Halloween 2014 and Smashing Pumpkins

Well we had a fun, happy Halloween.  We spent the day doing some organizing, going on a walk, and being excited for Daddy's last day of work to be done before we moved.  Steve had volunteered to make some chili for the ward's Chili cook off which I found out about the day before ( I was lazy and signed up for bringing butter ).  SO I made my chili (known better as taco soup - I don't make chili - it's not my favorite - so I consider taco soup to be in the same category since it contains beans anyway), and we headed off for the chili cook off and the ward trunk-or-treat.  Somehow Steve's chili aka Stacey's taco soup won a prize for best chili.  Haha! 

We watched the cute Primary kids do a costume parade on the stage - Ross LOVED waving to everyone - he went up with Uncle Thomas and his cousin Alex - the adorable Pooh Bear.  Ruby voted to stay eating chips and chili with Dad instead (I forgot to draw her nose and spots on her face for her costume - she wouldn't wear half of her costume anyway). 

Ross has got the model walk down - he knows how to parade - Uncle Tom body guards Pooh Bear Alex since he's so cute he could get snatched at any moment!

A hat nod for mom :)

Ruby in her dalmatian half costume - dad, a fire survivor - Ruby saved him.  He even knows how to rock the smoke - he really is "smokin' hot!" :)

After the parade we headed out to the parking lot for the trunk or treat.  Ruby caught on REAL quick and would fake the treater out by putting both hands into the bowl for the candy, but then would just take one in the end.  I convinced her to put her candy in her bucket (which was a Peep's Easter basket from Grammy Joanne since my Halloween buckets were packed away) instead of demanding to eat each piece every time she got one (which we learned from the previous store trick-or-treating that she would just bite the candy, wrapper and all, if we wouldn't open it for her.  She did pretty good unless they handed out suckers.  She's a sucker for suckers. 

Ross was hilarious.  He was very good at saying "Trick-or-treat!" and "Thank-you" and would only take one piece of candy at each car, but he became very particular about what candy he would take.  One car had those little Tootsie rolls which Ross doesn't like.  He went to reach into their bowl, noticed there were no other options besides Tootsie rolls then waved her bowl away telling her, "It's okay - I don't like them."  She laughed and laughed and laughed and said, "Well at least he's honest."  My sweet, particular Ross.  He knows his own mind.  When he was finished he wanted to sit in the back of the van and eat the five pieces of candy I said he could have.  (Obviously he took his time deciding which candies he wanted to eat.)  Ruby followed suit choosing suckers of course. 

 

Trick or treating begins - Ruby is already reaching for the candy like a veteran

Ross sorting through which candy is best to take.

We opted out on going around to houses for trick-or-treating since it was getting so late, and our kids are too young to care.  SO we went home, watched a short Halloween show while eating candy and pumpkin bread and put kids to bed. 

On the Sunday we headed up to Logan for my adorable nephew, Jaxton's baby blessing.  I was surprised to see even my brother Garrett came up from St. George for it as well!  It has been a long time since our whole family was at church together, so it felt like an extra special occasion coming to this beautiful baby blessing.  Dain did a wonderful job and we are so excited for this sweet baby boy to grow more and more in to our family.  Ross and Ruby loved seeing Jaxton again and totally loved playing with their uncles.  Have I mentioned I LOVE uncles for my children?  They are so fun and do such a great job of wearing my children out for me while I get to just sit and watch. :)  It was a fun day.

That Monday the pumpkin patch we had gone to threw a big Pumpkin Bash party where you could just grab any pumpkin and smash it however you wanted.  They had stations with Samurai swords, baseball bats, stacks of hay bales you could toss them from, and a crane that would lift you super high.  They also had free donuts and hot cider.  Super fun. 

A crane full of people dropping pumpkins...what will they come up with next?

It's a bit cold.

Ready to smash pumpkins!

Totally compliant kids for the picture :)

Uncle Nathan more than happy to take out the pumpkin by sword.

Beka was all business about cutting up hers too.

My frosted Maple Mountain

It was pretty freezing and as fun as it was, Ross was more than ready to go home - even though they had the finale of dropping a full sized car full of pumpkins on top of an RV.  We had to bribe Ross with hot chocolate at home to get him to stay to watch (which he did in fact enjoy).  It was a great ending for the Halloween season.  See ya later October!