Halloween/Birthday Celebrating

October was super busy, but we did manage to get some brief Halloween celebrating in during the last 3 days of the month. It started off with a quick stop by at the pumpkin patch. When I say quick, it was like 15 minutes. We had another commitment to get to, and it was already dark out...and cold, so basically, we ran through the place just to check out how the pumpkin heads turned out this year. Can you tell they were cold?

Brylee found her favorite ...Dora and Diego.

And that about sums it up. Impressive, right? I know.

We stopped by the store on the way home to buy pumpkins, because last year we learned that the pumpkin patch was too rich for our blood. Plus, it was cold...and dark, so we wouldnt be able to really scan around for the perfect pumpkin. Then we dropped the kids off at home, and went to the church to help set up for the ward trunk-or-treat for the next night. More on that to come.

Since we had no other time to carve pumpkins with everything else going on, I rolled up my sleeves and helped the kids first thing after breakfast. This was the first time Ryan wasnt here for pumpkin carving, so it took me around 3 hours by myself to help them all. Who's idea was it to have all these kids anyway!?

Kidding, of course.

Good thing I had Zack around to teach Brylee proper pumpkin seed handling.

And since I was up to my elbows in pumpkin guts, that was about all the carving pictures we got. Later that evening, we got all prettied up for the trunk-or-treat.

Brylee was a bumblebee...she will let you know though-she does NOT sting people.

And her pumpkin was a kitty.

Alissa was a friendly witch....

With a matching witch pumpkin. She did do the cleaning out, the hole punching, and part of the carving, but I had to help out with the rest, because well, after 3 hours, I had had enough and it was looking like it was going to take her all day.

Super Girl,

with her matching Super Girl pumpkin. She did carve out hers by herself. I just did some minor tweaking.

And Madi, a sassy candy corn witch.

She got an idea off the web to carve a pumpkin, eating another pumpkin. Her face is supposed to be saying "Oh noooo!"

And finally, our very own Perry the Platypus!

I know, if you dont watch the Disney channel, you wont know who this is (ahem-Mom and Dad), but it is from a very cool cartoon called Phineas and Ferb. Enjoyable for all ages. (:

Anyway, he is a secret agent platypus, named Perry without the hat...Agent P with it.

And Ryan as his nemesis-Dr. Doofinshmirtz, who he always has to stop from using different kinds of crazy inventions (in-ators), to take over the Tri-State area! Ryans Doofinshmirtz back story included a candyinator, which steals all the candy from the children and gives it to him, because its his birthday and he is the only one that should have it.

A good punch to the family jewels will stop you Doofinshmirtz!

He didnt actually hit him there, but Ryans face says otherwise. (:

Well, and then theres me-the Pirate.

I was in charge of running the fishing game at the trunk-or-treat so it seemed the most appropriate thing...well, besides a fisherman. Who wants to dress as that?

All ready for candy consumption.

The next day, we celebrated Ryans birthday. I havent had much luck with any of the birthday cakes this year. This one was supposed to be twice as tall, but it cracked under the pressure. Anyway, its a spider cake...in case you couldnt tell.

Look at all those candles!

This was a prop from the trunk-or-treat, made by one of the primary counselors and her air-brushing husband. They had these up for almost every brother in the ward. It was pretty awesome.

Next up was reading the thousand cards the kids made for his birthday.

Brylee was proud of all her stamps.

"And heres some more Daddy!"

Madi went with a sports theme.

Alissa included a photograph with her favorite Dad.

Katelin made poem using BYU. It stood for Best, Yoking, and Unique. Yeah, Joking is spelled with a J. She tried.

Zack put a monster inside his. Ryan tried to cover his eyes, because it was just too scary.

Zack made him look.

And explained that it was okay.

He also gave him a store bought singing minion card. I think it was more for him.

Dancing along to Boogie Fever.

As for gifts, he got this cougar gnome from his parents,

A new shirt and tie from the kids,

and a couple much needed new suits.

Sunday came and went.

And then Halloween day arrived. Ryan took work off for his birthday, but strangely, the kids had Thursday and Friday off and had to go to school on Halloween on Monday. As soon as they got home we dressed up again, and drove a half an hour away to do some real trick-or-treating, since our crazy city doesnt know how to do it right. Perry took a little snooze on the way.

Now this is what trick-or-treating should look like. Of course, it would be helpful if they answered the door. Turn off your light if you arent giving out candy!! Anyway...

This was actually where our good friends lived until they moved far, far away. We had to stop by, just for old times sake. We missed trick-or-treating with them. But, it was great to do some good old fashioned trick-or-treating. This neighborhood reminds me of the neighborhood I grew up trick-or-treating in.

Brylee so loved going door to door getting candy. I think she was freezing but didnt care. Its all about the goods!

Now off to eat handfuls of chocolate and induce a sugar coma.

Happy Halloween!