Memorable Halloween Costumes

There plenty other pictures I could post today of Halloween costumes through the years in our family. I wrote about some of Daniel's here. And last year I wrote about some of mine and Jeanette's from our growing up years.

Today on Facebook, I changed my profile picture to this one of me and Jeanette:

I got some fun comments and so I gave some background. I didn't really like dressing up for Halloween when I was growing up. I couldn't ever figure out what to be and our family wasn't really into buying costumes from the store. This particular year, my parents were going to be out of town on Halloween, so in preparation for us being with a sitter, we got to get some things from the store (a face paint kit for me and a "real" mask for my sister). I think I was supposed to be a hobo clown and was apparently not happy about it (hence the sad face). I'm fairly sure that Jeanette was happier with her choice and was most likely smiling behind her Raggedy Ann mask.

After I posted this picture, Jeanette posted this one of her girls from a couple of years ago.

The costumes and circumstances are different (little sister is trying to help herself to big sister's pumkin), but the expressions on Erica and Mary Lane's faces kind of reminded me of mine and Jeanette's. The dynamics of older and younger sisters don't really change over time!

Family Beach Trip

It has been a desire of mine for a long time to take a trip to the beach with our whole family. Last week, that dream came true, and it was awesome!

Here are some of the highlights:

Sunsets

Sunrises

Morning time

Clear water

Surfer girl

Ice cream

Dolphin cruise

Beach girl

Sister time!

Silliness

Getting to experience the beach with my nieces.

Time with my college guy

Sweet couple

Sisters!

Daddy and daughters

This sums up how we all felt about our time at the beach!

Friday Favorites: My College Guy

This photo was taken last year, so my college guy is looking less like a freshman these days, but I can't wait to see my sophomore this weekend! We're going to a game and are hoping for a W this week against UT-Chattanooga. Also hope it won't be a soggy mess! Go Vols!

Friday Favorites: Mitford

 I guess I should admit up front that Mitford is not a real place. But the books by Jan Karon set in fictional Mitford, NC, are some of my all-time favorite books! In fact, I've just started reading the first book for the third time (or maybe the fourth).

It's all because the latest book in the Mitford series, "Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good" was just released in September and I bought a copy for my collection. But I wanted to try to wait to read it until I go on a beach trip in a couple of weeks. But I got that hankering to go to Mitford, so I decided to start back at the beginning and read all of the books leading up to the latest one. Not sure if I'll make it through seven books in the next two weeks, but we'll see.

My coworker who has never read the Mitford series was asking me about it the other day. Someone else had recommended it to her and she was interested, so when I also mentioned buying the latest book she was even more intrigued. I feel like I don't give a very compelling description of the characters and storylines, but I also think it's something you have to experience to appreciate. My mom tried several times to get into the series, and only this summer got hooked. Now she wants to be on the list to borrow my copy of the latest one!

As I have been reading the first book again this week, I have just had to smile at being reintroduced to Father Tim, Emma, Dooley, Cynthia, Puny, and Sadie Baxter. Those are just some of the characters who live in Mitford and become a part of the appeal of the books. I've also been surprised at how many important things took place in the first book. I had forgotten the sequence of some things and thought they happened in later parts of the story.

I first learned about the Mitford series when it was fairly new and I was visiting Blowing Rock, NC, for the first time. Mitford is said to be loosely based on Blowing Rock, so when I am reading the Mitford books, I have a mental picture of a quaint mountain town with a Main Street and fun shops. It makes me want to go back and spend some time in the mountains of North Carolina.

So, in the next few weeks, if you can't find me at lunch time or in the evening or on a Sunday afternoon, you can figure that I've "gone to Mitford" and will be back soon with a smile on my face and a nice, warm feeling in my heart!