It’s our tradition to gather with our neighbors on Halloween night and enjoy barbequed hot dogs with all the condiments. Vickey makes the chili and our kiddy corner neighbor, Gary, does the hot dogs. We had a very large crowd this year. I think word has finally gotten out that Gary’s place has food.

I went around a couple blocks with Eliana and Dominic in tow along with the Nelsons. Then I had to come in for a break. About 15 minutes later the Coglianese clan showed up for our pick-up truck ride around to friends and church members who live in other parts of our subdivision.

We drove around for about an hour. Our kids ended up with a plastic grocery bag completely stuffed and overflowing with candy. Mark said he puts as much candy as will fit in a gallon Ziploc bag for his five kids and takes the rest to work. I can’t take our extra candy to work because there’s just a few of us and I’m trying to cut down on sweets these days.

Eliana was dressed as sleeping beauty (AKA Aurora). Dominic was supposed to wear Ellie’s 2 year-old unicorn outfit, but he didn’t like it. He ended up dressed as a cowboy. He wore the cowboy hat my mom bought a while ago and a leather cowboy vest Vickey brought back from her Pampered Chef conference in Dallas a year or so ago.

They were cute and very excited to participate in trick or treating. Ellie got to double dip since on Tuesday the week before she went to our ward’s trunk or treat and came home with a big bag full of candy (that’s the night Vickey and I were en route back from Philadelphia).

I’m amazed at how many homes go all out with decorations for Halloween. It seems like it’s a bigger draw than Christmas.

It was a fun Halloween even though work has just been insane since I returned from Philly.