Halloween Warm-Up Weekend, Pt. IV

And now for the thrilling final installment from this, Papa and Nana's Pre-Halloween October Visit.

Behold:

Kris and I were able to pass the kids off to Dad and Cindy for a second night at their hotel.  One of the kids' favorite next-morning activities when staying over at the grandparents' resort is feeding the ducks in the resort ponds. . .

If the ducks knew any better, they wouldn't get so close to these two.

Again - really, really cooperative girls for pictures. . .

Nana brought down some stamping supplies so the kids could have a fun activity to do in the hotel room.

Snuggles the Gender-Confused Bear and Abby engage in some serious stampin'.

Lions and Gadgets and Bears, oh my!

After watching the Detroit Lions seize victory (barely) from the jaws of defeat, we loaded up the kids and drove out to some random church down the road - that we've never once set foot in - to score some free pumpkin patch pictures (we learned last year that these churches gouge consumers over pumpkin prices, so we get our pictures for free and our pumpkins from Publix.  Take THAT, organized religion!)

With four people taking pictures of one, simple, 20-minute outing, you can see how we Houghs could be labeled a bit of an obsessive sort. . .

We got a new telephoto lens for our SLR - Kris put the sum'bitch to good use.

"Please do not sit on the pumpkins."  Whatever, church.

Snuggles as a dairy farmer, apparently sticking his 'hands' in a bowl of cow guts. . .?

Abby claims her prize.

See previous picture - my kids love following the rules.

Portrait time with Dad, Cindy and the grandkids. . .

. . . aaaaand here's the Houghs.  Or as good as you're going to get, with these kids.

Leaving the 'patch after having to argue with a crotchety old lady over paying for pumpkins we weren't buying.  I guess she thought the family of Mexicans we never once spoke with - or even stood remotely close to - were part of our entourage, and we were supposed to pay for the pumpkins.

Back to the van for a last-minute Publix run for pumpkins, supplies, and booze.

Getting to work on the back patio. . .

The Cannonball

Here's a gratuitous shot of my wife's armpit.

Dad tries out a new design for this year's pum-  oh wait, nevermind.

We're not stupid enough to give Abby a knife.  That chick has a hard enough time walking without running into doorknobs.

Alayna offers some friendly criticism.

Nana and Alayna work on one of the random small pumpkins we had lying around the house. . .

Here's Dad offering some really helpful advice.

Some people go ape-shit over pumpkin carving, and I guess if I lived somewhere where they didn't rot 24 hours after carving them, I might, too.  We don't use special tools or templates, either - just steak knives and a vis-a-vis markers.  Oh, and beer.

Watson ate his weight in dropped pumpkin guts this afternoon.  Hopefully that doesn't end up on my carpet later.

Taking another important call.

Against all notions of common sense, Alayna decided to give Papa a pedicure. 

Abby picks out the right color for Papa's gorgeous nails. . .

Each kid got to decorate a foot. . . 

. . . and the results are as could be expected.

Posing with the finished products.

Snuggles and friends.

Abby and her cat pumpkin.

Alayna and her whatever-the-hell-this-is.

Happy Pre-Halloween, America!!!

- Brian