halloween and our last ohio trick or treat

Ohio must have known it was our last trick or treat because the weather tonight was AMAZING.

I swear I have only known rain around here on October 31st...

 I rarely buy matching shirts but you better believe when I do WE GET PICTURES OF THEM OR ELSE.

 Good work, dolls. No bribing required (unless you count "look at me if you want to get candy tonight!")

 My parents came over and helped walk the kids around the block.

 I was hoping to get to pass out candy but Drew got the honor of doing it most of the night

 This lasted all of 10 minutes. But it was really nice. Kevs stuck around for the first time in his NINE halloweens and didn't completely freak out like he usually does. The kids thought he was awesome, which he is! Especially at halloween, I mean who doesn't love a black cat?

 For only making it to a fraction of our neighborhood, they made off like bandits with the candy!!

 So being the good mom I am (and knowing who would be eating all said candy at night after the kids are in bed...this girl!!!), I offered to buy my kids candy, allowing them to keep a small bag of candy and giving $10 to little d and $1 in quarters and 10 pennies. Call me what you want, I want my waistline back!! Not to mention each kid easily ate more candy tonight than they have all year!

 showing of their $$$$....... and the ridiculous amount of candy they bagged. We had a good time getting it and hanging out with my parents and meeting the neighbors but yeesh I cannot wait to donate it tomorrow. SO. Much. Candy.

halloween since 2010 (through 2016)

Happy Halloween!! I was taking a trip down memory lane earlier this month....

Halloweens have been so different every year for us. Little d's first halloween Drew was working at BYU out in Utah so I took my "boys" to the Petsmart trick or treating which was a blast. 

Calvin and Hobbes!

 2011 we had moved into my Parent's house in Ohio and did the Calvin and Hobbes thing again because...it was easy! And it still turned out super cute! Drew was not able to join us for Trick or Treating (he was interviewing with DS in Cali!) when little d was a giraffe (borrowed costume) but he did make it for the ward trunk or treat!

 2012 we actually spent halloween at my parent's house (even though we lived in Massachusetts) because we were visiting, I think to get in a visit that wasn't Christmas since I was pregnant with little a. I helped make this crazy halloween feast all day, then Drew and I got Taco Bell (world series tacos) and I got so violently sick I couldn't eat anything the rest of the day (including that amazing feast!!) Little d had picked out the Captain America Costume with my mom and I had ZERO knowledge of Superhero Universes so I went with supermom and dad!

 still one of my favorite pics of the two of them!

 2013 we were STILL rocking the superhero bit, this time he was Green Lantern (something about how much he loved wearing a green ring!) And sis was Wonder woman, both DIY from me!

 2014 I was 4 months pregnant with the twins so I went ahead and did the olaf (also a DIY) to Little a's Elsa (again, the kids went and picked costumes with my mom!) She refused the wig but she was so stinking cute it didn't matter!

 And little d was a ninja turtle, Drew wore his Cowboy stuff from a work retreat earlier that year. So much for matching...

 Which we totally made up for in 2015! Woody and Buzz outfits (that actually barely fit them at 6 months and they were 18-24 month outfits!)

 Loooong but so so skinny, those outfits are.

 And I got my matching wish... except for little a who was supposed to be a ninja turtle (drew would have been splinter or casey jones) and went for Sophia instead. A little princess in a house full of boys. (I was April O'Neil)

 Then came 2016... this year the boys were Cap and Iron Man!

 We had all donned avengers costumes... Drew as hulk, I was Spider-man(woman?), little d was AntMan, Lan was Cap, Lo was Iron Man, and little a was.... Merida. Another year, another princess costume. LOL. I can't blame her!

Hopefully next year we can manage a group set of costumes... before little d no longer thinks its cool!

Saturday Apple Picking!

We decided it was high time we went apple picking before the winter rolled in and sure enough the weather was nothing short of dreamy and everyone had a really good time.

 Lo's face in this shot is just... everything. ha!

 those apples we demolished by all the kids. I think each kid ate at least 3!

 that little dimple!

 this is little d's personality all right here!

 Cassie and I picked out these cute little pullovers for the boys this past summer and they fit perfectly! Of course they are currently covered in apple juice but they were perfect for pics.

 The boys see me squatting low to take pictures and usually do the same! Goofy Lo.

 picking his own apple! They were all so pleased to pick their own apples.

 and some of us couldn't stop at one apple at a time...

 me and my little guys ;) And no, Lan does not stop to smile when he is busy eating!

 haha again with the squatting! I could not get over what a beautiful day it was! the colors were wow!

 so much fun! we had apple cider donuts and took home cinnamon rolls and jam

 naturally the minion was the highlight for the kids! It was pretty impressive!

 we finished the day spending time with my parents, who were finally back from Chile, and my dad got pumpkins for all the kids (which he painstakingly helped scoop out and carve!), we had pizza break for dinner and spend the evening playing in the astounding amount of leaves my parents have!