Walker Pumpkin Carving 2014

This year our annual pumpkin carving was held at our house and it was wonderful. I really love that Melissa and Matthew are both down here so close (and only wish that Jenna was a bit closer). We missed our Oliver Family, but they were all in Wisconsin for Mikelle's mission farewell. (We wish we could have been there, but wish her the very best! She's going to be a wonderful missionary.) It was nice to be at home, considering our brand new baby - and we had a wonderful time together, eating Cheesy Potato Soup and carving pumpkins. 

Before we got started, I asked David to go outside and take pictures of our pumpkins. We grew these beauties in our "garden" this year and I am SO proud. The pumpkin plants basically took over the entire upper left side of our yard, but it was worth it to have the satisfaction of carving a pumpkin that we grew ourselves! Lydia is obviously very proud as well. (She especially loved the tiny ones.)

Then it was pumpkin carving time. We found this pretty awesome power-tool attachment at Cornbellys and had to buy it for our extravaganza. It looks like a giant beater and once attached to a drill, guts a pumpkin in seconds. It was awesome! 

 

 

 

  

We carved one pumpkin between the four of us. I remember when I was little, my parents would carve pumpkins for themselves, and then carve pumpkins for me and Jenna. They were awesome. We are a little weaksauce. However, we do our best. And bless David for being so wonderful to put up with me. I just really really wanted a good picture of the four of us and our pumpkin. The first picture we took had Lydia with her finger in her nose, so I asked to take another, and another and another. None of them were living up to my "perfect" picture expectation and I was really disappointed. However, when looking back at them, even though none of them are perfect- I actually really like them anyway. 

  

 And here are all of the pumpkins and all of our wonderful family (save Jacob, who is serving in the Edmonton, Canada Mission - note the missionary pumpkin and CEM/Maple Leaf pumpkin). We sure love these guys. 

We also had a little birthday party for David. We all love him.   

And, the first round of "cousin pictures" with all three cousins!  

 

I don't know that any of us really love carving pumpkins more than the average person. But we certainly do love getting together, and this is one of my very favorite traditions. There are so many memories from carving pumpkins through all the years of my childhood - I hope that Lydia and Austin are able to grow up with those same wonderful memories carving pumpkins with their cousins. 

Happy Pumpkin Carving!