Happy Halloween!

I'll be honest. In my 29 years of life, I've never given two hoots about Halloween.

I never once went trick-or-treating as a kid and I was a freshman in college when I carved my first pumpkin. It just wasn't something my family ever got into. No big deal.

BUT

This year, because I had a cute little guy with a cute little turtle costume, I gave about seventy-five hoots. Today, for the first time ever, I cared that it was Halloween and counted down the hours to tonight's celebration.

My mother-in-law prepared some delicious treats and the evening was complete with carmel apples, sugar cookies, warm chili, cornbread...
...and a very tiny washing machine.
A washing machine built for this guy - my biggest nephew who is border-line big kid, but still crazy intense about his trick-or-treating.
We took the obligatory quick-all-the-cousins-put-on-your-costume-and-stand-still photo. And, like the weird aunt who gets stuck at the kids' table at Thanksgiving, I was forced to get involved in the kid photo because my toddling turtle would not stand still.
Then it was time to hit the streets. Mr. Briggs got the hang of the asking for candy gig right away and he was shocked down to his little turtle toes every time a piece of it ended up in the bottom of his bucket.
I hope you all had very happy Halloweens - full of treats and just enough tricks to make it fun.