The moon is full and bright and children are dressed from head to toe in Halloween brilliance. The smell of tootsie rolls and starburst linger in the air as little tikes walk from door to door anticipating the treats that await.
Gotta love October. Our annual Thredgold Halloween Bash proved to be, once again, a success. This year Shera hosted the party at her beautiful Mt. Green home. We had games, goodies, potato gun target practice and of course, strobe-lit dancing. Thank you Kelli for your amazing playlist (it pays to have a sister who's a dance major-awesome dance tunes!)
Looking at this picture below just warms my heart and reaffirms my strong opinion that I have an awesome family.
My mom and dad were "Team Thredgold." (very humorous because Shera's family always calls themselves "Team Whitmer.") Jeff was a pilot, Shera a flight attendant. Jack Batman, Kenny Captain America. Dax a skeleton, Ella a bride, Josh a boxer, Amelie and myself garden gnomes. Kelli was Jackie O, Kelli's friend Joe was the big bad wolf. Scotty Captain hook, Megs Peter Pan, Audrey tinkerbell and Topher the crocodile. And Cameron? What is he dressed as? He's dressed as a party pooper.
Here are some photos illustrating the good times:
Siblings!!! (minus 2, we missed you Lisa and Cam!)
Jackie O getting ready to fire the potato gun. Kelli was the closet to hit the scarecrow. She looks pretty intense, right?
Doughnut eating contest.
Eyeball relay (ping pong ball made to look like an eyeball, carry it with a spoon in your mouth. Good times)
Pin the nose on the pumpkin.
Dance Party!!
We also headed to Moab this month for some camping, hiking, and biking. It was a blast, and luckily there were no visits to the E.R. this time around.
I call this, "Moab at Sunset."
Early risers with the beautiful Moab ridge in the background.
Dax riding the motorcycle.
Some Happy Moab Faces!!!
Well, most were happy....
This is why we come to Moab. Just look at that!
Playing at the sand dunes on the way out of town:
Cam jumped too high so I hosed the shot....
Joshy, our little acrobat.
Joshua
Quote of the month: "I like Cheese." (he even carved the word cheese in his pumpkin. Not sure what it means......
Josh entered the reflections contest again. This year the theme was "Diversity Means." So he composed a piano piece that he titled, "Diversity Means Colors." He said he pictured colors moving everywhere. Once I find where I saved the recording, I'll post a link.
Josh dressed as a boxer this Halloween. I even sewed him a robe, without a pattern. It was truly a Halloween miracle that it turned out. Cam said he could be a boxer this year, and Merlin the next. (because he thought it looked like a wizard's cloak) Thanks for the support Cam. Next year you are sewing the costumes.
Tate, Maddy and Josh out for some trick or treating fun!
Carving his "cheese" pumpkin. I still don't get it.
School Parade
Daxton
Quote of the month: "Trick or Treat. Smell my butt."
Dax wanted to be a skeleton. So thanks to Walmart's black sweats, some white felt and glow in the dark puffer paint, he got a killer costume. My favorite Daxton moment was when he went in Shera's dark basement and danced all around. The glow in the dark paint did it's thing and it was quite humorous to watch the "dancing bones."
Dax is a boy now. No longer a "little" boy. Just a boy. He's tall, he's witty, and just this morning hollered at Josh, "Josh, you just kneed me in the balls and crushed my nuts." One word: BOY.
School parade. Partnered up with our 6th grade neighbor, Chase!
Glow stick hanging from the neck, bucket in hand, all ready to trick or treat
Ella
Quote of the month: I pick her up from preschool, she climbs in, buckles her seatbelt and says, "Mom. Fat people can eat a lot a lot a lot a lot a lot a lot of food. I learned that today." What are they teaching these kids?! Ha ha.
Ella was a blushing bride this Halloween, complete with veil and bouquet of flowers. She wanted her hair curled exactly how mine was when I got married. I was flattered.
Ella continues to draw and paint. Just yesterday she drew 10 pictures that she enclosed in envelopes for a 2 year old neighbor boy up the street. Her pictures make people happy, and I'm glad we have finally found some sweetness amongst that red-head hautiness. Maybe that's the direction I need to point her......paint away your frustrations, anger and attitude Ella! Paint them away!
Amelie
The baby and I went as garden gnomes. Stinkin' cute, right?! I mean seriously, look at that pose.
Amelie is getting big, literally and figuratively. She's growing up so fast that I think we need to change her nickname from baby to......well.......something else. Yesterday her nick name was "demon-child," but we best not make that one stick.
She is drinking from a cup, sitting at the counter on a bar stool, using silverware, and talking up a storm. It's exciting. I'll ask my kids in the morning, "Who wants some breakfast?" and Amelie shouts out along with the rest of the kiddos, "Me!"
Eating pumpkin pancakes
Carving her pumpkin
This is how she was watching tv the other day.
Cameron
He Opted not to dress up this year. Say it with me, "Party Pooper."
We had a great time in Moab. Cam was able to do a trail that is one for the record books. It was his first time riding "The Whole Enchilada." Apparently it was epic, one of the best trails of his lifetime. So that's exciting. Other than that, things are going well for Cam. Still traveling about one week a month to Montana. He enjoys the scenic drive. All 6 hours of it. Right Cam?
Cindy
I'm a garden gnome people. You know, gnomes you put in your garden? Not an elf, not a fairy, a gnome. Seriously, I thought my costume was ligit but some people had no clue....
I also had a great time in Moab and was able to ride "Rockin A" again with Shera and a good friend, Katie. It's a pretty tame trail, and I came to an awesome realization as I was riding it. "My boys could totally ride this with me next year!" Cam and I have talked for years about how great it's going to be when our kids can climb, ski, and bike with us. And next year it will happen on the bikes! So very, very exciting.
We are headed to Zions National Park for Thanksgiving this year with the Smith family. Should be a great time full of sunshine, laughs and grattitude. Red rock, here we come!
