Pumpkin Procrastination and The Invisible Man

Every time we carve pumpkins on Halloween,

I vow to do it a few days ahead next year

so we won't be so rushed.

Well, you guessed it--today is Halloween, and here we are carving pumpkins.

As my mom says, if it weren't for the last minute, nothing would ever get done.

Some of us used stencils to create our jack-o-lanterns this time.

Todd carved a spooky skull . . .

. . . and Anna carved an owl.

Speaking of the last minute, Todd decided to spruce up his costume

right before the kids left to go trick-or-treating.

He had gone to school in as Math Man, with a plus and minus taped on his chest,

but then he decided to add every other math symbol he could think of.

Joy really struggled to think of a unique but doable costume this year.

As this evening approached, she asked if she could borrow some of my clothes,

then she printed a name tag so she could dress up as a missionary.

As for me, I put on a fancy mask and handed out treats on our porch . . .

. . . until the crowds thinned and the night air got too chilly.

At that point, I printed a little sign that said,

"The Invisible Man says 

you are welcome

to have a piece of his candy.

Happy Halloween!"

Mega Fun

After we finished the Mega Maze yesterday . . .

. . . we slid down the mega slides . . .

. . . ("Wheeeeee!) . . .

. . . jumped on a mega bounce pad . . .

. . . played a game of mega chess . . .

. . . tossed couch cushion "bean bags" into mega cornhole boards . . .

. . . and held a (mercifully un-mega) baby alligator.

The Corn Maze of Life

We heard there was a cool corn maze half an hour from our home,

so we decided to check it out this weekend.

They carve a different design into their field every autumn,

and this year's theme was "The Game of Life."

We started out navigating the maze together, but we soon decided to split up.

When no one is really sure which way to go,

it's easier to make decisions when you have a smaller group.

So I set off with the girls, and Daddy went with the boys.

As we wound our way through the corn maze,

we came across a beanbag catapult range . . .

. . . a random slide . . .

. . . and a fortune-telling cube

that predicts where you will retire!

Apparently Anna is destined to join the circus.

Could be worse, though.

We made it to the exit!

Time to ring the victory bell!

Call Me the Party Taxi

When it was time to leave for the church "Trunk or Treat" party tonight . . .

. . . Princess Leia was ready to go . . .

. . . but Daddy was still helping Daniel finish his costume,

and the other kids hadn't even figured out what to wear.

I drove Anna to the party, then came back for Daniel.

He and Daddy had actually finished the costume a few minutes earlier,

but the humongous box wouldn't fit in Daddy's sedan.

Minivans, for the win!

After I dropped off Daniel, I planned to just go home and put my feet up,

since I had a bit of a cold and didn't feel like partying much.

However, when I walked in the door, Joy asked if I would give her a ride too. 

She had decided to skip costumes altogether and just wear a fancy hat while she passed out candy.

Joy later came home with a few treats people had given her,

including this Reese's ghost with a Holy Ghost scripture taped to it.

If junk food comes with an inspiring message,

does that make it good for you?

Camembert and a Public Piano

A friend and I met up today 

to stroll through a nearby town called Hudson.

Our main destination was a cheese shop

(where I picked up some tasty camembert) . . .

. . . but we also browsed through an art store

that sells things like rock art . . .

. . . and Freida the Mermaid.

Downtown Hudson is also home to an epic war memorial . . .

. . . and a random, painted piano in a sheltered parking area.

It's old and I'm sure it's seriously out of tune,

but I love its unabashed quirkiness.

What to Wear?

This morning, Anna and our resident fashion enthusiast . . .

. . . were trying to decide which outfit she Anna should wear for her virtual piano recital.

Hmm, this one has potential.

Let's add a squishmallow to see how it looks with a head.

Can you envision Anna in this outfit?

Yeah, me too.

Good call, girls. :)

The Bucket Garden

I started a new gardening experiment this fall.

I had read that you can grow many vegetables in 5-gallon buckets,

so I decided to give it a try.

Most of the veggies are growing really well . . .

. . . but we're starting to get some frosty nights,

and a few of my crops aren't cold hardy . . .

. . . so on nights when temperatures drop below freezing,

we have to bring the peas indoors.

I knew it was a gamble to plant them so late in the season, but I couldn't resist trying.

Hopefully we'll get a few tasty pea pods before winter arrives in earnest.

Lotsa Pumpkins

The teenagers at church joined with youth from another ward tonight . . .

. . . for a big pumpkin-carving activity.

It was fun to see the unique jack-o-lanterns the kids created.

Some were intricately carved.

Others were just plain weird. 

And what sort of design, you may ask,

did Daniel and Joy carve?

Pumpkin pi, of course.

A Colorful Date

Ever since we moved to New England,

I've wanted to take a drive to New Hampshire in autumn 

to see the fall colors. 

Phillip and I went on a (late) anniversary date today to finally cross that off my bucket list.

I loved seeing the trees in all of their colorful autumn glory

(the photo doesn't do them justice).

We also visited an aviary with a handsome but very sleepy owl . . .

. . . then we headed to Concord, NH, for some lunch.

We couldn't agree on where to eat . . .

. . . so we picked up some chicken and biscuits for Phillip . . . 

. . . then drove to The Works Café . . .

. . . so I could get a yummy turkey sandwich with roasted sweet potatoes . . .

. . . and chuckle at the sign on their bathroom door.