What we do on Oct 31

Years ago, our family made a decision not to celebrate halloween in the traditional way. The Celebrations involved with the day are usually not God-honoring, far from it in fact, so we don't want to be apart of it. When the kids were younger we would volunteer and attend our church's fall festival, but sometimes that church would have it and sometimes not. We decided to come up with our own family tradition so several years back, my two oldest kids liked the idea of going out to eat and to the movies. They also wanted a big bag of candy too. SO that's been our tradition for a while now....and one we all look forward to.

The movies are usually a great place to be on Oct. 31st because there's really no one there...and restaurants are usually pretty empty too...so no big waits!

First, the kids each got a bag o candy and a special treat in each bag.

candy bags

Jolie gasped when she saw that she got a bag of candy and a ni hao Kai lin color/sticker book...wow...what will she think of Christmas?

Shek was thrilled that his football cards included a Nick Fairley card!

Yes, even college sophomores appreciate a little bag o candy and a tube of burts bees chapstick.

Karlie loved her chocolate and her green lipstick that changes colors when you put it on.

We went to Olive Garden...oh la la...one of our favorites...

Shek and Dad play tic tac toe while we wait on our food.

Jolie is one chinese girl who loves her spaghetti and marinara sauce, but noodles are pretty much a Chinese thing anyway.

I don't know what I am doing with my pointer finger...lol

At first we had the theater to ourselves..Zach didn't join us he said he wanted to work on all of his schoolwork. He missed a great movie.

Soon a few more folks joined us in the theater, but for the most part it was a pretty vacant place.

We went to see this movie. It was an emotional roller coaster movie: I laughed hard and cried hard too. This is a movie that we want to own when it comes out on dvd.

Hubby has already gone to see it, but he said it was really good and he'd love to go again. He went with the men's Bible study group, Man-up, at church....over 200 men went the week it opened during their regular Bible study time to view this. Wow, what a testimony to see that many men renting out a theater to see a great God-honoring movie.


A little Italian food, a little candy, and a little movie made for a fun family night on Oct. 31....

Happy Fall Y'all!