Halloween

My friend hosted a fun Halloween party for our friends, but costumes were required. I didn't know what we should dress up as. John isn't really into the whole costume thing at all. But since he had recently informed me that he was going to be growing a beard (and wouldn't be shaving it until my birthday three months later!) I thought of the perfect costume to incorporate his scruffiness. We went as hillbillies! John's blacked out teeth were definitely my favorite!

Our other friends were dressed up as nerds,

the Pacman game,

a bowler and catwoman,

gangsters,

and Facebook and a blind referee. (I'm not quite sure why I didn't get a picture of that couple!) I have to say I really am so grateful to have made so many good friends in this area! We've lived here for three years now, the longest we've lived anywhere since being married, and have made a lot of really great friends. And speaking of great friends, I have to insert this picture of some of my girlfriends. We try to have a girls night every month and it is so much fun to have such great people to hang out with. Can I say that enough!? sheesh!!

Okay, so back to Halloween.

When I was a kid, my mom always made our Halloween costumes and I just loved it! I've kind of had it in the back of my head as something I'd like to do with my kids too... however. There was just one teensy weensy problem. I had NO idea how to use a sewing machine. It's been something I've wanted to learn for a while. I even bought one of my own off craigslist a couple years ago. So this October I suddenly was determined to learn how to use my sewing machine and sew Joseph's costume. He loves the show Ni Hao Kai Lan, so I thought it would be pretty easy to find a monkey pattern that I could make into Hoho from the show.

So that was my project for the month, and it was not only really enjoyable to learn a new skill, but I was also really pleased with how my final costume turned out! But I guess his costume was a little confusing to some because they aren't well versed in Ni Hao Kai Lan and seeing a WHITE monkey. Someone asked if he was a cow, a dog, and my favorite, a teletubby! I replied with some indignation, "He's a monkey!"

I made some peanut butter rice krispie treats (for the first time in our marriage of 7 years!)

before we took the kids out trick or treating. There was one house on the street we went to that had enclosed it's porch with streamers and had a stuffed person sitting by the door holding the bowl of candy. A strobe light was going on the porch and it made for a very eerie feeling. When I saw that house I thought there was no way Joseph would go near it! So when we came close to it, I asked in jest if he wanted to go in there, and to my shock, he said YES!! So we carefully went up together and he got his own candy out of the bowl and we rushed out. He said it was scary, but had a big grin on his face. It really surprised us that he did it, and he even wanted to do it again! It was an enjoyable night. I'm just glad Joseph actually decided to wear his costume! And he still, every now and then, talks about how much fun he had dressing up and going trick or treating.