Halloween is a holiday I love to hate. Or do I hate that I love it so much?
Here are the reasons I should hate it:
1) I have four girls. They of course all need different make-up, hair-dos, etc. (ok, so Lucy wasn’t such a huge deal this year but as you can tell by her skiwampus whiskers she did give me a run for my money). And then there’s the scrubbing faces and washing out hair dye after each festivity. Grace was in awe of the black bathwater when we washed out her black dye.
2) There are a lot of Halloween activities around here which kids think you really really really need to be dressed up for. So I have to do reason #1 a bunch of times.
3) What in the world can we do with fifteen pounds of candy besides fight with our kids over how much they get to keep? (And steal out the Kit Kat and Twix bars and feel guilty for eating them all).
the seriousness at which our one boy took Trick-or-Treating
while wearing some measly old costume.
He and his friends had so much fun though.
BUT I love the glow on my kids’ faces as they bounce around in excitement in their outfits. I love the Joy School Halloween program. I love listening to my kids trying to figure out what pumpkin they want to design this time around, and being together as a family as we carve them. I love watching them go hand in hand with best friends up to front doors to Trick-or-Treat. 
I love our neighborhood and how many great families and kids we see walking around as we fill up on candy. I love that Max was so easy this year because he doesn’t care so much about costumes and just pulled random masks out for each party and didn’t need any help. I even ended up liking hosting our annual neighborhood potluck (my friend who usually does it is expecting twins and didn’t feel up to it).
She was very specific that she didn’t want
to be some cutesy witch. But she insisted
that she wear cutesy glittery fake eyelashes…
…with wedge flip flops
pouting witch…
At the beginning of the evening Dave announced how important it is that we stick together as a family for Trick-or-Treating. We had to laugh that every kid was in a different part of the neighborhood within a half hour. One of the culprits was our neighbor’s great hay ride (below) that a few of them rode around in off and on. Poor kids. 
I love Halloween.
Absolutely adorable!
Your pictures are so amazing!! i have to say… my favorite were Gracie’s eyelashes, so cute! I need some camera tips.
What a fun post! You guys go all out 🙂 I do have to agree that Gracie’s eyelashes are the best… Just wait until she’s 15!
wow, we’re coming over to your side of the street next year…hay rides?! that sounds so cool! and yes…the eyelashes are great!
Shawn, Great post. Love the costumes. Your kids look really really cute. Hazel can’t get enough of Claire’s pictures. I can’t wait to get those two together!
Hey Cami was the same cute little lion this year for Halloween! (gotta love old navy). Your kids all look adorable! Great costumes!
sorry, but even for a mean witch, grace looked pretty darn cute. What great costumes and cute kids. It’s always fun to see pictures of them!
ella too wanted to be a mean witch and was heartbroken that I didn’t get the green makeup to put all over her. I will have to make it up to her next year! sounds like a great neighborhood party!
that is one adorable “mean” witch. Love the wagon ride. So much fun!!!!
he kids looked darling. Love the costumes!
Your kids are just darling. I have to say that is the cutest witch I have ever seen! 🙂 Love the eyelashes. What a great picture.
I got your comment on my blog and it would have been even more fun had you come to Schnepf’s farms, however the bee ride wasn’t working. LOL You may have been disappointed. 🙂