Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The Bible in 90 Days



I was very excited yesterday when I saw the MomsToolbox Facebook post yesterday.  It is time to sign up for The Bible in 90 Days Challenge.  While internet surfing, I stumbled upon the MomsToolbox blog just after the previous group had started.  I have been waiting for the next group to begin.  Could I have downloaded the reading schedule and completed this challenge on my own?  Possibly.  However, I know myself!  In order to achieve this, I knew I needed to do it in community with accountability.  Also, through this challenge, a mentor is available to encourage me along the way.  I believe that using this format I will be able to read the entire Word of God in 90 Days.

Would you consider joining with me?
Click Here to get started!

My Thankful 30

Throughout the month of November, I've noticed that many friends have blogged or Facebooked daily thankful posts.  I was not nearly that organized, but I love the idea of dedicating the entire month rather than just one day to Thanksgiving.  Honestly, I hope that each day I express my gratitude for the many blessings and abundance God has given me, but I fear I fall very short in doing so.

As November will soon give way to December, I wanted to create my own "Thankful for 30."  Soon Christmas will be the focus, but I'd be remissed if I neglected to give thanks!  As I'm sure we could all say, this list could go much, much longer!!!
  1. Sacrifice - God sent his only Son to die for me!
  2. Salvation - knowing my eternity is in Heaven.
  3. Unconditonal love from my Father above
  4. Forgiveness
  5. Jon - my husband who loves me as Christ loves the Church
  6. Caleb - my precious son! 
  7. Jeremiah - my cutie!
  8. Rachel - my princess!
  9. The miracle of adoption
  10. My parents who taught me about Jesus, love, and support me.
  11. My siblings - love you Brother and Sister :)
  12. My grandparents, Papa and Mama Spaulding, who taught me what it means to serve God
  13. My extended family
  14. Jane - my very best friend
  15. Friends - both lifelong and for seasons
  16. Prayer Warriors and Mentors in the faith
  17. The Church - believers everywhere
  18. America and the freedoms we have
  19. Ethiopia - where a part of my heart will always be
  20. Health
  21. Clean Water
  22. Food
  23. Shelter
  24. Clothing
  25. Access to medical care
  26. Technology - allowing for communication and relationships with others worldwide
  27. Music
  28. My adoption support group
  29. My Passion - to enter the fields of the fatherless and be a voice for those who have none 
  30. Having ALL my "needs" met and more "wants" than I should

Friday, November 26, 2010

A Wells Family Thanksgiving

My big boys waiting for Turkey Dinner.
 Rachel and Allison, and yes, the pink boa, dress-up clothes, and tu-tu spark Rachel's creative energy!
 Time for Grandma's Little People Christmas to come to life.  Jeremiah has the 1st box and the others await the rest.
 Rachel checks out Santa and his sleigh.
 Beth and Josh keep tabs on the Thomas Kincade tree.  A choo-choo goes round and round.
 Caleb plays with the Nativity.
Jeremiah has Santa on the Train Track.

Our Thanksgiving plans veered from the usual trip to Tennessee, and we celebrated at Jon's parents' house.  Mary prepared a great meal and a decadent dessert.  She knows my great love affair with the peanut butter/chocolate combination, so to my shear delight, she made a peanut butter turtle pie.  Rich and Delicious!!!

With five little ones (each with their own personalities, quirks, and triggers), it is always a guess as to how the get-together will go.  I believe, we were all pleasantly surprised.  We were together from a little before 1 p.m. until after 7 p.m. with minimal meltdowns.  Kiddos played well together, and the adults were even able to chat some.  It really was an enjoyable day!  It reminds us that we have sooo much for which to be thankful.  Namely, the blessings of family - Terry, Mary, Lee, Beth, Allison, and Josh...  God gave us you!  Of course, I can't forget those we were unable to share our holiday with:  Dad, Mom, Matthew, Megan, Malachi, Adam, and Valerie - we are so blessed by you. Thanks for all your love and support.

I am thankful for my amazing hubby!  Jon loves the Lord and his family.  He works so very hard and cares so very much.  Caleb, my precious boy.  I'm thankful for your wild imagination, quest to learn more, your desire for God, and your compassionate heart! 

