This is Halloween...

The month of October flew by our house and we had the best Halloween season yet. The kids and I really worked hard on the decorations for our house and the kids really appreciated the spider webs I do all over the house;). We started the month working in our Ward's garden collecting beans, tomatoes, squash and bunches of corn stalks that still adorn my festive porch. The boys were a little skeptical about going to work in the garden...especially the "work" part! After all the work however, the boys had a tremendous time racing through the corn stalks and playing hide n seek. They were really sad to leave but I promised them we would go again next year.
Our first October Monday night lent itself to a trip to a local pumpkin patch to get our family pumpkins. We even picked a "london-sized" one perfect for her tiny hands. Kids were happy and we were happy to donate to a good cause since all proceeds go to the Perpetual Education Fund that helps fund education for those who need it.
Johnson's preschool scheduled a trip to a local pumpkin patch that boasted a mini petting farm, hay ride, mini maze, corn stalk tunnel, and hay trampoline (yes, a trampoline of hay). The kids had a great time seeing the animals and more than once Johnson had to go fish a lost kid out of the maze (he is the tallest and brightest in his class-both facts to me!). Mason got all wide-eyed when the farmer announced that the Pumpkin Fairy had visited and hidden pumkins for them to find. And find they did! It was a great day filled with new memories.
We had a great opportunity to revisit the cabin for the last time this season and we had friends in tow. The Ratliff's and Morgan's joined us for a truly fabulous trip. The 8 kids had a blast playing with each other and despite the chilly weather, we still had a lot of fun touring and shopping West Yellowstone, viewing Old Faithful, having a bonfire, playing games, watching movies, and eating loads of junk! It was an awesome trip and we are grateful to John's family for their generosity in letting us use their beautiful cabin.
The first annual Luke Halloween Party was held at Grandma and Grandpas house and couldn't be beat! Everyone pitched in with spooky-fun crafts and games and grandma made sure the ghouls had full tummies with good things to eat. Everyone dressed up for the occasion and we all had a splendid time. We are already looking forward to next year!
Mom's school hosted a fun carnival that the kids and I attended. The kids had a great time running through the bounce houses, sliding down the shark slide, and riding the train. The evening was complete with pizza, snowcones, and cotton candy- thanks Maw-Maw! We had a great time!
All our fun culminated on the week of Halloween. We threw another rockin party complete with a scavenger hunt this year. All guests agreed that the scavenger hunt must be a repeat for the next year. We had a great turn out and gave out great prizes- we love doing that party! We then got to celebrate big time with our kids Halloween day with a visit to Grandma Mary's apartment and daddy's work where we were able to deliver spooky treats. That night, after crazily selling our van minutes earlier, we enjoyed a night of much treating and just a few tricks as John and Paw-Paw led the kids in Trick or Treating and I held the fort down at home. John let me know that Johnson kicked it into high gear this year by sprinting to at least 3 houses for every 1 he and Mason did. I am glad my son enjoys Halloween as much as his mom! London the pirate, Mason a.k.a "Spiderman", Batman Johnson, Jailbreak John, and Pirate Rachel bid you all adieu...till next year!