Excitement

 For most of my life, Halloween has been one of my favorite holidays.  When my kids were young we did Halloween on 71st street in Tempe Arizona where we lived.  I loved it.  It started with a hay wagon ride and the kids would jump off and each house on the street.  There was chili bake offs, musical chairs, all kinds of games.  There was much more to it than that, it was service, fun and just spectacular.

When my husband died, holidays have been difficult for me, especially Halloween because it was one of his favorites and sometimes the great memories seem to also bring a small sense of sadness to me and so I avoid it.  But this year I am excited for Halloween.  We have our weekly dinner the 2nd Sunday (well this time it will be on Saturday so Sara said she could join us) and so I am planning a very full, fun night.  We are going to start off with decorating the house.  I have gotten a bunch of decorations and incorporated them into games and making dinner.  I am also going to make rootbeer which I have not done for many years.

I was looking online for some things to make for dinner that are Halloween themed and these are the final things I deciding from to make.

I decided to nix the deviled eggs.  I would love them, but I don't know if Blaines family will eat them so I decided not to include them.

I really wanted to do this meatball sandwich it looks so cute and it would mean some burgers and some hotdogs all looking very halloweenish and scrumptious.  In the long run, they didn't come to be.  Time got the best of me so I think maybe next year they will be on the menu.

I am excited to do the 7-layer dip with the rest of the fixings for a great time.  I think my prizes are going to go along very well with all the fun baking things.

All of the rest I am going to put to use.  The kids will be doing a decoration in the house and then making them all up and plating them and then they will get a prize and by the time we are finished we will have a great dinner and a wonderfully decorated house.  I am going to have Ashlyn hang the lights she did such a great job with the Christmas lights.

I love to plan for events that I have not shared with my Grandkiddos and this will be one for the books. I get so excited with the planning that it seems like when I get all done with the planning, my mind seems to somehow move on to the next exciting event.  I hope it might even be the event that heals my hesitation and allows Halloween to be an event that is celebrated from now on.

Once the dinner night comes, I will hope to get a bunch of pictures.  I am very excited.  I feel very blessed that I am able to experience these feelings.  Ups and downs are regular for me, but the excitement is in the air with the planning of a great family dinner.