I am one of THOSE Christians...

Daddy was working so I did attempt pumpkin carving with three kids by myself! It wasn't as bad as I thought, and we had so much fun!

Judah supervising



I grew up in a pastor's home. And I loved it. One of the things I did not love was the fact that, based on principle, we were not allowed to go trick-or-treating. Since halloween was satan's day and all of that, trick-or-treating was looked on as a celebration of satan and so, since we did not want to celebrate satan, we did not do it. I remember going ONCE, when I was about 7 or 8, when we were visiting friends. Their teen-age kids wanted to take us, and my parents agreed to let them. Is it sad that i remember that day, what I wore, and how amazing it was to have a bag full of candy that was just for me?

I didn't think much about Halloween or trick-or-treating until I had kids of my own. last year, Isaac and I started talking about it as it got closer and closer. The kids I watch were full of talk about what costume they would wear, and my daughter loves (LOVES) nothing better than dressing up. One day she is a princess, the next a fairy, the next a bride, so costumes were a favorite subject around our house for months.

Isaac also grew up in a non-trick-or-treating household, so we were both torn on what to do. In the end, we decided this: Every day is the Lord's day. We give our lives to Jesus, and we live every day unto Him. I refuse to give satan even ONE day. I refuse to stay in my house and let him take a day away from me or my God. I refuse to allow him to make me sit at home while seeing our neighbors out enjoying the weather and each other. I refuse to allow my children to sit inside while they see the colorful princesses and pirates come to our door with buckets full of candy, not allowed to participate on principle. So I, a Christian mother, took my little bride, cowboy, and froggy out trick-or-treating (our town actually does it a week before halloween), and we had a fabulous time. We got to talk to our neighbors, meet new people, and came home with waaaaay to much candy.

Yes, I have read the history of how halloween came to be. No, I am not allowing my children to celebrate satan in any way. No, I don't think trick-or-treating is a sin. If you disagree, feel free to avert your eyes from the pictures of my adorable, trick-or-treating children:-).

Back in the swing of things

I have been feeling so out of the loop lately! My baby sister is in China, and not being able to talk to her on Skype or getting to take some time out to facebook was really wearing on my nerves:) I think Isaac just got sick of my whining, so he went out and bought me a new Notebook computer. I think he was just tired of sharing his work laptop with me! I feel like I am finally back in the land of the living.

Things have been busy around here lately. we have tried to be outside in this beautiful fall weather whenever possible. We go apple picking at least once a week! We went last night to get our pumpkins, and the kids are excited about getting to carve them. I told them they are going to have to wait for their daddy to get home from work, as I am not about to attempt 3 kids and pumpkin carving by myself!

Fall in New Hampshire is breathtaking, like nothing I have ever seen before. It has always been my favorite season, but living in a place that holds this much beauty satisfies my heart in a way that I can't explain. I love it.

Christi and I took the kids apple picking the other day (again!) and had a blast. These are a few pictures from our day!
Deciding who will pull and who will ride

The girls





Gavin and Lucas. What a good friend!

Sophia and Judah

Enjoying the fruit of their labor:)

A little black hole....

My computer has been on the fritz for a few weeks now, and it is surprising how disconnected I feel without it! My computer is my little outlet at nap time, when I can connect with other people, read blogs, and facebook to my heart's content. I love being a stay-at-home mom, but it is hard when the majority of my time is spent with little people and without adult conversation. Yesterday, I asked my friend Jen if she needed to "go potty." Enough said.

I do wish I could post pictures because we have had a VERY busy few weeks. We celebrated the twins FOURTH birthday last week, and have watch Barbie and the Three Musketeers every day since (multiple times!). I am waiting for the day that Gavin gets tired of trains because we could fill a small country with all of the trains that boy owns. Here's hoping Judah likes trains!

Speaking of the little man, he has been trying to walk the past few days. I don't know what it is with my boys, but they are very lazy walkers. Gavin didn't walk until he was 15 months old, and it looks like Judah is going to hold out too. He does have this little walker that he takes everywhere, running into walls and yelling at us to get out of his way (my interpretation!). It is hilarious because he looks like a little old man. My carpet has tract marks from him doing laps around and around. I know I am baised, but that boy is CUTE.

Hopefully, I will have my computer up and running soon and be back among the living....

Sunscreen

I was 18 years old when I first heard it. The summer before I left for college, it was on all the radio stations. Everyone knew the words. It started as an article, then it was a hoax that became a hit song. I found a little more on the history of how it came to be here. I came across it again the other day. Life is a little different now at 29, but the words are still true now as they were then. Some of the best advice I have ever heard:)

Sunscreen
'Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97: Wear sunscreen:

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blind side you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't know.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.