Jeremiah and Rachel - this time last year, I was thankful to finally see your pictures.  This year, I'm thankful to have you in my arms and to know you.  Jeremiah, you have such an endearing smile and an infectious laugh.  You desire to please and have a servant's heart.  Rachel you are pure joy!  Your giggle is music, and your beautiful eyes so captivating.  I love hearing you repeat endlessly, "Mommy, I love you!" and "You MY mom!"

Heavenly Father... Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Bling-Bling!

I couldn't resist!  I had to post this pic of my girly-girl.  She's all about the BLING!  Miss Rachel is rockin' the pink clip-on earrings.  I LOVE THIS GIRL!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Thanksgiving Festivities

Still recovering from the go-go-go of the weekend, I'm behind in posting about some of our Thanksgiving festivities.  Here is the re-cap of the many things we've been involved in.  A lot of fun was had, and by looks at my expanding waistline, even more food was consumed!

Nov. 14th - Graefenburg Christian Church Thanksgiving Meal
I neglected to mention this earlier, but our church gathered for our annual Thanksgiving Meal a couple Sundays ago.  The company was wonderful, and as usual, we succumbed to gluttony.  That much food in one place is sinful, but oh so delicious.  I made one of my "potluck" staples - GREEN BEANS.  I didn't bring too many home, and Jeremiah was quite eager to take care of the leftovers. 

Nov. 17th - FIAR Co-op:  Cranberry Thanksgiving
We met with our co-op friends to complete activities relating to the book Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin.  Usually, I have pictures, but since I was leading this session, no pics :(  Too focused on other things.  In fact, the camera didn't even make it out of the house with me.  Instead, I packed out coloring sheets and crayons, a large map, markers and poster board for making a graph, 9 pre-formatted lapbooks, 5 gifts, supplies and paint for turkey creations, 48 mini cranberry orange muffins, and a case of water.  Amazing, the three kiddos were in tow as well.  We had a good time with this story, and it was great to share with the other mommies and children.  Fun for all - educational too :)

Nov. 21st - Community Thanksgiving Service
Our church once again hosted the Community Thanksgiving Service.  It was nice to have members of the Baptist and Methodist join with us for worship and a dessert fellowship. We had a special speaker, and another lady and I provided special music.  I'm not sure how "special" my song was, but I absolutely LOVE the words to Nichole Nordeman's Gratitude.  Give it a listen - it is profound!  


Nov. 22nd - Thanksgiving Activities with friends
Running a little late due to the fact we were still somewhat sleep-deprived, we headed to Miss Gretchen's house to join Rebecca, Libby, Abby, Miss Cara, and Gracie for some Thanksgiving fun.  We read stories, sang songs, painted pumpkin pies, made foam craft turkeys and pilgrims, thumb-painted turkeys, ate pumpkin spice muffins, and decorated cookies.  We even stuck around for lunch so the kiddos could have some play time and the mommies some chat time.  We had such a good time that Christmas plans are already in the works.


Harvest of Hope

Our whole family attended the 2010 National Missionary Convention - Harvest of Hope.  This is the first time I have had the privilege of attending such an event, but I'm pretty confident it is foreshadowing of things to come in the Wells' future.  When? Where? How? all to be determined, but God is stirring.  I must admit, while exciting, the feeling is still uncomfortable at times and fears exist.  I'll pray that I am open to wherever God leads our family.  I assume it is still a few years in the future as Jon has more schooling before he reaches nurse practitioner status.  However, I'm learning my time is not God's time, my ways are not His ways, and well... assumptions are just that :)  Seriously, would we really want it any other way???

At the convention, my kiddos had such an incredible time.  They hung out in the preschool department Thursday evening, all day and evening Friday, and Saturday afternoon and evening.  They were the regulars at the "Big House" as they referred to Rupp Arena/Convention Center.  Puppets, crafts, lessons, music, movies, playtime, and snack.  It doesn't get much better than that.  Caring adults + planning + engaging activities = My kids truly experienced children's ministry, and they were enthralled.  Saturday night, when I put Rachel to bed, she asked, "Big House again, Momma?"  "No baby, you are all done at Big House."  With big crocodile tears Rachel whimpered, "But I LOVE IT!"  My thanks to all who had a hand in the preschool programming for the convention!  A huge impact was made on my little ones.

