Halloween week-end 2009

We started the festivities the week leading up to the big day and the carnival at the church building by planning a menu and changing the names of our dishes. Some of the names of our dishes were, Mummy blood over brains with horse hooves and tossed vomit. Also known as Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread and garden salad. We also had a fun meal of Ogre tongue, baked witches feet and more tossed vomit (aka) Tri-tip, baked sweet potatoes and more tossed salad. We topped the menu off on Saturday with our traditional pot of chili and corn bread this year known as Maggot Stew with banana slug bread. We have never done this before however the kids got a kick out of it and enjoyed asking for seconds by calling our dishes by their "new name" lots of giggles and silly memories
The pumpkins were designed and carved by Royce and the kids, we all really liked how they turned out, I think they did a great job.

Here's the family all dressed and ready for the carnival at the church, the girls were especially excited. Elise opted to stay home and do homework over going to the carnival, so she is missing in this picture.

Here she is on Friday as what she dressed up for school, she chose to be a Fair Maiden, fitting for her, she truly is such a sweet Young Lady and a delight. She and I had a nice drive up the coast as well to Crescent City for one of her dental appointments, it was really enjoyable to have a little one on one mom daughter time, it is about a 4 hour drive round trip. We enjoyed listening to a John Bytheway talk and then talking about the talk and it's topic which is "Jesus knows I am Christian" it was a great talk has fantastic material and the conversation with Elise was just as enjoyable.

Here are Malia and Janelle on Friday already for school and their costume parade. Malia really wanted to be a witch this year, we opted to not paint her face for school. Janelle was so excited that the skeleton costume fit her this year, she had fun wearing it to school but didn't like that people thought she was a boy inside there. My dear friend Nancy and I laughed nearly to tears when she pointed out that the costume was so fitting with how tiny and dainty Janelle is, she is built exactly like I was when I was her age, small frame and thin as a rail but tall for our age :)

Austin dressed up as a hobo for his costume to go to the church in. He decided that he needed to be begging for candy.

Zachariah decided he would dress up as a Boy Scout which really isn't a far stretch for him cause he really is an active Boy Scout, however he got a lot of compliments on the great costume, even that night when we took the kids on one loop of the Lumbar Hill hoopla. (crazy busy popular safe neighborhood here)

Janelle decided to go as a Princess for Saturday's events, she liked the comments about this costume much better, no one mistook her for a boy (lol) I love her eye's here..well really she has gorgeous eye's anytime, Royce just got a good snap shot for this picture.

Here are Royce and I. He chose to be a Sheriff and I went back to my Clown Costume that is a solid back-up for when I can't decide on something else. This costume is pretty fun primarily because people have to ask "who are you?" AND this year it was even more fun because the little primary kids couldn't stop staring and when they finally figured out who I was the delight that came over their little faces..that was for me the best part of being a clown this year. Royce and I decided later that he was actually a PBR Bull Rider and I was a PBR Bull fighter, we like to watch Bull Riding so either way we both had fun.

Austin on Saturday morning on his way to Cross Country practice up at Patrick's Point. Eureka is hosting a run this coming week-end up there, so they had to go practice the course and help mark the course as well. Austin is really doing great with his running and truly is a natural at it (hmm wonder where he gets that??) Both Royce and I have enjoyed the growth he has experienced and the confidence that he is developing through this experience, he is looking forward to being on the team next year and is being encouraged by us and his coach to do track as well, in the Spring.