We went to the Harvest Party at Speedway Baptist this year.  This has been an annual tradition before Curtis was even born.  This year I didn’t help at all, I was just a mom.  It was a wonderful experience.  This was the best Harvest Party ever!  Miss Julie totally transformed the Family Life Center into a pumpkin haven.  Not only did the decorations look wonderful, the workers were all dressed in costumes!  Curtis had a blast, playing some games more than once.  After the Harvest Party we drove to Brownsburg to visit the Rosenberger family.  A wonderful Halloween full of treasured memories.

Wow! It is hard to believe another year has gone by so quickly. 2008 was all in all a good year personally. Socially–bankrupties were up, home forclosures were up, the banks required a bailout, the auto industry nearly collapse, the stock market drastically fell, gas was over $4.00 and now back down to a $1.50, factories are closing, unemployment is high, crime is up. So how do we see hope in such bleakness? Well first, God is with us. We aren’t going through this alone. This is also an opportunity for us to re-evaluate our priorities. I am as guilty (if not more so) of getting caught up in a booming economy. But when it comes down to it, family is a beautiful gift that we have received and we need to take time to enjoy each other. We need to remember the simple pleasures of life again and reconnect, build relationships. So as we start a new year, what a wonderful time to set new goals.

Today was Curtis’ Thanksgiving Lunch at school. We had so much fun. The families attend with their children and it is a great opportunity for the parents to talk to each other while the kids play. I am a little sad because this is Curtis’ last lunch. The past five have brought such wonderful memories.