The Giles Files: Pumpkin Carving Memories

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Pumpkin Carving Memories

I have a lot of fond memories carving (or painted) pumpkins with my family. We always carved a pumpkin. We didn't always take a picture of them, but we always carved one.

1996

Our family had a huge garden that grew us plenty of food. We always had a pumpkin patch. As we got older my mom grew more and more pumpkins. I think it got really fun when all of my siblings and I were old enough to carve pumpkins. While I was in high school I remember always harvesting at least 10-15 pumpkins each year. By that point, my oldest brothers had married. We'd have a carving day each year where everyone that could make it would come over to my parents house. First, we would have my mom's homemade chili, then set to work choosing, drawing faces on, and then finally carving pumpkins.

1999:

It just kinda grew into a tradition and friendly but not too serious competition. When I think back on the years, my mind is filled with table filled pictures of all the pumpkins we carved that year after year.

As the years progressed we all got a little better and our work began to show it. One of my brothers always came with an idea in mind. He would go find a picture and draw it out, then set to work.... sometimes using power tools. I remember one year, there was a pumpkin nobody wanted because of it's odd shape. He took that pumpkin, turned it upside down and made the 'Grinch' that year. Sorry I couldn't find a picture of it.

2001:

My mom ALWAYS carved a traditional jack-o-lantern. My dad always did something abstract. I always liked to try carving the scariest pumpkin each year.

This is my very favorite pumpkin I've carved. It's the year I graduated and I think the year I got my first SLR camera. I got a great picture that I can't find the negative for, but that I enlarged to enter into the fair. I got an Honorable Mention ribbon that put me over the moon!

2003:

2004:

I went back to when my digital archives begin...

2006

2008:

2009:

I made A LOT of pumpkin rolls that year!

2016:

I realized tonight that I haven't carved a pumpkin in a long time. Since a couple years before Andrew was born. I guess that's the reason for the post tonight. We carved pumpkins for the first time with out kids tonight. Andrew and Callie of course didn't actually carve them, but Andrew did draw out his pumpkin and I am so proud of him for that. We have been drawing them out all month and he was very confident in drawing straight on the pumpkin. We traced Callie's hands and she decided that's what she wanted.
I hope to never forget my kids reactions when we opened up the pumpkins after cutting off the top. "EWWWW!" "PUMPKIN GUTS"

It was lots of fun. Before we lite out pumpkins I shared a short thought: