Gingerbread Halloween Houses

This is our Christmas in October activity - I've always wanted to do halloween gingerbread houses.  I was pretty lazy though - just made frosting and bought a bunch of candy.  I frosted a milk carton, which was actually kind of cool because the frosting was so thick you could mold it in your fingers.  Mariah and Avonlea did a milk carton too but Mariah also constructed one out of chocolate graham crackers and put faces on mini marshmallows.  It was fun!

A Trick or Treat story

Reggie and I got to take Avonlea to a Halloween party at the church, which was great. She had fun running around with the other kids, playing games, and eating treats.

Most of the night she wouldn't wear the bat-wings headband

so Reggie and I took turns wearing it.  The picture above

is the best I got of her complete costume.

When it was time to trick or treat from classroom to classroom she was ready, complete with her pumpkin bucket.  At the first stop she said trick-or-treat and gave me the biggest smile when Jade handed her some candy and put more in the bucket.  We then happily moved on to the second stop, which was Grandpa.  She was pretty excited until she saw "the hand".  At the beginning of October we showed her our bowl with the green hand that tries to grab you when you grab what's in the bowl.  She was so scared of it that we turned the battery off for the rest of the month, until trick or treat time.  Reggie had another, bigger bowl full of candy and saved "the hand" bowl for the big kids.  But when Avonlea saw it, that was that.  She said "no, no" and  would not accept any candy from Reggie.  So he tossed an M&M package in her bucket and we hurredly moved on.  But she wasn't haven't it!  She kept saying "no" and handed me the candy.  After that, at all the other doors, she would say trick or treat but not accept any candy.  So the rest of the givers did the same thing  - tossed the candy into her bucket; and she did the same thing - took it out and handed it to me.  So by the end of the trick or treating I had an arm full of candy and she had a bucket with just the first few pieces of candy that Jade had given her.  I find it so fascinating that she specifically let that candy stay in the bucket, but none of the pieces that came after "the hand".

When we were leaving she didn't notice that I put all the candy in the bucket.  And when we got home she was actually thrilled to see it all.  I guess she recovered . . . until the next morning.  She got up and was so excited and started un-packing the bag we had brought.  Her bucket was on top of "the hand" bowl.  You could just see her face drop when she noticed it.  She didn't freak out but just said "oh no".  Ha! Ha! Ha!  It was hilarious.  I hurried and put the bowl away, never to be seen again . . . until next year.

Our weekend also consisted of going to a school craft fair, visiting her new sister at the hospital and making cookies with Grandma.

blessings and tragedies

To make my very long thoughts short:  I have naturally been counting my blessings a lot lately.  Reggie and I are so lucky in so many ways. (We had a wonderful weekend with little Avonlea, for example, which I want to blog about later).  Of course we have our trials, and one way I get through them is to blog about the good things so I can remember them.  But we also know and know of people who are going through tragedies right now and it makes us want to help and feel empathy to the point that it almost feels wrong to be happy and to count our blessings.  I've been thinking about that a lot for the past 24 hours.  I've come to the conclusion that feeling guilty for the trials I am not having is not going to help anyone.  Feeling empathy and being sad might help someone - especially if it leads to inspiration and action.  But most of all, I am realizing that staying mentally healthy is one of the most important things I can do in order to help others.

When I was focusing on the theme of Peace I loved a certain song that is coming back to me now.  "Make me a channel of your peace".  I want to shed my tears for others and I want to do whatever Heavenly Father would have me to do help them feel His peace.

So I'm going to keep blogging and listening to my playlists and looking at pictures of my family and feel grateful and do what I need to do to stay happy; and then do what I can to make this world a little happier for those I can.

I've also been thinking a lot about the following song for this Christmas in October.

A new baby in the house!

Emerson Ruth Last was born in the wee small hours of this morning.  Reggie and I have been taking care of big sister Avonlea, and the three of us got to go to the hospital to meet her.  She is so cute!  she has a good amount of dark hair and was sleeping peacefully the whole time we were there.  It is going to be fun when she gets home - doing our Grandparents share of holding her now and then and offering words of support as Mariah and Ross endure sleepless nights, etc.  We know they are up for the challenge!

rocking chairs & recliners

Something else I realized about this stage of life for Reggie and I:  Last night I put on the 6th Harry Potter movie in the living room ( Halloween tradition and all).  I grabbed my crocheting, which I can't do without my glasses and sat down in the brown recliner - my favorite seat in the house.  Reggie came and sat down in the tan recliner - his favorite seat in the house and we watched the movie together.  I guess we looked like an old married couple, which we are.  Are living room rockers/recliners just as much a part of old age as reading glasses and grey hairs?  I think maybe so.  But if they mean more evenings relaxing together then I am all for them!

early in the morning, late at night

For October's theme of prayer I recently posted the song "me & God".  It's been in my head every day.  I think my favorite line is "Early in the morning talking it over, me & God.  Late at night talking it over me and God."  I love that I can pour out my soul in prayer, talking about my worries and problems and thank Him for my blessings.  And if I am smart I try to listen and feel inspiration for the things I just prayed about.  I'm trying to focus on that part a little more this month.

Arata's Pumpkin Patch

We've been going to this pumpkin patch, along the coast, for years now.  

It gets bigger each year, which is great, except that they are starting to nickel 

and dime you with everything.  Oh well.  We always have fun at the pumpkin

patch and then go to Safeway to buy our pumpkins.

 Avonlea looks so cute here! (I guess my hair was in my face, but she just looks to cute I had to
include it.) Within the next couple of weeks, at the most, Avonlea and I are going to have at least
one day together when Mommy and Daddy go to the hospital to bring her sister into the world.
I am so looking forward to it.  And little things like time at the pumpkin patch, where I got to carry her when she got a little apprehensive or when she was willing to walk but grabbed my
hand while doing so mean so much to me.

