I always love a good theme.  Our little one’s name means “of the sea” in Latin, and this year she is going to be Ariel for Halloween.  The Little Mermaid was her birthday theme as well.  I am not particularly girly, but this is absolutely the prettiest costume I have ever seen!  The sparkling silver shells, the sand dollar on her belt, the “fish” netting and pearls were all so cleverly done for a child’s costume.  It even had gills on the bodice.  So I was thrilled when we got a chance to go to a Halloween event and she could wear her beautiful costume more than once.  The matching hula hoop in this picture was purely coincidental.  Watching her standing on top of the bouncy house castle I thought she could not have looked any more like a princess.  We had the best time and Burk and I were the only adults who dressed up.  You know what?  Life is short.  I have discovered as an adult that I love Halloween.  I wore a long blue wig with a rope net sweater and a “seaweed” boa.  I have discovered part of my inner child I missed out on when I was little and it is such a joy getting to experience it now.  Burk was the handsome commanding naval officer and he completed his ensemble with the white captain’s hat he got when we took a dinner cruise in New Orleans.  It was just a very happy time.  They had a make your own frito pie station my husband lost his mind over and there were gluten free things for our little one as well as vegetarian options for me.  And we still have Halloween to look forward to!  The Italian Dominican friar Saint Thomas Aquinas once wrote:

“As mariners are guided into port by the shining of a star, so Christians are guided to heaven by Mary.”

My precious child’s name honors the Ever Blessed Virgin Mother Mary, known for centuries as Stella Maris; the star of the sea.  And it is she who lit the way with a promise; a promise which graced me with my own precious star of the sea.