Super Mega Halloween Edition

It's Halloween baby! This is one of my favorite holidays of the year. I'm not really one for dressing up in a lavish costume although I do enjoy buying a wig and walking around with hair for one day of the year. Usually this is a pretty outrageous wig like a power mullet or a giant afro. But before we get to the fresh batch of Halloween costumes (my sister will be so happy) I found out that I made the Dean's list at school for last month. I wouldn't usually tell anyone about this but I'm pretty sure that the last time I made any dean's list I had to have my parents with me and it ended with me being grounded. So this time I added a copy of the certificate to prove that I won't need my mom and dad to meet with the dean himself.

So on to the fun stuff. As usual our ward is celebrating Halloween a week early. I have my suspicions why but I guess it doesn't really matter. What this means is that we get to dress the kids up 2-3 times during the holiday, not really a totally bad thing unless one of the kids' costumes has a wig that itches like crazy and the stocking cap that you buy to hold her hair from falling out is so tight that it leaves marks in her forehead, THEN it can become kinda crazy.

The ward party was held in the chapel this time because they found that the parking lot (if you can call it that, it's more like a parking stall) was too small for a proper trunk or treat and they wanted to have more of a party instead of just a bunch of kids going from car to car collecting a bunch of candy then going home. they had the spook alley, cake walk..thing and a room set up where you can touch brains and maggots. After the games came the trick or treating followed by the milk and donuts. I heard that at one point there was chocolate milk but it went fast so I missed out. Just before we left we were able to get someone to take a family picture.

Then we went home to take some more pictures. Here's my girls, the devil queen, goth Anne and Alyssa came up with "a devil girl wanting to be an angel" , it even has the wings taped on her back with duct tape.

The next day we got to go up to Grandpa's house for the annual Halloween pinata party blowout. Every year the kids from both sides (sounds like a competition) get together at Larry and Carole's house for sloppy joes and candy galore.

All the kids are required to dress up in costume and get pictures taken. Adult dress up is optional, I went as Joe the plumber. Then the traditional sloppy joe feast followed by cookie decoration. Then comes the main event... pinata destruction.

Kids start to line up in the drive way in anticipation of the unveiling of this years unlucky recipient.

This year it happens to be Frankenstein. In order to make the fun last longer we let the younger kids take the first swipes at Frankie. Devin gave it a good try during the first round but was only able to spin him a few times.

Kelsie was able to connect pretty good but it was soon apparent that frank wasn't going to crack very easy this year.

With some help from Mike, Frank survived the mighty swing from Alyssa.

After I figured out that I had the wrong angle, more contestants lined up to take a swing. Brandy managed to make contact but with the same results as before.

Back through the top of the lineup and Devin makes the first solid contact in the game. Frank is showing some signs of fatigue.

Then Kylie comes up with the first broken appendage, Frank has lost a leg! It's all downhill for him now.

Frank loses another leg, and the camera man almost gets knocked out. Good thing I was behind the camera or I'm pretty sure I would have wet my pants.

Devin breaks one of Frank's arms this time. We could see a pattern starting to form. Leg, leg, arm, arm...

...head. Kelsie decapitated poor Frank, I think she wanted to have a souvenir for the ride home. At least we know where all the candy is now.

With nothing left to break off, it was Cody's turn again, this time to hopefully bring an end to Frank's suffering. (notice the change in camera angle) Power wind up and....

Monster blood (candy) started to flow like crazy all over the drive way.

And of course the kids go wild.