Happy Halloween

We love Halloween!  Mostly because we get to dress up!

We always have so many things to do around this time of year, and trick-or-treating is always one of them!  The Rivers Edge Ward has an annual Trunk or Treat in Bernalillo, NM.  We never miss it!  :)

Here's how we dressed up...

Carter ~ P.E. Teacher

 Mason ~ Buzz Lightyear...to the Rescue!

Josie ~ Snow White

 Chloe ~ Sleeping Beauty

Our dear friend Amanda Clyde.

Matt & I were Fish Heads.  Really creative this year.

This is Danny Ivey.  She is wearing my pioneer outfit

from the Trek this year.

Did I mention that we LOVE dressing up for Halloween.  The kids usually dress up several times for The Landon's Party (our good friends) and the Trunk or Treat.  There is usually a Chili Cook-Off as well and Matt likes to make super hot Chili.  He has won a few prizes over the years.  One year in Arizona,  he made a guy's nose bleed because it was so hot.  Lots of fun!  Can't wait until next year!

1st Official Snow Fall This Winter

Our first snow of the winter has officially arrived! We weren't expecting it much, but it really happened. It snowed for a while and then got really thick and started sticking to the ground. It was beautiful! The kids were out of school early, so we got to all watch it from the windows as it came down. The kids were so excited! It seems to be a little early since we haven't even reached Halloween yet, but we love the way this winter season helps life to slow down a little. Grateful for the beauty of the seasons!

Oh, I forgot to mention, that shortly after the snow had fallen, the sun came out and it all melted away! Such is life in New Mexico!

Landon's Halloween Party

We got invited to some friend's Halloween Party. Their two oldest kids Tyler and Kaitlyn go to school with Carter and Chloe. They are a really fun family and they know how to put on a great party! We all dressed up (Matt and I were the only adults dressed up...again!) and had fun getting our costumes on.

With a little persuasion, Carter was a "Mad Scientist." He didn't want messy hair, but I think it makes the whole costume! He finally agreed that "it looked cool!" Our very own "Buzz Lightyear!"
"Beautiful Belle!"

...and sweet "Snow White!"

Here is Carter and Tyler (Harry Potter).

And the delicious little treats. Pizza mummies.

Cheese Ball Pumpkins.

Peanut Butter Eyeballs...Delicious!

And a bunch of the kids at the party.

And another bunch!

We are blessed to have great friends. One of these years, we are going to have a big party!

Chocolate Mud Eggs

This afternoon, I looked out in the yard to see what the kids were up to. Yes, they can get into trouble in the dirt yard! I saw something that took me back a couple decades and brought a smile to my face. Mud pies! Although they looked much nicer, so we decided to call them chocolate mud eggs, because they actually looked edible! :) Way to go Chloe and Mason! Chloe really took some time to line them all up so pretty-like!
And, yes, Mason did attempt to taste one...anyone suprised???

Wagner's Pumpkin Patch

All the Kindergarten classes went on a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch. Parents and siblings were invited, for a small fee of course. :) Mason, Josie and I all got to go accompany Chloe. We had lots of cold...and fun too! Following are lots of pictures...

Josie all bundled up to keep those teeny-weeny fingers warm. Mason started off the morning in the corn box with the tractor.
I believe he might be looking around for a place to disappear to...and scare his mother to death!

Here we are in the middle of the corn maze...with a map, a stroller and not a whole lot of common sense...but we made it out!

We also had some really great ladies helping us.

Once through the corn maze, we found the pumpkin patch where we got to pick out some pumpkins. Here is Chloe's...they said not to pick anything you can't carry...boy is she strong!

Mason admiring one about his strength.

Yep, it's a strain...but a doer!

Josie got one chosen for her since she was asleep and since she has help carrying it.

Exhausted after all that picking work!

Josie is pretty proud of her pick and doesn't let anyone too close!

Comparing details...

While we waited in line for the hayride, the kids practiced their jumping skills.

Who knew, ditches could be such a great form of exercise!

Ready...set...

GO!!!

Mason watches as the hay trailer drives past.

Chloe and Mason keeping each other safe.

Josie sitting on Chloe's lap for part of the hayride.

This time of year, I love to see the corn fields. It reminds me of my dad and how he sold corn seed to farmers. He loved to watch the corn grow and see how high the stalks would get. I love this fall season and I love this picture.

I think of the Law of the Harvest and how we reap what we sow.

This is a sweet picture of Mason enjoying the hayride. He looks so content.

These corn stalks seem to be reaching and touching the sky.

There was also a very small petting zoo. These little mini-horses were so cute!

Now we walk back to get an apple from the apple orchard and stay away from the bees! I love this picture because Mason was so happy to go on a field trip with Chloe. She was also thrilled to have us come and join her! They are great friends!

I love to see the Sandia Mountains in this picture with the fall leaves turning. It is beautiful!

Here is Josie getting ready to enjoy her apple. She LOVES apples!

After the Pumpkin Patch, we went to a nearby park and had a picnic lunch. Mason and Josie had so much fun playing with all the big kids.

Josie would go and play and then come back to me. She kept doing this every couple minutes. She didn't want me to get lost.

Mason kept having me put him up on this bar and then he would drop about 3 feet.

Such high-adventure!

Here is Josie going down the slide. Wheeeee!

What a fun day! It rained a couple days prior to the field trip, so the ground was quite sticky, like clay, because it was still a little wet. Our stroller had mud caked on the wheels. It was fun to spend a day with Chloe and her Kindergarten class! Thanks Chloe for a great day!