Live it!

Amongst Friends

We headed up the highway to Toronto again to get together with the Antonides, Guillaumes and Chambers. We had a great little reunion with our Vietnam travelmates and the kids are growing up and starting to remember and look forward to seeing each other again. Steph and Oli were gracious hosts and had quite the houseful. The kids played while we all visited. They made the best turkey supper complete with all the fixing's and we felt very spoiled. After the party we had an overnight at Renny and George's and Lia and Meg had a great time together. I love seeing these families - it makes me wish we all lived closer and could see eachother more often.

Thanks for another fun get-together. Let's do it again this summer.

I didn't get my camera out, so thank you Steph for sharing these ones with me.

 

The pool is closed

...somebody tell this frog his water hole is closed for the winter. We found him sitting in the middle of our pool cover - RIBBIT. He was a big lad!

Trick or Treat

It has become a tradition that we pack up the family and head to our friends (The MacDonalds) to trick or treat as a group. The kids enjoy it a lot. The moms usually take the kids out door to door while the dad's stay back at the house and partake in beer and good eats... and hand out the treats. This year we had a big gang of goblins and it was a great time.

When we got home the kids dumped out all their candy on the floor and the sorting, trading and EATING began. Meg was all over the candy... she is somewhat of a sugar addict. I think she is following in her sister Chloe's footsteps!

 

Special note: This photo is very special to me.

For years we have started our trick or treating with a trip to my Gram's to show her the kids in their costumes. We missed a few years due to the rush of the evening but it was something the kids always loved to do. This year, Gram was failing. She had just given up her apartment and moved in to Aunt Ann's. We got the whole family in to see her on Halloween night before we went trick or treating and she was very happy to see us all. She smiled at the kids costumes and chatted and posed for a photo with us before we headed out for the night. Turns out it would be the last time we would all be together with my wonderful Gram. She passed away after this. I'm so glad our last time with Gram was on this night... when her spirits seemed up and a great memory was made. I'll never forget Aunt Ann putting my witch hat on her head and the smile that came to her face. I'll cherish this photo always.

Halloween 2011

...one of my favourite holidays for sure! We have so much fun figuring out costumes.

Chloe especially gets into the 'spirit' and just had to have this costume when she saw it. I still am not 100% sure what she is supposed to be, but when people asked her she told them she was a "diva evil pirate girl". Her hair was especially fun to do except I wish I had known that the spray would not wash completely out of her hair for over 2 months! (Yes, I'm backdating this post... today is actually January 15th and I am way behind on my blogging.)

I don't know if Keaton is starting to feel too 'old' for Halloween... but he wasn't into it as much as he usually is. He just wanted to be something "easy" and wanted to use his black cloak from last year's "Scream" costume. We went with a spooky ghoulish face and he was happy to keep it simple.

 Last year Meg did not like Halloween much. This year though, it was a different story. She loved Halloween. She loved the costume, the candy and everything in between. Her bug costume is a blast from our past. Chloe wore it when we was 3 years old and it is such a funny costume - I'm so glad I saved it and Meg got to enjoy it this year.

Here is Chloe in it Halloween 2006 and Meg in it Halloween 2011.

Meg - you are such a cute little bug!

 

 

Cookie Tradition

Every year Mom makes these cookies with Chloe and then sends them home with her (for us to decorate.) The kids look forward to making their cookies and of course, eating them as they create. They are super tasty and sugarlicious and our friends always look forward to tasting them at Halloween time.

The Annual Carve

For as long as I can remember, I have loved carving pumpkins. I love coming up with new faces to carve and the kids enjoy dictating exactly what each of them want their pumpkin to look like. This year Keaton only participated in the 'eating of the pumpkin seeds' but Chloe and Meg were great helps. Meg loved digging out the seeds and would say "Oh, this is soooooooooo yucky"... with a smile on her face the entire time.

 

Here's our little posers with their creations:

 

Wild!

Chloe was invited to a friends costume party the week before Halloween. She wore her costume from last year and let me get "creative" with her hair. She looked pretty crazy - Halloween is so fun!