Halloween Chili Dinner and Bonfire

I think this was our 2nd annual Halloween Chili dinner and Bonfire. The weather was much better this year--a perfect Halloween! We set up on the Lilly's driveway while the kids went trick-or-treating, and by the time they got back it was dark, and the bonfire was roaring.

Ava, as Little Bo-Peep

Let's get organized. Let's see, we've got Brady, the fireman (Sam's costume from last year, Noah's from the year before! We're a very green cul-de-sac:), Sam, Buzz "Year," Jack as Jengo Fett, Katherine as Rapunzel, Noah as Buzz Lightyear, and Ava as Bo-Peep.

Joining the party is Austin, the firedog

And, here's Tristan, the firefighter (Jack's costume last year)

On Neighbor, Beth's porch

Trick-or-treating in the 'hood!

We may have overwhelmed a few homeowners with our rush to get goodies:)

Let's keep going, Dad! They're giving me free candy!

Hi, Dad!

Rapunzel, your hair is gorgeous!

Woody and Jessie (AKA Shannon & Ashley)

This loot is getting heavy!

Down from the sugar high...

Rick has borrowed Katherine's hair:)

What a handsome firefighter!

Stacy warms up by the fire

There's my manly man!

Eric, you are one tall dude!

Pumpkin Carving Party 2010

Now, that's some pizza!

Yum! Pizza, green beans, and fruit

Owen gets in on the action!

The Lilly family hard at work

Ewww! pumpkin guts!

Stacy and Katherine hard at work

How did I get roped into this?

Rick shows the kids how he lit The Cat in the Hat pumpkin

We did it!

Where: Our Garage

When: Halloween Weekend

Who: The cul-de-sac kids & families

What: Pizza and pumpkins!

Ava with her Ariel pumpkin

Katherine with her Ariel pumpkin

Shannon & Noah with Yoda

I made a cool Star Wars carving!

Nicely displayed on the front porch

Aw Shucks! Pumpkin Farm

Checking out the pond

Resting after a hike through the woods. He and Katherine found over 10 birdhouses on the trail. At the end, we were told there are 17 of them.

Katherine, Sam, Brady, and Jack. Our annual trip to a pumpkin patch with the Heintschels was as fun as ever. This was the first year we tried this farm; there was so much to do; it was definitely worth the drive.

My only beef with this "pumpkin" farm--these were the only pumpkins, and half were rotten! The kids would pick them up by thier stems, and the gourds would fall straight to the ground. The kids thought it was funny.

Sharing some love in the corn maze

"It's this way out, Daddy!"

"No, I think we go this way."

Sunset hayride

A rare picture of Jack and me

Jack and Katherine "milk" the cow--this one won't kick:)

Brave boy!

Two cute kids:)

This thing got a Hemi?

In the old railcar, checking out the old luggage

You know it's a good slide when you get a potato sack to ride on!

Couldn't stay awake for a fast-food dinner on the car ride home!

Big Bike Rider

Sam has really taken to his bike lately, and he's gotten quite good at it! He and Ava ride around in circles almost every afternoon. They especially like "rear-ending" each other; it cracks them both up. I have a video, but Blogspot and I are warring over videos lately--arghh!

Laundry Treasure

(From clockwise--9 o'clock: an acorn, plastic gold dubloons, a Claritin-D, a tire from a Hotwheels car, a quarter, and a candy wrapper (not pictured: a receipt from Chik-Fil-a))

After opening the dryer door and discovering that an entire load of our laundry had gone through with 3 crayons (thank you, Jason's Deli), I am now more diligent about checking little pockets. Not that I don't like sherbert-colored clothing--it really brightens up the white lining of my running shorts--but I prefer our clothes to be the same color when they exit as they were when they entered the laundry. So, I thought I'd share what I found on laundry day (with my new pocket-picking diligence).

The Whole Gang

Jack lined up the Toy Story gang and put their corresponding stickers on them. Notice Lotso Bear is blue, as is Bullseye--what can I say? The kid works with what he has.

Congrats, Bryan & Abby!

Mr. & Mrs. Bryan Chapman

Well, our eternal-bachelor friend finally got married to a great girl. We are excited for them and all that their future holds, and we're really thankful that their wedding gave us a chance to get away without the kids! Rick and I enjoyed three leisurely brunches (count them--three!), my favorite meal of the day. We also loved seeing all of our college friends; it takes a wedding to get all of us together now that we're spread across the South, the Southeast and the Midwest. God bless you, Bryan & Abby!