It's That Time of Year Again

When I saw a sign a few weeks ago with the saying: "The Only Ghost That Lives Here is the Holy Ghost", I knew exactly what my next project would be.

I had been contemplating throwing out this ghost sign we'd acquired a few years ago. Instead, I brightened it up a bit, and added it to my new sign to attract attention.

Those who know us, know that we didn't participate in Halloween as the boys were growing up. After doing some research on Halloween, from its origins, to what it had become in more current society, it just didn't feel right. So we opted to celebrate Harvest instead.

For many years, we held Harvest parties. We bobbed for apples; played games; had hot apple cider and hot cocoa; a baked a pumpkin filled with polish sausage, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon; and of course, a bonfire with smores. One year Pastor Carney (Book 1: Little Boys and Pocket Knives & Book 3: It's Not Christmas Until) came with his guitar as we sang songs around the campfire.

The kicker to our Harvest parties on most years, was that we had them exactly during the time our surrounding communities would hold their "Trick or Treat" nights. This gave the kids/families who didn't want to participate in "Trick or Treat" an alternative fun family night with their kids and friends. There were years that some kids really struggled with whether to come to our house, or the other. Some kids skipped a year to try "Trick or Treating", but were back the next year hanging out with us.

Though the boys didn't go "Trick or Treating", our church did hold Harvest parties where they got to dress up (nothing scary was allowed) and "Trunk or Treat" in the church parking lot. We had such a generous church family, that by the time the boys had made it through the parking lot, their big brown Trader Joe's bags were filled with way too much candy. So we made a rule that they could only keep 10 (maybe 20) pieces of candy. The rest they had to give away. I always tried to get them to dress up like Bible characters. They always dressed up as Star Wars characters or soldiers.

So between our Harvest parties, the church Harvest parties and trunk or treat, we still made it fun in the Fall.

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Caroling Kits

Book 3

Book 2

Book 1