A few pics

The trampoline is awesome! They really love it!

With their pumpkins. Notice their attire. We LOVE Tennessee weather.

The boys jamming together.

Beautiful

So, you all know that Alyssa LOVES, LOVES, LOVES makeup and dressing up and being fashionable and cool. I wish I could say that she gets some of the "coolness" from me, but you all know that isn't true:) Tim and I know she loves these things and although we don't share the same passions, we try to encourage her interests. Having said that, we also want to make sure that she isn't buying too much into what our world, mainly our media, promotes as beautiful. It is a hard line to walk with a little girl, and we continue to struggle with the balance of it. Anyhow, this week while I was sick, Tim downloaded a song and a video that he showed to her. He watched the video with her and we both discussed with her what the song and the video meant. She is beautiful just the way she is! She got it!

So, tonight as I was tucking her into bed, I saw a paper on the floor (of course it was on the floor) with some of her handwriting on it. Here is some of what it said:

"Litil grle tteun one the tage that you have dune I wish you see bute is so butfole. BudFole is so Budfole your so budfol the you that you are you dot have to pute on mace-up to mace you budfol. Your budfol just the way you are. "

Below is the words to the song "More Beautiful You" by Johnny Diaz. I hope Alyssa and Ella always know that they are beautiful the way that God made them!

More Beautiful You
Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn’t straight her body isn’t fake
And she’s always felt overweight

Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are

There could never be a more beautiful you
Don’t buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

Little girl twenty-one the things that you’ve already done
Anything to get ahead
And you say you’ve got a man but he’s got another plan
Only wants what you will do instead
Well little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would come
You starve yourself to play the part
But I can promise you there’s a man whose love is true
And he’ll treat you like the jewel you are

So turn around you’re not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It’s not too late you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear they can all be washed away
By the one who’s strong can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light He will show you truth
And again you’ll see through the eyes of a little girl

Halloween and the Zoo

The whole gang. We trick or treated with the neighbors.

Hannah Montana, the witch and Optimus Prime.

Carving our pumpkin.

At the zoo.

In front of the elephants.