Happy Halloween!

Autumn Fairy & the Headless Horseman, ready for trick or treating!

 

 

 

We met up with the Olivers in Winslow.

 

I love this place! 

Spooky music fills the air, costumed children everywhere.  

Ben met up with a fellow Headless Horseman...

And Jillian tried to get a picture with another fairy, but the mini-fairy wasn't too happy about it!

 

Tif's always happy to have her picture taken, though, especially when she's holding a cute little puppy!

 

Jillian's friend Calyn's family owns Café Nola, so they got to hand out candy together for a while.

Right before we were done, a Thriller "flash mob" broke out on Winslow Way.  It was hard to get close enough to see well with all the people there, but it was fun to hear the music and see how many people packed in!

 

After Winslow, we headed to Ben's friend Henry's neighborhood.  This was our third year trick-or-treating with Henry and Aidan's families and has become a much anticipated tradition. 

As is counting the loot afterwards! 

 

 

 

Tradition!

We have been carving pumpkins with the Kollodge family for at least ten years!  That's as far back as my digital photos go, and I think that's when they first moved to Bainbridge. 

 

 

Angelina gets detailed!

 

Andre explaining to Chantal what he wants his to look like.

 

Nate had an idea right away this year!

 

Jillian still hates gutting the pumpkin.

 

Ben and Adrian hard at work...not sure what Kylie's doing in the background...

 

 

 

 

Ten years ago:

Angelina and Andre weren't even born yet, and I'm not sure why Adrian isn't in the picture.

This year:

Aubrey is away at college, and Nate and Kylie didn't stick around for the picture.

Nate's farewell

As is tradition, Nate spoke in church about a week before he left for the MTC.  He and Jared Bell shared the time.  They have been friends since before they were born, and it was wonderful to see them both reaching this mile-stone together.  Almost miraculously, things have worked out that they will be reporting to the MTC on the same day, November 6th, and will be on the same flight to Salt Lake City, sitting next to each other!  I know this has helped calm some of Nathan's nervousness about leaving. 

 

After church, we had lunch with the extended family, a Mexican fiesta in honor of Nate's destination.  I tried to get pictures of everyone, but didn't quite accomplish my goal...

 

Nate and  "Uncle" Jonathan (really they're cousins once removed, or something like that...)

Troianna, Kaelyn and Alexis (who would be Nate's second cousins, I think...)

Uncle Jeff (who is really an Uncle!)

Grandma Vikki and Kjersty (also a cousin, once removed)

Sisters, and Jonah! (cousin)

Brad and Aunt Ashley (a real aunt!)

It's getting closer...

You know the time for a missionary to leave is coming closer when they get to go to the temple!  Nathan has been preparing to go for several months now.  We went on a Friday evening, and it just happened to be the same time as our good friend, Bruce Nowjack's first time.  It was a wonderful evening.  As we were leaving the temple, Nathan said, "I felt so good in there!  I didn't want to leave!"  He was able to go back several times over the next few weeks: once for the Nowjack's sealing a week later, once with his friend Emma, another time with Jared Bell for his endowment, and again to help perform baptisms with the youth.  He felt so blessed  to be able to participate in all the ordinances that take place in the temple before he left. 

 

 

Ben's Crossing Over

One of the perks of turning 11 is moving up from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts.  To celebrate, we had crab for dinner, Ben's favorite!  Actually, it wasn't really a planned celebration, it just so happened that Brad's business partner, Mark, brought him six crab that day.  But a spontaneous celebration is sometimes even better than a planned one!

Ben also earned his arrow of light, and since I was the one who painted the arrows, I got to award them to the boys.

Four boys turned 11 in October and they all got to cross over together.

Ben, Greysen, Blake, and Hiram:

Their Webelos leaders, Dennis and Whitney Manning, have been so amazing!  They said they will really miss all the boys.  Dennis leading Ben along the ceremonial path to Boy Scouts:

Being welcomed by the Scout Master, who also happens to be his Grandpa!

Explaining some of the responsibilities of Scouting to the new Scouts:

Awarding pins to the moms:

Proud Grandpa!  Hopefully he will be Scout Master for a few more years, at least until Ben gets his Eagle!

Autumn Beauty

We have had an unusually beautiful autumn this year. All the trees are gorgeously arrayed in red, yellow and orange.  It seems everything is brighter than usual, maybe because we've had less rain and more sun...and more fog, too.  I'm not sure if that plays into it, but I've been enjoying it whatever the reason.  I've been taking pictures on my phone almost everywhere I go, trying not to cause accidents when I see a particularly gorgeous tree while stopped at a stop light!

Ben and I saw this beauty as we walked to the bus stop one morning:

I captured these oak trees on my way to the dumpster at one of my cleaning jobs:

Close up of the oak leaves:

The wall at Rotary Park across the highway from my house:

Views from my run along Lemolo Shore Drive:

My front yard:

A stunning tree at the corner of Hwy 305 and Winslow Way, in front of the police department:

A beautiful fall day at Battlepoint Park:

The stairs behind the church leading up to Ordway field: