Grinning Ghosts Come Out to Socialize

Our family loves Halloween, costumes are picked out months in advance (Matt has planned his next two years worth of costumes) and Christian has even started planning some new yard decorations for next year. We love the fall weather and the traditions that come with the holiday..both old and new. 

This year we started our Halloween kick off with a new tradition- Boo Lights! 

We have gone to Zoo Lights at Christmas time for several years now so this was a fun change to do something to celebrate Halloween with our family and several thousand of our closest friends. We even lucked out and had a very pleasant night weather wise.

One of our favorite traditions is the Bradley Family Scary food party. It is fun to get together in costumes and enjoy Blood Soup, Witches Fingers, and several other spooky food.

The next week we went to the Bellamy Family Scary food party. This time we dined on monster loaf and mummy dogs. 

The best activity of the month (at least in the kids' opinion) is our neighborhood Trunk or Treat. This year they added a chili cook off to the party! The kids loved going to all the cars, some of them even got visited three times! 

We added a pumpkin patch into the traditions this year. The kids had fun catapulting apples and picking out the best pumpkins they could find.

On Halloween I we went to two Halloween Parades, I was just grateful they were at two different times!  James was a sneaky ninja and sneaked right past me. 

We saved our pumpkin carving for Halloween afternoon, not sure we are going to do that again it was a crazy. 

Then it was off for a fun night of Trick or Treating! 

So that was our Halloween, oh and if you are in need of any chocolate please let us know, we have an abundance. 

September fun

September is always a busy month in the Bradley household as we adjust back to the school schedule and piano lessons, and kung fu lessons. We also get out a bit more with the cooler temperatures, though there were a few weeks this month that I was pretty sure it was still summer time. We've spent Saturdays working in the garden and enjoying its produce while also prepping it for the winter. Here are a few snapshots of what we did this last month: 

Family Reunion

We attended a Bellamy family reunion. The kids had a lot of fun
climbing trees with their cousins, I actually had to call Laine on the phone
to find where they had gotten too. 

Greek Festival

After a two year absence we went to the Greek Festival with Grammy and Poppa
we enjoyed fabulous food and fun dancing.  The kids really enjoyed touring the church that their
great-great grandfather attended too!

State Fair

Our three middle kids participated in the Tractor Pull at the fair this year.
They each did very well with Matt pulling 50 lbs, Eve 175 lbs, and James 200 lbs.
James actually pulled more than everyone participating, I guess all that kung fu training is
working. 

I love the butter statue, each year it is the highlight
of my fair visit. This year there was a pokemon theme. 

I think the kids liked the fair rides the best, that our the delicious
fair food. 

Zoo Visit

The kids had a random day off in September, it was a bit cold
and rainy, so we did what anyone would do and
headed to the zoo. It was quiet and the kids enjoyed
having the animals to themselves.

The great Rhino picture, every time. James even stops and
poses for this picture. 

Abby decided to make friends with the
otter statue. 

She also got a ride on a carousel for the
first time

Dance Class

Christian went along with my crazy plan to take
a dance class. We go to a ballroom class every Thursday
with some friends, one of them snapped
this picture of us. It is a fun date night and great exercise! 

Fall Fun

I wanted to compose an ode to fall for this blog but then I remembered that I have a very strong dislike for any poetry not written by  Robert Frost so that was out. But I love fall, there are so many things to love about it- the colors (even if they only last like a day here in Utah), football, the weather, and the cooking- I love the cooking. I bake up a storm during the fall I love working with apples, pumpkin, butternut squashes, carrots. There is just something about fall which makes me happy. Maybe it is warm socks and sweaters, I really don't know. 

We also seem to be a bit more active in the fall, that could have something to do with the cooler temperatures, or the fact that we are back in the routine of school and I find it easier to do organize activities. 

So this fall we've had a bit of fun. We took a "hike" around Silver Lake, this "hike" was stroller and Matt friendly so that helped. Even with those things going for it Matt still was whiny by the end...that may have something to do with the fact we didn't feed him before we went, parenting fail. 

Look mom is making us take pictures again. Pretend like you are having fun. 

I'm pretty sure Abby was angry at me because of the sun in her eyes

Dad decided to play a rousing game of tag- It was fun. 

