So with my first batch of kids we never did Halloween, (and we still don’t) but now that I have matured a little and have another batch of kids…
and GRANDCHILDREN, I realize some things are not worth stressing over.
I LOVED carving pumpkins as a kid so I thought I’d host a ‘fun’ evening for the kids, BIG and small, to carve pumpkins.
That’s when my 24 year old informed me how excited she was because she had never carved a pumpkin… hahahaaa… guess she’s right!
Anyway! The little kids all thought it was GROSS,
except for the 10 year old boy who loved the gooey-ness!
Daughter-in-law Jessica was there for the chili… which I didn’t make. 😉 But she was doing her Mommy Duty with the gooey-ness. She’s a good one!!!
The big kids loved it…
and son-in-law Josh cheated using power tools!
PaPa kept the two little pumpkins safe. 😉
Olivia won for creativity!
A jar with fireflies!
We followed with panini sandwiches and popcorn and the end of another weekend!
I hope they took away a couple good memories, because behind the scenes of the “happy family” there are struggles (many are mine), personality conflicts, child training issues at every age level, unmet expectations, misunderstandings, marriage struggles, pride, selfishness and just a general lack of love sometimes… which are called growing pains. And the more people you have the more pains you can have. 😉 A little humor there!
Growing with the pains, in a spirit of love and unity, is what makes a family. No one has it all together. We are a fallen people who by God’s grace will be stronger as time passes on. And through these growing pains I want to work hard at making opportunities for growth and good times.
It’s easy to run away, easy to avoid getting together, easy to be family in name only; but the struggles and the work of relationships are what binds the hearts.
The pictures are nice, but I am much more concerned about the relationships behind them. And the ONLY way to have peace with each other is to walk with the Prince of Peace!
The Lord is good, all the time.
