Happy Halloween...

I have to say, this Halloween was so much better than last year's.  Boy, am I glad there was no hurricane rolling through our area this year.  Another big bonus...my parents decided to fly out and spend Halloween with us.  It was such a treat!  We haven't been with family on Halloween for 5 years, so it was fun to share it with my mom and dad.  Plus, it isn't really halloween without my mom's yummy chili and a carb-loaded bread bowl.  The. Best. Mmm.

This year Finnley decided to dress up as an Indian Squaw (thanks to my sister Amy for the great costume), Remi was a Toucan, and Dieter had a few costume changes, which included an Army guy, a SWAT Team guy, and a Police Officer.  

We had a little amateur photo shoot in the historical graveyard near our home, on the way to our ward's trunk-or-treat.  I wouldn't want to be stuck in there after dark…creee-py!

We loved having my parents come and visit!  

We also took a fun road trip up to Newport, Rhode Island…that's coming up next. 

Picking the Perfect Pumpkin...

Picking the perfect pumpkin….say that three times fast! Whew!  We had the best time driving out to Eastern Long Island to pick out our pumpkins.  The kids took their time selecting their favorite one and loading it up in the wagon.  Mitch guessed within 5 pounds of our total pumpkin-weight so we got $5 off our total.  Bonus!  

Afterward, we let the kids get all their energy out in the bounce house, climbing on the wooden John Deer tractor and just running around.  It didn't hurt that they were cooking up some fresh cider donuts.  Who knew I loved cider donuts?  I sure didn't, but I'm sure I'll never be able to make it through another fall without at least one batch. 

Besides the wind, it was the perfect pumpkin patchin' day.  I feel so lucky to have these people belong to me.  Happy Fall!

Trunk-or-Treat...

This year, Halloween was one we won't soon forget.  Due to Hurricane Sandy, most of the Halloween festivities were cancelled.  Due to trees and power lines down in the streets, it was too dangerous (and dark) to trick-or-treat.  Thank goodness our ward decided to have the Trunk-or-Treat a few days before Halloween.  It was pretty much the only Halloween our kids had this year.

Finnley dressed up as Princess Jasmine, Dieter was a Dragon (for the night, a Tiger for the rest of the festivities), and Remmy Ruth was the cutest little Octopus.

We had fun going from room to room with our kids and their ward friends, enjoying soups, and homemade root beer.  Happy Halloween!

A Little Halloween Party...

For all of his life, Dieter has had to tag along to Finnley's parties, Finnley's events, and played what Finnley wants to play.  Now that she is at school all day long he has had the opportunity to play what he wants to play, and his little imagination is flourishing!

I decided it would be fun to have a little Halloween party for him and his friends.  They all came over in costume, although Dieter's didn't arrive in time.  Bummer!  Luckily he had a super Dieter cape he could wear.  They decorated sugar cookies, ate snacks and treats, and just played, played, played.

My favorite part was when we headed outside for a picture and they started having a leaf fight.  What says fall more than a good old fashioned leaf fight?  I've missed fall the past four years and am soaking it all in.  Long Island is so beautiful now that the leaves have changed and the weather has cooled off.  

I'm looking forward to a cool Halloween, with donuts, hot chocolate, and chili for dinner.

Halloween Night...

I thought I took more pictures Halloween night, but it seems I took about six, and only four are worthy of being blogged. Bummer. We had a great Halloween. We met up with friends for dinner at our favorite local park, took some pics (only 6 for me) and then headed out to the crowded streets of South Pasadena. It didn't take Dieter long to figure out that he loooved trick-or-treating. He was very particular about which candy he chose, and was very polite. So cute.

Finnley's adorable little buddy Lila as Alice in Wonderland. I took her for a little while earlier in the day and she kept saying..."Don't fall down the rabbit hole!"

Handsome Grey as Superman.

I'm sure going to miss Halloween in California. There's nothing quite like them.

Makin' Jack-O-Laterns...

Sunday night was filled with butternut squash soup, grilled sandwiches, and pumpkin carving. Finnley was so excited to make our pumpkins into Jack-O-Laterns. "You know what Jack-O-Laterns are mom? Pumpkins with eyes, nose, and a mouth!" Mitch was a good sport and cut, cleaned, and carved all four of our pumpkins - with the exception of my lazy-drill-holes-method of carving my annual pumpkin.

Dieter was not a fan of the slime! Mitch started gut-laughing when Dieter reacted like he'd been shocked by electricity, when he'd only had some pumpkin land on him. Of course, being the loving parents we are, we had to make sure he got up close and personal with all that pumpkin goo and seeds. His face above just kills me - so disappointed in his parents.

He eventually warmed up a tiny bit and was scooping some seeds out with a spoon. I think the finished products turned out great. We set them on our deck, put some battery-opperated votives inside, and enjoyed the view from the street. What a great night.

Trunk-or-Treat...

It's one of our favorite times of the year! Costumes, candy, and carving pumpkins, with Frank and Finn - you know, Frankenstein, and Finnley the Friendly Witch. Our kids were all about Halloween this year, which just makes the holiday even better! We kicked it off with our ward Trunk-or-Treat Saturday night. It didn't disappoint, and our kids came home with more than enough candy. Here's a few pictures from the night.

Frankenstein (aka Dieter) and Hadley....notice Dieter has already dug into his candy bag. Dieter was not a big fan of his hood. He kept taking it off, and I kept putting it back on.

Lila as Alice in Wonderland, Finnley the Friendly Witch, and Zoie as Jessie.

Finnley was the cutest little witch. Every time someone pulled out a camera she would pose - stick her bum to the side and put her hand on her hat, or something funny like that. What a ham. Thanks Amy for sending that darling costume my way!

Creepy Kate, Pehrson and Beck as Skeletons...way to go all out Hawkleys!

Mitch went as his usual Cowboy...we really need to spunk him up next year. When he pulled the same shirt out of the closet that he wore last year, I had to put my foot down. At least wear a different cowboy-ish shirt. I went as a witch, but forgot my hat. Oh well. What a fun night to kick off our Halloween weekend.

More to come...