When the Saints Go Marching In



Halloween is not my favorite holiday...in fact, I think each year I like it less and less.  It may have something to do with the insane amount of candy.  (We are not the family that has halloween candy left 6 months later...we're lucky if there is any left 12 hours later!) It probably has more to do with the fact that as my children get older, they're not as content to wear the cute little ensemble of coordinating cosutmes I've selected for them.  They're more inclined to want to wear what THEY want to wear, which usually means taking the time to make something (which I enjoy, but have difficulty finding the time), or scour the thrift stores or bite the bullet and buy something that is priced beyond its value!  Of course, there is also the combination of creepiness of costumes and decor, not to mention that it seems every year, kids costumes that are in the ads become increasingly inappropriate. 

Given Tim and I are on the same page about liking Halloween, we explored the option of turning our lights off and taking a mini-staycation to a local hotel.  It took a little while, but the kids all jumped on board too, but then we couldn't work out the details because Jakob was to begin a job shadow in Lincoln and Joshua had to be at the airport in Omaha, both early the next morning.  SOOO, we pulled some things together for costumes, carved some pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns and bought way too much candy (we haven't had a single trick-or-treater in 8 years!) to hand out.  Despite the underlying dislike, we embraced that we were celebrating All Saints Day--which is where Halloween came from anyway--and recognized that it is still fun for the kids.  Fortuneately, none of the kids were too caught up in 'needing' a particular costume, so we made due with what we had. 

Amelia dressed up as Mary, and Joseph as Joseph.  Benjamin was St. Maximillian Kolbe and Mathilda was a witch--a good witch.  :)  I don't have a picture of Jonathan, but he put on a suit and fedora and went out the door as a business man.  By the time he came back home, his identity had shifted to a mafia member.  Ha ha...whatever.  :)
Trick-or-treating at the rectory.  I can't remember what Monsignor's hat said...but it was amusing!

Saints Maximillian Kolbe, Joseph and Mary

Millie's BFF and our goddaughter Annie

Mathilda and Ellen--two little good witches
 Prior to October 31st, our family went to celebrate the saints at "Superbowl of the Saints" at the CK motherhouse.  The older boys took part in several little plays about the lives of different saints.  Joshua was a German farmer who was imprisoned because his belief in Jesus caused him to oppose Naziism and kept him from entering Hitler's army.

 Jakob portrayed St. Bernard of Clairvaux whose holy influence touched his father who became a monk and his wealthy married sister who retired with her husband's blessing to a convent. 


Superbowl of the Saints is such a fun celebration for the children as they learn more about the lives of the saints.


Following All-Saints Day, the junior high student council collaborated with the third grade class to present a Saints fashion show. 


 St. Peter (Joshua) welcomed each Saint into Heaven while the saint's guardian angel narrated highlights from their life on earth.  Mahtilda was St. Cecilia. 


That is Joshua behind all that beard and hair! 

Happy Halloween--All Hallow's Eve to All Saints Day.  :)