Thank you for Holloween?

So today for lunch Lilly prayed before we ate. One certain part of her prayer kind of made me squirm..."and thank you Jesus for Halloween. In Jesus name, Amen." I have to say that Halloween is my least favorite "holiday" and I do not look forward to it at all. Simply because of the history behind it, and all the pains people go to as in essence they are celebrating evil, evilness, and evil things I don't like participating (all the skeletons, dead people, witches, devils, scary things, etc.). Now we do not celebrate these things, but I know the meanings behind all the dressing up, etc. Lilly of course in all innocence was thankful for the fun things she gets to do like dressing up and going to the Fall Festival to Trunk or Treat. I am happy to let her do this, but at the same time, "I HATE HALLOWEEN!"

The best conversation...

"Mommy look, that's all heaven!" Lilly commented on our car ride home yesterday when she saw all the clouds in the sunset. As we continued to observe and talk..."We will get to see Nannie (her great grandmother). There will be a lot of really good food. More and bigger than we have here. And bed"s. Will it ever be dark in heaven?" "No" Mommy said. "And we are all going to have cabins, and we will have new neighbors." Judah asks, "Is that all heaven up there?" "Yes" Mommy said.
As we continued to talk, we came to discuss all the aspects of heaven, how you get there and that they don't want to die right now. I so wish I would have had a recorder or the camera to record all their thoughts and questions. It was the best! I love hearing their perspective. When we were almost at our destination we even got on the subject of Martyrs. That's a difficult one to explain to a two and 4 year old. But Lilly's Sunday School lessons the last two weeks were about Daniel and the lion's den so she could get a little grasp of what it meant.

No Lion's Allowed

"Judah, Judah, remember I told you not to be a lion for a while?" Quote from Lilly this morning. She does not like it when Judah goes after her and growls like a lion. And she also doesn't like it when he wants to play bad guys and she wants to play dolls.....but right now they are sitting sweetly together at "their table" with a baby doll on each end, one in a highchair and the other in a shopping cart, and they are playing with beads....we shall see how long this lasts!

So I decided since it has been so hot and "un-fall like", I had to change my blog background. The Fall background was cute, but just didn't translate on these 90 degree days!
Seeking to walk in the Spirit today moment by moment and also to teach the kids to do the same. We prayed the Fruit of the Spirit together this morning and I am trying to remind them of the fruit when they are "fighting" with each other or disagreeing. I am also trying to stay one step ahead of them so the three of us don't start barreling down the hill of frustration, anger and discouragement. Our wonderful God gives us the tools and the people around us to spur us on to good deeds. So I am stepping gingerly in the moments to be wise in what I do, how I act, react, and speak. Although in doing this, my warm breakfast is now cold as I have now stopped 5 times in the midst of eating it to be one step ahead of the kids, or to discipline them when needed. But I just need to give up my desire for hot food! I will take my kids warm hugs over hot breakfast....

New Beds!

Before......

After....

And the new daybed/trundle...

We have moved the kids to the next stage. Toddler beds are gone and now they each have a twin. They are getting so old and I can't believe so BIG! Judah's on the bottom of course and they are loving it! Shad's cousin Courtney gave us this bed, it was her old bed since she was little and now that she is out on her own and in her twenties, she wanted to branch out beyond the rod iron hearts. So we are so excited to have this gift and know that it will be well used.

APPLES!

Apples, apples, apples! We went apple picking with Mimi and Grandpa and friends. It was a blustery day but perfect for picking. Lilly helped make cider and she and Judah both ate a lot of apples. They will be "regular" for the next few days I think. The apple trees at this particular place are old trees and the apples are grown organically so we could eat them right off the tree. They are good little apples! Perfect size for the kids since they can never usually finish a whole apple and they are at the stage where they don't want it cut up anymore, they want it whole! Anyway, just thought I would share the happenings!
The only down side was that Judah got car sick on the way up and threw-up, but after we arrived, ate lunch and went on our way he was fine. And his stomach seemed to handle the many apples he ate just fine. :)

Thnigs to come...

Here are a few pictures from yesterday. Shad is teaching Lilly to play the guitar, Judah is becoming a skater (I need to figure out how to put video on here) and Lilly is loving to roller blade (all because of 80's night with the High School group a few weeks ago).