Abe told me he wanted to carve pumpkins on Monday because he had to help organize tithing settlements on Tuesday. So after school on Monday we picked pumpkins up from a local farm stand and the girls got all of their homework and practice done while I put a dinner of chili, kale salad, tomato soup, and gorgonzola croutons on the table.
After dinner we all had the greatest time listening to Halloween music and carving pumpkins. I also baked a pumpkin pie and roasted the pumpkin seeds after I helped Ammon carve his pumpkin into a sad face, per his specific request.
Mary drew an incredible witch silhouette onto her pumpkin which Abe somehow turned into an even better work of art. Lydia was so proud because she designed and carved her pumpkin all by herself.
After everything was carved and cleaned up, we put the pumpkins outside, lit them, and watched the kids go crazy with joy. Ammon and Mary raced around the yard holding hands as they pretended to run away from her witch pumpkin. Lydia pretended to be the witch they were running away from, and somehow everyone ended up on the porch eating pumpkin seeds and pumpkin pie. The kids ended by spontaneously singing “Silent Night.” I don’t know how they made that particular song selection, but everyone was so happy and the night was so beautiful that it felt completely appropriate, even if it was, er, unseasonal.
I should have taken more pictures because everyone was SO HAPPY this afternoon and evening. It was one of those cup-runneth-over events. We all felt so, so cozy, familial, joyful, and, above all, grateful.
