Pumpkin Party 2016

The last few weeks have been very gloomy with all the rain and flooding. It’s easy to become depressed as you see the dark clouds & process the non-stop urgent needs around you. The sun teases you with its presence and then quickly hides as the rain pours down.

BUT for the past 3 months – the kids in our Children’s Church have been working hard earning points for attendance, memorizing scripture, inviting friends, praying, evangelizing, and engaging in our lessons.

Even though it poured down rain off and on today – it was important to have our party as planned. It’s a big deal for the kids who attend and we needed something fun to take over these gloomy days. Some of the children were a little late but everyone still made it to our Pumpkin Party!

We spent yesterday afternoon decorating the cafeteria, sorting through games, hanging up lights, and making up goody bags. Did I mention we have a piñata that’s 4 feet tall?

Every August we ship several crates of ministry supplies to Haiti with my parents. One of those crates is a party crate! It takes A LOT of planning to ship in a year’s worth of party supplies… to think through all the Holidays – all the decorations, prizes, and games that make each party so special.

But when you see the joy on their little faces – adults and kids alike – it’s worth all the effort. I believe some of the most important things are the little things… the things that no one really thinks about… the things that make those final touches oh so special.

The kids told us they didn’t sleep last night thinking about their party! They knew that they would play fun games, win prizes, get lots of candy, and fill their bellies with good food!

Unfortunately I started feeling really dizzy yesterday and wasn’t able to host the party today. 🙁 I may or may not have cried knowing I wouldn’t be able to personally see all the fun.

But I’m SO thankful for Susan who took charge of the event and for Miss Beth, Malaya, Momma Gigi, Pierre, my momma, Mikela, Jose, and everyone else who made this party so special.

We had LOTS of carnival games, they colored superhero masks & vests, they watched some tom & jerry, they ate spaghetti & cupcakes, & they punched the piñata full of candy! The party lasted a little over 2 1/2 hours and we still didn’t get to ALL the games!!

The kids will be talking about their special night for weeks! Here are some pictures from our fabulously fun-filled family festive night…