My thoughts on Halloween....

Hey Friends.  We had a great little mini-vacation last week up to the beautiful mountains of Colorado.  We didn't really do anything we couldn't have done at home, but we got away from our never-ending project list, which was very refreshing. 

Well, it's Halloween, and I was thinking about the evolution of my thoughts on Halloween and thought I'd share it with you.

Growing up, Halloween was fun.  I remember my mom made this stuffed man every year with a corn-cob pipe that we called "Igor" who sat on our front porch in October.  He wasn't scary at all that I remember.  We also had the traditional cardboard cutout skeleton hanging on our door.  There may have been more decorations, but that's really all I remember.  I always joke that since I was the baby of the family by a looong way, my parents were kind of tired by the time I came around, so my brother's and sister's memories may be different than mine, but I really don't think Halloween was a "big deal."  I even wore the same Raggedy Ann costume a few years in a row in elementary school.  I'm not sure if this was my mom's idea, or if I insisted (and she probably sighed in relief.)  We lived out in the country, so I don't have really strong memories of neighborhood trick-or-treating.  All in all, I think I had a relatively normal (probably a little on the understated side) Halloween upbringing.

Fast forward to college - my sister brought home a video called "Halloween - Trick or Treat?" which goes into detail about Halloween's origins and discusses some of the awful things that happen on this day.  It was enough to make me want nothing to do with this day.  The movie was over the top probably, but it raised some really good questions:  What is with this human fascination with being scared and grossed out?  Would God really want anything to do with all this?  How can I participate in something that comes from such a horrible starting place?  These were pretty straight-forward questions for me, but I had some honest reservations, too.

Which brings me to where I am today, with a house full of children.  I came to a realization right before I became a mom that I LOVE (yeah, that's present tense:) candy and dress-up.  My biggest memories as a kid involved mainly those two things, so that's our focus.  We don't focus on anything scary.  Charlie Brown  is as scary as we go.  I have so much fun putting costumes together.  I've always tried to dress my kids with a theme, and it's SO cute.  This year we're doing Narnia.  The baby is Aslan, and the cutest is my 2 year old - he's Mr. Tumnus.  It's been a blast getting ready!
This is probably the last year I can do this because the oldest 2 kids informed me that they want to pick their own costumes next year (sniff).  Don't they realize it's all about me?!? 

I think Halloween is what you make it.  Honestly, it does come from some really bad origins, but Christmas and Easter are right up there with their questionable beginnings as well, and I'm not about to go cooky and give up all that.  I love holidays and the traditions they bring.  The way my family celebrates any given holiday is probably different than yours, but it is something we own and my kids will take those memories with them forever.  So, I want to hear your thoughts.  How do you (or do you) celebrate Halloween?  I'm off to go make sure our candy stash is safe to eat - I'm willing to sacrifice myself for a butterfinger <grin>.

Tuesday's Craft

This one has got to be quick.  We're heading up to the Colorado mountains today for a mini-vacation.  I'm so excited!  This craft is super simple and easy, but very sweet and season appropriate:) 

All you need is a "hay" wreath (really cheap), Indian corn, and hot glue.  I will say that I had kind of a tough time finding the Indian corn.  I looked at the 3 craft stores in town, a roadside farm stand, and finally stumbled on them at Albertson's.  Because of my joy of finally finding them, I bought them there, although maybe they would be cheaper at Walmart (if they have them?)  That part was a little more expensive than I had hoped (I think it was $5.99 for 12, and I bought 2 packages), but I'm still very giddy about this project.  I'm taking all the supplies with me on our trip to work on it there.  I'm also adding a ribbon to hang up the wreath and give it a little extra "pretty."  Have a great day!


I realized I forgot to say where I found this craft.  It's from "Oh So Shabby By Debbie Reynolds" on Facebook.  You can get to her page here.

Friday Fun Day - Goin' on a Hunt!

Does your family keep asking, "What should we do?
We have no money to go to the zoo.
It's still kinda nice out, the sky is real blue.
Oh, mommy, oh daddy, what can we do?!?!"

