#MicroblogMondays: A happy Halloween :)

We never got to see our two nephews on Halloween when they were growing up (although I always brought them treats whenever we saw them around that time). We lived an hour away, and (unless Halloween happened on a Friday or Saturday night), we had to get up for work early the next morning. Moreover, BIL & SIL never invited us to come over -- but we never thought anything of it. I suppose we all assumed that we would be having our own kids soon and would get our share of Halloween fun then. 

But by the time we were done ttc (20 years ago), the nephews were pre-teens;  by the time my grief had subsided enough that I could (mostly) enjoy spending Halloween with them, they were teenagers, and had aged out of trick-or-treating. The window of opportunity had closed. 

For years, at our house, we handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters at our door, smiling at their cuteness and excitement, while wistfully wondering what our daughter would have been wearing and whether she'd be heading out with the Little Girl Next Door, who was born six months after she was due. It was bittersweet -- but I still enjoyed being part of things, albeit somewhat on the fringes.

Then, five years ago, we moved to our condo, where we don't get any trick-or-treaters at all. We went from being on the fringes to being totally shut out. Halloween, for us, became a non-event. (That didn't feel any better than being on the fringes; in fact, it felt worse.)

Then came last night. :) 

Older Nephew and his wife asked BIL & SIL if they would make the trip up to their new home to hand out candy (and keep the dog from going bonkers whenever the doorbell rang, lol) while they took Little Great-Nephew out for trick-or-treating for the very first time -- and they asked us if we wanted to come too. Dh initially said no (!) -- I suppose that (like me), he was hesitate to impose on a family event -- but hey, we're family too, right? -- and so when BIL asked again, he said yes. 

Cutest little trick-or-treater ever. <3 
(Baby Yoda/"The Child" costume, in case you can't tell, lol.) 

I'm not sure who had the most fun. (Okay, it was us, lol.)  We picked up some fast-food fried chicken en route there for an early supper. Both Older Nephew and his wife adore Halloween, and they had half a dozen jack o'lanterns carved and lining their doorstep, among other decorations. Older Nephew wore a hockey jersey and his wife wore a headband with tiger ears. 

"[Little Great-Nephew], do you want to go outside?" they asked. "Outside?" said LGN, making a beeline for the door. In true Canadian fashion, his mom slipped his costume on overtop of his winter jacket, lol.  It just fit. Dh & I took photos of the three of them sitting on the doorstep with the pumpkins before they set out. At one point, keeping a watchful eye out for trick-or-treaters at the door, I saw them walking up the driveway at the neighbour's house across the street, LGN carrying his own pail of treats. I called BIL over to the window to watch too. :)  They returned an hour later, the parents beaming with pride and LGN bouncing off the walls with excitement, even though he hadn't had any sugar (aside from part of a pre-outing cupcake), lol.  

I am still smiling this morning. :) 

You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here.