What a week! You know, I always forget just how much Christmas shopping there is to do for my...
This past week, our house was all about Halloween! If you’ve been following our newsletter, you know Halloween is a big event for us. We’ve always loved going all out with decorations and even putting together a haunted maze for the neighborhood. But the last couple of years, we hadn’t been able to keep up with the tradition. There were a few reasons—one year, Holly had an ankle injury that made it tough, and another year, I was sick, and the kids weren’t around to help. Without them, we lost a bit of that push to make it happen. But last year, some neighbors asked if we’d bring the maze back, and we agreed to do it again this year, even though the kids wouldn’t be home.
So, Holly started preparing early. She’s been collecting bike boxes to build the maze, thanks to a local bike shop that donates them. They save up the boxes for us, and Holly picks them up when they’re ready. We store them in our garage, and each year we work out a new maze layout. Building it can be a pretty involved process! I was still recovering from bronchitis, so I wasn’t at my best. Thankfully, my son Sam’s friends came by to help with the setup. They helped us get the boxes prepped, taping them and arranging them to create the paths. They also helped hang tarps we use to control the lighting inside the maze, which really adds to the effect, and moved some of the heavier decorations around. Their help made a big difference, and we got a lot done together.
The day before Halloween, we finished putting everything together. By Halloween night, the maze was ready, and we were set for a night of fun! That morning our offices did the annual Halloween Costume Contest! It was an absolute highlight this year! Everyone went above and beyond with their creativity, transforming into everything from classic spooky characters like witches and vampires to hilarious pop culture icons and imaginative original creations. The office was buzzing with excitement as we showcased our costumes, and the atmosphere was filled with laughter and friendly competition. It was incredible to see the effort everyone put in, and the event truly brought us closer together. The shared joy and surprises made it one of the best team-building experiences we've ever had.
That night we had a good crowd of trick-or-treaters come by, and the maze was a hit. It’s always great to see people enjoy it. Halloween in our neighborhood has changed a bit over the years—this year, it seemed like about 30-40% of the houses weren’t celebrating, which made me a little sad. For me, Halloween has always been a holiday that feels less commercialized than others, more about fun and creativity. Plus, it was the first holiday Holly and I celebrated on our own after we got married, instead of traveling to our families' houses. So it’s always felt special to us.
Our decorations are a big part of that tradition. Over the years, we’ve accumulated a lot of them. We usually buy one or two new pieces each year, so after almost 24 years of marriage, you can imagine how much we have! We pulled out all our favorites, and our house really transformed for Halloween night. We also set up treats inside—cupcakes, Chick-fil-A, and water for our guests. This year, to our surprise, the cupcakes were a huge hit! They went faster than the Chick-fil-A, which was unusual, as that’s typically what disappears first. We did have a little Chick-fil-A leftover, but not a single cupcake was left by the end of the night.
On Halloween night, I stayed outside to manage the maze, while Holly took care of the treats inside and chatted with parents as they stopped by with their kids. We noticed fewer golf carts this year. In the past, a lot of families would ride around the neighborhood that way, but this year it seemed quieter. Even so, it was a wonderful night, and we got to connect with a lot of neighbors and parents.
The next day was all about cleanup. Holly and I took the maze down, packed up all the decorations, and gathered the tarps and other materials. The bike boxes had to be taken to the dump since they’re too large for our regular trash pickup. Holly took care of that part. After we packed everything up, she set up some fall-themed decorations to keep the house festive. We’ve also been on a bit of a decluttering spree recently. Most people do that in the spring, but we decided to tackle it now. It’s been refreshing to get things organized and a little less cluttered around the house.
On Saturday, we headed up to our place in Charlotte. I needed to be there for work the following week, so we decided to go up a day early. The extra time gave me a chance to rest and recover a bit after all the Halloween excitement. We also got to catch up with our boys, who were celebrating Halloween all weekend at High Point. It sounds like they had a busy few days with different costumes and events.
All in all, it was a busy but really fun week for us, and we’re glad we brought the maze back for the neighborhood. We hope everyone else had a fantastic, safe Halloween too!
And remember, if you're in pain, call Shane!
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