You pause for a moment, and look at the door
Beyond it, it seems could be adventures galore
But do you really want everyone just running amok?
Wait, I have an idea, you're in luck!

Come up with some clues in the form of a rhyme
You might call it a scavenger hunt, some of the time
Go hide the clues in the strategic places
And watch for the wonder on their darling faces.

So you're saying, "Are you kidding? I don't have the time
To come up with clues in the form of a rhyme!"
To which I reply, "Chill out, oh my dear.
Just write simple clues, it works, too - have no fear.

When you're done with the hunt make the last clue a prize
It need not be something of extraordinary size
Just drink some hot chocolate or have a small treat
The fun is the game, it just can't be beat!

After festivities, snuggle on the couch
I doubt anyone in the ranks is a grouch
You could talk and giggle, or just hang loose,
Or read my favorite books by, you know, Dr. Seuss.

Thank you for humoring my love to rhyme
You can tell I have preschoolers, they're just sublime
Go have a fun day, this Friday my friend
My wonderful rhyme has come to an end.

Thinking Thursday - I LOVE this series!

Today I want to share one of my top 3 favorite authors with you - Terri Blackstock.  Through the recommendation of a friend, I started reading her books about a year and a half ago.  The first series that I read is called "Restoration" and it includes four books.  Terri (oh yeah, I'm on a first name basis with her) has a way of getting every genre into her books. 
This particular series depicts a worldwide power outage - every SINGLE machine - whether electric, gas - anything with a motor - is completely dead.  This meant cars stopped, computers were worthless, even watches didn't function.  I tend to think about these kinds of events anyway (probably from listening to Glenn Beck for the last 10 years!) - i.e. how would we survive if a "Katrina" type event hit Cheyenne,  and even though this was a fiction series, it gave such a great perspective of how humans respond to catastrophic events. 
She focuses on a specific family and their venture in sticking together, helping neighbors, and trusting in God through it all.  By the end of the series, I felt like I really knew the characters.  I even bawled at the end of the last novel when something (I won't be a spoiler) tragic happened to the family.
I have been able to find most of her books (including the "Restoration" series) at my library.  You can check out her website here.  Happy reading!

Wednesday Worship - God is SOOOOOO Good

We've been doing this one at church quite a bit lately.  I love songs that talk about God's goodness.  For me, this is my firm foundation - the unshakeable substance that my faith rests on.  God is good.  Even when my circumstance and situation is not "good," I can know without a shadow of a doubt that my God is!  He loves me and cares about me and each thing that comes my way, and is working on my behalf to make His plan happen in my life.  Here it is....Enjoy!

Crafty Tuesday -They'll never know you spent so little...

I mentioned yesterday that I was giving myself a break with scrapbooking (I'm still going to do it, but I want to enjoy doing it, and not feel like it's hanging over my head all the time.)  The thing is, I love Scrapbooking supplies!  I don't think I'm as crazy as some I know who need to think about buying a Scrapbooking HOUSE, but that paper is SO pretty.  When you buy one of the big packages that have coordinated colors and patterns - Oh!  The possibilities! 
So...I have a LOT of paper, and sometimes I just enjoy looking at it (because I have so much time to stare at paper:)  Anyway, I found a craft that I think I will utitlize in our Master Bedroom, because we have a total of, um, ZERO decorations in our room.  You can link to it here.  (Aren't you proud of me??!?  I figured out how to link something!  YAY!)

You could also use frames - it would be easier, but not quite as cheap.  Anyway, this is an easy, inexpensive way to get a modern look for your wall.  Happy Tuesday!

Monday Musings: Box Tops, Scrapbooks, and Sports, OH MY!