With the kids tucked away in their area, Jon and I heard some great speakers and attended some breakout sessions on clean water, human trafficking and sexploitation, and refugees.  We wandered through the exhibits soaking in the many missions efforts here and abroad.  We spoke with passionate people who reflected God's heart for all people... diverse and wonderful as He created us to be!  I was able to meet several of the CMF people from Jon's internship in Ethiopia.  It was nice to put faces with the names of those he has spoken so highly of. 

Also at this event, the Restoration Revolution was launched.  This is a 10-year collaboration that desires to share Jesus with all peoples in four primary areas. We can close the gap through prayer to the Almighty, Churches, Tools, and Service.  It will be interesting to follow this movement.  We pray it is effective as the harvest is plenty and the workers are few.  Come church - it is time to arise!

The National Missionary Convention was great!  We had family members and church members in attendance.  We saw friends from neighboring churches, college professors, and friends from KCC.  We were exhausted by the close of the weekend but oh so very blessed!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Ben Franklin DNG

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember.
Involve me and I learn.”

—Ben Franklin

There is sooooo very much we can learn from Ben Franklin, and the Wells kiddos just tipped the iceberg this week using Amanda Bennett's Ben Franklin Download N Go.  The Download N Go series is comprised of week long units on varied subjects including:  animals, continents, countries, people, and food.  The units are cross-curricular as they include history, geography, science, math, literature, art, etc.  Each unit is designed with K-4th grade students in mind, so it is engaging, hands-on, exciting, and entertaining.  The graphics are fabulous and the embedded video clips and websites are equally wonderful.

An overview of our week studying the Ben Franklin DNG is included below as well as a small sampling of the activity pages found in this unit.  The DNG series is complete with both notebooking and/or lapbooking options.  The need to hunt for materials is eliminated because everything required to complete these tasks are provided for you.  You can literally download the unit and go directly into quality learning.  However, I highly encourage you to take a trip to your public library with the recommended reading list in hand.  I know we have found some wonderful supplemental reading each of our units.

Day 1: Who Was Ben Franklin?

Day 2: People and Places in Ben Franklin’s Life
Day 3: The Accomplishments of Ben Franklin
Day 4: Lessons to Learn From Ben Franklin
Day 5: Remembering Ben Franklin



Some highlights of our week...

On Day 1, the kids drew pictures of themselves as what they wanted to be when they grew up.  Caleb drew himself as an "animal doctor" - Papaw, the veterinarian, will be proud.  Jeremiah decided to draw himself as a "people doctor" - a happy Daddy may live vicariously through him.  Finally, Miss Rachel created a drawing of herself as a princess.  Hahaha - I told her she was already our princess, but she wants the castle, gowns, jewels, and the whole 9 yards.  My babies can dream :) 

Day 2 had us pouring over the map locating the great travels of Ben Franklin.  As we always do, we compare the distance of the location to both Kentucky and Ethiopia.  We then determine to which it is closest :) 

We talked about electricity and inventions.  The kids discussed what they wanted to invent....  Rachel wants food.  Guess she will be the gourmet chef?  The boys got out their TRIO blocks and created some interesting things.  We shall see if there are any patents in the boys' future.

Best of all, we were able to study character traits.  I find great value not just in learning about the achievements of historical figures, but the character which they possessed.  We talked about honesty, courage, and bravery.  This sparked some great discussion and real life applications were made.

My only issue with this particular DNG was the inclusion of a Family Tree.  These very common often very popular activities are difficult for adoptive families.  Even though we have more information about our children's family than most, this is not an activity we could complete tracking the biological family.  Instead, we have to focus more on the children's people group and even then, it is so remote, that we are very limited in the information we have to share.  I understand the importance of genealogy, family history and pride, and the historical implications of our forefathers and knowing where we came from.  However, I feel this study could be equally as educational and wonderful without the inclusion of a family tree project.  While I know this is something we will address more in the future as we have very open discussions in our home regarding our children's first family, this was an activity I opted not to use this time.

I encourage everyone to spend some time getting to know Ben Franklin.  I believe a week would be a perfect start, and you would be at a real disadvantage if you tackled this project without the help of Amanda Bennett's Ben Franklin DNG  Until November 22nd, you can purcase the Ben Franklin DNG from The Old Schoolhouse for $6.25 instead of the usual cost of $7.95. The unit can also be bought in a patriotic package including DNG's studying George Washington, Constitution Celebration, and Ben Franklin for $23.85.


