Pumpkin Carving Teaching Moment

Well it's pumpkin season right? So most of you have likely brought home a pumpkin or two. Will you carve it? Paint it? Otherwise decorate it?


This year we'll be decorating our pumpkin with Mr. Potato head parts. I stuffed a box full of potato parts at California Adventure recently, so we'll be using those on our pumpkins. But if you don't have some potato parts already, they sell kits for it too like these pirates and princesses.

However, if you're actually going to carve that pumpkin, I recommend printing this Pumpkin Prayer Mini Books.

Here's the prayer:
Lord, open my mind and fill me with Your wisdom and guidance.
Lord, take out all my fussies and frownies and fill me with your love.
Lord, open my eyes to see all the beautiful things You have made.
Lord, help me to be a sweet, sweet fragrance for You.
Lord, help me always speak Your words of love and kindness.
Lord, let me be a light to others For you have filled me with your light.

With each line pause and complete the following:
Cut out the top.
Scoop out the yuckies.
Carve the eyes.
Carve the nose.
Carve the mouth.
Place the candle inside and lid on top.

May each of us be filled with Christ!








*Single pumpkin picture by Amy Bower (thanks Amy!),
pumpkin field by me.

Women's Mini Retreat

This year COD is having an in-house mini retreat, Finding Joy in the Hard Times. No need to pack your bags, just mark it on your calendar and plan to attend. The speaker is Dottie McKissick. Dottie has taught Bible Study Fellowship for 35 years in Covina/Glendora and is a very gifted speaker.

I had the privilege of attending a retreat last spring where Dottie was the speaker. What a joy it was to listen to her share her heart right from the word of God. I was blessed immensely and I know you will be too.

Registration is now open following the Sunday morning services. Fee: $30

I hope you'll consider attending, I'm looking forward to it!

The Sawdust Factory - SPECIAL Pint-Sized Adventure

We'll be headed to the The Sawdust Factory on Thursday October 29th.

The Sawdust Factory is an adventure in wood. You and your little one(s) will be able to complete a fun wood craft to take home. If you've never been, or never heard of The Sawdust Factory you're in for a treat. We'll be taking a tracing of your child(ren's) hand(s) and turning them into the woodwork for the project. What keepsakes they will be. Though I plan to give my project as Christmas presents, I may just end up having to keep them!!

Projects & Pricing:
Project #1 Hand-print Flower Pot - $9
Project #2 Hand-print Fall Leaves - $ 10
Project #3 Hand-print Holiday Wreath. - $16

Each child can make one project (although if no one is scheduled behind us, we may have some extra time!).

If you'd like to make 1 project using multiple hands it costs an additional $2.50 per hand. So for a wreath with two hand-prints, its $18.50. For fall leaves of 3 hand-prints it's $15.













Because of the nature of this Pint-Sized Adventure, we have a few things that will be different. You must sign up in advance to attend. You'll need to pick your project and turn in your fee and child hand-prints (traced on paper) by October 22nd to Tiffany Czarnota.

For those planning to attend you can find driving directions here.

Fall Crafty Ideas

Here are some of my favorites crafty ideas with fall themes:

Thankfulness Fall Leaves Wreath: We did this earlier this yesterday. I printed out some fall leaves and had Emma color them. Then we cut them out and glued them to the paper plate. This was pretty fun. I skipped the thankful part, mostly because we're studying leaves, and I was busy talking about the leaves rather than being thankful. But it would be fun to put something you are thankful for on each leaf.








Apple Prints: We haven't done this yet, but I plan to incorporate them into some Christmas projects. I love how crisp and clean these ones are from Martha Stewart are, but then I'm sure the one's our kids make will be cute too!

Pint-Sized & MNO

Get it on your calendar for Thursday October 8th!

Pint-Sized Adventure: Finkbiner Park, Glendora 10AM
Bring the kiddos and some snacks play as long as you like!









MNO: Barnes & Noble, Glendora 8PM
Bring YOURSELF, and hang out for coffee drinking, book browsing, girl talking, yogurt eating fun as long as you like!

October Community Events

Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch: Now through October 31st
Oak Glenn: Apples Galore, Now through ...
Food for Thought: Reading Program October 10 through November 21st
Azusa Golden Days Carnival Weekend & Parade: Saturday October 10th
Glendora Pumpkin Festival: Saturday October 17th
CalPoly Pumpkin Festival: Saturday & Sunday October 17th & 18th
Pumpkin Roundup: Saturday & Sunday October 23rd & 24th at Descanso Garden
Spooky Stories Under the Stars: Monday October 26th
Trick or Treat in the Library: October 27, 28 & 29th
Glendora Halloween Walk: Friday October 30th
Goblins in the Garden: LA Arboretum, Saturday October 31st
Glendora Halloween Carnival: Saturday October 31st
Store to Store Trick or Treating One Colorado, Pasadena: Sat October 31st
RIP: Rest In His Peace, Grace Church Glendora: Saturday October 31st

Parents Night Out

CALLING ALL COD PARENTS! Do you need a night out without the kids? Or do you have some errands you'd like to get done child-free? COD Youth to the rescue!

The COD Youth Group is hosting Parents Night Off regularly on the first Friday of the month. By providing babysitting for church families, the high school kids will be raising money for camp. Although there will be adults present, the high school kids will be doing all the work - playing with your kids!

Babysitting Rates: $5/hour for each child, Max of $30 for a family
Ages: Infants to 10 years old

Next Night: Friday, October 2nd

RSVP to Angela Collett in the church office at 626-914-4646.
Or Via Email at angelacollett@verizon.net
Please bring your child fed or provide a meal/snacks for them.

Please forward this information to other parents.

GUM visits CalPoly's Pumpkin Patch

CalPoly's yearly Pumpkin Patch Festival is October 17th. I've never been, mostly because between Saturday and Sunday they have over 25,000 guests!! WOW.

But this year I learned they take field trip reservations the week before and you can tour the patch and pick your own pumpkin for just $5 dollars. Any size pumpkin. And you can get as many as you like, $5 each.

This year it didn't work out to match up with a Pint-Size Adventure date, so I took a leap of faith and booked for Monday, Oct. 12th at 9am. Would you like to come? I hope you do! You're going to have to let me know so I can fill you in on patch-day details, so if you'd like to come please email me at ke_osborn@hotmail.com.

For more information on the festival click the link above!

Free Museums Tomorrow

The Smithsonium is hosting Free Museum Day tomorrow Saturday, September 25th. To find out more information, to download your free entry pass, and to find out what local museums are participating click here.

Great Scott at the Glendora Public Library

Just wanted to pass on this information! Maybe we'll see you there?!

Great Scott