Happy Halloween.

It only took a week but I am finally getting caught up and ready to post some pictures from Halloween and some of the activities leading up to it. I will apologize for all the pictures now but figured it would be easier to put everything up at once instead of waiting another week to put more. It is amazing at how busy we can get and our blog has sacrificed so we can do other things. I will try and make a conscious effort to regain my dedication with our posts. We ended up going to a couple of different pumpkin patches the week before Halloween to allow the kids to have a little fun and try and get some decent pictures with all the pumpkins. The first patch we went to was on a very cold day and the kids did really well considering the temperatures. The second one was on a very nice day and was a lot better to be out in.

Then on Halloween we went over to Jennie's brothers house (Greg and Tacie) and ate pizza then out for trick-or-treating. We haven't been out in our own neighborhood once since moving in 6 years ago. We always have gone to Jennie's parents or her brothers. It was a little chilly but overall not too bad. It could have been a lot worse with snow or rain. The kids had a blast and got lots of treats; which also means dad got lots of treats. We will probably have treats well into December if not later. Brooklyn dressed up as Hannah Montana, Maddux as Darth Vader, Nolan as Venom (the black spider-man in case you didn't know), and Payton was a purple snow leopard (even though she didn't officially go out). Tacie and I took the kids out while Greg and Jennie stayed at the house to pass out candy (while scaring little kids) and watching the little ones. We were out for an hour and a half and got lots of candy. Nolan and Kenzie had enough after one block so we dropped them off and took the older kids to hit up some more houses. When you are that age you can never get enough. Although I was surprised by their enthusiasm or lack thereof. I remember being that age and running from house to house to try and get as much candy as possible. Then going home, changing costumes with a buddy and hitting the same houses up again to get more candy. Our kids were just walking from house to house in no particular hurry just out for a stroll. It was like we almost had to drag them around and tell them to hurry up and move. Anyways, we had a lot of fun, got a lot of candy and everyone was safe so a very good night overall. Here are quite a few pictures of our trips to the pumpkin patches along with some pictures of Halloween and the kids.



I love Maddux's face in this picture. One of the pumpkin patches that we went to had these giant popcorn balls that the kids had to have. I tried to warn them that they really weren't that good but Jennie insisted that I get them the popcorn balls. As I had imagined they did not like them at all and we threw them away. This is one of Maddux's first bites.


The kids standing on some tree trunks that were cut down to use as seats while the kids played in the giant treehouse.


Brooklyn, Maddux and Nolan.


Just hanging out in the treehouse.


Payton was not as big of a fan as the other kids were.


The kids overlooking the valley below. The parking lot sits on top of a giant hill and there is an apple orchard and pumpkin patch down below. I love the color of the leaves on the tree this time of year.


From the top of the hill they had a huge pumpkin launcher that was sending pumpkins down to the bottom. If you look closely you can see two dots; which are pumpkins on their way down.


This is the second pumpkin patch and the day we went here it was a lot colder. Brooklyn and Nolan may look like they really love each other but they are probably just trying to warm each other up.


Nolan, Brooklyn and Maddux peering out from one of the windows in the hay fort. The kids could climb inside and navigate through all the tunnels.


Brooklyn, Payton and Maddux surrounded by pumpkins. Payton was not all that excited to be out on this cold day.


My big boys.


Brooklyn, Maddux and Nolan posing with the cutouts.


Nolan and Maddux (aka Venom and Darth Vader) eating their spider donuts that they made at the library Halloween party.


Here they are again wrapping each other up as mummies.


Here are all three of the kids playing a version of Simon Sez.


Maddux and Brooklyn just waiting for the clock to strike 6:00 so they can go trick-or-treating at Greg and Tacie's.


In line waiting for the parade to start at the library. They got to walk throughout the library and stop at all the different stations and collect goodies.

Brooklyn (Hannah Montana):


Brooklyn sorting through her candy looking for what she can trade with her cousins and siblings to get better candy. This has become a tradition with Greg and Tacie's kids.


Skipping from house to house excited to get more candy.


Brooklyn pondering on whether or not this popcorn ball is really all that good.


Playing in the play yard at the pumpkin patch.


Striking a pose with the pumpkins. I think this is the first time I have ever seen this pose from her and now it has become a staple. Not sure where she picked it up; most likely some show.

Maddux (Darth Vader):


Maddux hanging out with the pumpkins.


Striking a pose in the play yard, notice he still has his soccer stuff on. We went there right after his game because the weather was so nice.


Darth Vader ready to terrorize the streets and collect candy.


Maddux running from house to house with light saber in hand.


Darth Vader pretending like he is asleep during a game of simon sez.

Nolan (Venom):


Nolan playing with Darth Vader's mask in his undies.


Venom running and trying to catch up to the bigger kids.


And you thought Venom used webs to catch the bad guys.


You have got to love Nolan and his faces. He is the cutest thing ever.

Payton (Snow Leopard):


Payton was not all that happy to be out so this was the best picture that we were going to get of her.


Payton looking through all the candy trying to see what looks good.


The cutest purple snow leopard you will ever see.


Sporting the darth vader mask. She wasn't a big fan of wearing this but we did manage to keep it on for a picture.


"The Visitors" Greg and his kids set up some visitors to try and make the house more festive and scary. Our kids wanted nothing to do with these and wouldn't even look at them. They were outside along the walk path up to the house. Maddux was so scared that he wouldn't even go use the bathroom because he thought he was going to get a glimpse of them through the window. It took me carrying him with his eyes closed to the bathroom so he could go ...... and that was just the beginning.


This is what kids were greeted by when they came to their house. Greg had dressed up in this costume and it completely freaked Brooklyn and Maddux out. At one point Brooklyn was curled up on the chair with her head burried in the pillows crying and Maddux had tucked himself in a corner and was screaming at the top of this lungs. You would have thought that someone was cutting off his legs. He had his darth vader mask on and when I took it off his eyes were closed as tightly as can be and he would not open them. We actually had to go in and out of the backyard in order to get him out of the house. I don't think Nolan really knew what to think. He wasn't that afraid but really didn't want anything to do with it at the same time. Maybe in a year or two they will be ok with the masks and not afraid of them. Once we started trick-or-treating they didn't seem to bothered and probably weren't even thinking about Unlce Greg. Overall it was a very fun night and just glad that the weather cooperated and everyone could be safe. Sorry for the delay in getting these pictures up and the amount that you had to scroll through.