How often does mom guilt make decisions for me?  Probably more than I'd like to admit, but I think I'm getting better.  I've been trying to recognize decisions in my life and whether they are based on basic responsibility, God's leading, or good, old-fashioned guilt.   Here's some examples:

Box Tops -   The times my kids have been in school (like now), their schools ask parents to collect and bring in "box tops."  The kids' schools get money from this for computers, equipment, etc.  Sounds great, right?  For some reason, these darn things cause major guilt for me (not to mention major clutter).  I had an envelope that I was keeping them in, but if I didn't get it cut off right away, the package with the box top would just get thrown on my desk.  UGH!  I made a decision last week, that for now, I'm going to let the parents with less than four children in elementary school (plus three at home) take care of this important fundraiser.  PHEW!  Much better.
Scrapbooking  -  I have an aunt (she's not a follower on here, but some of her sisters are) and for some reason, I remember when her oldest daughter, my cousin, graduated from high school, my aunt made this amazing scrapbook for my cousin that chronicled her entire life up to that point.  I thought it was so special, and even though I didn't have kids at the time, I made a mental note that this is what a good mom does.  Don't get me wrong, she is not just a good mom, she's an amazing mom!  I just realized, probably in the last year, that I was holding myself to this standard, but it was pretty much impossible that I was actually going to get 8 (at least) perfect scrapbooks done for my kids when they walk across the stage to get their high school diploma.  (Honestly, I should be more concerned with getting those 8 kids across the stage, period.)  I had an idea that brought me some much needed chill-pills.  I decided to get each child a medium sized plastic tub and put everything that is memorable in it.  We'll go through it often and decide what to keep, and maybe what should just have a picture taken, but when they walk across the stage at graduation, they will get a tub of memories (maybe I'll put some cute scrapbook stickers on the outside.)  At that point, they can decide what to keep and what their mom was silly to keep for 18 years.
Sports & Activities - This one is a little harder for me.  There are SO many things kids can be involved in, and there is so much pressure (real and imagined) to get the little tykes into all the right things.  I know one lady who, I think has 2 daughters.  She and her husband made a decision not to put the girls in anything, unless the girls specifically asked about it, unprompted by the parents.  Hmmm....it really made me think of all the times we've signed the kids up for something, and asked them after we've already decided, "Do you want to try underwater ballet?" (not really)  Usually the kids are game for anything we put them in, but it makes for some overall craziness (and admittedly, crankiness) when you're rushing from activity to activity, planning meals that can be consumed in the van.  (Don't get me started on the guilt I feel about my disgusting van interior, mainly because of these meals.)  Right now, I don't have a solution for this one.  I'm really thankful my parents live here and are willing and able to help with so many things, but as we have more kids that will be "activity age"  (this could be newborn, depending on who you talk to, but for us, 4 or 5) we will probably have to sit down and evaluate the costs, both financial and familial, for each activity.

You get the idea, right?  We get these ideas (and I know, these are mostly silly examples) of things that a good mom should be doing.  When you add all these good things together, it can make for some frazzled feelings.  It could be how you sort laundry, clean the toilets, put your kids to bed, putting your child in the right preschool...I don't know what brings you a twinge of guilt every time you don't measure up.  May I be a voice of reason and ask what I've been asking myself lately, "What's the worse thing that could happen if I don't do this a certain way?"  If the answer is "Well, nothing?"  then I can rethink the necessity of whatever task is in question.  If the answer is, "My child may lose a limb, or be scarred for life," then I should probably do whatever I'm questioning.  For the record, I can't think of too many times where that has been the answer.  So let's all take a collective sigh of relief....and here are some chill pills.  You can take 2 and call me in the morning.

