERY social. He will give anyone a smile. He is such a happy little guy and a joy to be around!
As is our tradition, this week my mother & I took Emma & Samuel to the pumpkin farm in our area. Emma was so excited to go! It was a really nice day and we had a great time!
Quite a surprise I must say!
[Click here to see all the winning photos]
FROM OUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER:
Winners in annual Trees Inc. photo contest capture scenery at universities
Award-winning pictures of trees are on display this month at the Vigo County Public Library.
The
winning photographs in the fifth annual TREES Inc. photo contest can be
viewed through the end of October at the main library branch at Seventh
and Poplar. Dozens of other photos entered in this year’s contest are
also on display at the library this month.
I took the kids to a different playground yesterday afternoon for a little chilly play time. We had a good time.
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