The 60 Mile Trick-or-Treat Saga

We went back to Western PA for Halloween weekend. John headed down to Allegheny County to hunt the big bucks. The girls and I went to my parents' home to visit and go trick-or-treating. It was like a winter wonderland at mom and dad's (M&D's). Here are the girls the morning after we got there. John thought mom was "exaggerating" when she said 4 inches, so I took pics to prove it.

So, Nat decided to be a duck (again) and Jules was a lady bug. Both girls were really good about dressing up. We left the house around 6:00. First, we went to my hairdresser's (near M&D's). Then, we drove around the countryside to houses of friends. No one was home! So, we headed to downtown Cochranton and went to some of our friends' there. Here is Nana, our dear friend Pat, and the girls. Pat is one of their favorite people. Mine too. We try to go to breakfast with Pat nearly every morning we're at M&D's.

We hit 2 more stops in town and headed to Aunt Nance's. As she filled Nat's bag with tons of candy, Old Maid cards, crayons, color books, I thought "oh, that's okay, she's putting items for both girls in the one bag.... man, that's a lot of stuff." But oh, I was wrong. She headed back to the table and grabbed just as much loot for Jules and filled her bag too! She spoils them! Then, she had her sister-in-law and niece all lined up next door to give the girls candy too! As we left her house I said to Nat, "Aunt Nance loves you girls soooo much." Nat replies, "She loves us so much I ... I don't even know WHAT to say." I ended up not getting any good pics there. They were all blurry but this one ... (don't ask John what he thinks about my photog. skills)

For our final stop, we headed down to Sheakleyville to "Aunt Ronda" and Patrick's. She has been my mom's friend since first grade and we spent a lot of time with her and her two girls as I was growing up. We were going to have a "party!" and did we ever.... just for my two girls! She must have spent hours working on getting ready. She was decked out in kid-friendly Halloween garb, had decorated clear plastic glasses with Halloween stickers, made about a million orange-frosted, specially embellished cupcakes presented in glass and on a 3-tier tray, candy galore, beautiful Halloween gift bags with special candy for each girl. She had the festive plates and napkins. She even had the ceramic ghosts her mother had made. (I immediately remembered them from being at "Nana Hudson's" house as a child.) We ate cupcakes and milk and donuts and coffee and talked with them until 10:30!!!! We were pooped, but who cares when you're on a sugar-high?

As we were leaving, I was thinking about Aunt Ronda's first grandchild (on the way.) What wonderful memories and special moments she will create for her grandbabies, huh?

Anyway, on Halloween I felt so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family.