Tuesday 'Tudes and Halloween Dudes

Well it's that time again. Tuesdays sure come around quickly!
Today's gratitude is an easy one. This morning I had the opportunity to vote in this year's election and while I'm not sure the outcome will be what I'm hoping for, I am grateful for the opportunity and the right.
I am grateful to live in a country where everyone has a chance to influence government, regardless of affluence.
I am grateful for military personnel all over the world defending that right even as I sit comfortably at my computer to write this.

Today, I'm also grateful for Kassie, my hair girl, and her thinning shears. We took off an entire tumble weed today.
I'm also grateful that it is still only raining and NOT snowing. I'm just not ready.

Now for HAlLoWEeN!
I once again uploaded all my pictures backwards so pardon me as I work in reverse.
Josh and Kristin brought Leah over to trick or treat with us. She was dressed super cute as a cuddly kitty and spent most of her time at the back door trying to bond with the doggy.

#2 was...SURPRISE...a football player!

After a yummy taco soup dinner courtesy of Kristen, we announced it was time to get ready for trick or treating. Hubby found #4 a few minutes later with her "makeup" on...

We had a hard time getting the three kids looking at the camera all at once. Leah was quite concerned with our pirate.

While #4 looks like an evil vamptress, we were actually going for a black fairy look. #3 took his role as pirate very seriously. I don't have a single picture of him smiling!

Devil Granny with the pirate and fairy just before hitting the streets.

At the first door of the night, our neighbors', the Morgans. #1 and 2 are MUCH too cool to trick or treat with us anymore. They had a great time with Dyson and Treven on their own.

Leah was so excited that people kept wanting to give her candy!

The day started with #4 dressed as Cinderella. While we were at Disneyland this summer, I bought her her idol's dress, assuming we would wear it for Halloween. Well, when it came time to start discussing costumes, #4 really wanted to pick something new and exciting. She surprised me when she settled on a black fairy costume but she was super excited about it. Until...Halloween morning. Then she announced she really wanted to be Cinderella after all. UGH! So, she was Cinderella for the Elementary School festivities and a fairy after dark.

Yes, #3 is intentionally crusting me off in this picture. He wasn't in the mood. Guess it got him in character early.

Sadly (and embarrassingly), this is the ONLY pic I got of #1 on Halloween. He dressed as a rival High School's football player that had been "slaughtered" by our team, the Rams. This is him parading through #2's classroom on Halloween morning.

Reggie Bush (I mean, #2) joining the parade as it made it's way through his classroom.

One of the activities we had the kids do during #2's class party was go on a scavenger hunt to find a costume for their teacher. Mr. Heath was a great sport and did Robyn's prom dress proud!

Haley, Kenzie and I dressed as Sweet 80's Chicks for the class party. Here's Haley explaining the rules of the scavenger hunt. My big regret of the day is not getting a group picture of the three of us. We were so totally rad.

Another game for the kids was the donut eating contest. They had to eat the donuts using only their mouths, without letting the donut hit the floor. I thought I would pee my pants laughing at some of these kids. Here's good friends Kamree (white dress), Brodee (rodeo cowboy), #2 and Carter (Bronco's player) giving it their best shot.

Brodee trying to use his knees to get his donut to his mouth.

This is the only pic I got of my bodacious self, courtesy of the new family photographer, #3. While I was getting ready the morning of the party, #2 came up the stairs with a horrified look on his face and asked,
"What ARE you?"
"Totally cool 80's Rocker Chick, Dude."
A few minutes later the following conversation was overheard...
#1: "What IS Mom?"
#2: "An old lady from the 80's."

And yes, I DID go to our Quarter Final Football game in my costume except I changed out of my sweet skirt and leggings into some jeans. And no, I'm afraid about half of our crowd did NOT know it was a costume.