Sunday Morning

I love Sunday mornings. Lazy, easy-breezy Sunday mornings. Joe and I slept in this morning (9:30) because we were up late watching a really bloody movie on HBO last night -- Smokin' Aces. Not bad, a little Tarantino-esque, but it captured the attention enough to keep us old badgers up way past our bedtime -- Okay, kept Joe up way past his bedtime. I have always been and probably always will be a little bit of a night owl. I like it when we stay up late.

Anyway, I sit here now while Joe is making breakfast for the whole family. The girls are playing quietly in their rooms. The dogs are curled up together on their big pillow in the living room. The sun is shining outside, giving the impression that it's a warm, inviting day. Truthfully, it's 10 degrees outside. Yes, I said 10. So Joe decided to make biscuits and gravy with eggs this morning, the perfect Southern breakfast on a cold winter's day. Okay, I can hear you all right now. Didn't I just write something about Resolutions and being healthier? Of course, I did, but that was weeks ago, people. Resolutions, schmesolutions! My husband (or my wife, as my brother likes to call him) is making me breakfast and I'm going to enjoy it!

So this post is not a rant or very informational this morning, just a little note about how sometimes life is good just because it's calm and peaceful and there's food in our tummies. After breakfast, it will go back to normal, hectic, laundry, homework, getting ready for afternoon softball practice with grandmother visits squeezed in (hopefully). But right now it's perfect.

Gotta run, my friends. Breakfast is served!!

E-mail Insanity

Be forewarned: Rant in progress!

Okay, let me start this all off by saying I love my family and friends that send me e-mails regularly. Most of the *chain* e-mails I get are sweet, Jesus Loves You, pictures of angels or puppies or babies type messages. I don't mind those. They're benign enough and if someone thinks enough of me to add me to their distribution list when they're sending out a "You're My Best Bud" or "I prayed for a miracle for you today" e-mail, well, I am grateful to be remembered.

But I also get the OTHER e-mails as well. You know what I'm talking about. The "Everyone should have to speak English around here" and "Let's all rise up because Lowe's doesn't use the word Christmas as many times as they use the word holiday in all their ads" e-mails. The ones that DRIVE ME TOTALLY INSANE! People, if you have my e-mail address you must know that I am a LIBERAL person. I am not a *crazy Christian* and I most certainly am not, never have been nor ever will be, not even for five million dollars and a free night pass with George Clooney (I must admit I did hesitate on that one) a Republican.

Here is my belief. We live in AMERICA, land of the FREE, the place that gives you the right to put down the Mexican people, the Cuban people, the French people, the Middle Eastern people, whoever, in your e-mails to me. Why does it matter if Jose speaks Spanish while he's here? Do we speak French when we go to France? Of course not. If I go to Brazil for a year as an exchange student, will I be fluent in Portugese? Absolutely not. And that would be difficult for me, but it would be MY problem.

If Jose wants to apply for a job where English is a requirement, then Jose should learn English. If he wants to become an American citizen, he should have to take the test in English because English is the chosen language for America. This applies to me applying for a job as a personal trainer -- I MUST LOSE WEIGHT and learn the ins and outs of working out. But if Jose comes to America, has taken his citizenship test and passed it, or is here on a visa and is working legally, and he has a job where he is not required to speak English, a job in his own Spanish community, why in the name of your mama is it any business of yours to say he has to speak your language? This country is founded on immigrants -- Italians, Irishmen, all of them. We are no longer the land of the free, people, we are the land of the judgmental, dictating what people should and shouldn't be doing, forcing our own beliefs down the throats of others. I can't imagine why anyone would want to come here from another country anymore. We are becoming the land of the persecuted.

I got an e-mail this week about some kids in California somewhere putting up a Mexican flag and putting the American flag upside down. Oh, the outrage! Desecrating the American flag. I get these e-mails from the same people who put the American flag on their clothes, on their shoes, their beach towels, flower pots, their Christmas decorations. How is that any different? Is that respect for the flag, wiping your sandy butt on your red, white and blue beach towel? Me thinks not. If some idiot wants to turn the flag upside down, write horrible things on it, whatever, then he's just an idiot, period. But we live, again, in AMERICA, where we have the freedom of expression. Just as an e-mail can say these flag-torturers are idiots, those same flag-torturers have the right to turn it upside down and get their moronic grins sent 'round the world via the Internet.

