Pumpkins, Pumpkins and More Pumpkins!
We had a great time at family camp this weekend carving pumpkins. I love traditions like carving pumpkins. It really brings the whole family together. When we lived in Australia, Halloween always came in spring (the seasons are opposite in the southern hemisphere). There were no pumpkins because it was fall not spring. If we did find a pumpkin, it was always blue. Yes, I said blue. Australia doesn’t have orange pumpkins (at least not in spring). So we would get a blue pumpkin and try to carve it. Blue pumpkins are much harder then their orange counter parts. They are also filled with much worse inner gunk.
When we placed our blue jack-o’-lantern out on the front porch, we received a number of questions. Why? Australians really don’t have this tradition. Pumpkins are for making soup not for carving. Definitely not for pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving since that is only an American celebration. Carving pumpkins became for us a way to hold on to our tradition.
At family camp this weekend, every family carved pumpkins with different faces or images. The pumpkins were as varied as the families that were there this weekend. That is what I love most about Laity Lodge Family Camp. People come with all different traditions and come to Laity knowing that they will be loved just as they are-no matter what face is carved.
God is so amazing that he created us with so many different faces. Yet all of us are made in his image. I thank God for the privilege of getting to see and know so many of you who God loves and cares for every day. We are carved in the image of God. That is amazing!!!
The weekend was filled with other family camp traditions like hiking, rapeling, alpine tower, crafts and much more. There were a few that even ventured into the Frio (there is a reason they call it the Frio), but they didn’t stay in long.
Traditions are an important part of families. In both our church families and our biological ones, traditions bring us together. I hope family camp will become a tradition for your family to enable you to come together in God’s Grace.
