Gotta Catch ‘Em All Halloween 2025

Halloween has become one of my favorite nights of the year in our neighborhood. I see more friends and neighbors at one time, all laughing and in a spirit of togetherness and generosity. So many go all out in their decorations, candies, food or activities, and the costumes. I look forward to seeing all of the little ones all dressed up excited for the sweet and scary surprises ahead. We start early because there is so much ground to cover in the neighborhood!

I really enjoyed seeing the houses this year! Many this year had cute ghosts, large blow up decorations, skeletons, and multicolored lights. One of my favorites because it was magical rather than gruesome was the Harry Potter house on Raintree with a flying dementor, projecting the movie onto the garage door and handing out hot chocolate in fancy insulated cups.

I love that we actually know our neighbors and that they are so much fun putting lots of effort into this night! Brother Wright dazzled us with a flaming pumpkin using a propane tank and a real carved jack-o’-lantern. The Tilley’s shot candy out of a candy cannon that the kids caught and gathered from the grass. The Fergusons made their famous homemade hot cocoa with real melted chocolates and marshmallows. The Winders made cotton candy in flavors like passionfruit citrus, mint, and green apple. Our dog groomers a few doors down had a toy capsule vending machine that gave out small trinkets to the kids when they used a coin to turn it.

My sister Adelyn was able to join us as Eevie! My boys were even more excited when Uncle Joseph met us in his matching Snorelax costume and said stuff like, “Bulbasaur, return!” We met his Mom, too.

L went with friends again this year, and it looks like they had a lot of fun starting with pizza at a friend’s house and trick or treating for hours. The only time we saw them was when we all ended up at the cotton candy house at the same time.

After the kids got too tired to trick or treat, we came home for Jer’s homemade chili, which was the best he’s made yet with a deep color and many levels of flavor. I would have had more but it was so filling! We left the porch light on for the trick or treaters who were mostly teenagers after 7:30pm.

“Halloween lived up to the hype,” my sister declared. I’d say that’s the biggest compliment coming from a party loving person like her!

Love, Kat