And then the *boycott any store that says holiday* e-mails. These are my favorites. Guys, come on. Christmas is a holiday, fact. Not everyone is a Christian, fact. Just because you might be a Christian doesn't give you the right to dictate how I might greet my fellow shoppers in December. Here is my little thought for the day. If you are a true believer in Jesus, a Christian, then why is it okay to judge every person who doesn't believe the way you do, look the way you do, speak the way you do? Would the people you are shunning, putting down, sending hateful e-mails about not be the exact people Jesus would bring into his arms and show love to?

Spouting that you are a Christian and you have been to church 432 Sundays in a row does not impress. Striving to show compassion, tolerance, acceptance, understanding and love to people who are not like us, people who have wronged us, people who need us, well, that is being Christ-like in my book. This other stuff, this sitting in judgment of others because they're not *Christian* enough for you, well, I guess you could say that makes you god-like, just not like God.

So here you sit reading this saying, Kristi, you are judging us. How are you any different? I am not different. I have my own beliefs, too. But being able to come here and rant about it for a minute keeps me from firing off an e-mail back to the sender saying, "Don't send me this b.s. again. Don't you know I'm not like that?" It gives me a place to set it down and leave it so it won't drive me insane.

Okay, people, don't be sending me I'm anti-American comments because for one, that's a sticks and stones kinda thing and that's just not gonna hurt me, and for two, I'll just delete 'em. I'm not anti-American. I'm just not a big supporter of this new *anti-anyone who isn't like me* movement that seems to be sweeping the nation and sweeping through my e-mail box. Nope, not a big supporter of that. Next thing you know, the crosses will be burning again and there will be a shortage of white sheets at Walmart. I guess maybe why I don't support it is because I'm different, been that way my whole life, probably always will be. Conformity is not my friend, girls and boys.

So if you need to tell me what a great job the little elf in the White House is doing or how if you don't support the war it means you don't support the troops or how Jesus hates all people except the Southern Baptists, please take me off that e-mail list. However, if you've got a nice e-mail about how I'm your friend and you sent this to me to bring me luck or because I need a hug or because you know I love pictures of cute puppies dressed in funny costumes, keep 'em coming. Everybody knows I can't resist a pug in a nun's habit!

~Peace~

Bragging Rights

Okay, people, I am taking a minute to brag on my child. Today Kelsey, who is in third grade, competed in her school-wide spelling bee. The bee consists of classroom winners, grades 3-8. Kelsey won her class bee and, after much back and forth, decided she would give it a shot.

The bee was at 1:00 in the chapel after school. Fourteen students were expected to compete, but only 11 showed up for whatever reason. The chapel was pretty empty, mainly parents and siblings of the participants. I was the only overzealous parent with a video camera, but since Joe couldn't leave work to be there, I thought he might like to see it (because, honestly, who knows if she'll ever be up there again like that?).

So the bee started and within about 20 minutes we were down to three or four students. Kelsey was hanging in there, having spelled words like "mantilla", "virtuoso" and "libretto". Finally, it was down to her and a middle school student. The girl competing against her was tall and lanky and a confident speller. I thought as they were going back and forth for what seemed like eternity that Kelsey was sure to fall to this willowy girl.

But just as I was sure the end was near, this other girl mispelled "calypso". Kelsey's face turned bright red when she missed the first A in the word. I knew she had realized the girl had spelled it wrong. Then Kelsey stood up, spelled it correctly and waited on the final word. The moderator said, "benevolent." My heart sank. Kelsey had had trouble with this word all week, going over it several times. She stood up and began spelling slowly. I was unsure if she remembered that it was an O and not an A in the middle. I was looking at her through the video camera's lens in black and white, so deep in concentration, looking so little standing there by herself. Then it was over and the moderator congratulated her on being the winner!

OH MY GOD! Kelsey is the school-wide winner! She gets to go on to the Scripps Regional Spelling Bee on March 8 at UT. At first she said she didn't want to go on and the older girl could go, but she has now decided she does. She has until morning to make up her mind, but she seems pretty set on it. So I guess we'll be spending the next 8 weeks spelling, spelling, spelling!

I can not express in any words how full my heart is today. It's not much, a little school spelling bee, but for her it was a big deal. It was a big accomplishment. She overcame her apathy for participating and buckled down, worked hard, writing words and studying each night, going back over words we had spelled a million times before just to be sure we got them right. We spelled in the car, in the bathtub, even during dinner. And because of her effort, she saw success. A life lesson that can't be bought, my friends. And that is why I am so thrilled for her today. She has learned that hard work brings reward. And her mother has been reminded once again how blessed she truly is to be here to witness it!

