the paquettes

I’m going to say that this was the most fun Halloween we have had as a family. I have no doubt this is because our kids are getting older!

I’m happy to say that all my kid meal toys disappeared by the time we finished trick-or-treating!

Every year, the neighborhood kids (and some extra!) meet up on Jen’s lawn for chili, cornbread, and pre-trick-or-treating pictures!

lots of friends!

Super Why vs. Captain America!

cousins

I can just imagine the boys saying, “Who invited Super Why? Is he even a real super hero? Ooooooo, I’m so scared of his ‘power to read!'” 😉

Spiderman, Thor, Batman, Super Why, and Hulk

Belle and Rapunzel!

Ella and Anna

When it was time to go trick or treating, the big kids took off!

speed=more candy!

Asher stayed behind with the little guys!

One of Ella’s friends from kindergarten had a haunted house in her garage. This friend also has 3 teenage brothers.  This haunted house was going to be scary!  But Ella wanted to see her friend, so in she went!  (Even though I told her she probably wouldn’t be in there-and she wasn’t.)   Ella tried to be brave at first, but you can see the fear in her eyes-and tears!

in the garage haunted house

And this is Ella coming out of the haunted house!  Poor girl!

Every year around this time I wonder the same thing.  Will this be the year no one cries when we carve pumpkins?
Nope, not this year.
As long as we force our son to touch the pulp, there will be tears!  Now I know we could not force our son, but what would the fun be in that?  🙂

(We were at my parents Octaranch in College Station because James, Rilyn, and I went to the depressing Aggie game against Missouri earlier that day.)

Once again, we did the pumpkin gospel story to show the kids how when we trust in God, He takes out our yucky sin (pulp) and makes us a new creation (or rather in this case a new “face”).  See this previous post for the Bible verses and what to say.

I would be as concerned as Ella if I saw my daddy cutting off his thumb with a knife!

don’t worry folks, James still has one good thumb left!  😉

You can see Asher’s concern right from the beginning and Rilyn’s joy as daddy cuts open her pumpkin. Rilyn has never had a problem digging in and grabbing out the pulp with her bare hands!

Ella’s turn. Again, Asher wringing his hands in concern.

This look is more for show. Look at me make gross noises and faces while I’m digging out the slime everybody! 😉

ewwwwwww

It’s Asher’s turn.

The pulp is coming to get you!!!

those seeds are scary!!

Ella does not like to touch pulp. Here she is showing off her one seed she got with the spoon.

Hiding behind daddy.

Asher did love carving the pumpkin, probably because it didn’t involve pulp!

Rilyn’s first pumpkin carving!

2006

Ella’s first!

2007

Leave it to my parents to introduce my kids to their first gruesome Halloween party!  😉  I think because my dad is a doctor, blood and guts are not that scary, but rather a reality.  😉  And you will see on my flashback Friday this week, that I didn’t mind the gore either growing up!  Anyway, after Rilyn’s cheer competition on Saturday, my parents drove my kids back to Temple to take them to another doctor’s Halloween party that was “for the kids”.  (Mom, I’m fine with what they saw, I just think it was funny that this party was marketed for young kids!)

Harmless enough…a “haunted house”

I can hear my mom now, “stand in front of the gruesome corpse kids!” Asher isn’t so sure…

In this graveyard, it looks like all my kids are ready to get outta there!

And Asher is running from the spooky house! Hehe, this picture of him cracks me up!

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Now for some family fun! My dad drove the “train” around the property full of kids. Not sure why Asher is sitting with some random girl and not Ella. Rilyn is in the front with grandpa.

Ella was the one who broke the spider pinata (chopped off his head!) therefore we now have a broken spider pinata in our house as a “trophy”. 🙂 I think she is posing with the party host.

The kids had a lot of fun with a hayride and play equipment too. The week before Halloween is always one big party around here! Lots of sweets and fun! Stay tuned!

*Some pictures were left out to keep this post PG.   (Seriously, there was a grim reaper with a rifle pointed at the kids!!)?!?!?!