Jack O'Lanterns

I have discovered that I am trying to do too much. Haha... I know. Everyone say it at once, "I told you so." 


Well, really, I can say that I think the trouble is that everything always hits at the same time. There are gaps where I can go three or four days without feeling overwhelmed in the slightest. Then, a week like this one hits and I feel like I need a vacation. 


I won't bore you with all the details of what life has been like. Just suffice it to say that it's been busy. Good busy... but busy enough to keep me from 1. writing, and 2. running. Neither of which makes me happy. :) 


As part of my insane schedule and insistence that I can and will do all things for all people that I love and care about, even if it exhausts me, we spent tonight working on a tradition that we have each October. 


We carved our pumpkins. 


We do this every year. No matter what. One year, I think we actually spent the night before Halloween carving them. It just has to be done. We love doing it... even when we have to squeeze it into our schedule. :) 


And we go all out. Well, as all out as any of us ever have. I print off templates online and the kids pull out all the disgusting stuff from the inside of the pumpkin and Brad and I work on carving them. 


This year, we had 4 large pumpkins - the most ever for us. We selected something to represent each of us. Funny how the kids picked a witch for me. Thanks, guys. :) I honestly told them that I was thinking about dressing up as a witch this year, so we'll go with that as to their reason for selecting a witch. We will ignore the fact that I have been very "witchy" to them over the last week. lol. Brad's pumpkin is the vampire. The kids selected his also. I think they chose it because they like vampires and teeth... and they didn't want to choose it for themselves. :) Bailey's is a cat - she's dressing up as catwoman. Jake's is a bat. I bet no one on here can guess what or who he's dressing up as for Halloween. :) 


I love that we do this each year. I love that the kids enjoy it as much as we do. And, I especially love that Jake actually did not refuse to participate. He normally just watches because his hands get yucky. :) This year, he dug in. He complained some, but had fun with it. He didn't do as much as the rest of us, but he did it. He's growing up. :) 


The photos aren't the greatest, but... here they are: 

Happy Halloween! :)