Halloween 2016

This is Halloween, This is Halloween!

We had a fun Halloween weekend this year!

Our Halloween fun started with a party I put together for the Brandley cousins.  All of the cousins over the age of 2 (plus Ethan, because he lives with us) are invited over for food, games, crafts, and fun!  Sadly Louis had to work the night of the party, but luckily I had asked Tifannee and Kami if they wanted to come help out with the party and they had accepted.  I spent almost the first hour alone taking care of 7 kids under the age of 8.  It was just the eating part of the night though, so there wasn't any running around with the games and me going crazy trying to control the chaos.
As a surprise Kami and Tifannee dressed up as Anna and Elsa!  The kids were so excited when they showed up!  Mary couldn't contain herself and ran out the door to them!

After dinner was over and the excitement from Kami and Tifannee coming had worn off we sat back down at the table.  I had all of the kids bring a plain white shirt and we decorated them for Halloween.  The kids had fun and they got to take home something that will help them remember the fun night!  When the shirts were done it was time for the most exciting part of the night!  Elsa (Tifannee) showed us her magic!  There is a fun video of it on Facebook if you want to check it out.  The kids were entranced with it!  After all of the magic we played glow in the dark ghost bowling!  I don't have any pictures, but I got Styrofoam cups and drew ghost faces on them.  I put a few glow sticks around them and we also had black lights, but they weren't any good because they were just from the dollar store!  The kids took turns rolling a plastic bowling ball to knock over the ghosts.  Then it was time for dessert!  I made Frankenstein cups, clear cups with Frankenstein faces drawn on them, vanilla pudding dyed green, and crushed Oreo's on top!  As we were eating, their parents showed up and we played until everyone filtered out the door.

The next night was the Pugmire's ward Fall Festival, Alisha was a part of planning it and it was wonderful!  The kids had lots of fun doing crafts, playing games, and again running around with cousins!  This year we did a family theme that the girls chose last year.  Avery was Elsa, Mary was Anna, Ethan was Olaf, Wyatt was a snowflake, Louis was Kristoff, and I was Sven.  Avery and Mary decided this theme last year and the idea actually stuck the whole year!

On Halloween Megan, Phillip, and Ian came up to have some fun!  We started out by trick or treating down main street.  Several of the stores participate and have a treat for the kids and often coupons for the adults.  Ethan picked up real quick on the whole trick or treating thing.  He was so cute!  He would run up to the employees and say "Peeeeassse!" then he would spend several moments contemplating which candy he wanted.  We took a break while Avery was at school, but picked up again after she was done and went trick or treating at the mall.  We have been going to the mall on Halloween every year since Avery was born!  We also ended up running into Avery's friend LynnDee, they've been friends with they were babies.  Avery left us and ran off with LynnDee and her mom the rest of the time.  That night we had a picnic in the living room with pizza and watched The Wizard of Oz.  The girls had fun handing out candy to trick or treaters.  This is the first year we've had more than 5 kids come by!

It was a fun weekend. I don't love Halloween, but I do love seeing my kids so happy and excited about everything that comes with holidays.