Pumpkin Fun and Harvest Fest

Flashback with me to October 28... After returning from Niven's Apple Farm, Matthew, Philip and I began carving our big pumpkin! I couldn't remember actually having carved a pumpkin before so I was pretty excited. Also Matthew had found a cool pumpkin carving kit which proved quite handy. Here's how it went.


Philip checks over his little pumpkin.


Matthew begins working on the big pumpkin's insides while Philip examines the top.


Philip gets in on the fun!


Mommy's turn to pull out some pumpkin insides.


Daddy gets to work on his "masterpiece".


Philip takes his little pumpkin and goes off to play.



The finished product. Not bad if I do say so myself!


Here's the pumpkin lit. It's a spooky house! We liked this design in the kit better than the others (skeletons and spiders).


Here's Philip's little "Jack". Matthew carved it with Philip while I was out, but he said they had a good time together and no one got cut!

Moving on... Our church celebrates October 31 by having Harvest Fest, a family-fun alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating. The parking lot is full of food vendors, rides and church members' cars with the trunks open sporting a little game and chance to collect candy. The kids can go car to car "trunk-or-treating"! You might remember if you're a long time blog reader that last year we had a ferret trunk. This year I didn't want to be tied down but instead walk around with Philip.

Philip was very excited about Harvest Fest since he had been to the fair a few weeks before. I told him there would be rides, and he found one he really loved!


Riding the balloon ride with Mommy.


Riding the balloon ride with Papa (my dad).


And one more time (we might not see the balloon ride for another year!) with Daddy.


I was so glad my Mom (and Dad) came to Harvest Fest. She was feeling ok at this time but they only stayed about an hour. Long enough to see their favorite Pooh Bear ride the balloons and dance around to the music!

(Side note: Mom is still healing but we have some big praise reports! Her blood work came back perfect for the second time (CANCER-FREE!!!) since her surgeries. Plus her year follow-up colonoscopy last week was clear and the doctor said her insides are healing well. Praise God. However, continue to pray as she still has painful bowel movements and somedays up to 8+ movements. We pray that as the months go on her body will transition back to somewhat normal and much less pain.)