Our Pumpkin Carvings

Ever since we went and picked our pumpkins last Wednesday, Jackson has been asking non-stop if we could carve them. I'll go ahead and admit it- I do not like or enjoy carving pumpkins. I am not an artistic person at all, and getting the pumpkins cleaned out is just gross to me. Maybe it is because I don't ever remember carving pumpkins when I was little (and if you know my mom this won't surprise you- right, mom!). When I was a kid we would have the coolest Halloween decorations... stuffed zombies, witches, ghost, etc. all throughout the yard and would even have the spooky music going on a cassette player, but never would you see a carved pumpkin at our house. The first time I really remember carving a pumpkin was my freshman year in college there was a pumpkin carving contest that my friend Emma and I decided to enter at our dorm (thankfully Emma was artistic and probably did most of the work-ha!).  Since then Eric and I have carved some throughout our married years, but when my sweet little 5 year old kept asking if we could carve one, I knew it was something I was just going to have to get over and do. Thankfully on Saturday night Eric came home a little early from working and told the kids to go grab their pumpkin and he was going to help them carve them- yes, carve more than one pumpkin. He said they each could pick out something to carve on their pumpkin and he would help them out. Jackson wanted a scary Jack-o-lantern face, Ansley wanted Ariel, and Elsie wanted Mickey and Minnie on hers. So, Eric grabbed a marker, outlined what each kid wanted on their pumpkin, and they were SO excited!

Eric drawing the outline for Elsie's Minnie & Mickey pumpkin

Eric then scraped the inside of each pumpkin and told the kids they could reach inside and get all of the yucky stuff out. Jackson started gagging- he is my child. :) 

Then Jackson and Ansley started poking holes and cutting on the outline that daddy drew for them:

Elsie stayed busy playing with the different pumpkin tools, even if she was only working on the "lid" of the pumpkin:

They had fun and were so excited with their finished pumpkins:

Vada Belle and I helped out by finding some candles to put inside, and taking the pictures! :)

My friend had posted this prayer from another blog that you can say while carving pumpkins. I didn't see this until after we carved ours, but will definitely have to remember this for next year! 

Pumpkin Prayer:

Lord, open my mind so I can learn new things about you and the world you created.
(Take off the top of the pumpkin.)

Remove the things in my life that don’t please you, including my seeds of doubt.
(Pull out the bag of seeds.)

Open my eyes and help me to see your ways.
(Remove the eyes.)

Open my ears and help me to hear your voice, so I may learn how you want me to live.
(Remove the ears.)

I’m sorry for the times I’ve turned up my nose at the things you want me to do.
(Remove the nose.)

Let everything I say please you, and help me spread your word to others.
(Remove the mouth.)

Lord, help me show your light to others through the things I do.
(Place a candle inside and light it. Then turn off the lights)

Amen.
(From: http://catholicicing.com/2011/10/keep-hallow-in-halloween/)

Also, I have heard this before, but just love it!

Being a good person is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all of the yucky stuff — including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a bright new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see!

 Happy Pumpkin Carving!