Halloween

Halloween this year was lots of fun. Carson dressed up like Mike Wazowski from Monsters University and Brooklyn was Boo from Monsters Inc. They both looked adorable and thought it was so cool. We started off by going to daddy's work for the Trick-or-Treat walk through the day before Halloween. The kids get to walk through the entire Melaleuca Home Office and collect candy. Each department decorates and hands out candy as the kids walk through. It is a lot of fun and I think it is the kids' favorite part about Halloween. They get lots of candy, its warm and inside, and they get to visit Daddy's work.

The amount of candy they got from Melaleuca this year was ridiculous! Between the two of them we completely filled up our huge Halloween candy bowl. They got a total of 14 full-sized candy bars that weren't even in the bowl when I took the picture. I had to sneakily get rid of candy (including giving it away at the door) and saved a lot for gingerbread houses. 

The morning of Halloween we woke the kids up early and took them to breakfast at IHOP. They were giving away free jack-o-lantern pancakes for the kids and Jason had a free breakfast for his birthday that week. We took the kiddos in their jammies and they were so excited.

Later that morning I took the kids to I-Jump for their Halloween party. The kids got in at a discounted rate if they wore their costumes. We were the only ones there for a long time, so the kids had the whole place to themselves. They love I-Jump because they can run, jump, scream, yell, and throw balls at each other. I love it because they get out all of their energy and normally crash for a few hours later that day.

That night we went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. We would drive the van, get out and go to a few doors, and then drive the van a little more. It was FREEZING cold that night so we didn't stay out very long. Carson's friend, Maddie, came with us and they had lots of fun yelling, "Trick-or-Treat!" when people opened the door.

The older my kids get the more fun the holidays get too. Halloween was no exception this year. We all had a blast!

Carving Pumpkins

For FHE the week of Halloween I decided to carve pumpkins with the kids. Jason was at class so we did it by ourselves. I let the kids pull all of the seeds out of the pumpkin and they thought it was pretty funny. Brooklyn was pretty fascinated by the whole process and Carson kept wanting to cut the pumpkin himself. By the time we got one carved I decided that one was enough! We turned off the lights and lit the candle and it was fun to see their reaction. We set it on our porch and Carson made sure we lit it every night that week. It was really a lot of fun to do with the kids. I think it will get more and more fun as the years go on.

Straw Maze

The Saturday before Halloween we decided to take the kids to the straw maze that Will works at. We drove up to Archer and I was amazed at the size of the maze. It was huge!! I tried to take a few pictures to show the size of the thing, but I still don't think they do it justice. It took us over an hour to get through the maze, and that was with Will helping to guide Carson (who was our leader) through. I can't image going through it without a guide, let alone at night when it is haunted! No thank you!

We let Carson lead the way and he thought it was cool to be in charge. He actually did a really good job! Brooklyn had fun walking around in her squeaky shoes following her big brother. I love that she looks up to him so much and always wants to do what he is doing.

We really had a great time going through the maze and will probably try and do it every year. The kids wore their minion hats because it was pretty chilly that day and they looked adorable in them. It was also fun for them to hang out with their daddy because he has been so busy with work and school.

After we were done at the maze we went to Big Judd's to eat. They have HUGE 1 pound hamburgers. Jason and I split one and we could only finish about half of it. While we were at dinner, Brooklyn and Carson filled up on soda, which is a very special treat for them. They thought it was pretty amazing. :)

Boo at the Zoo

Last year we went to "Boo at the Zoo" and loved it, so we decided to go again this year. Jason was in class every night of the week, so we really wanted to go at a time when he could go. On Monday night he had a break between classes and that was the only time we would have enough time to go together. The week before Halloween we had BEAUTIFUL weather - the week of Halloween was awful. The Monday night we were going to "Boo at the Zoo" was rainy and cold. We decided to brave it anyways since the next few nights were supposed to be just as bad and Jason wouldn't be able to go.

We bundled everyone up, grabbed some umbrellas, and went for it. Carly came with us and it was a huge help. We had someone else to help keep the kiddos dry and warm. Brooklyn stayed wrapped up in her stroller, covered in blankets and seemed quite cozy. Carson trudged along in the rain and had a blast, despite the cold. He loved all of the lights and especially loved the Giraffe that followed us around. After "Boo at the Zoo" he started putting his slippers on his hands and pretending to be the giraffe at home.

We had lots of fun, but by the time we were done we were all freezing. We came home and I put the kids in a nice warm bath and we all had a cup of hot chocolate. "Boo at the Zoo" is going to be a tradition we continue as long as we live in Idaho Falls.