Leaves, Pumpkins, and Candy--Oh my!

I have to say, fall is probably my favorite season, {i know, i know, it's so cliche...but it's true!} Ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you my favorite colors are muted browns, oranges, and greens. Take a look at my house and you'll clearly see said colors. {more about that in a future post...get ready for a makeover!} What can i say--i'm drawn to fall colors! So right now my sweet-cinnamon-pumpkin candle is burning, i have a smile on face and my heart is happy!

The last couple weeks we've had so much fun enjoying all the fun stuff that comes with fall and halloween! The kids had a primary activity at the church which is across the street from their school, so afterwards we went over and the kids had a great time playing in the leaves and enjoying the crisp, fall air....mmm, i can smell it now!

Another reason i LOVE the pacific northwest...we get the bee-you-tee-ful trees in their ever changing leaves and colors. i wouldn't trade it for anything!

A couple days later the kids carved their pumpkins {and when i say "the kids" i mean angel and i...someday, somehow, they'll make carving more "kid" friendly, right?} We had a book with a bunch of templates in it {note to self: accidentally lose said book by next halloween} and each one was rated for it's difficulty level, so of course the kids were drawn to the ones with 5-star

difficulty... {alec really wanted the alien coming out of the spaceship} It took some prodding and persuading for them to believe that we are not michaelangelo and cannot create the masterpieces that the experts made look so easy in the book and could they please pick one with maybe one or two stars?!? We compromised nicely and ended up with a spider, a cat, and grace's own creation {check out grace trying to wink like her pumpkin}

...and we always have great intentions to save the seeds and roast them, but when it comes down to it, we don't have the recipe or instructions so they end up in the garbage. {if you do it and love it, please, do tell!}

And of course....Halloween! We had a great idea for a family theme that would have been super cool and fun, but this slacker of a mom didn't get her act together in time {no "mother of the year" for me this year!} so the kids had to settle. The boys were content to wear their star wars costumes from last year but Grace took the most convincing. In the end i won her over with the mention of hair glitter and make-up, so she was the "belle" of the ball {pun intended} with her dress she got from christmas and her hair all done up. We usually go to the trunk-or-treat at the church, but this year we went trick-or-treating with my sister and the kids' cousin adam in poulsbo.

They really enjoyed ringing the doorbells and seeing everyone's yard decorations. some people really get into it! There was a world series game that night and one family had a display on their porch that had showed the score, very creative! A funny side note...we kept having to call alec to keep up with us because he would stay and chat with the moms/dads handing out candy! i'm not exactly sure what he was saying to them {probably telling his life story} but no matter if he was the 1st one up to the door, he was always the last to leave!

After trick-or-treating we went back to my sister's where we had spaghetti for dinner, alec hid behind the coffee table and ate a full-size hershey bar someone had given him, and the kids decorated halloween cookies. {tsk, tsk, no pictures...bad mom again} And who knew knocking on doors for candy could wear you out? These guys were so tuckered out, they completely zonked on the way home before they could even ask to eat anymore candy....did i mention i love this season?