Halloween... all 4 days!

Happy Halloween to All!!
I do feel like I'm doing this post a little backwards, because I'm starting the weekend with Sunday night... but Oh well!! All the pictures are uploaded already, so here goes.
SUNDAY Oct. 31st

Amber and Neil had us over Sunday night for a doghnut party. Neil did this as a tradition growing up so Amber called his mom, got the recipe and we had a huge feast! It was so fun. Neil said that growing up his mom would invite all of the neighbors to eat all of the donuts... here in Mesa, they simply called the family. There were plenty of mouths willing to eat the sugary goodness!!
One mouth in particular couldn't leave them alone!!

Neil and Dad were at one griddle and Amber and Mom were at the other one.

lots of helpers...

and lots of eaters!!

As the donut eating slowed the kids started playing outside and... Kamryn got stung by a scorpion on her little toe on her right foot. Sweet thing, hardly cried!!

Saturday Morning
October 30th

Daddy helped the boys get all the gunk out...

and I helped carve the face. How many fingers do you think I can cut off at once??

this was Jack's feeling about the insides of the pumpkin. NICE!

Later that afternoon we decided to make pumpkin rice crispy treats!

they were a lot cuter in the magazine

but Jonah didn't seem to mind what they looked like. That little stinker will NOT stay off the counter :)

HALLOWEEN NIGHT
(Saturday)
Since we've been married, we've always done a family theme for Halloween. I know, we're crazy BUT I have a hubby who is willing to dress up without too much persuasion, so I've take full advantage of that. This year I may have over stepped my boundaries and he may not ever want to dress up again... This year we were SUPERHEROS (due to Jack's burning desire to be Spiderman).

Jonah was Superman.

Jack was Spiderman

aaaaaaand...

John was Robin!!

Grandpa loves these boys.

Pretty good lookin superheros if you ask me!

Jonah's cousin (Joseph Marriott) was also Superman.

Great G&G Ray came over for the festivities. Our ward's carnival was on our street and after it was over, everyone in attendance was invited (with the neighbors permission of course) to trick or treat up and down our street. We handed out a LOT of candy that night.

The 3 musketeers... Joseph, Spencer, Jack showing off their superhero muscles.

Baba Gochnour made these darling trick or treat bags for the boys. It came in her annual Halloween package. We LOVE getting fun packages from Suzanne :)
The only trick or treating we did was up and down our street. The boys were tired, I didn't want the sugar in the house (we're really trying to stay healthy) and honestly, I didn't want the boys to have more than that. Anyway, Jack pulled out his candy and one by one laid them on the counter and counted to 10. That's right folks, 10 pieces of candy. When he was done counting John and I were holding our breath with what reaction this was going to get and he looked up at us... BEAMING!!! He said, "10 whole candies??! I am the luckiest EVER!!" He was willing to share with anyone that came into his path. "Look at all my candies, you can have some if you want because I have LOTS". Oh made my mother heart so happy. I relished in the moment and tried hard NOT to think of the future when 10 candies will be scoffed at and tossed aside in ungratefulness and greed. I love 3 year olds :)

Here's our beauties...

The boys were very proud of their pumpkins. The night ended with happy superheros tucked into their beds and exhausted parents enjoying a cold glass of fresh squeezed orange juice off of mom's trees outside... the first thing I had eaten all day. OJ never tasted so good!! I'm SO done with this stinkin cleanse...

Friday, October 29th
Joy School Halloween Party!!

Jack gets pretty excited to do crafts lately and egg carton spiders at Joy School was no exception

I was in charge of the Halloween Joy School Party and we had a blast. We had lots of yummy thanks to the mom's who brought everything. We had witches brew, sugar cookies, popcorn balls and mummy dogs (which I made with the kids during Joy School that day).

I can't believe I have a kid in Joy School! I feel so old?!? John surprised us and walked in the door half way through the party. He's been in Prescott all week long with his judge doing a trial up there and it finished a day early so his judge drove him home and dropped him off. I was very glad to meet him... even if I was dressed in Halloween apparel.

Suzanne sent this adorable penguine costume so Jonah wore it for this party. We quickly learned that there are some costumes that are better for Idaho than for AZ... this thick, wool, penguine costume should probably stay in a climate where warmth is actually needed on October 31st. Mesa, AZ is NOT one of those places!! Poor little dude was sweating so bad.

Anyone who did Joy School 24 years ago with me might recognize this exact costume?!? My mom was ALWAYS minni mouse at the Joy School Party. Somewhere (in their stacks and stacks of photo albums) there is this exact picture of my mom. Costume, pose, location. I'm usually not real sentimental, but today I was. And it was really fun. Something about being home during the holidays, LIVING at home for the holidays, now with my own kids, doing the same things I did when I was growing up... it's really fun!

And the party didn't end there. All of my sisters in Mesa (except Erica who was helping at another Halloween Party) came over for lunch. Afterwards they left all of their kids and went to their elementary school kid's Halloween Party to help out. It was a crazy day. Thanks Suzanne for the glow sticks. The kids LOVED them.

but everyone eventually left, the house was eventually cleaned, and even the spiders were eventually put away! Cheers to another day.

Thursday October 28th
We picked out our pumpkins at the local super market. Thank you Bashas for having such an awesome sale... 2 for $3

Jonah: "Anything Jack can do, I can do better..."

Hugging the pumpkin...

Lifting the pumpkin...

Using the pumpkin as a prop...

Happy Halloween :)