Halloween 2019

Halloween 2019 was COLD but awesome. We had sunshine until the sun went down, and the trick-or-treaters had dry weather. I think this was my first dry Halloween after 11 years in Seattle. Another first - Taylor ditched us to go trick-or-treating with some friends in a different neighborhood. We had our neighbors over for pizza and drinks before the kids spilled into the streets, and then several families and kids came back to our house after trick-or-treating to count their loot. It was a great night.

This year, Taylor and several of her friends dressed up as "ball-gown girls" (her words, not mine). Whenever I told anyone that she was dressing up as a grown up princess or prom girl, I was corrected that she was dressing as a ball-gown girl. If this is not an indication that my girl is growing up quickly, I do not know what is! The gown, the hoop skirt, the tiara, the makeup, and the hair were all big pieces of the costume.

The girls' pre-party at Ella's house.

From left: Delaney, Samantha, Nicole, Olivia, Ella, Taylor, Julia

Matty, per usual, "dressed up" as a baseball player. I use quotation marks here because he just throws on his baseball uniform. It is barely dressing up if you ask me. This year, I started throwing out costume ideas in early September in hopes that he would wear something out of the ordinary, but no such luck. He takes the fun out of Halloween (not really, but that is what I tell him). This year, Matty ditched his plastic pumpkin for a pillow case in order to get more loot. Smart boy. And sugar addict.

Brayden was a Minecraft Creeper this year. Don't know what this is? Don't worry, I did not either. But his costume was super cute when he managed to wear the mask.

This was a VERY bad attempt at a neighborhood picture before the kids left to trick-or-treat. More than half the kids had already fled into the streets. Oh well. 

My favorite baseball player and Minecraft creeper.

 While Halloween is not my favorite holiday, it has grown on me in the past few years. I realized this when I opened my attic to decorate in October and saw that I now have four containers full of Halloween decorations. And the annual trick-or-treat pre-party is a good excuse to socialize with all of our neighbors. Until next year!

I love Brayden's tissue ghosts. Our ceilings always look so much higher than they are when we pull the ghosts down.

I do this every year and it still makes me laugh.

It was such a beautiful night; the boys played baseball in the backyard! Note Annie in her Super Woman costume. :)

I love that the men were able to congregate outside! Normally it is pouring rain and we are all smushed inside the house.

Good witch or bad witch?

This is the most Tommy dresses up for Halloween. The dads serve Spooky Spaghetti at the kids' school Costume Carnival, which is a weekend or two before Halloween. Tommy rocks the mustache!

Tommy + Ryan + Adam = Trouble!

Another picture from the Costume Carnival - Brayden with his buddies Owen and Ezra and beloved teacher Mrs. Thomas!