Orange, red, brown, green and white pumpkins that were smooth or full of bumps - 

so fun!

The corn was as "high as an elephant's eye", as

the song says.  

Avonlea has no idea how her life is going to change very soon.  But I think a sibling is the best

thing her family could ever give her!

history in the making

Nancy Pelosi is a politician, so I am sure there are reasons for people to dislike her.  But I greatly admire her, and this picture is one example of why I do.  President Trump put this picture out to the world, soon after it was taken, to try to ridicule her.  He captioned it "nervous Nancy" and tried to embarrass her with it.  She, however, decided to own the picture/be proud of the picture and post it on her own media sites.  Many people love it and describe it as "Pelosi stands up to Trump".  Many people, like myself, see it as a picture of determination and bravery.  Look at how she is at a table surrounded by men only.  She is standing her ground and not being intimidated.  I think this incident is a great example of so many things: of standing up for what you think is right, of not letting yourself be intimidated, and of not letting yourself have hurt feelings but turning what was meant to be hurtful into something wonderful for yourself.

I love this picture.

ps - I did look up a biography of her.  She and her husband have been married for 56 years; they have 4 daughters and 1 son.  That makes me smile.

our October birthdays

Luke and Addy are our October birthdays (so far - we'll see when Mariah's baby arrives!).

I just love this picture - Luke was 11 and Addy a newborn.  This picture was taken at the San Francisco Zoo, and Luke is wearing her in a front pack.  And, sweetest of all, he is shielding her from the sun with their Grandpa Chandler's hat.  Grandpa Chandler died 3 months before Addy was born and Luke adopted his hat and wore it constantly for a year.

Luke turned 18 this year, while away at college.  He's always wanted a low-key birthday and I think he finally got it.  Samantha was the lucky one who got to see him and deliver a card to him.  We so appreciate her for doing that.  I know he also got other deliveries and lots of phone calls from his big-old-family.  When we were at Hillary's in September we presented him with a "cake" made of mini hersheys and reeses piled on top of each other.  We couldn't wait to give him his present, which he has needed to use already - that of winter gloves, socks and hats.  

Addy will be celebrating later this month.  I can't wait to see pictures of all the fun.

If we get another October birthday in the family we'll let you know, as Mariah is due October 30th!

stages

Poor Mariah.  Being the only of our original 5 home right now she has to endure the occasional "sweet talk" that Reggie and I say to each other, in front of her.  But to make you all endure it as well, I have to say, I love Reggie SO MUCH and am enjoying this time in our lives where it is "just us" again, in a manner of speaking.

For example, when the kids live here with their own little families they do scripture reading on their own, and we have still done it with Samantha and Luke.  So after we dropped them off at college I said to Reggie, "you know, we are each other's family and we still have to do scripture reading together".  There was a pause and then laughter from us both, cause it almost seemed so ridiculous.  But we've been doing the reading and discussion, as a couple, every night and it feels so good.  Just another reminder that the kids come and go, but Reggie and I will always be together.  I love him so much.

And one more thought about Mariah.  Being the third child, she has never been our "only child".  But there have been a couple of occasions where Ross has taken Avonlea out to give Mariah a break and she and Reggie and I have sat and watched a show together or something.  She has been our "only child" in those instances and it's been nice to bond with her that way.  I think family bonds continue to be strengthened through all stages of life.

So, as my favorite saying goes "All Is Well".

cinnamon brooms

Yesterday I decided that what I needed to start my morning off right was to hear the voice of our kindergartener, Isla.  So I called her and we talked about school and her Halloween costume.  She said she is going to be a witch, and that her mom bought her a cinnamon broom.  She sounded so excited, how could I not be as well?  Children and Halloween and cinnamon brooms - happy thoughts for a happy month.

Christmas in October

PRAYER

Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, (and sisters) that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you. - ALMA 34:17

 If you get on your knees and ask for help, and then get up and go to work, you'll be able to find your way through almost any situation. - Gordon B. Hinckley

And lastly, this is one of mine and Reggie's favorite "Sunday" songs.  It's very simplistic and somewhat casual, but that might be what we love about it.

Country Cellar

Even though sleeping in sounds so good on a Saturday, I got up early to have a baking day.  It wasn't typical autumn food, because I had blueberries and bananas and yogurt that needed to be used.  So it was blueberry muffins and banana bread, each with mango and peach yogurt baked in. 

The experience reminded me of a poem I read recently.  It comes from the "ideals" magazine, "autumn time issue".  I found several of these in our basement years ago and saved them - the copyright date says 1977.  And so even though I've never had a Country Cellar, I can relate in my own ways with baking days like today.

 

COUNTRY CELLAR by Mary Louise Cheatham

Between the briefly opened doors,
The exiled sun, in shafts, explore
And strikes a darkly purple vein;
Against the wall, a cherry stain,
And over near the farther stairs
The gold-white globules of the pears,
And lingers there, in happy stealth,
Upon this unexpected wealth.

She proudly eyes her damson plums -
(A season's worth of juice-sharp thumbs!)
And sets her last preserve hoard in -
(A summer's worth of fruit-stained skin!)
She fondly lets her glances fall
In one last gaze upon them all,
And then, preparing to depart,
She leaves with beauty in her heart.

"When I get back I expect you to be gone. Wait for me!"

I think October 1st is one of the happiest dates on the calendar.  It is the beginning of three very fun holiday seasons.  Around here it's all about "Arsenic and Old Lace" - at least one small clip of the movie every day for the next 31 days.  I'm also going to throw in some Harry Potter and other spooky-type movies of which I can handle.

Happy October everyone!