Happy Trick or Treat Day

Today was insane but all worth it for Halloween. We bought pumpkins late this year so we had to carve them today. This just added one more thing to my list of to many things to handle.  It was fun though.  JJ did a really hard one and ended up cutting right into the face so he had to change it all.  It still turned out great.  Emma always carves her own face.  I love this about her.  She did a great job.  Ellie actually poked out eye holes this year.  I was impressed.  Elsie just kept sticking the knifes in hers.  It actually was pretty freaky looking.  Jeron did an AMAZING job as usual.  He did His and Ellie's and I did mine, Elsie's and the Boo.  I didn't have time to do my treat bowl...sniff sniff.

This year JJ tried on his costume and HATED it, so we ended up painting his face and he wore a cape.  He is skelton cape boy.  The girls were Ladybugs because I call them my ladybugs and they agreed to be Ladybugs.  I begged JJ to be a spider but he just couldn't handle it.  (To big for that...sniff sniff)

Half of the little girls in the neighborhood were ladybugs.  Ha

Everyone that came looked awesome!! 

I love how everyone dresses up and looks so great.  They put a lot of thought into their costumes.  It is fun to see how creative they all are.  I hope that they keep coming all dressed up.  It really is fun for the kids.  

We had Living Dead Vampires aka Mama and Papa, Bride of Frankenstein and Frankenstein aka Tara and Jeff, Flapper and Doctor aka Grandma Jan and Grandpa Gene, and Audrey Hepburn aka Ms. Patricia (Tara's Mom)

Thanks for making our Halloween so much fun.  Even though mother nature tried to ruin it, we had a great time.  I wish I had gotten a pic or our soaking wet trick or treaters.  It was pouring when we went out.  The kids were soaked.  I don't remember ever having such a wet Halloween.  It started right about 5:45pm and lasted until 8:00.  It was insane. 

PS:  I apologize to everyone that came over for the hectic way in which dinner was served.  We loved all the effort you put into costumes and wish we had had more time with you.  I don't know how some people have it all together but that is certainly not me.  If anyone knows how to finish up things before a party starts I am all ears.  Every year I try new things and do more the day before but for some reason every year I am scrambling at the last minute.  Everything has to be ready at the same time.  Please, planners, HELP ME!!

Can you guess which pumpkin goes with which person???

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, whose got the Pumpkin

This year we had all the intentions of going to a corn maze, haunted house, and pumpkin patch all rolled into one.  After I had a cranky morning and everyone in my family was driving me crazy (hence the sunglasses) I stopped the Cornbelly or Wheeler Farm idea.  Jeron wanted to still do something fun with the kids so we went to our usual this year, Pack's Pumpkin Patch.  I am actually glad we went there.  They have a huge selection of pumpkins and heck it is tradition.  I have to say there is not many pics of JJ but in my defense he is always off somewhere.  I would have to zoom in to get him and he is still the size of an ant.  The girls stay right by me so they get more pics. 

The hay maze is always fun for the kids.  This year there was a man dressed up like a Zombie running through scaring the kids out of their minds.  They loved it.  Except JJ who hung out with me.  He just may be getting too old, or at least that is what he thinks. 

Can't get enough of Elsie's face in this picture.  Emma is beautiful! Ellie is just a bottle of happiness.  JJ is out finding the perfect pumpkin or actually the biggest. 

We had a really fun time and got some great pumpkins.  JJ's was the biggest, Emma's was the oddest, Ellie's was the roundest, and Elsie's was the whitest.  They all have such different taste.  It is fun to see they use their own heads.  After the patch we headed blockbuster and rented scary movies for the kids, and to In and Out for dinner.  We went home painted faces, and had a scary movie marathon while I made dinner for Halloween night. 

It was a great night.

Thomas Jefferson and the Wax Museum

At our kids school 5th grade does a wax museum every year. This year it was finally our turn. I will have to say we lucked out with our recent trip to DC, Jeron's work, and my parents closet, everything kind of fell into place. JJ got the list of names to choose from the day we got home from DC. We circled Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and one other I can't recall. It worked out perfect. The next day we found out it would be Thomas Jefferson. This meant that his backdrop was all but done. We used the pictures we took on our trip and Jeron printed them up. It looked awesome.

I was very impressed with how well the kids did.  They were awesome and acting like they truly were wax.  It was like a library in gym full of the entire 5th grade class.  I loved all the creativity in the costumes and backdrops.  These kids (PARENTS) went all out.  It was said perfectly in Parenthood, "They give our kids these projects to get back at the parents"  JJ and us got an A on our project.  We are so proud of ourselves. hahaha

The entire 5th grade class

Thomas Jefferson (JJ) in 3 of his poses.

Signing the Declaration of Independence, Reading, Taking the D of I to be reviewed

I love the way they look

JJ and I feel like we could give you any fact you would like about Thomas Jefferson from a 5th grade view point.  I did learn something new today.  Billie Holiday is a GIRL!  I always thought she was a boy.  Ha, great to know.  JJ had a great time but said that it was really hard to be still that long.  He also thought he would pass out.  I think that was just an exaggeration.  Hmmmm!  Thanks to Grandma, and Mama and Papa for coming. 

What happens when you eat to many...Apples;)

I love this girl.  She does the goofiest things all the time.  One of her favorite things right now is wearing these teeth.  She looks so silly in them.  I just love that she is eating her apple and sporting these teeth.  She really is too cute!

