Halloween 2014...

You know what I love about Halloween - its the gateway to the holiday season and I couldn't be more excited about it!

According to the news, we experienced "an unseasonably warm" Halloween, and there was debate whether it might have been the warmest on record at 95 degrees. I had to laugh as I scrolled through my instagram feed seeing my friends across the country, many dressed up in winter jackets with costumes barely fitting over the top. Rosy red cheeks and winter hats. It was a different story in our part of the country. It was hot. We our friends the Heatons (my college roommate and her family) visiting and we tried telling them it's usually not this hot this time of year. But we made do and we had ourselves a grand time.

Bennett's preschool had a party and he dressed up as a pirate...a feisty pirate! You know what they say, "Pirate by day, superhero by night." Perhaps I'm the only that says that but it's fitting in this situation.


His best friend was also a pirate.


We gathered the kids - including our visitors and went to Hunter's school Halloween parade. This is where a month of preparation for his costume (as well as the others costumes) finally gave me some satisfaction as I saw him strut through that parade with pride. He was the only lego guy and it was awesome. He told us later he felt so famous because everyone was shouting at him and trying to give him high fives. To a six year old - that is everything!





Because we had company, the kids attended their Halloween parties and then we pulled them from school to enjoy the day. We did Halloween bingo, an afternoon at the park and because of the unseasonably warm weather, our guests wanted to jump in the pool. It is freezing. And we warned them. But the novelty of a pool is never lost on visitors and minds were made up that it was a swimming day. How many people can say they swam in an outdoor (not heated) pool on Halloween? I thought it would be a quick jump in and jump out. But no, although it was cold, they jumped in and out and in and out for a good amount of time. There were water wars and diving contests and all sorts of fun.





We took pictures before heading out to the neighborhood/ward party. Quick note about the costumes. We (when I say we, I really mean me because Steve just rolled his eyes when I told him my idea!) decided to make lego costumes several weeks ago. Each kid chose which lego mini figure they wanted to be and I went to work. I had no idea when starting this project the time commitment these would take. I was cautiously optimistic when I should have been realistically pessimistic! They. Took. Forever. And that is not an exaggeration. And because I can't predict the weather, I had no idea weeks ago when I started that they would be worn in 90 degree weather. They were hot. But the kids were rockstars and wore them with pride. However, their heads had to be removed at the party so they could eat! Minor detail!


Our friends went as Peter Pan and the lost boys - much better suited for warm weather!

We spent the evening enjoying an outdoor chili feed with neighbors and friends and then gathered candy with the kids as we made our way back to our house and enjoyed the fun Halloween house.

The nice thing about young kids trick-or-treating is it doesn't have to last very long before they're legs are tired and they're asking to go home. The amount in their bags is always ten times more than they could possibly enjoy and they have just as much fun sorting their candy in piles and trading as they did gathering it.

Halloween did not disappoint - so grateful we had friends to enjoy it with!