No Halloween Celebrated Here

We don't celebrate Halloween in our house. We celebrate Fall/Harvest This is our choice. We feel that Halloween is not a holiday, that we as Christians should celebrate. God laid this heavy on our hearts and we are choosing to follow His wishes (this also applies with Harry Potter Books....he has laid that heavily on our hearts that these books aren't of Christ, nor something that we would want us polluting our minds with). Yes, that means our son, doesn't get to go trick or treating but we don't feel that he is missing out on much. It is just so dangerous to go trick or treating anyway. He is old enough to understand that Halloween is a day (thanks to the fact that people do celebrate it and tend to decorate their homes (some not so tastefully)) that might look fun, but we are trying to give him our Christian values and see that it isn't a day that God would want us to celebrate. This year so far he hasn't wanted to decorate or even look at decorations pertaining to this holiday. He actually gets upset when he sees them. However we did decorate for the fall/harvest time. We have pumpkins (no carvings) and gourds on our front porch, with some fall flowers. A fall wreath on our front door. A welcome Fall Sign on front porch wall. We also have a beautiful fake pumpkin that is engraved with a great saying: Praise God, from whom all blessings flow, on each side of that pumpkin (we bought this last fall). We have some scarecrows (a boy and a girl,...really cute ones...we even have a couple of bigger ones for the front porch) sitting on our front entry hall table with some pumpkin spice potpourri. We have other fall decor that I need to go up to the attic to get that we bought last year (fake pumpkins with no carvings and so forth, nothing haunted, bloody, screaming, scary or questionable). So see we do decorate, we just choose to do it for Fall/Harvest not Halloween. For the most part Edward seems to understand that Halloween is a no no, the Lord has really been letting his heart hear what we are telling us and he hasn't questioned us about this yet. He might in a few years but I have a few great books to refer to incase he has questions and the Lord will help us to get through that too. Praise the Lord for those.

Edwards Dedication

Yesterday was Edwards Dedication at Church, it went well. We were so proud of him, especially after all the fussing he had done about not wanting to do it. He went up to the front though like a little champ and even let the pastor hold him during his prayer for Edward. We got so many compliments on how cute he looked in his little sailor suit and hat.

No Halloween Celebrated Here

We don't celebrate Halloween in our house. We celebrate Fall/Harvest This is our choice. We feel that Halloween is not a holiday, that we as Christians should celebrate. Yes, that means our son, doesn't get to go trick or treating but we don't feel that he is missing out on much. It is just so dangerous to go trick or treating anyways. He is old enough to understand that Halloween is a day (thanks to the fact that people do celebrate it and tend to decorate their homes (some not so tastefully)) that might look fun, but we are trying to give him our Christian values and see that it isn't a day that God would want us to celebrate. So since we kept seeing houses decorated for Halloween, and Edward wanted to decorate, we decorated for Fall/Harvest. We have a beautiful fake pumpkin that is engraved with a great saying: Praise God, from whom all blessings flow, on each side of that pumpking which is sitting on a couple of bricks to give it some height, is a scarecrow, a boy and a girl....they are cute not scary looking. So that you can't see the bricks we have 2 small potted mums in front of the bricks. On our 2nd step down are 3 more fake pumpkins. These ones look like real pumpkins. We bought them at Wal-Mart. No carvings in them. I had another big basket full of mums but they died in the warmer days that we had a few weeks ago. We had planted Marigolds in the front yard in the little wooden wheelbarrow left behind by the previous home owners, but we have a squirrel in the neighborhood who will not leave them alone, he keeps digging them up. I finally gave up. We have a beautiful fall wreath hanging by the front window, beside it is a fall pumpkin sign welcoming friends, and beneath that is a slate plaque with a basket of apples, that says happy harvest. So see we do decorate, we just choose to do it for Fall/Harvest not Halloween. For the most part Edward seems to understand that Halloween is a no no, but I think it might be a little harder to explain next year but God will help us with this. I have a few great books to refer to incase he has questions. Praise the Lord for those.

Just Call Me Chatty Cathy Today

I bet you are wondering why in the world I have been so chatty today, just a bunch of little things to share today. Like the fact that Edward is being a stinker pot today. He has been in more trouble today than any other day. Boy, I can't wait for him to be a teenager....LOL, yes I can!!!!!!!! I pray that this is just a phase and nothing permanent with his attitude. Thank the heavens we live in the Bible belt where a firm but loving spanking on the behind isn't frowned upon or against the law. That is one good thing about not living in WA state. They don't even like you to look at your child(ren) wrong up there. I personally feel that a spanking when needed is an acceptable form of punishment. That being said though, I also believe that as children get older you need to let them talk, to think about what they have done. Give a chance for them to correct their error(s) before administering corporal punishment. I don't condone time out. I think it is a huge joke. 95% of children in my opinion (having been a live out nanny, day care worker, child care provider and now a SAHM) do not learn anything from time out. I believe that the form of punishment administered depends on the individual child. Different things work with different children. One size punishments do not fit all. How did I get on that subject, oh yeah....Edward being a stinker pot.

Dog Days of Summer

It has been a very ho hum day around here, the only thing I have accomplished is getting the front and back yards mowed. I am so glad that that is done and I will not have to worry about it until I return from WA state. I am going to finish folding Laundry and getting the rest of the packing for our trip done (well, as much of it as I can). Edward is playing and Kirk has been doing some work that he brought home. So pretty much been a quiet day for us in the Thompson household. The only true excitement that we have had today is this morning when I was mowing and Edward let the dogs (Bear and Storm) out of the yard. Had to have Kirk drive around front and chase them down. Lucky for us as soon as they see our van, they come riding, eager to get a car ride. Sebastian doesn't have enough pep in him anymore to get to the gate before we realize that it is open.....but when he gets out boy does he go. So far he hasn't gotten out of our yard but once. Bear and Storm (mostly Bear) have gotten out a gazillion times already. It is never a dull day with them around. Storm had to have a small hair cut, as she got gum in her fur somehow (hummm, a little boy named Edward did it). So it will be interesteing to see what color her hair comes in as. The reason I say this is because the dog is a freak of nature, besides being made out of eyelashes, her fur as gone from Black to a light brown as she has aged, now when you remove hair from her it tends come in white. I swear it is like a life expectancy gage. When she is completely white, she'll have lived the life she wanted and leave us. Kirk says she looks like a bat without wings. I say she is sooooo Ugly that she is cute. She defiantly is one of a kind that is for sure. She has kept her puppy looks for the most part and she is still as peppy as ever at 8 almost 9 yrs old. Bear is our Fur ball, dumber than a box of rocks (walks into walls at times) but as sweet and patient as can be. He is still young and pretty active. He's 4 1/2. Sebastian is our old man, he is 9 almost 10 yrs old. He is already on a geriatric plan with our vet. He has alot of ear issues, bless his heart. When he was a puppy we weren't sure if he would make it in our home. He was constantly dashing out the doors when you opened them, then he would run you ragged trying to chase him down. Once he even got into the frig and at sour cream, eggs, yougurt, cream cheese and various other types of food one. WHAT A MESS that was!!! It is hard watching him getting older and slower. Knowing that one day (before we know it or are ready for it to happen) he'll leave us for Doggy Heaven. Yes, I believe that animals go to heaven, they are creatures of God too. Weeeeellllll, I better get to folding and packing.....and get a load of laundry started. Chow for now!!