We have changed up the celebrating as best we can to try not to glorify the actual origin even though we have explained it to the kids. As a yearly tradition we do carve pumpkins. We have a book called the Pumpkin patch parable that we read to them and it is very cool in that it relates the whole picking cleaning, carving and lighting of the pumpkin to the Father choosing, cleaning, adjusting, and lighting up our lives for all to see. The kids love it and we always make a smiling pumpkin and a pumpkin carved into a cross. This year I also made sugar cookies shaped like pumpkins with icing smiley faces for the story reading time. Was one of the most enjoyable nights.
We then roasted the pumpkin seeds and my sister made an absolutely awesome mix with them mixed with raisins, craisons, pretzels, candy corn, and corn nuts, unbelievably enjoyable! Here are a few pics of the fun. This was all done on the Wednesday before Halloween and we did the usual night at the hotsprings for the actual night. My sis and her boys came which made it extra fun. And we came back to the house and watched Nacho Libre and ate an enormous amount of candy and Nachos. I don't believe the kids felt as if they missed out on anything! Yippee. And we also let them dress up for heading out to the hotsprings which made it extra fun for them.
Here is Alex digging in. He was very unimpressed to start but then started to get into it.
Happily playing in the muck
Helping with the scooping
Me and the beauties. Joel didn't really start enjoying it until he found that he could reach the un iced cookies and eat as many as he wanted.
The gang carving away.
The kids drew the faces and Bernadette and I carved them out.
Adam, working on his masterpeice. He also carved a mini pumpkin, pretty intricate work. Annabelle is still sleeping with it and it is almost time for it to be thrown out as it is starting to look pretty shriveled.
Alex, starting to really enjoy himself
Joshua helping with Daddy's cross pumpkin
Working hard
And the finished product of the kids pumpkins. So cute. Eric and Annabelle carried them around the rest of the night.
Joel with his cookie
The beauties all together. 
And my little miracles with their pumkins
The boys... Alex was much happier than he looks here.
Putting the candle inside. We had the great idea of using the LED candles but will go back the the regular ones next year as these were not bright enough to really shine. Fun for the kids though because they could hold them and sleep with them.
the cross pumpkin... declaring Christ, even on a very un Christ like day. Maybe it makes people mad because our pumpkins have got smashed the last 2 years but that is okay. Although it is very hurtful to the kids.
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