Halloween 2013

Growing up I never really got into the idea of Halloween.  First, is carving pumpkins really that fun?  They are gross and sticky and it is so hard to actually cut through the skin with any form of accuracy. Secondly,  I was always insecure and worried about what I would dress up as. The stress...it is just too much sometimes.  Then I got married and had grand ideas of couples costumes and fun traditions.  These plans were quickly thwarted by elk hunting season (the first 2 years of marriage) and football season (the last 2 years).  Now that we have a kid I have more determination to make it a fun holiday.  If nothing else it is a good excuse to make memories and traditions.  Brooke is still kind of young to understand what is going on but we has fun doing a few things this season.

The pumpkin patch:
We went to a local tree farm that puts on a pumpkin patch.  Brooke enjoyed walking around and seeing all the new things, including all the airplanes that kept flying over us.  She liked to pick at the pumpkins and avoid eye contact with the camera.  We took a hay ride and she loved leaning over the front edge to see where we were going.  We actually didn't buy any pumpkins to carve (see reason number 1 above) but maybe next year.

 Brooke did significantly better posing at the wooden cut out things (yes that is the technical term)

And while we are comparing years.  Lets just do a few side-by-sides for fun

 

 Lift with your knees, Brooke!

Let's be honest, her favorite part was just being able to run wild

That, and play time with dad

 Our only family shot, but mostly I just love Brooke's face.

 Enjoying the hay ride

The planes!

Trunk-or-treat:
The church trunk-or-treat provided an excuse to get Brooke dressed up and just the right amount of Halloween festivities considering her age.  In honor of Brett, who was off coaching, Brooke dressed up as a little football player.  Adorable, if I do say so myself. As per her usual self, Brooke loved that there were so many kids there.  We had a little dinner/mingle before the trick or treating began and she just ran circles around the gym.  She would walk up to every kid and examine their costume.  Brooke doesn't really understand personal space and insists on getting eye-to-eye with kids whenever possible.  Luckily most of them are good sports about it and she loses interest quick enough to avoid any issues.  Brooke and I were handing out candy when a lovely girl that is in my young women's class offered to take Brooke around trick-or-treating.  She had lots of fun and we even got a bit of candy out of the deal. I'd call it a success.

We've been practicing "touch down".  Unfortunately she got shy at the activity and didn't do it for anyone other than me.

 Trying to get a picture of this girl standing still is like... well... impossible.

 So I tried to get one in the car while strapped in. As you can see, she still wasn't still. Always moving this little girl of ours.  :)

Running around in the gym

 And tackling our friend Duke

Getting late and baby girl is sleepy

Post party pose with the goods

And a post game snack for this little champ.  Then it was off to bed. 

Halloween day:
The actual day of Halloween was mostly spent like any other Thursday.  We went to play group, did some visiting teaching (essentially play group number 2) and hung out around the house.  We did take a trip to get the mail and Brooke got multiple cards to open.  She LOVES getting mail that she can open.  Mostly she likes to rip the envelope and any paper she can get her hands on. She also loves looking at the pictures on the cards.  So it was the next best thing to actually going treat-or-treating. 

Grandma and Grandpa Clark sent this singing owl earlier in the month.  Brooke has loved playing with it.  She will get up and dance or hug the owl when it sings and then bring it to me so I can turn it on again.

The only way to get her to sit still for a picture is to give her a book. I was trying to get a picture of her outfit (shirt and sock, it also came with pants but we wore those earlier in the week to the pumpkin patch) that Great-Grandma Smith sent.

 Looking at the cards that came in the mail today.  Thanks great-grandmas!