Friends

Kelsey takes art class on Tuesdays. Her teacher is a lady named Sandi Van Winkle. Kelsey started taking these classes back in the fall at the Fountain City Art Center. The art center is in the old Fountain City Library building at Fountain City park.

When Kelsey started taking these classes, she was really just a tagalong for Sydney, who was wanting to take art classes. After going through the first six-week session, however, Kelsey was the one who stuck with it and Sydney bailed. Weird, I know. Kelsey has never been the super-creative one, never really showed a lot of interest in coloring or anything resembling *art*. But since she's started these classes, she's really blossomed.

I have to say that I think the whole reason for Kelsey's newfound interest in all of this creative stuff is her fabulous art teacher, Sandi -- or Miss Sandi, as Kelsey calls her. It is funny how small the world is really. After talking to her one day after class, I realized that Sandi knew a lot of the same people I did, having grown up (and still living) in the same part of town as my mom.

Sandy is an artist. I mean a REAL artist, not just like the Bob Ross kit at Hobby Lobby kinda artist. I mean she's the real deal. She's a graphic designer for income, but in reality, she writes, illustrates books and does just about any kind of artsy, creative stuff you can imagine. As I found out today, she's also a video game geek and evidently there's some interesting footage floating around town of her showing off her talents as a Rock Band gamer. And she loves working with kids. After seeing the change in Kelsey creatively, I can testify that she has the magic touch.

So today, I spent almost two hours just chatting on the phone with Miss Sandi, just about this and that. We chatted so long her battery on her phone gave out. It may seem weird that we would have that much to talk about, but after a while it became obvious we sorta share the same outlook on things -- from religion, to kids, to school, to books, even video games!

It's hard as an adult sometimes to make new friends. I think it's especially hard to make them when you have kids. Parental competetiveness is a horrible, horrible disease and it oftentimes will prevent any real friendships from blossoming. So I was glad to make a new friend in Miss Sandi today. Her kids are all grown up now, so I think the ship might actually sail on this one. She is a blogger herself, so I'm going to leave a link to her site in case you might want to check her out!

Sandi's Art

Thoughts

My first entry of the new year, 2008, WOW! Do you remember when we were doing the countdown to 2000 -- Y2K? I can remember sitting in high school biology chatting with my friends trying to figure out how old we would be in 2000, like it was some far away time when aliens would inhabit the earth and we'd all drive those hover vehicles like Marty drove in Back to the Future II. Now it's 2008.

Sydney loves the change of the year because she likes to announce that is how old she will be this year. She was born in 2000, so figuring out how old she is seems like a fun thing -- *It's easy to figure out how old I am going to be, Mom, because I'm always the same as the year*!

And as for it being the first entry of the year, I sorta fudged on that a bit. I did post a family rant for about 4 hours yesterday and then thought better of it. Nothing too harsh, no bad language, not even the mention of any names. Just a rant on the dysfunction of my real family and my in-law family and how some days it just makes me vibrate all over like I've got some sort of neurological disorder where I can't control my physical self. But after I got it all out on the virtual paper that is this blog, I let it sit. Then I came back to it and let it sit some more. Then late last night I decided it could go wherever Internet garbage goes when it's deleted -- Where does it go, I wonder? I hit delete and *Poof*, like Jeanie blinked her pretty pink eyelids, it is gone, vanished, evaporated. I digress...

Anyway, after cooling my jets for a minute -- well, for hours, I decided it was okay to let it go. Maybe not let it go completely because here I am still babbling about it, but at least let it go to the point that it stayed within my four walls. I'm sure at some point, I will just *get over it*, as my Mom is so fond of telling me to do.

Well, school starts back Monday, as much as I hate it. Art class for Kelsey starts Tuesday again and dance class starts back Thursday for Syd. Kelsey is representing her class in the school spelling bee Wednesday (Are YOU smarter than a third grader?) Indoor softball practice starts this weekend -- two practices a week and pitching lessons on Fridays. Joe and I will both start back to work this week after the wonderful holiday break. We are BACK IN THE GROOVE, you might say.

