Yes. She’s our ticket to candyland. Who could refuse to give chocolate to this little child? Just look at that face….
Batman and his big brother.
A young Indiana Jones. (Don’t tell anyone, but he used his sister’s purse for candy collection. It LOOKS like a satchel, not a purse. Harumph!)
Small town trick or treating. It’s a community, out of doors, greeting children and making them feel welcome. There’s nothing really scary here, and we are celebrating children and family. We share God’s love and joy and the delight of children with all that we meet. Halloween is no scarier to us than Thursday (originally named for the ancient god Thor) or January (Janus.) We honor God every day, thank Him for each day.  He has redeemed this day the same as every other day.
God’s Holy Spirit dwells within us. We walk in the power of the Resurrection. What have we to fear?
God BLESS you, friends.
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October 31st, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Love it! I love how you write that He has redeemed the day.
And I would have to give that sweet face some candy. She’s adorable!
November 1st, 2009 at 4:06 am
Ahh memories! You used to go thru our neighborhood! Love the outfits. Satchel works for me – I saw several unique candy holding bags last night.
November 1st, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Oh help! That face! I want to give her the rest of our candy over the internet!
…and that grin on Indiana’s face is too wonderful for words!
Love what you said about Halloween. It doesn’t hold the fear for me that it used to and I’m ready to enjoy the moment with my kids.
We met neighbors who didn’t know us yet and they were full of smiles and greetings.
…of course dressing up little girls in furry feline costumes certainly has a way of breaking the ice!
(Noelle was a lion)
And the fun continues with candy-trading the next day!
And I found myself teaching the boys that old Almond Joy and Mounds jingle: “Sometimes you feel like a nut…”
They didn’t get it.
(I don’t have cable anymore…do they still have that commercial?).
Halloween was fun this year!
Thanks for the pictures, Holly. They are precious as can be!
Blessings,
Julia
November 2nd, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Hmmm. I guess there IS something special about little girls in kitty costumes.
So sweet. 
I don’t have cable, either, so I don’t know if the Almond Joy/Mound’s jingle is still around.
I do remember it though, and it still floats through my head. My take on it is, if you must have coconut, you definitely need almonds to soften the blow. 
We have always trick or treated. Then again, we’ve usually lived in small towns or small communities within larger towns. There surely is some aspect of it that is gory, and I don’t like some of what goes on, either…but it also seems to me like it is what you make it. And for us, it’s just innocent fun and I don’t mind my children enjoying it at all! And really, that’s what I hope I communicated.
There’s such a level of “WE DON’T DO THIS AND NO GOOD CHRISTIAN SHOULD, EITHER” that floats around this time of year. I see that the homeschooling community is extending the lack of joy and participation to the Christmas holiday, as well. 
I would hope that our joy extends to all people, on all days – that we don’t try to hole up and avoid the world, but rather let God’s light shine through us to a world that needs to SEE hope!
Glad you had a good time. I did too. I love to see the joy on my children’s faces.
November 2nd, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Rhonda, I remember those days so well. So much fun, so many memories! (())
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Vanessa, hold on a minute….I am going to get my address right out to you so we can be sure the chocolate gets to the correct place.
So good to see you, friend. I hope you are well?
November 2nd, 2009 at 2:18 pm
LOL You got it hon.
We’re hanging in there – still looking for work – a whole year now! – but I am confident that the Lord has something planned.
No idea what it is, but I’m oddly filled with optimism and not fear.
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Where I live in Australia, Halloween is not celebrated as big as it seems in USA. As a family we simply don’t celebrate it. I really liked what you wrote but I have to say even though the days of the week are named after pagan & Greek Gods/sun/moon/planets we don’t celebrate them or make a special day out of them. Halloween I feel is different as it is a recognised pagan festival – it celebrates the occult, witchcraft, demons and spirits. I don’t see not celebrating it as ‘avoiding the world’ or being ‘overly Christian’ I just don’t want to encourage my children in something that I believe is totally anti-God.