Favorite project of the season

Emma brought home this darling poem. It made me laugh...hard!

Emma was so cute reading it. She was giggling the whole time. She is so sweet. When she finished she quickly said "I don't really think that mom." I just love that girl.

Day 3 on our fun Halloween Advent is {Sugar Cookies}

It is that time again for sugar cookies and junk galore. I am a little worried because this summer didn't have the pounds falling right off of me so now with treat season fast approaching I am worried, WORRIED, WORRIED!  Now don't think I have gone crazy and won't eat treats...I am not that worried.  Hahaha

JJ enjoying the one he decorated

Helping with the dough

Stud

Decorating like crazy

Um, not so sure a knife in the mouth is a good thing Boo.

Seriously where is her mother.  Get that knife out!

And now for the eating....mmmmmm

I've seen that crazy look before.  Oh no, this isn't good.

We were able to "Boo" our neighbors.  That is one of our most favorite parts about Halloween.  I don't think we ever get "Booed" but the kids still love doing it.  I think it is all the stairs.  I dare you to try...Bwahahahaha

{Only Ellie}

This post is not about that darling little girl in the picture but the beautiful flowers behind her and something only Ellie would do.  I don't know if you can tell but those flowers are tall.  They are so tall that they actually had a stem of about two feet.  The stood level with my parents front porch.  It is about four steps up.  They surround the porch and are amazing.  Now, Miss Ellie saw them as so much more.  She decided that these flowers not only were pretty to look at but were also a great way to continue on with the porch.  She stepped right out on to them without any hesitation.  I think she thought they would hold her.  Well, as you can guess they didn't hold one bit and down she went.  She left a hole in the front yard flowers the size of her.  Luckily she wasn't injured to bad.  She shed some tears but that was all.  I will have to say it was one of the oddest things I have ever seen.  She just walked right off.  She didn't even test it first.  As soon as I knew she was okay I had to laugh.  All I could think was "Only Ellie".  Oh, and don't worry she wasn't done yet.  I put her in the car and gave her one of the two feet tall flowers to keep.  She decided to EAT it.  Yes, I just said EAT IT!  After a little freak out on my part and  a quick call to poison control she was fine.  Again "Only Ellie".  I wish I had had my brain about me because it really was a sight to see with a kid sized hole in the flower bed.  My parents luckily were removing the flowers the next day for Autumn yard clean up so no harm done.  It just makes for a great story to tell.  Oh Ellie, I just love you.  You make my heart smile. 

Murder Mystery Night....Bwahhahhaha

We were invited to do a murder mystery night in our neighborhood.  It was so much fun.  My friend Misty worked so hard to put it together and it really turned out great.  I feel awful because Misty and Danny's son fell and got a concussion.  Misty had to take him to the ER.  She had to miss the whole thing:(  I wish she could have been there because first off she put so much work into it, and second she would have looked awesome, and third she would be a lot of fun. 

The whole group

In case you can't guess

The Maid and The Butler

I was a French Fashion Designer and Jeron was a Judge

The Mother of the deceased and the Brother in Law/Psychiatrist 

The widowed bride and the Sheriff

The Agent and Misty would have been the Movie Star.

Amy was such an overbearing mother...hehehe

Here again we have a picture of Jeron looking at a very interesting place.  If you would like to see the other one click here.

It really was a great night.  I sadly have to say that I didn't kill the Groom who just happened to be my ex-finance.  DARN IT!  Jeron didn't either.  Better luck next time.  Hahaha

tHe cOuNt doWn beGiNs...9 dAyS to haLloWeEn

This year we are doing something new at the Snow home.  As you may know I LOVE Halloween.  It is tied with Christmas and the 4th of July for my favorite holidays.  My cute friend made this and put it on her blog that you can see here.  So I of course had to copy.  My good friend Amy and I made these cute Halloween Advent Calendars for $15.  My kids love it.  They were so excited to get the prize.  The first day was Halloween T-Shirts.  The prizes are all easy all-a-dollar things but it is fun to see how excited they get.  I even put things we normally do in it like "Today we are going to the Pumpkin Patch"  I just made little tags to go in the pocket.  I had to do a tag for the T-shirts as well.

Opening their first one

I am excited for this to become a tradition around our house.  Thanks Risa for the idea and thanks Amy for putting up with my insanity, and making you going along with my project.  Hahaha

A beautiful day for a Wedding!

Jeron's brother Jeff and his wife Tara got sealed today. It was a beautiful day. The man that preformed the sealing was amazing. He taught me and Jeron so much about marriage. He made it seem like we REALLY can do this. He truly loved his wife and you could tell in the way he spoke about her. I loved that about him. Tara and Jeff looked so happy. We are all excited for the two of them. It is a wonderful, beautiful, and spiritual thing to see two people be sealed for time and all eternity. I could feel the peace in the room and I know with all my heart that this is a beautiful promise to us. If you would like to understand more about sealings you can click here.  Or, of course, ask me:)  Tara had asked me about 2 months prior to take their picture. This is a overwhelming task since I am such an beginner.  I was STRESSED about the lighting but all in all I think they turned out alright.  Tara told me she liked them.  Of course, she had to say that, but that made me feel better.  Here are some of the 100 pictures.  These are just the ones of the family.  I will let Tara post the other ones. 

Congratulations to the both of you.  Just thing Tara he is yours for eternity;)