This past long weekend was intimate and fun-filled. My sister (Auntie Mel Mel) came to visit us for Thanksgiving, and especially to see her dear nephew. It had been a while and Keaton missed his auntie. He seemed to instinctively know right away when we asked him a few days prior who was visiting.

Being almost eight months pregnant and preparing all the food was tiring, to be sure, as I’d spent the whole day in the kitchen. But my husband was helpful in taking our son to the park to give me the space needed to get things done. I don’t think I sat down that day with all the cooking and cleaning, which later prompted a short syncope episode.

It was a lovely meal. I did pretty good, which I’m proud of. It made me joyous to see my family — mom, dad, my sister, my husband, my son — all gathered at the table and enjoying food and time together. I was particularly happy to see my sister eating a few hearty plates, especially because she’d been on a strict diet for many years due to debilitating health reasons. To see her indulge after successfully improving her health was heartwarming.

I’d baked a pumpkin cream cheese bundt cake for dessert, which I think was one of the best of its kind I’ve baked so far. Though, aesthetically, this time around it didn’t turn out so cute. I also tried piping some decorative black icing on top to give the cake a Halloween touch, but I made it even worse. I had to cover up the black tracks somehow, so I sprinkled an unforgiving amount of orange sprinkles on top, whilst using red icing blobs as the glue. Not the cutest cake, but very scrumptious nonetheless.

I’ve also been craving pie from Rockaberry in Montreal, so my sister kindly ordered one and brought it with her on her trip here. Their infamous blueberry crumb cheese pie is my favourite, but this time I opted for their pumpkin pie to honour the season. It was also an emotional decision because it reminded me of my husband and I’s marriage weekend, where we’d ordered pumpkin pie to celebrate. I’ve been missing Montreal a lot these days, more so Verdun where my husband and I shared our first milestones. We’d often order cakes from Rockaberry, and seeing their cake again on our table served as a sweet reminder.

My sister was here for the long weekend, so of course, a farm visit had been arranged. We went back to Saunders Farm, which we’d visited this past summer with Nana, my mother-in-law. This was the first visit for my sister and parents. My husband and I knew we wanted to go back; after all, they’re wildly known for their spooky Halloween activities.

Since it was a daytime visit, the activities were family-friendly. I could tell my sister enjoyed the visit, especially sharing the experience with her nephew. My parents, too, had fun. It’s not often that they get to spend time with their daughters and grandkids, doing activities, all at once. Keaton also got to enjoy the Halloween festivities, without them being too much of a scary experience for him. He especially enjoyed the usual play structures and jumbo jumpers.

We went into one of the haunted houses, which, my husband being the Halloween fanatic that he is, ushered us to try. The staging and the decorative and musical elements were impressive. I was especially proud of Keaton and my elderly parents for making it through. Though, Keaton did hold on tight to his auntie the whole time, and my mom also led my dad by the hand the whole way — to keep him alive, that is, because he was so distracted taking videos that he might not have seen where he was going. I’m surprised I didn’t pee myself, either. As a pregnant woman with serious urinary incontinence, I really should’ve worn adult diapers. Elderly people, a toddler, a pregnant woman… I’m sure we looked like a funny bunch.

After that haunted house, my husband and I went to the witch’s coven on our own, as everyone else had had enough scares for the day. Despite all the witchcraft and satanic ritual imageries, I must say that the walk-through was rather romantic. I loved the autumn feels and sceneries. The haunted hayride was also so much fun. The line-up was long and it was especially brutal in the sharp cold, but it was worth it. We all got a good scare on the wagon. Keaton just cuddled next to daddy whilst holding his big lollipop. I’m even convinced that because of the speed and bumps of the hayride, my baby probably really did do a u-turn inside my belly (she was breech). Who would’ve known!