We started our annual Halloween parties in 2018, after we moved into our new home. Aug was less than three months old, and Aut was three and a half. Back then, we talked about making it an annual event and once the kids were in school, inviting their friends and families. We weren't sure if we would keep it up, but I'm proud to say that we haven't missed a year, not even during covid, when we still had a great turn-out.
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| First Annual, 2018 |
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| Seventh Annual, 2024 |
This year, we had about 200 people - our highest number to date. As with any event, it's not just a day of that the kids enjoy, but the anticipation of it all. We picked our theme last year: ZOMBIES. Our amazing prop guy, Jeff with Party Perfections, set up this super spooky zombie maze in the driveway and part of the garage. We even had a fog machine. Kids had fun going through it again and again. The zombie actors were to ask kids what scare level they wanted: a 1, 2, or 3 and then announce it to the other zombies so that it could be tailored to be tame or terrifying.
We did not have a costume contest, but if we had, the award would have gone to my friend Christian's hubby, who remained in character all night. I was having a conversation with him about their recent trip to Romania when he launched in, about how he could not stand Governor New-Scum. It took me a second to remember that he was still in character.
There were so many amazing costumes! I love that people went all out. I tried to stay in our foyer, greet people upon arrival, and take photos of them when I could. Instead of a 360-degree video booth or a photo booth, we had a sketch artist. They were great, but I want to go back to having a photo booth of some sort next year. And a mechanical bull! I'm not sure how I'll fit that into our theme, but it's going to happen!
Although the cost of this party was the price of a small vacation, it was well worth it. This is how I view it: When we go on vacation together as a family, we build new memories together as we share new experiences. The same is true for our parties, except that it is not just the four of us but our friend/community/school group as well. People who will be in our lives and the lives of our children for years to come.
At the end of the night, a few friends stayed later, talking by the fire for hours, long afte the kids went swimming.
Exciting news - I finally completed all of my doctorate coursework this month and entered the dissertation phase of my program - woohoo!
This month, it was a decade since Mom died. A whole decade which is so hard to believe. How different all of our lives would be with her here.
Aug had his first official Jog-a-thon, and Aut had her 4th! They each raised $200 to support the school, thanks to Grandma and Andrea and, of course, yours truly. I took some time from work and volunteered to mist the runners as they did their laps.Honey Boo Boo continues to delight and amaze us with her boundless positivity. She is always happy, and her tail is always wagging. She loves everything in life, but especially trying to sneak cat food, jumping up on the couch and bed as if she were still a small puppy, face licks, and running off-leash on the trails behind our home.
This month, we finally checked out the Goathill Junction Train Station which offers free train rides a few weekends a month. This was something I've wanted to do for years, and I was worried the kids would be a tad bit too old. But they weren't at all! We all had a blast, and got slurpees afterward.
We attended the Friend's Church carnival, checked out the spooky houses in old-town orange, and on Halloween, I dressed up at work (group theme - 1960s) wearing my mother-in-law's dress, hand-sewn by her sister Mary. I love, love, love this time of year, especially the anticipation of Thanksgiving and Christmas when our hearts feel warmer and fuller than they do at any other time of the year.
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