Halloween Party

The annual Halloween party was as fun and picturesque as ever.  The Fitzgeralds were in charge of the costume awards, and did a stellar job.  Thank you!  I would never be able to pull that off, and you guys always nail it!

The Ramsdell kids, - Ellen, + Genevieve.  Jen and Ellen were in charge of handing out candy at "The Witch's House," aka Coco's, while Coco and Bill are in Europe.  Thanks, Ramsdells!

Ruby commented, "I feel sorry for all the Type-A personalities that come to this party.  They're all like, 'Where do we go first?  What should we do?  How should we do it, when?'"  The reality is, there is no structure.  You can wander into the field and look for the candy I throw out there in handfuls every 10 minutes.  You'll get burrs in your costume, probably.  You have to find your way to the witch's house and ghost gully, and around the block, trick-or-treating at neighbors' houses.  You'll get hit in the face with candy.  Sorry.  Adults are sometimes worried about all of this, but the kids never are.  They don't mind not having a plan, and it's really the only way I can do this party.  I love it, but I don't have it in me to put on an impressive extravaganza.  Basically, just come over and visit, and get candy.

A mom was worried that some of the kids were getting all the candy in the field, and told them to wait, that it wasn't time yet.  I guess I could have a set time to go out there, but...

Becca and babes

Annie

A bunch a Dopps!  Love them!

Sarah and Michelle, my lifers.

Collin.  Ha ha!

Waiting to be pelted with candy

Sarah and her friend and former mission companion, Kate Holbrook.  Kate came with the Whites.  I love seeing all these great friends and having time to visit.

Josh made the funnest spooky trail through the woods from Coco and Bill's to his house last year, and brought it back this year better than ever.  Tizzy got a massive bunch of burrs in her hair, but Scott was able to get them out the next day, when I had given up.

This mud monster is more cute than scary, though.  Tee hee

Post-party trick-or-treating.  These two dads wouldn't dream of missing going house to house with their kids, but Josh kept everyone abreast of the score of the Utah game in between doors.  We like to have all our kids with us on Halloween.  We always go to the same houses, with Josh and Emily.  Araceli tricked us into letting her only go with us for a brief time and then watch a movie at our house with a friend.  Scott wasn't happy about that one.  Then Freestone saw a couple of friends ride by on their bikes and got sad and went home.  He felt like it wasn't as fun as last year when he and Araceli went out for Round 2 of trick-or-treating with the Scheullers.  So Scott went home and, instead of watching the end of the Utah game, took Freestone all over creation until late into the night.  They got a huge amount of candy.  It was a total Dad Victory moment.  Scott will pretty much do anything for his kids, and he always knows exactly what to do.  Freestone came in all fired up and happy.

Golda came home in time for the party,  so we had all 7 kids there!  This is going to become a rare sight.  Golda puts in her mission papers in 114 days.

Cute lil girls

Neighbor Beth Vellinga and Emily

Getting ready for church the next day.