Happy Halloween is Over for Another Year Day!

Another year of gluttonous gore is over with.  My kids are still in sugar comas and I'm considering finding something else to do next year...maybe a fun family day in the city.  I'm not opposed to costumes and walking around visiting the neighborhood of our teeny tiny little village...what I dislike is pretty much every thing else...children begging, junk food, mass consumerism/ commercialism, 5 rolls of toilet paper in my spruce trees and of course all the spiritual implications, practices and history attached to the "holiday".   I'm a Halloween scrooge.   I smile and give out candy...I take my kids out begging...but it's not my favorite.   

I'm always glad when it's done...now to figure out what to do with all this candy!  I've been letting my kids gorge themselves silly on it in an effort to have it gone sooner....but it seems to be bottomless.  I've stashed away mini bags of chips for our 35 hour car ride to Baja, I have a grocery bag full of suckers to give away while we're there, and I have all the peanut candy stashed safely away (for the mommy and daddy to enjoy later...hehe).   We made it through Halloween without needed an epi-pen  intervention.   That is a success in my book.

Yesterday we also chose to celebrate and learn about Reformation Day...the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on a castle door and sparked a firestorm as well as a revival.   I'm so thankful that we are saved by God's grace alone, through faith alone, and not by our own good works, efforts, indulgences, or religious rituals!   We are so thankful for the priesthood of all believers and that Jesus is the only intercessor we will ever need. 

"I more fear what is within me than what comes from without. "- Martin Luther

Such a great quote.  It speaks well to my view of Halloween.  We can hide ourselves away

 in fear of all that our culture is...but in reality evil, darkness, pride, envy, bitterness lurks in

 each of our own hearts and if not consistently repented of, cleansed and killed is uglier

 than any spooky Halloween mask. 

Our kitty (outside only) Rascal, his brother Jorge disappeared a few weeks ago.  He's either out Tom catting or he's road kill.  He was a nifty cat because he had a couple extra toes on each foot, which made for some very large cat feet.   

A ninja, Darth vader, and Darth Buzz

And a thirsty pumpkin who apparently also likes cat food.

Darth patiently waiting for his Trick or treating buddy to arrive.

Heading out.   We had wardrobe malfunction by the time we reached the end of the drive way.  The Darth mask came off  because it was "hurting him" and was replaced with a Buzz hat....which was rubbing his chin a few houses down the road. Nothing is simple with this boy!   Ninja girl joined us for a few door knocks but then ran home to change into her last minute smurf costume so she could join a group of 5th grade smurfs.  I guess conformity is a value in 5th grade.  

Our costume ensemble was thrown together an hour before departure.   Once the kids were done their school work for they day they all ran down to the dress up clothes bin and started digging.  We have quite an array of hand me down costumes to choose from.   My Halloween motto is "I'm not spending money on this occasion" (other than candy to pass out to door knockers) .  We can be creative...or wear the same costume as last year as the case may be.   

Just what every 1 year old needs.  She thought the whole knocking on doors and being handed candy gig was fantastic!

Silas the garbage mouth in his glory.  

Now I'm so glad it's November and I can start packing!!  We are so very excited for our road trip adventure to Mexico!  26 more days!  We are happy to be working with a different ministry this time and we are looking forward to see what God is doing in the San Quintin Valley!  That is a LOT of exclamation marks!  It should be a very positive change, although  change is never easy at the time.   God has something totally new for us I can't wait to see what that is.  We had a sneak peak at the house we'll be renting today...makes it seem more real.  I have a feeling that 1 month in Baja is going to go by WAY too fast.