Florida Military Family Finds Joy In Elaborate Themed Halloween Costumes, Even During Deployments
"We love that it's become a unique tradition for our family."
Courtesy Byers Family
For many families, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season, but for one northern Florida family, the holiday season kicks off much earlier.
As October inches closer, U.S. Navy Lieutenant PJ Byers and his wife, Jenny, join forces with their son, Declan, 6, to brainstorm the family’s annual Halloween costume.
But these aren’t your ordinary store bought costumes. Each year, the family’s get-ups are a reflection of Declan’s current interests and are entirely homemade.
Courtesy Byers Family
Jenny says the family's favorites have been Wall-E and UP.“Our themes usually revolve around whatever our son is most interested in that year,” Jenny tells Southern Living. “We love having a visual timeline to look back on, to remember all of Declan’s ‘favorites’ at each age.”
The family has tackled costumes that include Disney’s Wall-E, Pixar’s UP, Game of Thrones, and Avengers.
“We began creating themed costumes as another way to spend time together as a family and discovered how much we enjoy bonding over the activity,” Jenny says. “We truly love working together to bring some of our son’s favorite movies and themes to life.”
Courtesy Byers Family
PJ, Jenny, and Declan Byers look forward to creating out-of-this-world costumes each year.In 2019, not even a deployment stopped the family from putting a costume together. The trio dressed up as Buzz Lightyear, Woody and Jesse from Pixar’s Toy Story.
“Being a military family, we’ve always looked for ways to keep our family unified, whether we’re physically together or not,” Jenny explains. “During deployments I try to help our son find ways to stay connected to his dad despite not being able to talk to him. I sent a care package to PJ with a simple Woody costume, so that we could create a unique memory for our family even in his absence. The joy on Declan’s face when he saw the photo of his daddy fist bumping him as Woody, is something I’ll never forget.”
Courtesy Byers Family
When US Navy Lieutenant PJ Byers deployed overseas in 2019, the family continued their tradition with a Toy Story theme.Creating the costumes is a team effort that starts with asking Declan what he wants to be.
“We can't ask him too early in the year, because he can sometimes change his mind," Jenny says, laughing. "Then we all pitch in ideas to create a theme around it."
PJ is the brains behind the cardboard construction, while Jenny focuses on the details.
“I like it to be fun, challenging, and unique so that we can make it ourselves rather than buying something pre-made," PJ tells Southern Living. “It’s a creative outlet for our family that has become a fun event rather than just a photo op.”
Both PJ and Jenny agree that the creative outlet has become a fun event, rather than just a good photo op.
“Our family’s choice to dress up in elaborate costumes is driven by the joy of spending quality time together and nurturing our creativity," Jenny says. "We cherish the sense of togetherness it brings, and we love that it’s become a unique tradition for our family.”
Courtesy Byers Family
"Game of Thrones was the only year Declan really did not have input since he was so young," Jenny says.Related: 16 Family Halloween Costumes Guaranteed To Win The Costume Contest
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Read the original article on Southern Living.
