Halloween Pary

I love Halloween! It is my favorite time of the year, I think. Christmas is good and all, but it's so cold. Halloween always surpises you. One year it's raining the next it's 80 degrees! And the colors are just geourgous! Plus, I look good in browns, oranges and reds:) I've been doing this ever since I got this Parents magazine that had such fun ideas in it that I wanted to share the fun with my friends. I think that was about 4 years ago? I can't remember. But we've always decorated pumpkins. The other activities have changed and the people change, but it's all good. So this year I invited 30 families. About 5 or 6 showed up. The regulars are the Murray's and the Wests. My in-laws make a sort of apperance. Normally sneaking off to take naps. The Neilson kids stayed the whole time! They were beat by the end. So our activities were: Decorating Pumpkins, Costume Contest (I tried to have an award for everyone, but there were more kids there than I expected), Pumpkin Bocci (roll tiny pupkins to get them as close to the big pumpkin as possible. The kids loved this, they played three times all together, and of course wanted to take the pumkins home with them.) and last of all the pinata! Everyone was asked to bring their Favorite Fall Finger Food to share with everyone. Jean and Lyle's Beef sticks with Peanut sauce was the best by far! They didn't even have leftovers! Pirate's Booty was a favorite of the little people. It was said that Vanessa ate her body weight in Pirate's Booty. Poor girl. I think I ignored her this year. I mean, I ignore my kids during parties, but their normally fine. Daddy's there to take care of them. But this year daddy had just gotten of work and couldn't function properly. I found him sprawled on the couch at one point. Oh well. Next year we'll pick a different day and time. At least this year San Rafael Stake didn't have Stake Conference. That's been hard on families in the past. Their men have to leave, or not even come with them. Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy the pics!