Finally, I suggest you click here to read what other reviewers have to say about the Ben Franklin DNG. I always gain such insight from these reviewers and learn new way to expand our DNG studies.  They all offer terrific ideas to use DNG's with your children.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Operation Christmas Child

Jeremiah, Caleb, and Rachel each put together an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox to be sent to a child in need.  This is such a special project and the kids truly enjoyed shopping for trinkets and treasures to fill the box.  I have done shoeboxes with Caleb in the past, but this year he really seemed to understand the importance and the spirit of giving.  Jeremiah especially grasped the concept as he remembers the gallon size zip-lock bags of goodies we sent to Ethiopia before traveling.



I love the short video below of a boy from Angola receiving his shoebox.  The exhileration, excitement, and utter joy moves me to tears.  Oh how happy this little one is by the gifts inside, and how happy I am that he will learn of the love of Jesus.  Operation Christmas Child is a project that my kiddos and I will continue to support in the coming years.  Would you please consider doing the same?  It is so very easy to do!

PSPL Storytime

The kids have been attending Storytime at Paul Sawyier Public Library every Tuesday morning the past 6 weeks.  While reading and learning about pumpkins, fall, the moon, dinosaurs, and shoes, they have had an absolute blast.  Of all the library programs, I have attended with Caleb and now all 3 kiddos, this has by far been the very best experience.  Ms. Lynn was phenomenal with the kids.  She had interesting stories, music and movement, engaging activities, and creative crafts.  The kids will be lost next Tuesday when we don't get to go to Storytime.  We will anxiously be awaiting the spring program and really hope that Ms. Lynn is leading the session.




Monday, November 15, 2010

Change of Plans

It was one of those days...  Mommy had an agenda, but the kiddos plans didn't jive.  Unfortunately, more often than not, Mommy overrides, but not today.  Instead, I embraced the change of plans my kiddos presented.  Lesson learned - I should really do this more often! 

Caleb brought me a Lego car to build.  It was not as easy as I'm sure it should be due to the fact that I am constructional and spatially challenged.  After I managed the amazing feat, Jeremiah had one in hand.  I should have started with it because it was much easier.  Uh-oh... no Lego car for Rachel better think fast Momma!  I had picked up some clearance craft kits awhile back, so I dug in the stash.  Sand art sounded good to me, so I got Rachel started on her masterpiece.  As always, her solitude was short lived.  The boys invaded, grabbed some glittery sand pens, and went to work painting butterflies and flowers.  At least, they were all working well together!

I had 3 very happy little ones and was honestly I was quite pleased as well.  Yes, I still have a messy living room and laundry to do, but that will always be there.  Legos, sand art, and little smiles will disappear way too soon.



Wednesday, November 10, 2010

REFERRAL-VERSARY!!!!

Happy Referral-versary to me, me, me.  One year ago today, I feasted my eyes on this precious picture of my Ethiopian cuties.  I instantly fell in love.  I longed to find that little boy's smile, and I was absolutely captivated by that itty bitty girl's gorgeous eyes.  She also had her tongue sticking out - a trademark of mine in all childhood pics.

Now, I have a super smiley little boy, and a girl who can flash an infectious smile and bat those big eyes and like no other.  Yes, the tongue still sticks out when she doesn't have her thumb in her mouth.  These babies bring so much love, laughter, and joy to our home.  I am so very blessed!  To God, I am forever grateful for Jeremiah and Rachel!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Answer the Cry

Up late tonight... I just watched Answer the Cry.  This video was created for the Cry of the Orphan campaign, by the joining of the Show Hope, Hope for Orphans, and Focus on the Family organizations.  In the video, you will see familiar faces such as Francis & Lisa Chan, Steven Curtis & Mary Beth Chapman, Mark Shultz, Jim Daly and several others.  Each one shares their heart and/or song for orphans and involvement in orphan care. 

Please Watch Answer the Cry here!  It will only be online through November 14th.  I promise it is an hour well-spent.  I pray it stirs your heart, hands, and feet to action.  Savior, He can move the mountains, My God is Mighty to SAVE.  He is mighty to save! 

Sunday, November 7, 2010

ORPHAN SUNDAY


I had the opportunity to worship at Southland Christian Church this morning.  The music was wonderful, the baptisms joyous, and the message of atonement and redemption timely.  Amidst all this combined with the fact that my brother-in-law was sure to have us seated on the very front row, I must admit I still had a hard time focusing.  I found myself anxious.  Being Orphan Sunday, I found myself praying fervently.  I prayed that God would move mightily in the hearts of His people, that the church would arise, and answer the cry of the orphans. 

