These are the moments, part 2

Trick-or-treating was a total riot. I stood in the street, laughing until my belly hurt at that entire scene. A shot of the group.

Yeah, it took us a while.

I worried how Amelia would do with this, the strangest of rituals. I imagined us carrying her and her bucket, tears flowing, and us embarrassingly standing at stranger’s doors while she hid in the bushes.

Turns out that this little Punkin has a knack for standing at the homes of others and begging for food. Not only did she march up to front doors and knock, but she also let herself in when the doors opened! I chased her into the first few houses before she got the whole I-just-stand-here-and-look-cute-on-the-porch-routine. She’d set her little bucket down for safe candy deposit, say thank you (signed and grunted, I mean), and then promptly took a piece of candy from her bucket and put it in the giver’s bucket.

And I about melted into my shoes.

While Daddy carried her across the streets, she walked the whole rest of the way—all the way around an entire block! The best part? She carried that bucket the whole time too, even as it got heavier and heavier. The only hitch was her tendency to sit down on the sidewalk and begin organizing her goodies. (Everyone knows that if you give Amelia a container and multiple items to put in said container, she’ll be occupied for hours.)

Some of my favorite shots . . .

If you can believe it, she kept that hat on the WHOLE night! Even when it damn near covered her eyes.

Doesn’t she look like a pro?

Thanks for the candy! Would you like a Milky Way?

Everyone needs a lift now and then. (Hey Charlie! Where’s your hat, Bud?)

By the end of the night, we were down to two lone trick-or-treaters.

They were a solid team though, and got the job done. Even when tricky neighbors threw spooky ‘smoke’ in the way, they stayed together.

And by the end of the night, everyone was ready for bedtime.

Though not before a quick perusal of the loot.

It was a great Halloween, a great night with friends, and a great new tradition. I can’t help but think how much more fun it was to be with a group of other kids and how it wouldn’t have been the same with just us.

It also proved one of those moments in my life. The kind where you stop, take a breath, and realize that this is it. This is what life is about. Watching little ones trip their way through the neighborhood, while daddies hold hands, mommies take pictures, and the world sits still ever so briefly. I stood back across the street at the last house and watched our group make their way to the door while the homeowners gushed . . . and I caught my breath and choked up a bit.

Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.