On a side note I realise that Christmas is now materialistic and countries have really embraced a lot of the pagan festivals/beliefs that go with it but for most Christians celebrating Christmas is a great reminder of God’s perfect plan of salvation for mankind by sending his son. You dont have to embrace the pagan beliefs that go along with it.
This is just my opinion and I haven’t written to judge anyone.
hugs
Helen
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Your kids look adorable. Our halloween was cold nasty and miserable but I still went out with my kids (4,10,13) because I do like to see my neighbors. We make it a fun night. We have a secret weapon too!! She is four and dressed like a princess.
Ann
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Hello Helen! I see your point. I do.
I think there is room and freedom to disagree on this point, to walk in confidence where God leads us as families. The problem seems to be, at least on line, that there really isn’t much room to just say, “Hey, we do this, and here’s why. We don’t feel God’s disapproval – but we seek to share His joy.” I just wanted to say that. I don’t like being afraid of what people think.
I think, too, that there’s plenty of room for people to share God’s love even on Halloween. I’ve known people who have handed out suckers with a Bible verse on them, or smiled and said, “God loves YOU!” to a little child dressed as a pirate. There are instructions available (I did this with my own children one year) for carving a pumpkin – which tells the Gospel story through each symbol that is carved. The ears are for hearing, the mouth is for telling, etc. The nose is a cross. A family could hand out these instructions with a piece of candy attached. Even if one doesn’t “celebrate,” they can still reach out. We don’t “celebrate.” We let our children be cute and enjoy the excitement of being children, we visit with neighbors that it is difficult to find outside of their homes, but we aren’t mixing with a satanic purpose. We are just loving people and enjoying being with them. And we are contributing, I’m sure, to the Dentist’s income.
Some people celebrate Reformation Day. Since we’re not Calvinist, we don’t do this. I have no desire to go back to those days…too much burning at the stake and what not.
I have been past several houses over the years, where all of the lights are OFF and there is a big sign on the door in case the children were confused. In BIG, BOLD letters, the sign reads: “WE DO NOT CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN. IT IS A PAGAN HOLIDAY. YOU WILL NEED TO GO ELSEWHERE FOR CANDY.”
And I always have thought….”Wow. What a way to win hearts.” How many people do we push away by this and other similar closed attitudes?
I’m (of course!!) not saying this is how you think and feel. I respect your thoughts and feelings and how you feel led to raise your family. Thanks for saying hello, and thanks for your thoughts. (())
p.s. Oh – yes. I wanted to mention the thoughts of names of weekdays. Good point. Over the course of the days I have been thinking of other things people often enjoy or participate in, which are not specifically “godly.” Sports. There is a LOT of bad things associated with professional sports. Over-consumption of alcohol, bad words, lewd behavior, cheerleaders, commercials…and yet most people don’t feel it is sinful to watch a football game. I don’t feel it is, either. It’s a matter of enjoying a portion of it, but turning the channel in between plays, or finding some way to make it work.
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Ann, princesses work well. We had one of those, too.
And a hand-made skeleton which is FABULOUS for teaching anatomy. 
Yes, my little one is two this month. Boo Hoo. She is really growing up, and that makes her mommy both happy and very sad.
The weather here is nice this week – but it has been very dreary and wet. I’m so happy to see the brief and beautiful colors!
Wishing you well!!!
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:26 am
Thanks for sharing and yes Holly, small town Halloween can be sweet!
In our little midwest town, there has been a community weiner roast and costume judging for kids for 49 years strong, the last many years at the firehouse. (Much of the town is on a busy highway which cancels much trick-or-treating)Sometimes the costumes are a bit scary/weird, but we just distracted our kids when they were younger, so they missed those– usually the older age group. Thankfully, this year there were a lot of clever and sweet ones.
Our family always helps at this event and our kids are high school or older, but the younger two surprised themselves this year with impromptu costuming and trick-or-treating down the one off-highway street, when they saw a friend dressed up at the party.
Sweet times, sweet friends… celebrating small town America & walking solidly in Christ at the same time.