Following the service, I headed to the atrium to don my wild lime green shirt and join with fellow adoption support group members and friends.  From 1-4 p.m. an adoption/orphan care event was taking place.  Couples came to learn more about foster care, domestic adoption, and international adoption.  For some in attendance, they were simply daring to broach the subject of adoption, and for others their mind was made up and their plan of attack already set in motion.  It was a beautiful sight to see so many gathered together with like minds and purpose.  Registrations exceeded what we had anticipated, and it was evident that God really showed up in a big way.  It was an ever present reminder that God really is capable of doing more than we could ever ask or imagine. 

Jon rolled in after preaching at GCC just in time to eat.  From the table, we headed to speak on an Adoptive Parents Panel.  There was some great Q&A and dialogue.  I only wish we had more time.  However, Jon and I were able to speak to several couples individually and share more specifically about our adoption with Ethiopia or our experience with our agency.  Speaking of, America World also had a strong presence as there was an informational table available and two of our KY Associates led a break-out session on International Adoption.  While the Bowman's handled those duties, Jon hung out at the AWAA table, and I played with some cutie pies in the childcare room.

The afternoon was a buzz of activity complimented by lime green clad ladies and gentlemen.  I can't say enough good things about this support group.  Even though we aren't able to worship as frequently as we'd like with the Southland family and aren't members there, we have always been made to feel 100% a part of this group.  The support was tremendous to us on the receiving end, and it is phenomenal to be on the giving end.  I was truly touched by my sweet husband.  In his gentle response and words of encouragement, he ministered to a very broken woman in the wake of a failed adoption.  I believe his tenderness was balm for her wounds.  I was so very proud to be Jon's wife in that moment.  I know others in the group had shared experiences.  I believe we will see some new faces at our next support group meeting!

Orphan Sunday is a great day to turn our focus, prayers, hearts, and actions towards the fatherless.  However, with 147 million orphans, we need ORPHAN EVERYDAY until they all have homes.  My prayer is the same as it was before the adoption event.  God move mightily in the hearts of Your people, may Your church arise and answer the cry of the orphans.
Why Love Orphans? from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

G'day Mates... Expedition Australia

Why is Waltzing Matilda stuck in my head?  Or the lyrics "Laugh Kookaburra, Laugh?"  Hmmm... could it be that my 3 world travelers and I have been to the Land Down Under?  (No, not the kids lair in the basement!)  Actually, we have again had the privilege of completing one of Amanda Bennett's wonderful Download N Go units, and this past week our selection was none other than Expedition Australia.  What tremendous fun we have had exploring the Outback, discovering the native wildlife, discussing the unique music, and learning the lay of the land together!!!

Expedition Australia is a downloadable unit study designed with young students in mind.  Lasting a week in length, the units are perfect for K-4th grades.  Each DNG contains embedded video clips, website links, lapbooking elements, notebooking pages, supplemental activities, and recommended reading lists.  DNG units are interactive and exciting for children yet easy and manageable for parents to implement.  Listed below is an overview of the daily topics we studied and a peek at some of the activity pages available.

Day 1: Where on Earth is Australia?
Day 2: Some of the Special Places in Australia
Day 3: A bit of Australian History
Day 4: Cool Things to Know About Australia
Day 5: Fun and Games in Australia
 
My animal lovers really enjoyed Expedition Australia because there was wildlife a plenty!  Kangaroos, koalas, and the funny little wombat too.  Our public library's collection had the perfect books on these fascinating critters.  It makes this Mommy smile because my children don't have to be entertained merely through fictional texts sporting recognizable cartoon characters, but that they can be equally engrossed in factual books.  Through DNG's my kids are becoming quite familiar with the non-fiction side of the library.  (An experience, I believe, I was lacking in my youth.) 

In keeping with my wee ones obsession with animals, we reminisced about our recent trip to Kentucky Down Under.  This attraction hosts many Australian influences.  It is a piece of the Land of Oz tucked away in the Bluegrass.  We remembered how we tried to get the kookaburra to laugh.  We had as much luck doing that as we did making a decent sound on the didgeridoo.  We recalled petting kangaroos, and while we never saw a joey peep out of it's pouch, we were able to see it moving and kicking inside.  This was an excellent trip, and it was great to tap into the kiddos prior knowledge when studying Expedition Australia.


