How we spent Halloween 2009

Hey Guys, So, I guess you probably are familiar with some of the  main Halloween traditions in our house---Dad carves the pumpkin we get, and I dress up and dress up anybody in the family who doesn't mind too much and we usually go to a church Halloween party!  This year we missed the church party, but we still celebrated in our Nelson fashion.  Additionally, since we moved to Virginia, we have visited the pumpkin patches at the local Episcopal Churches here because 1.  They are really neat and 2. We think they do a lot of good with the money they get  from the sales.  Anyway we have been going to the pumpkin patches yearly since Perris was a freshman at Wakefield High School in 2003. The one at Quaker and Seminary Road is where we went this year.  I really look forward to this usually crisp weather,  fall tradition!

So, I made a date with Lynn that we would go for Family Home Evening on Monday the 26th.  But the date arrived, and Lynn realized that he needed to go to Clothing Sales at Ft. Meyer and get an authorized rain jacket on Monday after work, because Tuesday the forecast called for rain.  I picked him up at work and we ran that errand.  But, by the time it was time to go to the pumpkin patch, the sky was no longer beautiful and the sun was going down fast.  I told Lynn that those conditions would never do for picture taking and also told informed him  to expect to go later in the week, when the weather was better.  He told me the weather forecast called for rain all week, but I told him that the Lord would make sure I had my pumpkin pictures, so I wasn't worried!  Still the same, I made Lynn take a couple of pictures of Molly and I just outside our place Monday night (even though the Sun had gone down) in case he was right!

Look a bit familiar?

Tuesday the 27th,  it poured, and poured and poured some more!  There was no going to the pumpkin patch then.  Wednesday the 26th, the rain continued,  but then cleared in the afternoon, and that is when we siezed the moment and went.  It's so pretty in Virginia in the fall time, with all the brilliant colors of the trees, but I am sad to say these are not the best pictures representing fall time here, as that opportunity was missed last Sunday.  I saw the brilliance of colors then when  I was on my way to church and thought that it would have been perfect for picture taking, but alas, those moments vanished like a ghost! ( That analogy was very Halloween appropriate, don't you think)?  Still, I like these pictures.
 I like the last one I took of Lynn with the Episcopal lady worker.  Kinda' reminds me of Grandma Nelson and when I mentioned that to Lynn he said, "I know, I miss my Mommy!" He wasn't kidding either.  Here he is a grown-up, having raised four kids, with an active school and military career to his credit, and he has a tender spot for his Mommy!  I can only hope my own kids feel that way someday.  Don't worry Lynn, you will see her soon---November 20th to be exact!

I will dehydrate and salt the seeds

Can you guess who this  is?

That side was autographed by Michael

This side was autographed by Perris

We dance!

Anyway, our Halloween Day was good.  Lynn and I both individually ran six miles on the fancy treadmill Mike got (us).  Additionally, I gave the dog a bath (trust me, she needed it--she was a stinky girl), and I shopped for groceries and a few Christmas presents and cleaned the house and tried to call Anne, since she is about to give birth to Clara (a namesake from Lynn's family side). Lynn carved our pumpkin vey appropriately for our experience early this month.  When he was done, and our house was more or less clean, Molly and I dressed up for pictures.  I was a baseball player and she was a Washington Redskin football player.  The ball I am holding is nostalgic.  I have the famous autographed baseball by two world renown (my world anyway) baseball players:  Michael and Perris Nelson.  After we finished taking Molly's pictures, and she was more than done,  we dated by going to the video store and out for a not so fancy dinner.  On the way to the video store, I tried to call Anne, but didn't get her, so I speculated all the way there that she was probably having her baby. Afterall, she had called me first today, and since it was so close to her due date of the 2nd, then surely...  Meanwhile back at the video store, we were going to rent two dvd's but were told by the cashier, "for just one more rental, you can get one popcorn, 2 sodas, and 2 candies"---we had to do it (we normally don't indulge like that, but it was Halloween)!  Anyway, when we got home we ate our not so fancy, but really tasty KFC while watching our first dvd and then tried to call our kids between movies.  Mike was at FTX, so no getting him, Connie was out probably parading Brody around, and Anne was probably having our grandchild---well..., Not this night!  We found out upon calling again that we couldn't get through to them earlier because they were taking advantage of the Halloween happenings on State Stree for Xander and Everett..  Clara will be born in November, like Everett (November 9) and Xander (November 16)!  I think that's cool!  Anyway, Dad and I walked to the 7-11 after Anne's phone call.  It was in the rain, since the forecast has been rainy here all week (except that Wednesday afternoon at the pumpkin patch (no mere coincidence by my account))!   Well, right now, I will finish this blog entry, but I just went outside to take down the sign we put up on our door for children to take candy off our porch and the little pumpkin we left out overnight has been "vandelized" by our neighbors...more about that in the next blog!