Putting the POWER in your family- Friday Fun Day

Today's post may have some of you saying, "No, thank you!" but I still wanted to share.  Last Saturday, Cheyenne received it's first snow of the season, and let me tell you, we did not ease ourselves into the idea of winter.  It was a heavy, wet snow that started in the morning and, at least for us who live out in the country, continued most of the day.  As often happens with weather like this (especially out here) we lost power. 
We've only been in this house since Valentine's Day, so this was our first experience with a power loss since being here.  Things kind of flickered and then went dead at about 3:30pm.  We were supposed to be hosting our Bible study that evening, and thought things would come on in a few minutes, but they didn't so we called and cancelled.  It's a good thing, too, since we were just getting started. 
You may be thinking, "What does this have to do with having fun?"  Well, we really did end up having a blast.  I was so proud of my kids for not whining and complaining about our lot.  My oldest daughter did suggest that we go watch a movie on the DVD player in the van, but we nixed that idea and decided to pretend it was Little House on the Prairie night for the Rohdes.
Thankfully we do have a gas stove, so we made some munchy food for dinner (that I had planned on serving to our Bible Study - they missed out.)  I made popcorn on the stove-top - which, I have to say, as a self-proclaimed popcorn expert, is the BEST way to have popcorn!  We lit some candles and sat around and pigged out.
After our delicious dinner, Daddy had us all cuddle up on the couch and big fat chair.  He picked a family member and we all went around and said either what we like about that person, or one of our favorite memories with that person.  It was so cute to hear what they all had to say about each other.
Then, we played hide and seek in the dark.  The seeker had a flashlight, which at first I thought would make it too easy, but quickly realized how small of an area flashlights really light.  We played that all the way up to bedtime for the kids, then we brushed teeth camping style.
Kirk and I spent some time hanging out after the kids were asleep.  It was amazing how quiet the house was without all the normal household sounds, like the refrigerator, dishwasher, washing machine, computer - all those things really make a lot of noise!  Finally, Kirk and I decided we should just go to bed - probably one of the earliest nights for us ever.  At 4am, I was awakened by the sound of running water and almost every light in our house coming on!  I went around quietly and turned everything off.  When I got back in bed, I thought about the fun we had, and how prepared we would be if something more long term happened (which may be the topic of a future post - just not on Friday Fun Day!).  It was really a blessing all the way around.  The next morning, my oldest said how happy he was that had happened.  I agreed.
I think we do a pretty good job of limiting media and electronic usage in our family, but we often don't try to fill their time when they are not doing these things with fun together as a family.  I think once in awhile, this is exactly what we should do!  That's part of the fun of having such a big family anyway!
I don't know if any of you will be praying for a power outage, but my kids just might be, so if you happen to live near us, you might get to experience it anyway!

Relax...

The book I want to blog about today (and maybe in the future as well) is one I just finished up reading.  Free-Range Kids was written by Lenore Skenazy.  The subtitle is "Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry."  This lady became famous (or infamous) when she decided to let her 9 year old son ride the subway in New York City by himself, and then wrote a column about it in the newspaper she writes for.  She was not prepared for the media storm that ensued and spent the next few weeks on one talk show after another, often being introduced as "America's Worst Mom."  What many people failed to realize is that her son had ridden the subway with his parents his entire life.  He was given explicit directions in how to get home, and what to do if he ran into any trouble...and the most important aspect - he asked if he could.  When he arrived home unscathed and un-abducted, he felt a proud sense of independence.  Unfortunately, most kids don't get to have this feeling, until they are getting ready to leave for college.
I actually know a lady that I secretly call the "Fear-Lady."  She confessed to  me that she was still feeling uneasy about letting her 15 year old son ride his bike unsupervised around the block.  Are you kidding me?  I'm pretty sure I was riding all over town before 15 - And I don't think the crime rate in this fair city has skyrocketed in the past 20 years.  Anyway, this book really affirms what I've been feeling for awhile now, but often feel guilty admitting.  My kids don't need 100% complete supervision every second of the day.  It's good for them to go outside and explore, get dirty, make up games, and have to solve problems without grown-up involvement.  Of course, there are bad things that can happen to kids, but to think that we can (or should) protect them from everything that could possibly come their way is a little egotistical, don't you think?
One of my favorite chapters is about turning off the news.  When we were given the novelty of cable TV in the '80s, a lot of the paranoia began, thanks due in large part to 24 hour news channels.  When there was nothing too newsworthy, they still had to fill 24 HOURS!  People are obsessed with bad things happening to children and VOILA! this became a huge focus of these channels.  Here's the reality, though:  The author credited a book called How to Live Dangerously by Warwick Cairns as saying if you WANTED your child to be taken by a stranger, how long would you have to leave your child outside, unsupervised for this to be statistically likely?  About seven hundred and fifty thousand years!
Are there terrible things that happen to kids?  Absolutely!  Can we actually prevent all of these things from happening and are they even totally likely to happen to our children if we aren't hyper vigilant even second of every day?  Afraid not.  I think God gave us a natural desire and tendency to want to protect our kids.  I know there are wacko exceptions out there (and usually we know about it because of cable news), but most parents want what's best for their children.  All I'm saying, and the point this book is making, is "Relax."