While I really, really enjoy eating a good steak at Outback, it is much more economical for my family of 5 to study the Outback - more educational too!  As all DNG titles, Expedition Australia is available for purchase and immediate download for $7.95.  However, for a limited time, you can purchase Expedition Australia for $5.95This deal will end November 8th, so don't delay! 
 
Also of special interest, the DNG Blog is hosting a giveaway for two Australia Political Maps from National Geographic.  What could be a better addition to your study of the Land Down Under?  In order to be entered in the giveaway, simply visit the DNG Blog and leave a comment.  While taking this step to be the next giveaway winner, be sure to check out the Expedition Australia blog tour.  See how other families utilized this study in their homes, and make note of things you won't want to leave out when your family goes on their own educational Expedition Australia trip.



Saturday, November 6, 2010

"Adopted By Design"

This morning, Jon and I had the opportunity to do one of my absolute favorite things... talk adoption.  As we have had the privilege to do on several other occassions, we attended an America World Adoption Association seminar to share our family's personal adoption experience.  Even though we participated in a seminar just a couple weeks prior, the story NEVER grows old.  ADOPTION:  God is the author, and He is in the miracle writing business. 

Every time we serve as a speaking family, I pray that God is glorified.  I pray that He is magnified and "we" are minimized.  As I told one of the couples Jon and I spoke to individually, so often people say, "Your kids are so lucky to have you."  Wow - they have it all wrong!!!!  We are so very humbled and blessed to be afforded the opportunity and responsibility to parent these precious little ones.  We have many flaws and make tons of mistakes, yet God entrusted and gifted them to us.  Adoption is nothing that WE did - it is ALL God!  He writes the story.

I just completed Mary Beth Chapman's Choosing to See.  This book was absolutely breath-taking, gripping, raw, emotional, hilarious, heartbreaking...  REAL!  One of the things she repeated in her book was having a story to steward.  Wholeheartedly, I believe, our adoption experience is our story to steward.  God did a tremendous work within us and so many others throughout the process, in fact His fingerprints continue to appear each day, how could we possibly keep silent?  In the independent Christian church, we shy away from the word TESTIFY a lot, but from my very core, I know that I cannot keep silent about what God has done in my life through the miracle of adoption... earthly and spiritually!

As our wonderful agency has now newly coined their seminars, we truly are "Adopted by Design."  I love America World!  Their ministry, heart for orphans, dedication, and desire to serve are ever present.  We experienced it, and we consider it pure joy to direct others to their very capable and loving hands.  God writes the story, and I am thankful for the many AWAA staff God cast as both major and minor characters in ours.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Meeting Malachi

The kiddos were thrilled to crash Uncle Matthew and Aunt Megan's house with a food delivery.  They were very excited to meet their new cousin.  The three of them played shy at first, but they were happy when Uncle Matthew said they could hold Malachi - with Mommy's help of course.  (Mommy was happy too - it's been a long time sense I've had an itty, bitty one!)

Jeremiah was more interested in the tv than Malachi, but Caleb was happy to hold him.  He kept saying, "He's so cute!"  Rachel grinned from ear to ear.  Later, on the way home, she said, "I tell Jane I hold baby Malachi.  Malachi soft."  Although, Malachi sounded more like "Milky" at first.  Now, it has morphed to Malky.  Surely by the time the kid is one, she'll have Malachi down.

So glad to see my newest nephew...  praying Megan is on the mend and feeling better, and by the looks of it, my brother needs more sleep.  Again, our family is truly blessed.



Monday, November 1, 2010

Trunk-or-Treat

Being that Halloween was on a Sunday, the city had trick-or-treat from 4-6 p.m.  At church, we always coordinate our Trunk-or-Treat to coincide with the city in order to outreach to the community.  That meant that we trunk-or-treated in broad daylight and had an hour of soups, sandwiches, and fellowship before our evening services.  Because it was a 5th Sunday, we actually had participation night.  Who knew that Buzz Lightyear, Superman, and a Pretty Princess would share their talents?  Too cute!!!!

Before bed Rachel said, "I like uh more Trick-Treat-Thank You."  I told her that there was no more until next year.  She replied, "Ok, I like uh more my birthday!"  Hahaha - she's figuring it all out :-)