A Bewitching Time!

There is this cute little shopping center out here called Gardner Village where they have adorable boutique style shops.  Every year at Halloween they deck out in everything WITCHES!  They have women dressed up as witches strolling throughout the village, a ride on the back of an old pick up truck that takes you to an old railroad car converted into a witch's home as well as a scavenger hunt to find witches doing a number of different things from hula hooping to cannonballs into water!  The kids have so much fun doing the scavenger hunt and being rewarded with cookies from the bakery at the conclusion.

Last night we took the kids there as soon as Andy got home from work.  We rode out to see the witches in the rail car while it was still light out so they wouldn't be as scared.  Kendall dressed up in her little witch costume (she's actually going to be Minnie Mouse for Halloween, but the tutu was for ballet and I found the hat on sale).  Riley played his part by wearing a glow in the dark skeleton shirt!

Such a cute couple!  Don't you agree?

This was our "ticket" to get into the witch's home!  Both kids thought it was a pretty cool "ticket"

The witch had two real spiders in her home.  K thought this one was fascinating!

My little cuties - K got so many compliments on her witch costume which made me smile since it cost next to nothing to put together!

Checking out the witch version of a spa day...mud baths!

Not even scared to touch the pet spider!

Who knew witches kept cute little goats as pets?  My little witch was happy making a new friend!  I unfortunately wasn't fast enough to snap a picture, but she was holding this little guy's head in her hands and looking into his eyes as if she were a mini goat whisperer...

What a fun annual family event.  These witches are sweet and friendly, not scary and haunting.  This will be one activity that we will miss when the time comes to leave Utah...It is something that perplexes me though...Back home, in the "Bible Belt" of Pennsylvania where I grew up amongst the Mennonites and the Amish, Halloween is a holiday that is celebrated but often with caution.  Trick or Treat is not always on October 31 as it is in most parts of the country.  It does not get near the fan fare it receives out here in the middle of mormon country.  In reality it is a pagan holiday, so I was surprised how many people embrace it as much as they do out here.  Even "This Is The Place" which is a park dedicated to the mormon pioneers gets a scary, gory makeover each fall.  Oh well...We choose to celebrate Halloween by dressing in non-scary costumes, trick or treating and carving pumpkins and will continue to do so, but was something that surprised me about life in Utah.