"is it Halloween-time yet?"

that is what our darling Riley has been asking me repeatedly since we bought her costume in September and started getting out the decorations. (Thanks Erica, for capturing our darling Riley smiling AND looking at the camera--miraculous!)

Yes, Riley it is almost Halloween time. Here is a few of our decorations and more of celebrations in addition to the pumpkin patching we did.

We made haunted houses with the Wilsons

and I've had the smell of gingerbread wafting through my house for 2 weeks. Sweet!

What a great and fun idea, Bri! Thanks for making the gingerbread.

Then there was the Halloween costume party with a few of Mike's fellow dental students and their families. We won the costume contest for best family.

on the DL: I never look forward to dressing up personally, which is stupid, because I enjoy it when other adults dressed up and once I do it, I'm glad I did. I guess it is hard because all the affordable adult costumes for women are just slutty--sooo not my style. So either spend a lot of money or have a great idea and the skills to produce it out of thin air (I have very limited skills and creativity). I procrastinated on what mike and I should do until the week before. I THOUGHT I had bought myself a Halloween t-shirt was just going to wear that instead of a costume, but I search and could not find it. So I caved and decided to make something, but was without a clue what to do. So I stole an idea from my mother-in-law that did when they were in dental school: toothpaste. Kind of silly and little lame, but cute, right? I guess it depends on the crowd or if you can read the sign on the back.


Riley had a great time and she also won Best Kid's Costume. (don't have a pic of her in her costume at the party either--she got too hot and kept taking the monkey suit on and off) The prize: a Halloween coloring book. She is so in love with it, she takes it to bed with her every night.


She even won a cupcake during the cupcake walk for the kids. Pretty neat, I mean, spooky cupcake.

Spooky is Riley's new favorite adjective. Everyting related to Halloween is "spooky."

Anyways. All in all a fabulous party with great people, food and fun.

(I found my Halloween shirt on Halloween night at like 10pm--too late to do any good this year--oh well. There's always next year.)



Then there was a trunk-or-treat event at church. So fun to see all the kids dressed up. It was chilly and dark, but it made it feel more like the trick or treating from my childhood.

Riley, the monkey, and her friend Kallie, the mermaid.

Here is the crew carving pumpkins! Mike & I haven't done it in a few years, but my sisters taught me how the right tools and a good pattern the result can be
Pretty great,I mean, SPOOKY!
Another cute pose, from our pumpkin model.

We had two more Halloween parties.
One was held at a cabin on the lake with a really SCARY spooky alley. Riley was so frightened, and I don't blame her, it was REALLY spooky! But I forgot my camera and I also forgot just about everything as I scarfed done almost a dozen home made spudnuts. A-ma-ZING! So much fun. Thanks for inviting us, Whitney.

The next was at Riley's preschool. They invited the families of the kids and it was pretty cute.
Riley and Kallie sporting some the treats from the pinata.
Emma was invited to join the kids at the table for a cupcake. She acts like she's a big kid too!
The teacher invited Emma to join at the table for treats.

The little monkey getting her groove on.