Hmmmm.

I'm thinking of using this again. I really, really want to. Just for me at least and if other people want to read, great. If not, that's A-Okay too. I think I need a design change though and I don't even know where to start :/

Thankful in November: Day Three

I am thankful for my job. It's not the best paying job, job with most perks, and definitely not the most glamorous job in the world (hellllo dirty toilets!) but it's a job & it's mine. I am grateful for the fact that I am fortunate enough to be employed and that I feel secure in my position and don't feel like I'm ever in threat of going anywhere. I enjoy the couple of perks that I do have. More than anything I LOVE most of the people I work with. They have never been anything but absolutely wonderful to me and I have made so many sweet friends that hopefully will last a lifetime.

Thankful in November: Day Two

I am thankful that today, I have been in this world for 24 years. I am thankful for the roof I have over my head. I am thankful for the eyes I have to see the beauty all around me, to watch our beautiful children grow. I am thankful for my heart that pumps the blood through me. I am thankful for the lungs that allow me to breath; lungs that I need to treat much, much better. I am thankful for my nose that let's me smell. I am thankful for my hands that allow me to type this. For my legs and feet that allow me to walk. For my ears that let me hear the wonderful voices around me, music, my favorite TV shows, birds singing in the morning and owls hooting at night.

Day One of Thankful in November

Day One: I am thankful for my amazing little boys and step-daughter; for my genuinely magical husband. I am thankful for my loving parents who took care of me greatly. I am thankful for my fantastic in-laws who are so helpful and so sweet.

I am thankful for daytime getaways with my Aunt. Lunch and shopping and fun with her. I am thankful for my family members who care enough to not need a Facebook reminder for when my birthday is. :]

Halloween was a blast as usual. Solaris had a little more pep in his step then Phoenix but they both did well & lasted for most of the two hours. My sister also went with us, and one of my brothers joined up with us as well later on. Shortly after we got home Phoenix passed out for the night, poor little guy couldn't even make it up for dinner ;]

My mom was the "wolf granny" from Little Red Riding Hood ;]

Happy Howl-aween!!!

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Here is something interesting I just stumbled across and thought I would share :]

Halloween's Origins

The word Halloween is derived from the term "All Hallows Eve" which occurred on Oct. 31, the end of summer in Northwestern Europe. "All Saints Day," or "All Hallows Day" was the next Day, Nov. 1st. Therefore, Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day.

Apparently, the origins of Halloween can be traced back to ancient Ireland and Scotland around the time of Christ. On Oct. 31st, the Celts celebrated the end of summer. This was important because it was when animal herders would move their animals into barns and pens and prepare to ride out the winter. This was also the time of the crop harvests. This annual change of season and lifestyle was marked by a festival called Samhain -- pronounced 'sow-ane' and means 'end of summer.' Sow rhymes with cow.

There was much superstition associated with this time of change including the belief in fairies, and that the spirits of the dead wandered around looking for bodies to inhabit. Since the living did not want to be possessed by spirits, they dressed up in costumes and paraded around the streets making loud noises to confuse and frighten the spirits away. In addition, the new year began for the Celts on Nov. 1. So, the day of Samhain was believed to be a day that was in neither the year past or the year to come. Since it was in between, chaos ruled on that day. Often, people would pull practical jokes on others as a result.

Later, around the 5th century, as the Catholic Church developed and moved into the area, instead of adding a new day to celebrate, it took over the Samhain celebration. Nov. 1st became "All Hallows Eve" where all the saints of the Catholic church were honored. A later custom developed where people would go door-to-door on Nov. 2, requesting small cakes in exchange for the promise of saying prayers for some of the dead relatives of each house. This arose out of the religious belief that the dead were in a state of limbo before they went to heaven or hell and that the prayers of the living could influence the outcome. This may have been the precursor to Trick-or-Treat.

The Jack-O-Lantern apparently comes from Irish folklore about a man named Jack who tricked the devil into climbing a tree. Once the devil was in the tree, Jack carved a cross on the trunk, preventing the devil from coming down. The devil then made a deal with Jack not to allow Jack into hell after Jack died if only Jack would remove the cross from the tree. After Jack died, he couldn't go to hell, and he couldn't go to heaven. He was forced to wander around the earth with a single candle to light his way. The candle was placed in a turnip to keep it burning longer. When the Irish came to America in the 1800's, they adopted the pumpkin instead of the turnip. Along with these traditions, they brought the idea that the black cat was considered by some to be reincarnated spirits who had prophetic abilities.

So, it appears that the origins of Halloween are a mixture of old Celtic pagan rituals superstition and early Catholic traditions.
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Gosh. It is 1:30 in the morning & Phoenix and Solaris are still awake! They never stay up this late. Bedtime is at 9 and rarely are they up past 10 (Phoenix until 11 on some bad nights).

In part it was my fault because we were watching funny animal videos on YouTube. I couldn't bear to make them stop because their laughs were so adorable and makes me heart smile. Also since we are leaving tomorrow for the weekend I wasn't going to complain about spending some extra time with them.

I am getting really tired now though & I still have a lot to do to prepare for the weekend. I procrastinated way too much today, telling myself I could do everything when the kids go to bed but now I am so exhausted all I want to do is change my sheet and go to bed myself! I'm thinking an alarm clock will definetly be needed for the morning because I have a suspicion two little birdies just might sleep in.

They seem super excited to spend their weekend with Nana and PawPaw and then to stay the night at Grandma and Grandpa's. I'm beginning to think maybe they won't miss us after all! If they don't it's fine with me because I just want them to have a nice weekend and have fun. I don't want them to be sad and miss us. Just smiles, laughs, and fun until we return to our little cuties Monday morning to prepare for Halloween night and Trick or Treating!