Halloween this year was really fun, but it felt weird.
When our kids were younger we didn't have anything to do with Halloween.
I thought it was a gross holiday.
As they grew a little older we thought trick or treating and dressing up in fun costumes (not gross ones) would be fine.
I felt great about that.
But over the past couple of years I've been in charge of our school carnival and we have done a spook alley.
I have purchased all kinds of cool things for the spook alley and I've really gotten into it because I never do anything halfway.
So this year we (I should say Tanner) actually put up some creepy decorations on our porch and went all out for the trunk or treat......gravestones, creepy skeletons, huge spiders, witches cauldron, creepy fabric, fog machine, scary pictures, etc.
At the end I felt like I had done something evil....... exposing kids to icky things.
Several little kids were too scared to come up to me to get candy. I wasn't trying to be scary.....just having fun. But I feel terrible!!
So, I'm sorry to any of the sweet
people in my ward who
people in my ward who
came to our trunk.
I know Halloween is just meant to be fun, but I still have certain standards that I am constantly reaching for and I fell short this year.
I still think Halloween is fun - but I'd like to avoid some of the ickiness of it for our family at least.
I've always tried to make my home feel as sacred as the temple, and with those things around it just didn't feel that way.
One of my goals this year is to be more "spiritually minded".
It's so easy to get caught up in the business of my life.......
*8 kids - (really I could stop there)
*hundreds of loads of laundry
*25 piano/violin students + trying to teach several of my own children
* husband still going to school with a busy calling
*constant dishes
*kid's homework
*pto vice president
*taking kids to dance, violin, cello, piano,
singing, friends houses, orchestra,
young women, scouts, parties, etc.
*family scriptures
*time with each of my children
*preparing nutritious meals
*trying to keep a clean house
*trying to lose weight
I think the list could go on and on and on!
.........that sometimes things I've always felt were so important have been forgotten a little.
I'm so grateful for little reminders to get me back on the right track!!
So.......a few pictures of our Halloween weekend:
Trick or treating downtown Pocatello - all the girls and Akayla's best friend McKaiya
Lea - pumpkin
Annalisa - witchand friend Hailey
Elli - kitty cat
Dad - Indiana JonesMariah - 50's girl
Tanner - whatever the heck that is....
Our trunk with Akayla and friends Brianna and AlyssaCorina was too busy doing homework to have any fun!
Akayla's Twilight obsessed friend Courtney and her trunk
Adriana - Cleopatra and friend Abbey
Akayla - hula girl
Akayla - hula girlLea (trying on another costume) - leopard
good things:
sweet ward friends
babies in costumes
getting rid of all that candy!
4 comments:
Ang--
I watched Modern Marvels on the History Channel--and they taught all about how Halloween started.
Did you know that basically it was a Christian holiday? The scary was meant to "scare" people into being good.
Trick or Treating really started (as we know it in the US) to give the kiddos more productive things to do than trash other people's houses in the 1930's (cause no one could afford that then)--Meet Me In St. Louis has a pretty good example of what kiddos used to do on Halloween (although imagine slightly older teens trashing things they weren't given permission to trash).
I agree that I avoid too much blood, guts, gore, and scary. The "gouls" I put out in my house are all happy ones.
But--even I will watch Clue, and Wait Until Dark---and don't usually worry too much about the kiddos being "scary".....
Cause eventually most of them grow up and become like you and me--at least from what I've observed.....
Anywho---:)
Mary P.
Angela your so sweet! I feel the same way about Halloween. Keep your chin up everything will be fine ;)
Ang,
Don't be so hard on yourself. My kids loved your car. My mom is also someone who feels Halloween is too scary and evil. I have always loved it and love to have the opportunity to dress up with my kids and not feel to silly.I agree that it can be overdone and just too scarry and even evil at times but I would never ever be able to feel even a little of that from you. You're an amazing woman and have a wonderful testimony and spirit whenever I'm around you.
Love Ya
Amy
Your kids looked darling on Halloween! You have such a cute family!
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