Halloween

Don't worry, I'm going to try not to bash the holiday. But, I do feel like I need to say my peace. Growing up, our family's celebration of halloween consisted of passing out the candy with a spiritual tract(salvation booklet) in a plastic baggy. We would all sit at the table and put together the candy/tract bags and then that night we would take turns passing them out. Our goal as a family was to witness to the other kids who might show up at our door. Now I'm not saying that was the perfect or "right" way to do things that is just how we did it. So when we had Eleanor, I had to really think about what we were going to do.

I don't know if you have noticed the change, but Halloween has become a HUGE holiday compared to when I was little. And maybe partly because I lived in a home that didn't fully participate. Today as I was riding up the elevator to work, a guy I was with said "happy Halloween! It's my favorite holiday!" and to be honest it bothered me. I have decided that I don't have a problem letting my child dress up and taking her trick or treating. But I do have a problem with the glorification of Satan, witches, ghosts, blood, and anything representing evil. There I said it.:) Jesus came to this world to save us from all that!

Don't get me wrong, Eleanor will be dressing up and hitting the pavement tonight, and there are a lot of fun, harmless things that are associated with Halloween. But I want Eleanor to grow up knowing that there is also a dark side to Halloween of which I don't want her to ever become "comfortable" with.


-- Posted from my iPhone

Can you tell me how to get...

to Sesame Street!

This girl can't get enough of her Elmo. He is her new faithful companion (right next to her "lovey" of course).

And I HAD to take a picture of him when I was in NYC so I could tell her all about how I met him;)

Who knows what the next obsession will be but, for now, it's ELMO!

Pumpkins and Patches

Little Eleanor has had some great fun getting to see a lot of pumpkins these past few days!:) And of course it's great for photo shoots for mom:) I have a busy week ahead...I make my annual trip to NYC for work...I will miss my family, but I am looking forward to getting a little break. And New York is the BEST in the fall!

Playdate get together...

Eleanor wanted no part of this picture so she's hiding in the back hah!...too many cute little boys!

Family time...

Hayride out to the patch 

a "doggie"! 

Dad did most of the work:) 

this and that...

Is it really still hot out?? seriously...I know I will be so sick of cold weather in a couple months but right now I say...bring it on! I'm Sooooo ready to wear my fleece and furry boots and throw on a scarf:)

Last month we went to Oxford to watch the Rebels play. It was fun to see all of our friends. Scott spent most of his college years at OleMiss, his sister graduated there, and so did his mother. His dad went to Rice and my parents went to a private school in South Carolina called Bob Jones University. And since I went to University of AR in LR which does not have a football team, we remain loyal to the Rebels...hotty toddy!:) We hope that is where Eleanor decides to go to college...if not, she will not get to benefit from her college fund hah! just kidding. She may decide  she wants to be a razorback and that would be okay(for all you hog fans out there;).

So we took Eleanor to the first half of the game and she loved it...clapped when everyone else did and ate good...she knew right where the ice cream refrigerator was and would point to it everytime we went inside;) I'm so glad she got to go once this season. I don't think we will take her everytime just because it's just a little distracting when you're trying to watch the game.

And then last week was my birthday. We went to Big Orange to celebrate. It was my first time to eat there. I really liked it. Such a fun, friendly atmosphere. We checked out the apple store while we were out there (yes we live in Cammack and it is a trip to head out to the promenade:)) Scott is like a kid in a candy store checking out all the new gadgets. And I must confess, I want one of those tiny laptops:)

Welll, that is all for now. But another post to come soon. We went to a pumpkin patch this morning with friends and tomorrow our family is going to one, so stayed tuned for pics!