Pumpkins and the Fall Festival

This post is mostly about the Fall Festival that Prae put on this Halloween at church...

But I also had to throw in our pumpkin carving since that usually goes with my trick or treating post. Evie cracks me up!

Terry's dad gets all his grand kids pumpkins every year. Even when we used to live in Nebraska he brought them! He used to grow them but gave up on that. Also, #eviesface.

Yummy...

Good job Ezzie!

The boys told Terry how they wanted their jackolanterns carved. Evie only wanted to paint hers and Noah said he didn't want to do anything to his. He's old. 

Glowing pumpkins and #eviesface.

The following morning Ezra learned how to write the number eight so I thought it was cute when he constructed an eight with his mini-Thomases. 

Cute little face with the pumpkin faces. 

Well, I thought it was funny. 😆

Like I said above, in lieu of Halloween this year Prae (with assistance from Steven and Sarah) planned the church's first Fall Festival since Awana and Youth Group fell on a Wednesday (though Terry did do the very first Box Maze on a Halloween Wednesday back in 2012, but I also took the kids trick or treating that year). So this was the first Wednesday that we didn't trick or treat in maybe forever. Evie, however, said it was better than trick or treating!

All of the adult, but mostly student leaders, ran the games that evening. Here's Wolf Prae giving out her instructions. 

Back out in the Cafe Court with all the kids, Awana Commander Shawn's costume was on point. 

The B. family along with Elle were Where's Waldo characters. Nailed it. 

Zoe was the Mad Ax Man.😜 Okay, a lumberjack.

Cute Kaleah, Lindsay, and Elena. 

Zeah and Sarah were so funny as old ladies. 

Terry, Zoe, Zeah, and Moses had spent much of the previous day setting up the sanctuary but mostly constructing the Box of Mystery. Zoe is an excellent artist and drew that amazing cat. 

Terry sat inside rejecting an offer of a fan to cool him off (it was crazy hot and stuffy in there). He  projected his voice via a piano amp to speak to the kids who'd stick their hands in through the cat's mouth. Terry would hand them they knew not what! Mostly toys, some candy, but also some "worms" and "eyeballs." He did this over and over and over for two full hours. Craziness. Evie said I couldn't never been cheerful enough to do that for two hours. Thanks girl. But she's right. 😏

I took this shot through the cat's mouth. That's Terry being silly with some glow sticks. 

Ezra getting a prize from the Box.

Let in the masses!

The line for the Box of Mystery was always long. 

Abigail's Sacagawea was amazing. Spot on. 

The line from the side.

Cousin Sarah was...? I can't remember.

Cute little brothers.

Katie D. was in charge of this human Tick Tack Toe.

I had been visiting with Katie earlier in the evening, commenting on how cute her Indian costume was. She said she tried to get her husband Jeff to dress up like a Cowboy and come with her but he wouldn't. I offered my little Samuel Cowboy for her. 

So stinking cute. 

Meanwhile, Terry's Mormon mission trip students were presenting the gospel to the Awana kids. 

Moses as Martin Luther giving his presentation (Halloween is Reformation Day so how appropriate. He even had his 95 theses with him!). 

Such cute little costumed kids!

There are my boys! And Kathy on the left with the glasses is who I always work for. 

This game consisted of throwing a hoop over pumpkins.

Asher in his Airforce jacket. 

Samuel was given a "worm" by Terry, which was just a cooked piece of spaghetti. 

A leftover "eyeball," or peeled grape. Ha!

Even Noah got to help out for the evening. He helped with corn hole. 

My 7th grade girls were doing crafts.

Prae eating a hanging donut like we did in Nebraska and co-op last year. The following week Henry and Norah caught the stomach flu and Hannah was convinced that this game caused it. Who knows. But next Damon got sick, and then Russ, and finally Ezra! Then Terry caught it the night before the Fall Retreat, Evie the next night, and me the following week. My goodness. 

Always a line.

He was such a cute Cowboy.

Ezra in line.

Samuel in the front and Ezra in the back trying to spy on daddy.

Grace the Mermaid was fishing.

There was also this game.

And a popcorn craft thing.

Prae and Sarah coordinated their costumes. Prae was the big bad wolf, her dog was Little Red Riding Hood, and Sarah was the Grandmother. We had Zoe stand in to chase the Wolf. 😂💙

Cute little Norah and Ezra. What a fantastic night! Great job Prae and helpers!