How We Managed To Celebrate Halloween For An Entire Month And Live To Tell About It

I'm about as bah-humbug as you can get when it comes to Halloween.  But I have children and so we acknowledge the "holiday".  As soon as they are grown up and outta the house though, my Halloween observance will come to an abrupt end.  I'm totally gonna be like my old grumpy shirtless lawn mowing neighbor and be the only person on the street with all the lights in my house off.  And I will yell at any kids that dare ring my doorbell.

 So nowadays Halloween is celebrated for an entire month. 

 yay.

 Here is a look at our month of Halloween:

It started way back so far I can't even remember when this was.  My camera says this picture was taken on October 5th.  We went to the grocery store and they had all kinds of stuff going on, including Halloween crafts for the kids.  Aubrey and Addy made a mummy and a ghost.

Earlier in the month we had a Halloween carnival at the church.  

Addy decided (all on her own, mind you) that she wanted to go as a hobo.

 Aubrey went as a goth

With friends

Zac went as himself and Emily didn't go because she had a soccer game 

that night and Steve went with her to that.

The Saturday before Halloween we went to a car dealership for a trunk-n-treat.  The main reason we went is because at school Aubrey got a coloring contest page and the prize for winning the contest was an ipod.  Aubrey worked very very hard on her picture and we went to turn it in.  After we left there, I figured we were dressed up (for the second time that month and it still wasn't even Halloween) so we might as well make the most of it.  The shopping center by our house was having a big Halloween shpamoozle and we went there and the girls got this picture taken.  Then we went trick or treating to all the stores.  Because if we are gonna dress up before Halloween, we better be getting candy.

The Monday before Halloween for Family Home Evening, we carved pumpkins.

 Our finished products belonging to the following (left to right): Emily, Addy, Aubrey, Zac

  And Addy and I made doughnuts for the treat

The morning of Halloween Addy and I went to the school to see the Halloween parade.  

Then we helped with Aubrey's party in her class.

And at looooooooooooooooong last the looooooooooooooong anticipated night had arrived.  After several costume changes, tantrums and some incredible disrespect towards her mother- Emily decided to be a zombie baby.  She wore her footie pajamas (which are now footless pajamas) and after several more tantrums and disrespect I did her makeup which she hated but I think looks way zombie awesome.  (This look was brought to you by my many hours of the Walking Dead viewing.)

Addy was a witch and Aubrey was a spider princess.  Zac and Em ditched us and Steve was still working so these girls and I went to our annual neighborhood potluck dinner and then hit the streets.  Steve met up with us not long after that.

After trick or treating we took the girls to see my mom and Lauren.  Then we picked Em and Zac up.  At Zac's friends house we were able to witness this amazing masterpiece.  His friend's mom carved all these pumpkins (she said her boys and her husband carved a few but she did most of them) and she had just started it the morning before Halloween!  Now that is some dedication.  You can't see anything in this picture but I wanted you to see how many she carved.  I took a few close up pictures below.

Thor and his hammer

Her Hunger Games section

YAY!  Halloween had a successful end and now we can get on with the real holidays!  I have already started playing Christmas music.  Now to put the tree up!  Don't be a hater.  It is after all the most wonderful time of the year!