How having my own staff might have come in handy tonight.

Every single one of our trick-or-treating neighbors made a comment about the pumpkins jack-o-lanterns.

We were the show-stopper house. Even more so than the guys down the street that had the inflatable Frankenstein and fake cobwebs. People were even posing their costumed kids on our brick path for photos and we were loving every minute.

All because of these beauties:

Which made me realize that even in spite of our own hard work, pulling off a party of this nature requires that everyone pitch in.

We had our Official Candy Givers whose job it was to ooh and aah over all the trick-or-treaters and fill up their bags accordingly. And they were BORN for that job. They were so pro. Thanks, Kikita & Sheila!

Eric was Master of the Barbecue and managed to get a dozen burgers and assorted condiments and side dishes on the table much to the delight of our hard-working pumpkin-carver-trick-or-treaters.

But I must give credit where credit is due….
This is how you pull off a spectacular row of jack-o-lanterns…

You assemble a crack team of pumpkin carving experts. (Or find people who aren't afraid to get their hands pumpkin-goopy.)

And who have a great eye for design…

And you let them loose on the rest of the neighbors so that they can all receive kudos for their cool looking costumes and a lot of "hey, aren't you from the house with all the pumpkins?"

Then, of course, the best moment of the evening – the Sorting and Swapping of the Candy Haul.
Their reward for all their hard work.

But seriously. I couldn't have done it without them. (Actually, I don't know that I would have done it if it hadn't been for them, but that's too convoluted and not important right now.)