We had the joy of sharing Halloween this year with our friends, the Staskas. They have a lovely neighborhood with sidewalks and plenty of houses that participate.

This year, Ian is getting into Star Wars. Dad and Mom have allowed him to see the original trilogy (episodes 4, 5 and 6 for anyone keeping track). So, true to form, Ian was Luke Skywalker for Halloween:

The Staska children were a clown, and Obi Wan Kenobi. So, Luke and Obi Wan ran around the neighborhood, waving light sabers and shaking down the residents for candy. Having a clown join them made the experience just a little bit more surreal.

Things were just dandy until we ran across another little boy who was dressed up as a clone trooper (he’s a bad guy, for those of you not in the know). Luke and Obi Wan used the force to confuse the trooper, so that there wasn’t a confrontation (“These are not the Snickers bars you are looking for.”)

A couple of weeks ago, we were able to go to Southern Illinois and visit family. It was great to see friends & family. It was also fun to get to show Ian the area where I grew up. He’s old enough to start remembering people and understand that Daddy was actually a little boy once (a loooong time ago) and that this is where he was that little boy.

Here are some pictures of Ian at Giant City State Park…