The title of this post sounds like there was a lot of “prep” going into this big day. But it’s funny how as kids grow the amount of care and prep that go into this holiday dwindle and what you once thought was a big messy fiasco is actually something you miss and get nostalgic for.
Ha! The girls found that jersey that used to be MAX’s, and put it to good use. Bo was pleased as punch about that.
We had our annual neighborhood Fall Festival…which is no joke I tell you!
Pictures can’t really do it justice. Maybe next year I should get my brother to bring his drone to see the whole thing from a different angle.
There are bounce houses and bull-riding, and pony rides and climbing walls, face painting, and trick-or-treating…it’s pretty much a kid wonderland.
And also…chili and soups lined up as far as the eye can see:
I do love our neighborhood.
We carved pumpkins with our activity day girls:
And Shelly made some spooky Halloween treats:
Let’s get a closer look at these ones…
…we ran out of pumpkins so we carved up a couple apples too.
Grace and her friends went to the “dress up” high school football game like this:
Not sure what they were, but they sure had fun.
Lu and I met up with friends at the elementary school Fall Festival:
Dave and I went to an 80’s prom night party, and I’m mad this is the only picture I got:
There were some AMAZINGly good costumes there! Dave and I got through that night with no pictures since we were kind of lame dress-uppers…but I did crimp my hair and wear a look-alike Forenza sweater so there’s that…
Then it was FHE pumpkin carving night…which Claire made more festive with Grace’s wig:
Bo was super excited about it all as well as you can tell.
This picture below is the only one that has Dave in it…see him there on the left?
It’s unfortunate that that’s the only one we have because he was a master seed-scooper.
We tried out the drill for Claire’s which this picture doesn’t accurately portray her happiness about:
…and Grace worked so hard figuring out how to carve a skate-boarder. Quite creative I must say!
Lu worked her heart out morphing her pumpkin into a dog. Because she is all-things-dog right now.
And I (along with Dave as my scooper) tried out the pattern-route pumpkin carving.
Never done that before, in my growing-up family that was a little bit like cheating for some reason, but I gained an appreciation for how cool (and hand-cramping) those patterns can be.
Happy Halloween!
Hi Shawni, I was wondering if people really think about what they are participating in during halloween. So surprising for me, that people believing in God and Jesus Christ are taking part in the halloween celebrations. How is it possible? How can you worship death and fear and Devil (while believing in the saviour Jesus, who came to set us free from all these things and to give life!)? Make it look like a fun thing? Even if it is just a day in the year, how does it fit into your spiritual life?
(not native English speaker here, hope it does not come across as a harsh comment, that was not my intention!)
Why did you think Halloween means worshipping death, fear and the Devil? I've never heard it and it doesn't say it on Wikipedia (my trustworthy encyclopaedia ;-)).
While I'm not Shawni, I'd say that the majority views Halloween as a secular holiday which is fun and not worshipping anything.
I can't speak for Shawni, but I grew up in the US and as a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I have never been in a situation where Halloween is portrayed as a holiday that worships the devil. I have never seen it connected to a worship of any form. I think our culture has taken that completely out of it and now it is a very non-religious tradition of dressing up, carving pumpkins, and trick-or-treating.
What does dressing like a slice of pizza/cutting vegetables to look like a skateboarder and satan have to do with one another? Our Jewish brothers and sisters dress in costume on Purim. They are not accused of devil worship. You not doing things as a Christian is just a different way to be a Christian. The COJCOLDS doesn’t drink coffee. Catholics collectively avoid meat some days a year. It’s not particularly evil to drink coffee, eat meat on the days others abstain. It’s different choice is all. Same with pumpkin carving.
Fun family traditions! xo
I love those pictures of Bo with her pumpkin 🙂