AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Some call it a Sugar High, or a Trans-Fat Trance, others a Glucose Gaze. Whatever you call it, our family had a huge dose of it last night. We high tailed it to Gigi and Poppy Johnny's house for some treatin' fun. Without much planning, our small group kids consisted mostly of marine-themed costumes. Jack was a fisherman, Finn was a shark, Gracen was The Little Mermaid and Pavin was a fish. Camden went rogue on us and was an organic banana. It was the cutest costume ever, but as my photo fortune would have it, all of my pictures of Camden were taken in the dark and didn't turn out. But just imagine a super cute little guy dressed up like a banana. So cute! We had a blast with everyone! Thanks, Gigi and PJ for having us over!



Before the sugar coma set in, our boys stood still for just this moment so we could capture their costumes for Halloween 2008. This shark costume has survived many tumbles, melted candy smears, pointing fingers and laughs. It will go down in our books as one of our all time favorite kid purchases. Jack went for the real life style over fairy tale. "I be a fisherman!" is what rang through the streets of Spanish Wells.


Jack, Gracen and Finn do some pre-treatin' relaxation and stretching exercises. They wanted to beg for candy with their game faces on. I think all the preparation worked. Practice makes better!



Pavin reluctantly joined the aquatic themed crew in his fish costume. This pushed his usual laid back style to the limits, but, as always, Pavin persevered and stayed cool as a cucumber in his stroller, not making a peep!



The people who took Halloween to ridiculous measure last year decided not to be outdone again! Jack and Gracen clung tight to their insanely nice Halloween toys that these folks gave them (and the other hundreds of children who came by). Unfortunately, Jack's toy makes noise this year. Next year I expect nothing less than a silent toy that makes Jack eat his vegetables.


Hampton Lake hosted yet another fun family event last Saturday. A Pumpkin Fest! They brought in hundreds of pumpkins used for carving, painting, and even pumpkin rollin'! Jack and Finn had the best time running around the pumpkins in the field. Unfortunately, it rained all day on Friday which made for a very wet pumpkin patch. Within two minutes of hitting the fields running, Finn found the muddiest of all mud puddles. Here he is before the mud slinging began.



To top of his dirtiness, Finley added some paint for good measure. A little acrylic paint never hurt anybody right? I was so upset at first because of all the mud, but John calmed me down and told me just to let him play. I was thinking that our great photo ops were ruined. WRONG!!!!



Finley is turning out to be the weird kid. Without any prompting he stuck this cone on his head. Maybe he was ashamed of how dirty his parents let him get. Maybe he thought it would be awesome and make everyone laugh. Either way, he looked like a little road construction gnome toddling around the parking lot.



The Pumpkin Fest was a benefit for the local Fire Department, so Jack was in preschooler paradise when he spent the afternoon climbing all over the fire trucks. There were several occasions where I saw him randomly give strangers the thumbs up sign.



After the crowds dwindled and our patience was running thin, we let Finn ditch his dirty duds in the back of the car. Thankfully we had packed an extra shirt and a boat load of baby wipes.



So, Fall continues to surprise us with lots of fun activities! We're past Halloween and cruisin' onto Thanksgiving now. I was so sad today to push the cart through Walmart to the tune of "Silver Bells". Seriously? Already? Did we slip into such a deep sugar coma that we missed Thanksgiving? The discount Halloween section was larger than the wimpy rack of Thanksgiving goods, and the entire outdoor section was already filled with Christmas trees! It was so unnerving, but so reflective of how we treat thanksgiving, the holiday and the practice of it. We have so much to be thankful for! To all three of you who read this, I'm pledging this year to highlight Thanksgiving as much as we do other holidays in an effort to teach my boys (at least the older one) the importance of it. I know times are so hard for so many people right now. Illnesses, financial struggles, government instabilities, war...the list could continue. I don't know why these things happen. But for every 'bad' thing, I can think of at least 5 great things, too. And I don't know why those things happen either. I surely didn't earn them. So, the way I see it, I cannot repay God for the gifts He's given me. But I can thank Him. So, here's to Thanksgiving! Join me, will you?

Psalm 95:1-6

"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."