Halloween Weekend!

We spent Saturday evening with our neighbors the Glaesmans and freinds, the Penny's at Pioneer Park in Annandale, which was transformed into a Halloween Spectacular. First there was trick or treating at several buildings (like the ones below) that line the "street" in the park.

Each building (there are probably about 12-15 of them) is ready for trick or treaters with elaborate set-ups and decorations like the one below, which just happens to be the town dental office, on this "street".

Grant, Olivia, Joel, and Will

Running down the town sidewalk...

Corn maze...

Joel, playing with his biggest fan Andrew. He loves to be silly with Andrew and make him laugh, and in turn Andrew calls just about any little boy around "Jo-Jo-Jo".

Mmmm....

We debating if we were even going to carve pumpkins this year.... but, decided last minute on Sunday that we better not be the parents that deprive their kids of that Halloween tradition, even if just for one year. Well, it turns out, our initial thought was correct... we really did not need to carve pumpkins this year.

This was Joel's one attempt at participating on scooping out the pumpkin...

We told Mitchell he didn't have a choice, he had to carve a pumpkin:)

And yes, Grant really is at thrilled about the pumpkins as he appears in this picture.

Joel, leaning back and hiding from the hideous pumpkin

And Grant... also disgusted by the pumpkin

Yep, fun times in the Benson house and no pumpkin carvers to be found... Joel had much more fun taking pictures of us

And he also had no problem posing with the pumpkins.
Later that night, ready to go trick or treating!


The Glaesman gang joined us for trick or treating.

I have to say, I never have been much of a Halloween fan, but this year, experiencing the excitement with the kids and Joel asking me everyday for a week (27 times per day) if it was Halloween yet, the holiday is really growing on me. By the end of the week, I even found myself sporting an orange shirt and feeling rather festive:)