A Star is Born

Yes, that is my daughter. Singing Karaoke. It was just a matter of time. Actually, today was all about the pumpkins. That's right, it's the Great Pumpkin!

I have to say, Halloween is not my favorite holiday. In fact, if you break down the word origin of the word, "holiday" to be a derivitave of "holy day," Halloween definitely falls outside the realm of all things holy. But, as a dutiful citizen of the planet, and wanting to be a "cool mom" while maintaining my spirituality (ha!), we participated in a Halloween Alternative at church tonight.

The teenagers did a "Disco Lounge." We were especially impressed with Jenna's white go-go boots. They're regular boots that are completely engulfed in white duct tape. Necessity truly *is* the mother of invention!

This year's event was called "Door 2 Door," and it really was a lot of fun. Different groups (small groups, Sunday School classes, etc.) decorated rooms in the church. The themes varied from "Down on the Farm" to a Hawaiian Luau, to the "Karaoke" lounge. (The last was the room that my choir sponsored.)

This is my (insane) boss and his wife. Bob & Sue Berry have to be two of the coolest people in the ministry. For some reason, Sue is willing to dress up for as many of these crazy events as we come up with. Always with a smile on her face--and willing to help with all the details. (I asked where the coconut bras were. . . .Bob actually brought one, but it stayed under the table). Phew!

The Karaoke Lounge was a big hit. We had glitter, lights, and music. Everyone loved it. . .the teenage kids, the middle-school kids, and the younger kids. . . uh yes, mine included.

Caroline didn't actually *sing* in the microphone, but toward the end of the evening, she started talking into it. It was amazing to see those little wheels in her head start to turn, as she figured the whole thing out.

Melissa, our church administrator, greeted guests in the office area. She gave glow-in-the-dark bracelets to everyone. Caroline was more interested in the candy. (Can't see where she gets that from!)

Of course, there was face-painting. . . Ruth and Ginger do it very well. We didn't attempt it. We could barely get Caroline to sit still to sing "This Little Light of Mine" so face painting had to wait for another year.

This was the "Farm" room which included this great barn. Lots of families used it as a photo spot.

Mike, one of the guys in my choir, brought his guitar for the Karaoke Lounge. It came in handy when kids wanted to sing the national anthem. . . .no, I mean "Rocky Top." In Tennessee, that *is* the national anthem. Caroline just liked strumming while he played chords.

All in all, it was a great evening. I'm pooped, but that's allright. It was safe. It was clean. It was wholesome. It was outreach. You can't beat that. . .can you??