Post Falls couple goes all out for trick-or-treaters

Post Falls resident Janet Toups is a self-described Halloween addict. Each year, she and her husband, Jeff, transform their house on Dawn Avenue into a spooky display for trick-or-treaters.

“Halloween is absolutely my favorite,” Janet said. “I live Halloween 364 days a year.”

Janet estimates she has about 4,000 pieces of Halloween decor, which she displays both inside and outside her home. She displays a real casket and several plastic skeletons in her yard year-round.

“I have so many decorations that I cannot put them all out,” Janet said.

Each year, the Toupses like to shake things up with a fresh Halloween display. Their 12-foot-tall skeleton, named Maxwell, appears year after year. This year, two smaller skeletons are posed running away with half of Maxwell's arm.

“Other years, he’s gone trick-or-treating with his son, he’s been a marionette holding two skeletons, he’s even had a skeleton delivery guy running up his leg avoiding a skeleton dog,” Janet said.

For this year's display, the Toupses' front yard is a cemetery full of spooks. Skeletons pose for photographs among the gravestones, joined by zombies, gargoyles and jack-o'-lanterns. A giant wraith awaits on the opposite side of the driveway to terrorize trick-or-treaters, and a jump scare awaits those brave enough to approach the front door.

As a reward for braving the spooks, trick-or-treaters are granted king-size candy bars.

“We do this for the trick-or-treaters and they love it,” Janet said. “The reactions and comments from those little guys and gals make all the hard work worth it.”

The house has built a reputation among trick-or-treaters since the Toupses moved in 27 years ago. She said they have been decorating so long that some parents who used to trick-or-treat there as children are now bringing their own children.

“Primarily every year it’s just my husband and I. We are blessed that our neighbor has been helping us out the last couple years,” Janet said. “It takes a little longer each year because we are getting old and slow from aches and pains.”

The Toupses enjoy hosting neighbors and family members on Halloween night. Janet said her favorite part of Halloween is seeing trick-or-treaters' reactions to the decorations.

“We look forward to seeing the kids’ costumes and all the fun responses they have,” Janet said. “Especially when they say our house is their favorite every year!”

    Jeff and Janet Toups in front of their home in Post Falls.
  

    Jeff and Janet Toups in front of their giant wraith decoration at their home in Post Falls.