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There’s creativity in them there genes

October 29, 2009

There’s creativity in them there genes

IMG_6060

Every year, my father-in-law grows pumpkins, and as they're just starting to form, he carves the names of each of his grandchildren into the individual pumpkins. Some years they work brilliantly, and some years they don't. This year, Aidan and Cole's most definitely did.

When the kids were smaller, he would hide their pumpkins down on the farm where he and my mother-in-law live in Southern Minnesota. We'd bundle them up and send them out into the fields to choose a pumpkin to pick. It was pretty magical the first time, when they got out there only to find pumpkins with their names on it. 

Goodtimes 

{Aidan in the meadow at the farm, finding her first pumpkin, at age 2}

Speaking of things that have gone, and things that are here, I'm so happy that Papa still makes the pumpkins for my now 10- and 13-year-old kids.

I can guarantee you when they walk through the door after school the magic of seeing their names will still remind them not only of what an awesome and creative grandpa they have, but of how much they are loved.

And the shrunken head apple faces he made aren't too shabby either:

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I'm posting a giveaway tomorrow, so check back! I wanted to wish all of you a safe and happy Halloween a bit early.

And thank YOU Papa, for such an enduring and endearing tradition.

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Comments

  1. Johanna Dietrich says

    October 29, 2009 at 1:45 pm

    This is such a fantastic idea. I wish I had a pumpkin patch just to try out the name-carving-thing! So yeah, I might settle with a rip-off of the shrunken head apple faces instead …

    Reply
  2. Madeline St Onge says

    October 29, 2009 at 1:49 pm

    What a great papa, thos pumpkins are so cool

    Reply
  3. Kelli says

    October 29, 2009 at 2:06 pm

    That is such a great thing Papa does! My dad calls every day to see what the dogs are doing, not what the kids are doing.

    Reply
  4. Myra says

    October 29, 2009 at 2:12 pm

    They have a wonderful Grandpa. Thanks for sharing this.

    Reply
  5. Kathy Floen says

    October 29, 2009 at 2:16 pm

    What a sweet tradition! πŸ™‚ I love it! πŸ™‚ I also thought the pic of Aidan at 2 was adorable! πŸ™‚

    Reply
  6. anna says

    October 29, 2009 at 2:53 pm

    i love the pumpkin idea!!!
    also, do you know the name of the white pumkins? what are they called? they must be of a special variety, no?
    thanks!
    a

    Reply
  7. TracyBzz says

    October 29, 2009 at 3:50 pm

    A pumpkin with your name one it!? How cool!

    Reply
  8. Petra from NL says

    October 29, 2009 at 3:50 pm

    Family rituals are the best!
    I still think fondly of things my father used to do for us kids, looooong time ago now ;-))

    Reply
  9. Angie says

    October 29, 2009 at 4:26 pm

    That is VERY sweet! Love the shrunken head apple faces.

    Reply
  10. Tinkersdamn says

    October 29, 2009 at 5:41 pm

    This yanked every heartstring! Little Aidan looks an awful lot like my little girl right now, and we just carved our pumpkins today. She was so excited to see it transform into a face… and did I get a picture? Of course not. X/

    Reply
  11. lynne moore says

    October 29, 2009 at 5:58 pm

    That is cool. We still have to get our pumpkins. We wait ’till the last minute because they dry out and mold so fast here.

    How are those apple faces made? I make shrunken heads from pealed apples, but I’ve never seen an apple mask. Cool.

    Reply
  12. cathy says

    October 29, 2009 at 6:08 pm

    I have no idea how he did it! i’ll have to ask him!

    Reply
  13. Megan says

    October 30, 2009 at 1:17 am

    My mom’s gardener friend does this for ‘a living’–her business is called poetic pumpkins: http://poeticpumpkins.blogspot.com/
    Check it! She has some darn cute ones!

    Reply
  14. Heidi says

    October 30, 2009 at 6:33 am

    “When the kids were smaller, he would hide their pumpkins down on the farm where he and my mother-in-law live in Southern Minnesota. We’d bundle them up and send them out into the fields to choose a pumpkin to pick. It was pretty magical the first time, when they got out there only to find pumpkins with their names on it.”

    That seriously made me tear up! Can you imagine someday they will tell the story of the magical pumpkins to their own kids. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  15. Susan Dingess says

    October 30, 2009 at 7:09 am

    Love the named pumpkins! It is such a great tradition.

    Reply
  16. {vicki} says

    October 30, 2009 at 10:16 am

    What a cool idea

    Reply
  17. Sonja Chandler says

    October 30, 2009 at 11:38 am

    Now THAT is one creative, priceless tradition!! I absolutely love it!

    Reply
  18. Erica Hettwer says

    October 30, 2009 at 6:03 pm

    Awww, my dad does that, too! πŸ˜€

    Reply
  19. Shirley says

    October 30, 2009 at 9:37 pm

    Those pumpkins are so cool and that apple face is so fun! Sounds like a great man.

    Reply
  20. Sandra Lomas says

    October 31, 2009 at 5:39 am

    this is way cool! i’d never seen this done withe the names on the pumpkins.
    what a great grandfather. he is truly making memories.
    thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  21. kristin kanner says

    October 31, 2009 at 6:57 am

    This is so sweet it made me teary eyed!

    Reply
  22. chair says

    November 1, 2009 at 5:22 am

    Those Halloween pimkin pictures look awesome!

    Reply
  23. Cindy says

    November 1, 2009 at 5:10 pm

    How do you do the apple face?! That is so creepy/cool! πŸ™‚ I also thought that the name carved pumpkins were very sweet. That will be a special memory for the family to cherish for many many years. -Cindy

    Cigar Reviews

    Reply
  24. urinary track infection says

    December 15, 2010 at 4:06 pm

    That’s a wonderful tradition. You have a very creative family. Somehow, I started to miss my old man.

    Reply
  25. security system says

    January 26, 2011 at 8:41 pm

    What a thoughtful man he is. And the way he puts names on those pumpkins is so cute and very creative.

    Reply

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