The Many Days of Halloween

THURSDAY
We started our Halloween celebration on Thursday, even though Halloween was on Sunday. Anna had her costume parade at school, then I got to stay and help with her class party. She has the cutest little class. It was so fun to be there--I don't get the chance very often. Aunt Steph and Bryn provided Anna with a substitute costume since she was embarrassed to be Tinkerbell, the costume she promised she wanted to get and wear after Halloween last year. Right. Never doing the after Halloween sale purchase for the following year again--at least not with her!
Anna in the parade
Thursday afternoon Anna had ballet and got to wear her costume

FRIDAY
Mel's work always has trick-or-treating, so Friday afternoon we headed downtown to see Papa at work and get a huge stash of candy.
The kids at Papa's work
Our happy little pirate. Thys also got this costume last year after Halloween, but unlike Anna, he was completely happy to wear it. He is really into pirates, and he has been wearing this costume for the last six months on a very regular basis--to Sunday dinner, to bed, to Becky's. . . .
Right after trick-or-treating at Mel's work, we had to rush back to Becky's Halloween program: an event not to be missed. She always spends an hour before taking pictures of all the kids. I snuck in for a shot with my own camera.
This is Becky. She is the best. What 60+ lady do you know who will decorate a church, dress up 20 kids, dress up herself, take pictures for an hour, and then put on a program? We are so thankful to have her. The kids adore her and so do we!
One of the best moments of the show was when the kids started singing, and Sophie realized what was going on. She was sitting in the audience on Mel's lap. She jumped down and walked right up front with all the kids. She knows a few of the songs--at least the repetitive phrases. I don't think she actually sang, but she did some action,s and she was in the show. She knew where she belonged--with the big kids!
Thys is a singer. He has the cutest little voice, and he knows all the songs. He sang his little heart out.
Anna joined the group since she knows all the songs from the last four years at Becky's, but she was a little to cool for it, she thought. She stood with her arms folded and that, "Oh, brother," look on her face while she sang. It was cute.

After Becky's party, we went straight to our ward trunk-or-treat at the park behind our house. No pictures because we were a bit late, and our car was mobbed when we drove up. Then it got too dark.

SATURDAY
We hadn't had time to carve pumpkins yet, so Saturday morning we got our pumpkins ready for trick-or-treating Saturday night.

When it actually came time to trick-or-treat, it was pouring rain. We folded the seats down in the van, and took another seat out, so the kids could jump in and out of the back of the van in people's driveways. The rain ended up stopping while we were out, so Mel just followed us and our neighbor friends around the neighborhood. Sophie was hilarious. She had the whole gig figured out in about two seconds. At Mel's work she got three times the candy of the other kids because people just kept giving to her--or she kept taking while no one was paying attention. When we were actually trick-or-treating, she started to say, "trick or treat" as we walked up to the doors, then she would say, "thank you," as we left. Soooo cute!!!
I had to show how cute Sophie was from behind. She loved her costume. She wore it all day Friday, and first thing Saturday morning she put it on again to go to the store and wore it the rest of the day. She was a darling duck who ate more candy that the other two put together!!

SUNDAY
Sunday we went down to Grandma and Grandpa's for family Halloween fun. The kids dressed up again so all the cousins could see each others costumes. Mel and I couldn't stay long because we had to get home to teach Temple Prep class, but the kids stayed with Aunt Steph and had a great time.

The Last Party

Thys also had a party at Jungle Jim's with a few of his little friends. He plays with two little guys at Becky's everyday, and they are the best of friends. They came, and then one of the little neighbor boys. You have never seen such cute little guys! The had the time of their lives riding the rides and running around the place. We were basically the only people at the place, so they just had it to themselves. I can't post too may pics because I don't like to put other people's kids online unless I know they do it themselves. So here is T on a ride, and know there were darling little boys there enjoying with him!

Thys's Second Party

We really started celebrating T's birthday the weekend after his actual birthday. We had the annual party at Grandma and Grandpa's with a pinata, of course. Thys chose a Halloween theme, so we had a skull pinata and a graveyard cupcakes. So fun! Kids can never do a pinata too may times--at least in our family.
T hitting
Soph hitting--she is a big kid, according to her.
Anna going for it.
The hoarders
Soph checking out her loot.
I had to take a pic of Sophie because she just looked so cute this day. I bought her some skinny jeans because everything else falls off her, and she looks so cute in them. I just want to eat her up!
Opening presents from the family
Waiting too blow out candles while everyone sings.

THE Pumpkin Patch

So, over UEA we went to THE Pumpkin Patch in Santequin. For those of you who don't know where that is, it is about 20 miles or so south of Provo. Why would we drive all the way there for pumpkins? Don't know. Although it was fun--once we got there. Every road in Utah County is under construction--and I'm not exaggerating. Couple the construction with UEA traffic and afternoon commute, and it makes for a VERY, VERY long drive to Santequin. Fortunately, Thys had begged to bring the DVD players, and we did, so the three hour car ride was bearable for them. We had a great time getting our second batch of pumpkins and hanging out with some of the cousins, aunts and uncles, and Grandma and Grandpa.The cousins at the big read barn. We came back here for cider and doughnuts after the ride to the pumpkin patch.


We got to the barn and rode a wagon quite a ways out to the pumpkin patch.

Here's all the cousins at the patch. They had a small maze and things for the kids at the patch.
Sophie thought the pumpkins were balls and had a great time picking up and dropping them. I had a great time trying to stop her.
T with his pumpkin
Annie with her pumpkin
The kids