What do you think we'd be doing if we didn't have kids? What would we do with our time? Would I have some big career, building a big fat nest egg for myself somewhere? Or would I still have chosen to play Harriett to Joe's Ozzie? I doubt it. I'm not a natural at the housewife role. Anyone who has visited my laundry room in the last 4 or 5 years can tell you my level of procrastination has reached Guinness Book proportions. And I have no guilt when the pizza guy wheels into my driveway and my neighbor is standing on her porch calling her kids in for dinner. I just wave and think, "Sucker!" We probably would travel more, work more, workout more, sleep more, but I think it wouldn't feel right. Like when you borrow your girlfriend's lipstick when you left yours on the vanity at home. It gets the job done, but it just doesn't feel right.

So I hope everybody is enjoying the first week of 2008, getting on top of those resolutions, hitting the gym and organizing, organizing, organizing. What is it about January 1 that makes me want to buy plastic bins and a label maker? That, my friends, is a question for another day...

See ya' soon!

Oh, yeah. I'm hoping to put up some video here soon from Sydney's little video camera. She has taken some of the funniest videos over the past few months. Especially the Joey/Joe dance-off playing Dancing with the Stars for the Wii. Priceless, people, PRICELESS!

~Peace~

Resolutions

Well, it's December 31, 2007. The clock is ticking, the sand is running out on good ol' 2007. It's been an eventful year here in the 1500 block of Paxton Drive, K-town, Tennessee. We've had a 10th anniversary, a new puppy, two big vacations, the first purchase of a training bra, a kindergarten graduation, the death of a new friend and an old dog, softball, tee-ball, baseball, a new job, a learner's permit and a 40th birthday -- all those in no particular order, mind you. That is just the short list that came to mind while I was sitting here pecking away. Funny how it all seems that it has come and gone in a blink, but SO much has been packed into that blink.

So resolutions... What will they be this year? Always to lose weight -- Everybody wants to lose weight. I guess I'll put it on there. Seems like I'm sorta just always gonna be a big girl, like it's just maybe the one thing I won't ever quite get right in my life. Everybody has to have that, right? The one thing that we just never get right. Keeps us humble, I suppose. So I will put it on my wish list, my list of things unresolved, and I will make a concerted effort to be healthier, even if it doesn't mean skinnier. And if you ask my husband, my being healthier would not necessarily be weight loss, but stress loss. So my resolving to be healthier next year might involve a real *shrink* more than my actual *shrinking*!

Other items on the list, well, I think there's just one this year. It is the same as it was last year. I resolve to be as fearless as possible this year. That's it. I resolved the same thing last year and had a little bit of success with it, but not as much as I would have liked. I had several big decisions that I made fearlessly this year that have bettered my life, eased my stress, however you want to describe it. But I have also had opportunities offered to me that I turned down for fear of failing or fear of what someone else might think about it. So this year I want to be do better.

I know you're reading this thinking that, to you, I am pretty fearless -- Pretty mouthy is probably more accurate. No arguments here, folks. I am pretty outspoken, but that is not the fearlessness I am wanting. Maybe a resolve to be more confident is more what I mean. I want to take the actions I feel are best for me and my family without worrying what anyone else thinks or how anyone else will react. I tend to live every moment worried about how it's all going to be perceived. This year I am going to do my dead-level best to get over that and just to make good choices.

I remember when I was about 7 or 8, we had gone to the fair over on Magnolia, just my parents and my brother and me. There was a fun house there -- You know the kind where they have the funky mirrors and the little steps that move, the barrel that goes round and round, etc? Well, my dad was wanting me to go in and I wouldn't do it. I was scared to go. Don't ask me why. I was a nervous child (imagine that). But I do remember my mom and dad arguing right there on the pavement because my mom was telling him to just let me be and my dad said to my mom that he didn't want me to live my life afraid of everything. I have never, ever forgotten that to this day. So when things come up that scare the bejeebies out of me, I always try to hear him saying that in my head. Then I try to just close my eyes and have a little faith.

So there it is, kids, my 2008 resolutions. Got any of your own? If you do, I hope you get there, but if you fall short, it's okay. Resolutions are just really the list of all the little things we don't like about ourselves anyway, all the little insecurities we've got hidden away most of the time. And if you say you're a person who doesn't have anything that you think needs to be resolved, then you're either lying or you're really annoying! :)

Happy New Year Everybody! Bring on 2008!

Merry Christmas!

Well, the shopping is done. The wrapping is *almost* done. The Christmas cards are sent. The school parties are over. The tree is twinkling. The Christmas candy is sitting on the kitchen counter. Joe is home for two weeks. I have survived a trip to the E.R. for chest pains and a CT Scan for my newly acquired *neck mass* this week. I have survived the last week of school, tests and projects and classroom Christmas celebrations. I have survived the mall, Walmart, Target and 700 trips to the front door every day to greet my worn-out UPS man bringing me my Internet goodies.

