Made to Shine

My husband loves being the very first to lift the top;)

Not everyone does Halloween, I get it – and, I must admit, it isn’t my favorite day of the year.

But, what I do like about Halloween is reading stories, getting warm and cozy and carving pumpkins with my family ~ mostly because I love to roast the seeds!

My husband's favorite part of pumpkin
carving is the seeds!

A lot has happened over the past week or two. My husband lost a friend, I lost a co-worker, our niece lost her best friend at age 20, a Special Olympian who won a medal at an equestrian event I was photographing tragically lost her aunt and uncle a few days before she competed in their memory. One of my best friends lost her high school classmate. Another good friend lost a neighbor. My daughter’s hamster died.

Sometimes sorrow comes in giant waves. Sometimes it is tough to stay afloat.

You know what stays afloat? Pumpkins!

When I feel a little overwhelmed by the difficulties life throws at me, I turn in – I turn in toward my little family.

My girls had so much fun carving their pumpkins. All those ooey-gooey fleshy insides turn out pumpkin seeds. They might not look like much, but a nice soaking, a little olive oil, your choice of spices and a few minutes in the oven turns them into a delicious snack.

How we are like those pumpkin seeds! Sometimes we don’t look like much – we are ragged with sorrow, we are burdened by day-to-day chores, we are weary from the stresses that come with our jobs. But, if we take the time to do what recharges us, give ourselves grace and appreciate the fruitful gifts we have been given, how beautiful we become.

We shine with the light of Christ. As you fill your dark, cavernous pumpkins with an abundance of light this week, may God also fill you with the light of His love ~ that you might shine for someone who needs it, that you might shine despite your sorrow, that you might shine – because you were made to shine.

So cute -- the kids are feeling the slimy inside flesh for the first time this year!

I love the Cranberry series ~ great values and storylines. This is Cranberry Halloween. My kids love Mr. Whiskers,
Grandmother and Maggie. 

Pumpkin seeds!

Fun captured by our oldest!

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What lies beneath

Here in the Midwest, we are continuing to enjoy amazing autumn weather. Last weekend we visited a local pumpkin patch.

Every year, my kids enjoy just being outside, running around, going through the corn maze, and sliding down this silly and fun bumpy slide.

This year, my kids happened to be jumping in the bouncy house with another little girl, and I ended up making small talk with her mom and grandfather. It turns out they were just in town for a few days for a family funeral.

She told me how her grandmother truly had lived a long and lovely life. Despite her strong front, she was grieving all the same. We talked about childhood memories and her daughter enjoying some time with her grandparents. Throughout the morning, we ran into each other at different sections of the pumpkin patch and offered to take each other’s family photos.

We saw these:

These gourds are not very attractive on the surface, but, like their smooth-skinned counterparts, they are just as soft and full of life on the inside. Sometimes people are the same. We might be pleasant and attractive on the outside, but hurting and full of pain on the inside. It is hard to wear your emotions on your face all the time – in fact, I think we work hard to put on a stoic face. Because of that, we don’t always try to look beneath the surface.

I’ve missed plenty of opportunities to find out what lies beneath. It is a hazard of harried family life, I suppose.

But another thing I’ve learned is that sharing is beneficial for everyone ~ myself included. I am grateful for those who listen to me as well. We all need someone to walk with ~ someone to see what lies beneath. Because we all put on a façade – and we are all dealing with things we don’t wear on our faces. And, we all need to look at and share what lies beneath.

An Old World Wisconsin birthday

When the influx of modern technology and the storms of mass media take their toll, my daughters’ love of Little House on the Prairie always reminds me of a simpler time ~ a time where safety was found in the loving arms of family and happiness was found sitting around the fireplace, listening to the fiddle, telling stories and singing songs.

So, when a friend suggested we visit Old World Wisconsin, we took his advice!

Our trip happened to be on my oldest daughter’s birthday – what a great gift!  We went with our friends who proved to be fabulous tour guides, making sure that we saw all of the best parts and also bringing with them a lifetime of memories and historical anecdotes.

Our first stop was St. Peter’s Catholic church; it had been moved three times, but the structure originally was the first Catholic church in Milwaukee. At one point the building served the campus of St. Francis seminary. Amidst the functional prairie homesteads now lies this church filled with rich religious history -- intricate paintings, delicate bells and a unique thurible held just beyond the ornate communion rail, tucked within the sanctuary. 

The grounds contain several villages and settlements spread out across several acres. The Norwegian village holds a one-room schoolhouse set in 1906 where my girls sat in school benches for class, took a history exam, used slates and examined a fourth grade copy of McGuffey’s Primer. My girls were fascinated by the washing up area of the schoolhouse - everyone had to drink from the same glass and wash in the same basin of water!

Coming from Polish and German heritage, I took a lot of photos of the Polish settlement and the German settlement. Look at these gorgeous herbs drying on the wall! And these chickens roaming wild! The houses were so simplistic and rustic and yet so clearly full of abundant love and life.

Our birthday girl mastered the high-wheeler. This little girl changed my life and made me a mommy ~ and my life has never been the same. Today we celebrated her smile and her love of all things Laura Ingalls Wilder. Just look at the joy on her face!

Often I  am behind the camera and there aren’t many photos of me, but here I am walking down the dirt road taking in the fresh air! And, yes, it was a bit chilly for early October, but the day couldn't have been better. 

Nothing compares to the modern conveniences, however I do enjoy taking a little break from the seemingly endless barrage of distractions. I am thankful for a day well-spent with friends and family. I am thankful that our oldest enjoyed her ninth birthday. I am thankful for the peace that comes with enjoying the nature around us and being able to experience history - not just read about it! My wish for you is a day – or even a moment – of true peace.