Halloween is always a fun time of year

In our house, the costumes seem to make their first appearances a few weeks before the 31st and for those few weeks we catch as much on film as possible. We have pics from the first time they were put on, pics from the first time put on *with* face make-up, to the first time they were put on outside (always on a day when it's unseasonably warm), dressing up for preschool, the Little Gym party, and, of course, trick-or-treating.

This year, in mid-October, after the costumes had already been tried on a few times, we headed to Half Moon Bay (sans costumes) to check out the annual Pumpkin Festival. Since Jason was busy working, Eric, Talia and Andrea strolled through the crowds, watched a couple giant pumpkins being carved and treated ourselves to pumpkin ice cream. (We happened to run into Salena Mandel on the way in!) On the way home, we stopped at a pumpkin patch and chose some very special pumpkins.

We were lucky to have Grandma Caryn, Grandpa Glen and Aunt Lori visiting for Halloween weekend. We went to another pumpkin patch during the day and trick-or-treating on our street in the evening.