The girls are healthy, happy and so excited about the Christmas countdown they're about to bust! All of the bags and boxes with ribbons and bows and shiny things under the tree are slowly driving them insane! Fortunately, this year I am only contending with two crazy elves the week before Christmas. Joey is on his way to Orlando for a trip to Universal Studios with his mom. He will be here on Christmas Day. Tonight we are having hot chocolate and watching some really bad TV. At this moment, life is good. Life is exactly the way I want it to be.

I hope those of you who visit this blog from time to time are enjoying the season. I hope you're all healthy and content. And I hope the new year will be a good one for all of us!

So, from the Birchfields, we're wishing you a Merry Christmas!

See ya' in 2008!

Playing Catch Up

It's hard to believe it's been a MONTH since I've written anything here. So much has been going on I guess I just haven't found time to do much more than check and answer e-mails these days. Where to begin? Well, first, we did the Fantasy of Trees again this year. We go every year the day before Thanksgiving. It was beautiful this year and was very enjoyable since we were ahead of most of the crowds! The girls got to visit with Santa bright and early. It was officially the beginning of the Christmas season after that.

That same weekend, the girls, Joe and I trekked over to Thompson Boling to catch the Hannah Montana/Jonas Brothers show. What a hoot that was! Thousands of little girls all decked out in colored hairspray, mini-skirts and blonde wigs. The girls had a blast. Joe and I spent most of the night peering through the binoculars at the luxury boxes across the arena watching the UT-Kentucky game. The concert started at 4:00, so we had to leave pretty early in the game. I will give it to Joe for being a good sport about missing such a big game!

We're now in the process of getting ready for Christmas. Joey and the girls have a couple of more weeks in school and then the holiday break begins. I've got tons of presents to wrap and a little shopping left to do. Fortunately, I am off from work until the end of the month so I am trying to play a little catch up this week and next. I'm working on the Christmas card and hoping to have it out by the first of next week. Why that is such a big deal, I don't know. Like it goes anywhere but right to the trash the minute the Christmas decorations are taken down!

If you don't hear from me again until after the first of the year, I hope everybody has a great Christmas! I hope you're all healthy and happy and lucky enough to spend a couple of days with your friends and family all around you! God Bless!

P.S. I've posted some pictures of the Hannah Montana concert and the Fantasy of Trees at the top if you're interested in that sorta thing!

Birthday News

Well, the girls had their family birthday party last night (Remember, no friend parties this year because we are on the 30-year repayment plan for the Hannah Montana tix!).

The girls and I decorated the dining room yesterday in Hannah purple and puppy blue. Half the dining room table was Hannah Montana and half was puppies. Hannah banners were strewn across the opening to the dining room and puppy mobiles were hanging from the chandelier. Everything equal. We blew up balloons, laid out color-coordinated candles, picked up the cake and the cookie, straightened the house and got everything all ready for our guests. At 7:00, the girls were standing at the front door, noses pressed into the glass, waiting for someone -- anyone -- to arrive. Every set of headlights that turned toward the cul-de-sac caused squeals throughout the house!

Finally, after 10 minutes of waiting, the family started arriving, pretty packages all in hand. Bags, bags and more bags stuffed with tissue paper. The girls didn't give anybody time for a hello or a "Do you want a drink?" before the loot was divvied up and the festivities began. As they were both throwing tissue at their dad (The party garbage man) after tearing into their gifts one-by-one, I was thinking how far we had come from where we were nine and seven years ago. What we were doing that night versus what we were doing right then.

Nine years ago, I was in a nice, big suite at St. Mary's, family all around, everybody oohing and aahing over Kelsey and her pink chubby cheeks, big blue eyes and blonde, blonde hair. All was right with my world that day.

Seven years ago, I was alone at St. Mary's, no baby in the room, family gone home. Sydney was sleeping in the NICU one floor beneath me. I was crying, calling Joe at home because I was so filled with worry for Sydney. I hadn't seen her since they had taken her right after she was born. All was wrong with my world that day.

Last night, as they sat in the living room floor opening presents, I was thinking how different things are today. We live in a different place, have different pets, different cars, different jobs. Some of the guests at the party were there so many years ago the nights they were born. And some of the people who were part of our lives then aren't anymore, either by God's design or by their own choice.

