Man alive, it’s so weird to have your kids all spread out in different places on Halloween. Especially after having them woven so tightly under your wings for so long. I know I talk about this mumbo jumbo of Halloweens gone by each year. And I do miss them! Oh so much!
But it was our first Halloween as empty nesters and I have to say, I do like these kinds of Halloweens too. The kind where you get to kind of be on the sidelines and enjoy from afar. I mean, I have grand-babies now, for crying out loud.
And gosh, they are so fun.
I was determined last Halloween that I was going to figure out a way to be with them this Halloween. But it wasn’t in the cards, and this is as close as I got:
As you can tell, I was kind of delighted about it. Dave was on his way out the door and as you can see up there on his text, he wanted to join the call.
So he did…
…along with everyone else.
And I was so happy standing there in my kitchen just loving all those kids filling up my screen as well as the ones who couldn’t make it.
Maybe Halloween is even more fun from this vantage point…I mean, adult kids can come up with some wing-dinger outfits I tell you!
Grace and her roommates had a huge Harry Potter party they had the best time with (before Halloween), their house chock full of kids with so much creativity oozing out of those costumes. And the decor they came up with was so creative (although I don’t have the photos to show it off).
Elle and Carson up there always come up with something fun, and seem to make friends everywhere they go. Even while they’re on this three-month stint in southern California for Carson’s residency.
Grace and Claire both had multiple parties with multiple get-ups…
Can you tell who all these girls are?
Murphy herself had a slew of get-ups, starting with Elsa for Max’s work party:
Then “Simon” the bird. (And we’re not sure why the bird is “Simon”??):
And of course, little Ada as a mouse? Cutest little button I ever did see. She was one and done with that little costume. But Murphy?
She still pulled out one more get-up for actual trick-or-treating with her cutest ever little cousin on Abby’s side.
And if you could see that video of her running around the neighborhood on Halloween night you’d melt.
(I’ll have to put it on Instagram.)
Grace and Ron Weasley got to join her and Max and Abby for trick-or-treating.
Along with Abby’s family, and I bet Abby’s mom took that photo…LOVE that woman!
As for me and Dave, the empty-nesters, we hung in our neighborhood and enjoyed the slowness of it all. First tacos at a friend’s house and then our traditional set up with our neighbors.
The beginning:
The middle:
A little break for a hunted house around the corner (that was actually really scary):
The end:
Love that Halloween is really the one chance we get to hang with these guys.
BUT, that’s not really “the end.”
Because LUCY!!
Who has been quite lonely lately up at college had the best night. Isn’t it just the best thing in the whole wide world when your children get invited to a party by good people? Especially when they have just really needed a little extra light and love in their lives? I cannot tell you what it did to my mama heart to get to stay up after all the hoopla and hear about her night. She was “Christmas” for Halloween and I thought that was pretty creative…see the red shirt and the green pants below?:
And that smile? The kind that comes from finding some new friends in a sea of lots of college strangers. Thank you, thank you, thank you for those who have taken her under their wings this weekend. Means the world to her…and to me!
Oh it was just the best ending to a good day.
What a way to wrap up October with SO much gratitude in my heart, ready and open for the gratitude season of November.
Welcome Thanksgiving!
Thank you for sharing your families Halloween traditions. Murphy and Ada are so adorable. How fun that Grace and Claire got to go trick or treating with them! Your kids are very creative to come up with such fun costumes for themselves also.