If you're interested in reading the book, or checking out the author's blog click http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/.

Wednesday Worship

Each Wednesday, I will try to post a worship song that I feel like God is using in my life. 
This week's song is from one of my favorite worship leaders -
Kim Walker-Smith.
It's long, but if you can make it to the end, I promise you'll be blessed.  It makes me cry everytime!
When we do this song at church, I always feel like God is using it to speak directly to someone. I'm usually not a big fan of "self-centered" worship songs - that put the focus on me instead of the One I'm worshipping, but for some reason, this song just rings with power, and spiritual chains just seem to be falling off when we sing it.  Enjoy!

Crafty Tuesday

So, seriously, any ideas for names for this day?  Well, it's Tuesday, and I figured I'd better get started on my new schedule of posts.

I found this wonderful craft that looks SO easy, and the best part is the blogger who I borrowed this from made it very easy to recreate it for yourself!  Bear with me...I honestly don't know what I'm doing.  I love how other bloggers put links right in the text, etc.  I don't know how to do any of that yet, but I will try to learn how soon!

The best I can do right now is show you a picture and give you the link in the ugly old way.  I guess for now it's all the same, huh?

http://atsecondstreet.blogspot.com/2010/11/give-thanks-banner-free-printable.html

I'm going shopping this afternoon and I'm planning on picking up some "fall" looking ribbon.  This banner will be over my mantle very soon!  Let me know if you try this craft or if you find some other great crafts I could blog about.  For me, simple and fast is best!

I'm back!

Hey Friends,

It's been way too long!  So much has happened since I posted last.  I am excited to start blogging again.  I've been checking out a lot of other blogs lately and I think I've learned quite a few things from these veteran bloggers.  One of the main things I've noticed is that these people have a PLAN!  They don't just go posting willy-nilly, no - they actually follow some sort of a schedule for their posts.  They also keep it pretty brief - something I really need to learn the art of.  Anyway, I'm going to give it a go.  Hopefully I won't see a shiny object that totally distracts me from blogging for almost a year - but we'll see, I really won't make any promises.  Here is the format I am going to try - I'm sure it will evolve - (ooh, ooh maybe I should do a blog on evolution - oh there goes that shiny object thing again!)

Monday's Musings - On Mondays, I will post some of my thoughts and reflections.  I'm probably not going to narrow this down too much, because I am a pretty eclectic person (which is why shiny objects can be good, too).

Crafty Tuesday - Maybe I'll have a contest to come up with a better name (this one is lame), but for now, it's probably easy to figure out what I'm doing.  It'll probably be a mix of grown-up crafts, and things you can do with kids (or grand kids), but honestly, I'll most likely lean toward the grown-up side of things.  I have to admit, I'm not a "romper room" sort of gal.  I know, I have a boatload of kids - I should be a macaroni necklace queen, but my take on kid's crafts, for the most part is use it for memories, photo-ops, and keeping them busy.  Those are all worthy things, too, but it won't be my main focus.

Wednesday Worship - I'm the worship leader at my church and I love finding new songs that really say what I'm feeling, or how God is moving.  I'll be posting some of my favorites each week.  Hopefully, they will bless you and strengthen your walk with God, too.


Thinking Thursday - OK, another lame name.  On Thursdays I'll be sharing tidbits from books I'm reading.  Think of it as a book club where you haven't read the book, but you're forced to hear what someone else thinks - mwahaha - I'll have so much power!  No, really, I don't have a ton of time to read, but I do love it, and although Kirk sweetly listens to me sharing what I've read, this may be better for my marriage:)


Friday Fun Day - Maybe the name contest should start today?  This day will have very few parameters as well.  The main goal will be to share with you some ideas for fun things to do with your kids, your spouse, or your whole family.  I'll try to keep it on the cheap side, because that's how the Rohde's roll - shoot, my husband likes to find ways to MAKE money while we're hanging out as a family, but if you ask my kids, some of those things aren't so fun.


So, here we go!  I hope to bring some 4 real joy to your day(s)!