Two-for One: Baptism and Blessing

We had one day in October where we were lucky enough to get all the planets aligned and all the grandparents in town while Aunt Jayne was still here and (most importantly) baby Soren was older than 2 days so I felt like I was with-it enough to shower and leave the house, so we did some last minute planning and, voila, were able to have Olivia's baptism and Soren's blessing all on that day.

 It was a lovely, lovely day--in every way.

Halloween 2011

While our pumpkins never filled the measure of their creation to become jack-o-lanterns, I still feel like we can actually mark down another Halloween accomplished.  Why does this holiday feel like such a feat to pull off....and, I don't even actually make any of our costumes!

 Baby Bear

(The second choice when we couldn't get a good last-minute "Mini Me" outfit put together for him and Adam)

  Little Samurai  

 A most frightening Vampire

A dapper Buddy Holly

 Prom Queen circa 1987....or something...

  A Cheerleader Cat

 (because, of course, a cat)

An eager Tourist

(He reports that he went to Rome, but the only thing there was a little yellow dog!)

This year's Halloween Memories:

• Baby Pumpkin in a box.
• Snowing on Saturday before the ward dinner and trunk-or-treat.
• None of the kids stopping for even two seconds while marching in the school's costume parade so I could get a picture that wasn't just their backsides.  Hey don't blame me in twenty years that there's no record--I tried.
• Max lobbying to go dressed as a construction barrel.....and why couldn't we just steal one from a construction site to use?  Of course we can take it back after... (Many thanks to Anna for the substitute Tacky Tourist solution.)
• My having dinner ready early!! And, still making the 4:30 piano lesson!
• Olivia completely taking charge of planning and acquiring her own costume, down to the teeth and hair dye.  
• A swell neighbor lending out face paint and ball gowns.
• Only using one Costco-sized bag of candy (so now I can take the other one--still unopened--back!)
• Max informing us at 5pm that he had a major TAG project due the next day. What?? So then why did you spend all afternoon on Saturday reading an entire book? 
• A teary and frantic Max at the computer while the other kids leave for trick-or-treating without him.  Lesson learned about organization?  Time will tell...  
• Isabel sobbing/realizing that she left her "good" cat ears headband on the bus.  Of course you did.  Oh, why did I let you wear them to school! The result: the old cat ears headband and a not-very-cheery cheerleader.
• Max finished his project at 7:30 (insisting that it was good enough for an A!) and running out for some last-minute trick-or-treating spoils.
• The intact pumpkins are on the porch now posing as Thanksgiving decorations.

Ahhhh....good times.

The tearful Cheerleader Cat