Halloween 2017

For many years our Halloween night traditions have included Heather and her kiddos coming to our neighborhood to trick-or-treat with us. For years we had such a Halloween carnival like atmosphere here. Pizza parties before-hand, over the top spooky decor, themed houses, haunted houses, scones and hot cocoa, fire pits and Halloween music, etc. But as the years have passed, our youngster heavy demographic has changed. The kids are growing up and have become teenagers and older. There are still quite a few children trick-or-treating, but nowhere near as many as in past years. Things have changed and some of those spooky hot spots in our neighborhood that brought in hordes of halloween revelers have moved or shuttered their windows as their own kids have grown up. There are still scones and cocoa, and various other houses with fun decor, music and fire pits in the driveways. But the Halloween carnival-like hey day in our neighborhood appears to be over. And while I'm a little sad, I understand it. And am thankful for the memories.

This year Heather, and specifically her youngest son Noah, decided that maybe they'd like to trick-or-treat in their own neighborhood and would we like to join them there? Interestingly, their neighborhood is the neighborhood we lived in for 8 years before moving to our present home. (In a totally coincidental turn of events, Heather and her little family moved into our old 'hood a few years after we moved out. For awhile we regularly got confused questions from ward members wondering how it was that Heather and I were such good friends if we'd never actually lived in the ward/neighborhood at the same time. We'd have to explain the growing up together/college roommates/BFF relationship.) Lilian agreed that though she'd prefer to trick-or-treat in our neighborhood, Noah was more important and if that meant spending Halloween night away from home, then so be it.

I had some massive deja vu as we wandered those same streets and houses that I had trick-or-treated with Rebekah, Julianne and Brandon when they were young. It was a little surreal to ring the doorbell and yell trick-or-treat at our old house. Goodness, what memories I had all evening long! The neighborhood has changed...there are quite a few who like us, have moved over the years. But there were still many familiar faces and some happy reunions with old neighbors.

 Honestly, not much of an official costume for me this year. This cute metal crown/headband was a souvenir Lilian picked up at Comic Con last month...and it took quite a bit of convincing trying to get her to let me borrow it. Not even the "But I paid for it!" seemed to work very well. I'm not sure if she thought I was going to break it or something? Somehow I finally got her to agree. But other than color coordinating my outfit to the crown, I wasn't any sort of character that I could actually name.

Look! It's our old front porch! That little metal flag holder on the post? I hung that up! Yeah...okay, I'll let it go.

Brandon spent the evening with some friends Halloween party hopping. Rebekah and Tanner stayed in Logan as Halloween was a weeknight and they had classes the next morning. Julianne was transferred to Kearny, NJ on Halloween and met her new companion for the first time. But she sent this picture from a Halloween party the weekend before in her Spanish branch in Toms River.