Pumpkin Carving!

Here's this year's line-up of pumpkins!  Josh came over and we all had some fun carving pumpkins tonight.  Mom had chili made up, and some spiced apple cider too, plus coffee and dip with hummus.  All the implements were there, and we got busy making fun faces or in my case, a bat.

The bat is for Camille's baby, Bonnie, somewhat of a running joke.  The pumpkin on the right is Mom's design.  She doesn't usually have time to carve pumpkins, but tonight we had an extra one and Mom did a great job doing this one - let the lion roar!

Josh picked up his pumpkins at Home Depot, and did two of them, one small white one and one with all kinds of lumps on it.  They were highly unusual, but they turned out great.

Maddie's design was simple, but I love it.  It's almost a complaining face, or perhaps one that's getting ready to eat all the other pumpkins.

Mom's pumpkin is so regal.  Or worried.  It depends on how you look at it!  Anyway, it was a pleasant night.  She made chili, and even some wassail - some cider with spices and fruit in it that was just delicious when warmed up.  We had Frog's Breath coffee, and some new pumpkin spice hummus that was actually amazingly good.  We got carving outside and the weather was really nice out there.  It was pleasant, as always, just sitting there talking and carving and creating as we enjoyed the weather and each other's company.

We set the pumpkins up on the fireplace, as is tradition, and we had them lined up and lit up very nicely.  It was a good set of pumpkins!  We sat and watched "Nightmare Before Christmas" while the candles in those pumpkins burned, and it that made things even better.  It was a good night after all.

Today was a busy day - we started early with Team Edge practice.  I'm doing the jogging in the mornings, although I think I have to take a break or do a recovery walk or something tomorrow - the joints aren't quite happy with me at the moment.  But I am doing better and that's good.  Maddie's Team Edge went well too - they're inching closer to their performance, and they're getting very good and in synch.  I was squeezing in some grocery shopping, picking up a few things here and there.  

After that, about four hours of play practice for Christmas, which is moving along.  The revival has really challenged that practice schedule, but everyone who came today did well, and we're moving right along.

We made time for reading tonight, and then prayers - but we were pretty zonked, all of us.  Plus, we have to get up early for church tomorrow.  It's going to be a great day.