Halloween 2022

This year we had: Molly...Mike from Stranger Things, specifically the scene at the roller skating rink; Stockton...lifeguard; Brynn...dead cheerleader; Ivy...Sarah Sanderson, witch from Hocus Pocus.  I even got in on the action this year and went as a zebra.

Our first event was the ward party.  Of course we were planning on being there but a few weeks prior, Justin and I were asked to be part of a flash mob and dance to Thriller.  We agreed, along with a handful of others and very grudgingly on Justin's part, and gathered in secret a few days before to learn the steps.  We got zombified when we got to the church and Jess Ellingford had managed to find a red jacket and Michael Jackson wig for Justin.  He was hard to recognize with the wig and makeup.  We were mingling with the ward in the gym when the music came on and we all gathered in front of the stage and performed our dance.  It was awkward and embarrassing and fun.

We had dinner and a trunk or treat.  Brynn and Ivy went off with ward members, I never even saw Stockton since he was hanging with the other deacons, but Molly stayed somewhat close.  It was an early Friday evening and she was a good sport to even be there.  She found another family and they loaned her a cloak so she could pretend that she dressed up.  We had a good turnout and it was a fun and successful party!  And over by 7 so Molly still had plenty of time to hang out with her friends.

Brynn and Ivy with Kaia Roney

Stockton was having a bit of a Halloween dilemma.  He has always gone trick-or-treating with Kelton Webb but he has also become friends with a different group.  Kelton is great but doesn't really "fit" into this other group, as hard as that is to say, and this other group was also wanting Stockton to trick-or-treat with them.  He didn't know what to do so he finally just told me he wasn't going to go with either group and stay home.  Seeing that this will probably be his last year of trick-or-treating, I helped him come up with a different plan.  So, we had a party with the group of friends on Friday night before Halloween and that would free him up to go trick-or-treating with Kelton.  Win-win.  He thought this was a good idea too so that meant we were going home after the ward party to host a group of Stockton's friends.  He had Madack, Sam Freeman, and Drayven.  Brynn also had Mari come over with her big brother Sam, so it was a small middle school hang out that night.  This particular group of boys loves to play basketball in the loft so it was mostly 3 hours of that.  Justin and I tried not to go crazy and remember that we always said we want our kids to be comfortable having kids at our house.  Everyone seemed to have a good time.

Madack, Brynn, Mari Freeman, Stockton, Sam

My mom's Halloween party was next on Saturday night.  We carved pumpkins and ate dinner.  My mom had escape rooms for the older group and the younger group.  They trick-or-treated to all the outside doors then we drove down to the Walker's house for the spook alley that they had set up in their barn.  It was a late night for us (and early following Sunday morning) but the kids love this day so much that we made it work.  It is really fun so it's all okay.

Molly, Chloe, Isaac (Chloe's boyfriend), Tessa, Grant

Harper and Brynn

happy face

sad face

Erin caught Justin helping my mom out with her hippie wig

Halloween Day-

Only Brynn and Ivy dressed up for school.  The elementary had a Halloween parade that morning so I went over to see Ivy.  I went back that afternoon to help with her class party.  I had to leave early to get home for piano lessons.

Ivy and Hannah Reynolds

Kids came home from school and did normal after school stuff until about 4:30 when my lessons finished up.  I had bought nine pizzas for a party Molly was having so that was dinner for everyone.  Stockton went trick-or-treating with Kelton, Brynn went with her friends, and Molly was having the party at our house.  That left Ivy going solo with Justin and I.  We tried our best to get an early start and were out walking the streets before 6.  We went around the newer neighborhood in our ward and then the less-new-but-not-old neighborhood in the same neighborhood.  We saw lots of ward members and that was good for Bishop Goodrich to get out and about in that capacity...occasionally Ivy and I had to go ahead without him while he visited.  She was fine being on her own and we'll take that as long as we can!

Brynn went with her friends around Wheeler Park and got a ton of candy!  Some of them went with the zombie/sports theme.

Mari, Brynn, Ellie Graff, Briley Smith, Layla Baird

Mari, Layla, Ellie, Brynn, Briley

Brynn, Mari, Briley, Ellie, Layla

Molly wasn't planning on doing a party but she had one last year and had a few friends request that she do it again.  She didn't really want to be the host this year but she did it anyway.  I got her some pizza and she went to the store with a friend and got donuts and hot chocolate.  We set up the projector but then couldn't get the volume to work so they had to watch the movie inside.  She had one friend bail on her last minute and another group left in the middle of the party so she wasn't having the best of time.  The other girls were super nice though and she cheered up but I don't think she'll be excited to host another party any time soon.