Last weekend's pumpkin carving was so fun! There were 6 adults carving, and Iris and Lily "helping". Iris loved taking out the pumpkin guts, but Lily touched one seed and didn't want to have anything to do with it! It took forever, but they all turned out great. I'll post the pictures of them soon.
This week, we've been working on Operation: Christmas Child. An organization called Samaritan's Purse does this thing every year where they fill shoeboxes with toiletries and toys for kids in countries that never receive gifts. This year, our church is joining in. We're hoping for 75 filled boxes from our church, so please pray that people will get involved. It's not really an expensive charity. You get the box for free and you can fill it with dollar items. We went to Target and found crayons, activity and coloring books, letter/number/color books, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap, and combs all for under $1.00 each. Our family's goal is 15 boxes. We figured we are so willing to spend a ton on each other and our families for Christmas, why not be willing to spend more than just one box worth on kids that really need simple hygiene items? I plan to go out again today and grab a few more things (probably toys, since we've got most of the hygiene products covered) to top off the boxes. I think it's an awesome project for families to do together, and I'm so thankful for the folks at our church that found it and suggested it. I know we're all capable of way more than 75 boxes, but I know how hard it is sometimes to get motivated to give to someone you don't know. But what an exciting ministry!
Our church is also working on Family Friday Movie Nights. Starting next Friday, November 5, our church is hosting FREE movie nights for anyone interested. They'll be showing Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks movies, so they're all family-friendly. We really don't know the folks in our immediate community, so I think this is a great way to get to know more people and find out how they think we can help out in the community and just provide some free entertainment for families....especially since going to the movies costs a bundle these days!
Another awesome venture our church is looking into is a food pantry/soup kitchen. I guess they're working with the town on that one, but I'm hoping it works out because that would be such a great opportunity to really show God's love to those who are needing the most. Arthur and I definitely want to be involved in that ministry, whenever it's ready.
The girls' pumpkin party at preschool was fun. They had a lot of fun playing the games and getting to wear their Halloween costumes. Today, they get to wear them again for a birthday party and then again tomorrow for Trick or Treating. I really feel like we got our money's worth with them this year. :)
Tomorrow is our church's 5th Sunday Fellowship (happens in every month where there's a 5th Sunday; we meet for breakfast and fellowship instead of breaking up for Sunday School classes). I am making a new recipe for a Breakfast Pudding Cake. It sounds really good, based on the ingredients, so I'm hoping it turns out really great tasting, too! Here's the recipe:
Breakfast Pudding Coffee Cake
1 (18½-ounce) Box Duncan Hines Butter Golden Cake Mix
1 (3½-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding (can use instant regular vanilla)
4 eggs
1/2 C. oil
1/2 C. water
2 t. vanilla
1/2 C. white sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar
2 T. cinnamon
1/2 C. chopped pecans, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8- or 9-inch square cake pans with nonstick spray, or grease them with butter. (You can use disposable foil pans if desired.)
Mix the cake mix, pudding, eggs, oil, water and vanilla until smooth. In a small zipper-top bag, combine the sugars, cinnamon and nuts.
Sprinkle the bottoms of pans with about half of the sugar mix. Add the batter, then add the rest of the sugar mix to the batter and swirl it through the batter with a knife. Bake for 22 minutes.
1 (3½-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding (can use instant regular vanilla)
4 eggs
1/2 C. oil
1/2 C. water
2 t. vanilla
1/2 C. white sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar
2 T. cinnamon
1/2 C. chopped pecans, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8- or 9-inch square cake pans with nonstick spray, or grease them with butter. (You can use disposable foil pans if desired.)
Mix the cake mix, pudding, eggs, oil, water and vanilla until smooth. In a small zipper-top bag, combine the sugars, cinnamon and nuts.
Sprinkle the bottoms of pans with about half of the sugar mix. Add the batter, then add the rest of the sugar mix to the batter and swirl it through the batter with a knife. Bake for 22 minutes.
Enjoy your weekend and have a safe and happy Halloween!
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