Pumpkin Carving 2014

TODAY, we carved pumpkins. Eh... so what if we were a little behind on carving our pumpkins this year.  That just means we were blessed with an abundance of "things-to-do and people-to-see", during the month of October. Besides, in November, people still decorate with pumpkins too, thanks to Thanksgiving Day, so it's still acceptable in my eyes!  Darren REFUSED to help. He said, "I only carve pumpkins before Halloween!" Yea, yea, whatever Darren.  He graciously was willing to WATCH and take some photos, which is fine by me because I AM NEVER in any of our family photos.  Below are #mycrazythree and me!

Our pumpkins were GORGEOUS.  We got them at Layman's Pumpkin Patch.  The "Pumpkin Masters" kit was purchased at K-mart, AFTER Halloween, and it was on sale for 90% off!! I paid .79 cents, but it was originally $7.99.

We always try to incorporate a biblical lesson into our pumpkin carving event. Carving a pumpkin is a lot like being a Christian. FIRST, you have to choose a pumpkin, of your choice, just like God chooses WHOM he wants to be in HIS kingdom.

THEN, you have to clean the INSIDE of the pumpkin, just like when an unbeliever turns his/her life over to Christ and the now, believer's heart is made NEW or clean.  

The boys didn't mind the task of gutting the pumpkin, although the pumpkins' guts were very COLD from being outside!!! That seemed to be their only complaint.

Lilah, on the other hand, couldn't stand this part. Her facial expressions could tell a story.

After Lilah experienced one round of gutting the pumpkin, she threw in the towel and she made me do ALL the work during this part. When the pumpkin was first opened, she exclaimed, "Ewe Jax! You farted!" I HAD to laugh because it wasn't Jax, but I knew exactly what she was referring to.  It was the stinky smell of the pumpkin's insides.

"I think I got them all mom!  Let me look one last time!"

We took a break from the pumpkins and chose to make pumpkin seeds.

After you gut the pumpkins....

Wash the seeds really well, in a strainer, removing all of the pumpkin goo!

After the seeds are clean, shake dry! Do not try to dry them with a paper towel because they will stick to the paper towel.

Coat seeds with olive oil and Kosher salt.  Cook on 350 degrees, for 30 minutes.  THEY ARE SCRUMPTIOUS.

Next up, "poke the pumpkin", while tracing the pattern. Lilah chose a witch.

Jax and Ty chose... I'm not sure what that is.  LOL!

Jax was so good at "poking" the pattern onto the pumpkin.  

Surprisingly, so was Lilah. She usually is too high maintenance to be crafty.  LOL!

Just like Jesus makes us NEW, so too, do we make our pumpkins NEW!

I snuck inside to check on the baking pumpkin seeds and I found these two working hard.  Lilah, out of no where, asked Jax, "Jax who do you want to marry?"  Jax said, "No one!" HAHA.  She so desperately wants to be a wife and mother.

Darren and Ty went to a football game, so I finished the rest with the twins.  After the twins poked the pattern onto the pumpkin, I carved the pumpkins.  

Jax and Ty's pumpkin just was NOT photogenic, at night.  But I thought the witch came out great!!!! 

Our pumpkin now "casts light", in the same way, as Christians, we are called to shine bright to a lost world.

As they say, "Better Late Than NEVER!" I had other clever and adorable ideas to transform our pumpkins into, but I reliquinshed control and allowed the kids to pick out what they wanted. I love our family traditions and the memories we are making as a family.