Halloween

Halloween is such a month-long holiday now.  Kids sure make it fun!  Lincoln has taken a real fascination in Harry Potter, even though he hasn't read the books and I think he made a pretty good one.  Nyle is just cute in whatever costume and Ned had fun being a fireman, until one of the clasps to close his jacket broke and he was done with that costume.  By Halloween itself, he had decided to wear Lincoln's costume from last year (Black Widow).  This picture was taken just before going to our ward's trunk-or-treat.  Gwen just wanted to be some sort of princess.  Her first pick was Ariel, but when I went to the thrift store to find costumes, Cinderella was the costume in the best shape so that's what she got.  She was happy as long as she could be pretty. 

We went up to Pine Valley for Halloween weekend this year and made candy to pass out, instead of store-bought. I made gumdrops-blueberry, lemon, orange, and cinnamon, and orangsicle fudge.   

The kids had a blast playing in the leaves the first day up in Pine Valley.  It's something we never get to do at home. 

On the second day at Pine Valley, it rained pretty much the whole day.  Lincoln was sick with a stomach bug for the first half of the day and since it was so drizzly, the kids stayed on the porch and carved pumpkins for the most part.  At one point I had to get out of the cabin so I took Nyle for a walk in the rain. 

 That night the kids dressed up in their costumes, listened to Halloween stories, trick-or-treated to the different rooms in the cabin, then watched Disney's Watcher in the Woods. 

Lincoln

My dad getting ready to launch a snowball at someone

Ned

The final day up in Pine Valley it snowed!  I was so excited when I woke up that I could hardly wait to wake my own children to see it.  It was the first time they would see and remember snow!  We didn't have the right gear to stay out in it too long, but that didn't stop us from enjoying it.  The kids would go out and play in the snow, then come warm their hands by the wood-burning stove, then go back out.  It was a Sunday so we went to church.  We sat near a window and were able to watch the snow drift down all through Sacrament meeting.  It was such a great weekend, where we enjoyed sunshine, rain and snow!