During the school's fall break we took a trip to the Leonardo. I had never been there before and was super impressed. The kids had so much fun with their hands on exhibits. However we ended up leaving when I had two out of the five kids in tears. Abby, because she was hungry and tired and Matt because I wouldn't let him buy anything from the gift shop. 

Eve showed off her piano talents! 

Matt reminded me why we will never have drums in our home, but hey he had  a ton of fun while he was doing it. 

James loved the animation stuff they had going on. 

On the second day of fall break we went up to the zoo with Grammy. It seemed like everyone else had the same idea as the parking lot was packed, the zoo seemed less crowded though...not sure how that works.  Christian insisted after the Leonardo fiasco that Abby stay at home with him and take a nap so I just had the older four- it made it so much easier.

My  kids love this picture. They just climb on and pose and expect a picture to be taken. One day I am going to assemble all of the pictures on this rhino- I think I could create a photo book of just those.  

Matt wanted a picture with his otter friend

Matt really, really liked my Diet Coke. he asked to have a picture with it. 

First time we ever had to wait in line for the carousel. Did I mention the zoo was crowded? 

Selfies with Grammy or what happens when Mom leaves her phone with them. 

So that has been our fall so far- so many activities and super baking.  There is even so much more fun around the corner!! Oh fall, thou almost persuadest me to write you poetry...almost.

Happy Halloween

I debated all month how to do this post. Should I post about each Halloween activity individually or should I wait and just have a picture heavy post at the end of the month. I decided to go with the picture heavy post and that may have been the right decision, who knows. 

So we kicked off the Halloween season with a party at Grandma's. We loved her Halloween party and were so happy she was home this year to throw it, we have missed it the last two years while she was in Germany.  The kids were excited to put on their costumes a few weeks early. The girls even treated us to an epic battle of ninja verse pirate. Still not sure what girl won. 

All year long I look for fun Halloween food to do. This year we went easier than we have in past years. We did a carrot pumpkin patch....oh and I realized I need at least one Halloween serving tray.

And Frankenstein pudding cups. The first time we did these we did vanilla pudding dyed green. The second time we did pistachio. Anyway it was fun and Eve loved decorating the cups.

Grandma lead the Halloween parade around the house. And the kids seemed to thing it was fabulous.

The second party was at Grammy's. It was a bit smaller but still lots of fun. Matty loved the mummy hotdogs and loved the attention he got from his older cousins.  Oh and the big bag of M&Ms he got sure didn't hurt.

The week of Halloween was a busy one. We did our pumpkin carving. Christian and Matty decided to draw their pumpkins this year and Matty was content to carry it around forever. Just a moment here to talk about my awesome husband. When the boys decided that they were going to be minions this year he decided to be Gru. The man shaved his head for this, talk about committed to making his kids' halloween fabulous. I am so happy that I married him and so grateful for what a wonderful father he is.

Laine is really into moustaches this year, so of course her pumpkin had to have one.

James' needed to be as toothless as he is.

And Eve's was beautifully designed, also with a moustache.

Finally it was time for the neighborhood party. It was at this party that Christian made his first appearance as Gru complete with minions and freeze ray.

The kids loved the neighborhood party. It had a delicious chili bar, a parade, a spook alley, and a trunk or treat. I gave out more candy at the trunk or treat then I did on Halloween.  The kids loved going around to the cars and getting candy, then they even donated some of it to Primary Children's.

Finally we made it to the big day. matty had been preparing for this day all month. Everything was spooky with ghosts or witches.  He also watched every Disney Halloween special possible and made many references of going to treak or treat mountain.

We went to the kid's Halloween parade, where you go and sit for an hour to watch twenty minutes of a parade, reminds me a bit like Disneyland. Matty spent the time playing.

He really did love Halloween and it was fun to watch him. He wore the witch hat quite a bit so he could be spooky.

After school we went trick or treating to all of the grandparents. The kids loved it and I think the grandparents loved it too.

Finally it was time for the big night. After a dinner of eyeball hamburgers we put on the costumes one last time and got ready for trick or treating. Laine was determined to spend the whole night trick or treating, "for the good of the family" she claimed. She may have a point since we have a community treat basket where all the kids candy goes. 

So we had Laine, the super ninja.

James, the head minion. 

Matty, the cute little minion.

And Eve, the swashbuckling pirate. 

All accompanied by Daddy Gru. 

They were off on an adventure while mom stayed home to hand out candy to the few trick or treaters we got. 

So from our little spooks to your Happy Halloween.