{Pumpkin Festival}

{In these photos:  Jack O'Lantern, Mike, Chloe, Jade, Saydee, Shelli, Lexus, Gramps, Gran, Gramma Kim, and mia (his M.O. for the evening) Oakley}

Small Town Tradition...

Every year we go to Gran's house for Chili, Hocus Pocus viewing pleasure, and pumpkin carving.  Every year, something doesn't happen that happened the year before.  The wonderful thing about this that ALWAYS stays the same is we gather together as family... enjoy the fall air... and make memories. 

This year Gran decided to give out free flu shots at the festival, which I told her was a horrid idea.  Who would trick their kids into getting a shot when all day long they thought they were headed for a spooky, fun, painless evening??? Well, I was terribly wrong.  FREE was the punchline and they gave away every single shot they took down.  I guess TRICK won over TREAT for the first time in history!  Needless to say, there was NO Hocus Pocus viewing (usually Gran's favorite part).  We did eat our chili, get ONE pumpkin carved, tell spooky stories, and see lots of amazing, well-lit pumpkins.  We also managed to sneak in 3 flu shots... one "FAKE blood incident" (Go Lexy)!... one NEAR under age 5 flu shot... one search and rescue attempt ("Oakley, Where are you?!) and success... One turn on the wrong burner, hence- cold chili (oops!)... One four-wheeler ride across the highway... one grown woman asleep on the floor... one fit of haunting slash schizophrenia (I'm not naming names lol)... and the list goes on and on!  Thanks FAMILY for the wonderful times and memories.  Love you all and LOVE our TRADITIONS.  

Cheers to keeping the MEMORIES alive!

xoxo