The past few weeks, you have gotten a look into our lives around this time of year and know how much we love fall/Halloween. There are other things we do this month that we really look forward to, but just not enough time to write about. It’s just a fun and beautiful time of year!
Why all the love for fall? Why the love for Halloween as a Christian? Some say we, as Christians, shouldn’t celebrate Halloween. “It’s the devil’s holiday.” I am not going to sit here and debate on that, but taking your child trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, or searching for Halloween lights is not celebrating the devil. It’s a tradition for children, and I see absolutely no harm in it.
My grandmother, Lois Liddick, was the most godly woman I knew. She loved Jesus with all of her heart! But when October came around, she threw the best pumpkin parties you’d ever want to go to. Her heart was full of joy as she watched her grandkids pick pumpkins they grew and carved them. She would dance around the table, as she did when she saw a perfect Christmas tree in the middle of our cabin woods. We would all hold hands together and circle the tree while Gram sang, “Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree! How lovely are thy branches?” My Gram was the holiday queen.
Her pumpkin parties were a yearly tradition. She sure spoiled her grandkids with the best parties. I remember her hanging apples from her clothesline with a string, and we would all put our hands behind our backs and see who could bite their apple first. It was hard because the apple would roll around your face before you could bite hard! I can’t tell you how many pictures I have of me bobbing for apples at different ages on Gram and Pap’s back porch. My face and hair were soaked. I didn’t mess around. I’d push that baby to the bottom of the bucket in order to chomp down.
Gram always had fun things to do at her pumpkin parties. You never knew what goodies she had planned!
Pap, Floyd Liddick, would take us on a hayride once in a while, too. He had an old blue Ford tractor and filled his trailer up with hay to pull us grandkids around. When we got back from the ride, we would go up in the field and pick a pumpkin to carve. If Gram and Pap didn’t grow them and would buy some, they would still place them all over the field, so it felt like we were still picking from a pumpkin patch.
Gram always had the best dinner and snacks and, of course, fall desserts. Lois Liddick didn’t play around for her holiday parties.
Halloween night, we all met up at Gram and Pap’s after trick-or-treating for snacks. “Happy Halloween! Now, who on earth is this?” Gram said as she answered the door, pretending not to know who we were. The car parked in the driveway gave it away, but she would never take the fun out of knowing. There on her counter were chips, popcorn, bologna, cheese crackers, donuts, and candy. She and Pap always had such a spread. These were the best times.
Now, my momma has her grandkids after trick-or-treating for the same snacks that her momma spoiled us with.
Someday, I’ll do it for my grandkids and tell them all about their great-great grandparents who started this Halloween tradition! I know how much my kids look forward to the same thing on Halloween night after trick or treating. It’s such a special treat!
I definitely have a lot of Lois Liddick in me. I’m thankful for all the pictures she took of days like these. All these awesome parties to look back on. (Lord knows I love to take pictures to capture memories.) I love that I have carried on a pumpkin carving hayride party, capturing them with lots of photos. Just making things special the way Gram did and especially loving Jesus each and every season.
Have a Happy Halloween, everyone!!
Halloween Lunch Ideas
Packing sPoOkY lunches is one of my favorites. This was last year’s theme.
Skeleton Sandwich: Two slices of your favorite bread cut out with a skeleton cookie cutter. (I bought mine on Amazon.) Use larger slices of bread, it’s easier to fit the cookie cutter.
I used lunch meat also, cut out with the cookie cutter to match up with the bread, and also peanut butter and jelly for Kenzy. You can fill the sandwich with whatever your family likes best! I then used a black food marker, also purchased off Amazon, but you can find them in the baking aisle at most grocery stores. Draw your best skeleton face right on the bread! You can see that I am pretty talented in that department. *Insert cheesy smile here*
Monster Mouth: Quarter the apples. Remove the core piece. Sprinkle them with lemon juice so that they do not turn dark. Cut the quarters into smaller slices, and put peanut butter (about two teaspoons) onto each slice.
Then, put a row of mini marshmallows across one apple slice and sandwich them together.
Press firmly until they stick, and you have your teeth!
Mummy String Cheese: Any string cheese WITH THE PLASTIC LEFT ON. Take a black Sharpie and draw lines on it for the mummy’s clothes. Then, two eyes for dots. Easy peasy.
Then add fun things like plastic spiders, eyeballs, or throw a fake finger in there. Just have fun with it! (Teeny spiders were purchased on Amazon.)
Pictured in photo from left to right: Amber Bartlett (Lockcuff), Andrea (me, being my typically crazy self) Tony Shumbat, (his usual too) Kenny Lockuff, Lindsay Clark (Shirn), Luke Perry (my little bro). Top of steps: Erica Seyler (Shumbat), Christy Derr (Shumbat) & Joel Shirn.