I know sometimes coming to these little birthday parties is an irritation, an obligation that is inconvenient sometimes. Another present to buy. Plus, if it's not your kids, it's boring. I totally get that.

But last night it was my kids and I just kept thinking how I hope and pray I am here long enough to see every boring kiddie party they have. I hope I'm here until they're so old they don't want a party anymore -- "Just give me the cash." I hope I'm here until I'm going to kiddie parties again for my grandbabies.

For every day they have caused frustration, irritation, extreme patience-testing, worry, fear and outright anger, they have blessed me 100 times over. They've blessed me with kisses and hugs and love every day of their lives, even when I didn't deserve it. They have made me a better person than I ever was (at least in my own mind!).

I'm going to add some pictures to the top of this post. One is Kelsey with her prized Reindeer Webkinz and one is Sydney opening her video camera, the "best gift she EVER got." Their faces say it all!

Halloween, Etc

Has it really been two weeks since I've blogged? Geez, time flies and flies. Well, the kids have just returned to school after a week and a half fall break. Okay, *Home Study Week*, as it's referred to at school. We took a trip to Ohio to visit Joe's parents over the first weekend of break. It was a short trip, but a nice one. The girls spent a lot of time with their grandparents, asking questions for their school projects and just hanging out with them. It was a happy time.

Joe's mom has COPD and isn't in the best health, but she looked better than the last time we had seen her (December of '06) and she was thrilled to see her granddaughters. She wore the gold and red and blue necklace Sydney had made her (okay, so she hasn't completely gotten the concept of consistency yet!) the whole time we were there and she cried and hugged them until they couldn't breathe the day we left.

So after spending the next week recovering from the drive and getting school projects together, we are now all back on our routine. Sometimes I think it's better when we're just doing the day-to-day stuff. I love vacation, and I crave that time without structure, but life just seems to run a little more smoothly when we're all going where we need to go, school, work, etc.

Okay, our first day back was Halloween. The girls were stoked for days before. After school let out, they both ran in the door and started asking, "When can we get dressed?" about 100 times. Finally, about 4:30, I started getting them ready. I always underestimate how long it's going to take. We had planned to head over to my grandmother's around 5:30, visit a while and then come back to our neighborhood and hit the ground running. Well, we didn't get out the door until 5:45, but we were back to the subdivision by 6:45, ready to loot.

It was weird this year because the time change hadn't occurred yet and a lot of people were out while it was still daylight. When we got back to the subdivision, the goblins were already crawling through the yards, bags open, elbowing for position on the front porches. I love Halloween.

When I was a little girl, my dad and my uncle used to take me, my brother and my cousins trick-or-treating every year. My aunt and uncle lived in a subdivision and we didn't, so we loved to go to their neighborhood on Halloween. I remember Dad would always load us up on all kinds of scary Headless Horseman stories and Goblins-In-The-Leaves stories before we'd head out, so I'd be paranoid all night long. He and my uncle would creep in the car house to house while we walked in the yards. They would occasionally yell directions from the vehicle and even gave us a ride on the hood of the car when we got tired (Yeah, real safe, I know!).

I remember hearing my dad say so often how much he loved and hated Halloween at the same time. His little brother was killed on Halloween, so I think somewhere in his mind he always felt guilty for enjoying it. But he never let it stop him from taking us out until our pillowcases full of candy were so heavy we had to drag them. Good times.

A lot of people at the girls' school are anti-Halloween, anti-Santa, etc. It's all evil and *against God*. I don't buy it. Something is only evil if you make it evil. How can my little Sydney dressed as Dorothy in her red ruby slippers be evil? Even Kelsey, dressed as Hermione from Harry Potter, never thought her costume was representative of witchcraft, only that Hermione was the smartest girl in her class and Kelsey identified with that part of her.

And how can Halloween be a bad thing now when the memory of that holiday brings such comfort and joy to my heart? Denying me those Halloween memories and denying my kids the opportunity to have those memories for themselves, to me, that's much more *against God* than letting them be someone else for one night and collecting a bag full of candy!

So I guess that's it, people. I'm going to put a couple of pictures of Halloween night up at the top of this blog. The scary creature with the girls is my cousin, Tami. She went as a naughty angel this Halloween and her costume was fantabulous! Tami is a good egg. She's a grown-up now, but she'll always be a kid at heart. That's what makes her so special!

Be sure to check back next week sometime. The girls have a birthday on November 6 and I'm sure I'll have some good pics to share!