Hackin' Up Some Vegetables

How's it goin', Cyberspace - ready to get messy?

Damn straight you are.

Pumpkin carving has got to be one of the most tedious family traditions in existence, folks.  I mean, I like the actual carving part of the whole jack-o-lantern process - it's super fun - but the gutting and cleaning of the pumpkin itself is just. . . God, it's so tedious.  I hate it.  It's right up there with the packing of Easter Eggs with jelly beans, or shaping the Christmas Tree before you hang up the ornaments, or getting in shape for the St. Patrick's Day 5K. . .

Alayna researches pumpkin designs on Kris' phone. . .

You get where I'm going with this.

Anyway, like I may or may not have mentioned before, Kris bought our pumpkins this year from Aldi, and had them sitting out in front of our house on some hay bales as part of her exterior 'fall' display for the last month or so.

As it got closer to Halloween, we brought the pumpkins inside and the girls each picked out their pumpkins from the four we had on hand.  I chose one that was leaning over on it's side - you'll see why in a bit - and Kris took the last one.  From beginning to end the whole ordeal took about an hour and a half, which wasn't too bad at all.

I think they turned out pretty decent this year - check it out:

(Abby designed her own pumpkin this year.)

Don't let the smile fool you, folks:  Abby probably hates this gutting process more than I do.

This one doesn't care so much.

You see where I'm goin' with this?

The Cannonball decided to go with a Harry Potter design she found on Google (she's a big HP fan.)

Kris goes to work.

I think this turned out pretty well, if I must say so myself.

From Left to Right:  Abby's, Kris', Alayna's, and Mine.

- Brian