Halloween 2023!

 Happiest of Halloweens today, my friends! 

Halloween is my favorite holiday, 

and the North Carolina weather did NOT disappoint! 

We woke up to rain and windy weather. 

It made the whole day perfectly moody and gloomy...just the way I love it!

I took Lottie to school, took a spooky Barre class, 

then came home and baked and prepped for our

 family Halloween feast later that afternoon.  

Trick or treating starts early around here,

(especially if it is raining and dark), 

so we had an early dinner together that included:

Halloween Chili with all the toppings and hot cornbread.  

Green apples and caramel dip, baked pumpkin seeds 

(with my secret ingredient, Anise seeds),  goblin grapes,

and, of course, the traditional Root Beer in the black cauldron 

with dry ice bubbling inside.

For dessert, I made a pumpkin spice cake with 

vanilla frosting that I designed 

to look like a spooky, drippy Halloween candle.

I saved a bunch of my summer Zinnias to dry and use as 

centerpieces for my Halloween table.

Gigs and Lottie walked in the door after school

 (Gigs, wearing his gorilla costume).  

They helped me get the final things done for dinner.

This year, I set out a game, Clue, a Nielson favorite.

It was so fun to leisurely play, eat, laugh, and talk.

This is a new tradition, for sure!

Soon, Lottie's friends called her to see where she was 

since they had already met up in the neighborhood near her elementary school

 to wait for her to go trick-or-treating.

She didn't want to leave!  No one did!

That made me feel good.

I'm so glad we like each other!

So we hurried and finished our game. 

(Gigs won; Mrs. Peacock with the dagger in the Study).

I helped Lottie get her cute French girl outfit, make-up

and then she and Gigs left.  

Gigs was in his Gorilla costume and the Chinese leaf hat

that he won at the state fair.  

He was meeting up with friends.

Christian and I cleaned up the house, then ate some pumpkin cake

by our cozy fireplace.

It couldn't have been a better evening.

Everything was perfect (except for missing three children).

Around 8:00, Christian and I picked up Lottie, who was

with her bestie, Antonia, trick-or-treating in a neighborhood

near her elementary school, about 20 minutes away.

One of my favorite Halloween traditions is driving by the pumpkin stand

on a lonely, quiet country road on the way to school,

yet somehow, on Halloween night, it's filled with bright-lit pumpkins. 

I always wonder who makes them and where they come from. 

It's a mystery, and I absolutely LOVE IT!

'Til next year, Halloween!

Ending with a BANG!

We're ending this beautiful October month with a bang!

As darkness came to Stillestead, we gathered out on the back porch

 along with our knives and spoons to begin the annual 

Halloween pumpkin carving tradition. 

The crisp autumn air made the evening so festive and perfect for this activity!

Thank you, North Carolina!

 However, our excitement was short-lived as we discovered that 

our stinker chickens had feasted on two of the pumpkins, 

leaving only two for us to carve. 

And it was all fun until Lottie sliced her finger with the knife

then had to lie down on the couch so she wouldn't faint.

She looked like death had come for her.

I made her lay down and drink a Sprite 

(the official sick drink).

Gigs and Lottie didn't look at each other's pumpkin faces,

and as it turns out, they carved the SAME faces.

Awwwww.

Meanwhile...Christian flew to Arizona to celebrate his mom's 

(GrandMary)

80th birthday with all of his siblings.

AND

Enjoy Claire's 22nd birthday with her 

(and watch her speak at her YSA stake conference!  Go, Claire!). 

They drove to the mountains to see the fall colors 

and enjoy some cooler weather.

Claire is planning on coming home for the holidays,

 and we're soooo excited.

Especially Lottie.

 She's making a paper chain until her best friend comes home!

(Do you see something funny in the photo above?)