carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns

yesterday we carved pumpkins!

nate's dad bought pumpkins for everyone on friday, so after dinner yesterday we gathered around their kitchen table and let the pumpkin guts fly!

once the pumpkins were all cleaned out, everyone decided what they were going to do with their pumpkins.  amelia decided to free hand her pumpkin and drew it herself.  then nathan helped her cut it out.

jared and isaac decided to use patterns to carve their pumpkins.

once amelia's pumpkin was completed, she helped daddy clean out his pumpkin.

during all the crazy pumpkin carving, there were a few breaks for ice cream.  isaac was the first to succumb...

 and clara soon followed, leaving pa to finish carving her pumpkin.

the finished products!

isaac, clara, amelia, jared, nathan

spooky!

jared with his grim greetings

nathan's freeky frank

amelia's original traditional jack o lantern

isaac's scary welcome

clara's witchy witch

and all lit up

so wait, where's mine?

i helped everyone else and cleaned up so mine is still a regular ole pumpkin for now.

a yucky day

painting by Winston Prakash

it is yucky outside. it didn't start out this way, but now the wind is blowing and it is getting dark. i think it is supposed to snow tomorrow. so, instead of focusing on all the things i don't like about cold weather, here are the things i do like....

1. the smell just before and after it rains.
2. the smell outside when it has just snowed. it smells so clean.
3. the beautiful fall colors. i know it is so cliche but they really are pretty, especially on the mountains.
4. the way the snow reflects the light. i love to go outside at night when it is snowing and look around. it's dark but not dark. i can't explain it.
5. i'm tired of wearing the same clothes over and over. when you get to bring out the cold weather clothes, it is like a whole new wardrobe has become available to you. all the long lost sweaters and boots get to make a reappearance.