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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Halloween Festivities 2011

All four of us on Halloween 2011

Trick-or-Treating at The Fountains, Roseville - Halloween night



2011 - Alina's first Halloween!


This year, we didn't celebrate Halloween in just a single night, but rather an extended weekend of fun festivities. Elise was in the Halloween spirit all month long, and I can't tell you how many times she tried on her Tinkerbell costume and begged me to start trick-or-treating before Halloween night. Her holiday excitement brought out the best in us, and we found ourselves consumed all month long with Halloween and fall activities. She had the best time at her preschool Halloween party and trick-or-treating. This year, was also Alina's first Halloween and she wore three adorable costumes! Her official costume was a ladybug, but mama couldn't resist the baby pumpkin and beautiful little Princess Belle get up. Elise wore two costumes on her first Halloween. They're only babies once, so why not make the most of it!


The perfect little Tinkerbell

Babydoll Alina dressed up in her pretty little Belle costume 


Our adorable ladybug on her first Halloween!!



 

 Cute baby pumpkin

The girls having fun at their preschool Halloween party

Elise playing pin the nose on the jack-o-lantern


For trick-or-treating on Halloween night, we first took the girls to The Fountains in Roseville with some friends. We had a nice time and loved seeing all the cute kids in their costumes. Afterwards, Elise was still energized, so we headed to another friend's neighborhood for even more trick-or-treat fun! Elise met up with her little friend Zuri and had so much fun going door-to-door and filling up her treat bag. Elise was hysterical that evening. Being the littlest trick-or-treater of the the group, she did her best to run and keep up with the bigger kids. Whenever she fell behind, she made sure to exclaim "HEEYYYY...WAIT FOR ME!". It was so funny. She was also very polite and cute, saying "Happy Halloween", "trick-or-treat" and "thank you" at all the houses. She did have a moment where her world came crashing down, when she didn't see someone put candy in her bag, and came back in tears declaring, "they...didn't...give me any...candy". At that very moment, it was the absolute worst injustice imaginable; fortunately she got over it quick and continued on trick-or-treating until she was no longer physically able to carry her treat bag. She made her way through the neighborhood trek like a little champ, and didn't want the night to end. Our teeny-tiny ladybug Alina, and first time trick-or-treater, was perfectly content sleeping the entire evening. She looked adorable, and stayed warm and cozy all bundled up in her stroller. It was such a fun and festive night. Happy Halloween 2011!!


Our jack-o-lanterns and the girls all ready to trick-or-treat


 Peek-a-boo little ladybug

The cute kiddos trick-or-treating on Halloween night

Zuri and Elise in their twin Tinkerbell costumes

The little troopers on a candy mission; nothing slowed them down!

Elaborately decorated house; complete with Bride of Frankenstein

Elise running house-to-house - she had the best time!

The end of a very fun Halloween night

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Night of 1,000 Pumpkins - Sutter Street, Folsom 2011

Night of 1,000 Pumpkins - Sutter Street, Folsom

The girls posing by the huge pumpkin

This was definitely the best jack-o-lantern on display!


In celebration of Halloween, we took the girls to Night of 1,000 Pumpkins in Folsom on Sutter Street. It was our first year at the festival, and we had lots of fun! Elise loved stopping to inspect all the jack-o-lanterns lined down historic Sutter Street. There were tons of other kids roaming the streets; all dressed up in adorable costumes. Elise wore her Tinkerbell costume (of course) and Alina went as a baby pumpkin. The girls got TONS of attention from adoring passerbys. They stopped to oogle over Alina in her precious pumpkin costume and to compliment Elise on what a perfect little Tinkerbell she made. We had a great time and look forward to going again next year!


Elise loved the pirate and Hello Kitty jack-o-lanterns

Awesome white tiger costume!

The kids LOVED the tiger!


Three smiling jack-o-lanterns

Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween 2011!!

The two cutest Halloween pumpkins ever!

The littlest pumpkin

Mini Halloween photoshoot - Elise had fun posing

The sweet expressions of our little 2 1/2-month-old doll Alina

We love this sweet and smiley girl


Another baby pumpkin costume photo - because she's just irresistably cute!


October is my absolute favorite time of year. The weather begins to cool; the leaves start to change colors and dust the ground; pumpkins/jack-o-lanterns are everywhere; dressing-up becomes a family affair; the pumpkin patch beckons; haunted houses and costume parties galore; horror movies fill the tube; the kids get excited about dressing up for sweets and treats; and, perhaps best of all, the calm before the crazy storm of insanity known as Christmas shopping. This year, we immersed ourselves in plenty of fun Halloween celebrations. Over the next couple weeks, I plan to post up photos of the girls adorable costumes and recaps from our Halloween weekend extravaganza. Stay tuned for photos from Night of 1000 Pumpkins; Elise's first pre-school Halloween party; and good old fashioned trick-or-treating fun. For now, I will leave you with some cute pre-Halloween photos of the girls and some of our spooky decor; all in celebration of All Hallows' Eve!


Spooky Halloween decorations

More fun and frightening Halloween decor

This year's corner Halloween display - Elise helped arrange it!


Halloween candle and spooky lunatic Living Dead Doll Sybil

Halloween house and melting hand candle - all Elise approved

Elise found her evil pig-tailed twin Living Dead Doll! It's her favorite

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Field Trip to The Pumpkin Farm - Citrus Heights

 
Fall family photo - love it!!
The Pumpkin Farm - Citrus Heights

Gourds, maize, pumpkins and vibrant sunflowers

Elise enjoying the views from the hayride

Beautiful Celosia - red velvet flowers

The Pumpkin Farm scarecrows!

Colorful maize and little pumpkins 

A few of the friendly animals; Elise loved the goats

The Pumpkin Farm corn maze

Daddy and the littlest pumpkin!

Perfect day at the pumpkin patch

Sunflowers, pumpkins and adorable kiddos

Pumpkin patch cuties

The Pumpkin Farm Express Train

"Seriously mom!?! I'm DONE...feed me already!"

Elise had a great time on her first field trip!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Happy October Birthday to Mama!

Dad and the birthday mama before our evening out

The amazing and delicious Halloween birthday cake

Novelty zombie cake - awesomely creepy
 
Daddy surprised mama with TWO birthday celebrations this year! A fun surprise dinner with friends on Friday evening, and a nice family outing and dinner on Sunday. This year, mama was spoiled with two great birthday cakes; both inspired by my love of all things Halloween. One being a novelty cake with my likeness transformed into an undead zombie and appropriately titled, "The Death of Youth" ahaha (I'm not quite sure how I will top this for dad's birthday next year, but mark my words, I'm already devising clever plans). The other was an incredibly cool and delicious Halloween birthday cake complete with pumpkins, bats, candy corn, a spooky old tree and October moon. The cake was pumpkin flavored with a divine cinammon spice frosting filling. It was excellent! In fact, I'm considering breaking into the cake shop and stealing the recipe because it really was THAT GOOD. 

For our family outing, daddy took us to Old Sacramento to surprise me with, of all things, an old style family photograph! The thought to do this had never crossed my mind, but I will admit that the photo turned out to be fun. I'm grateful that dad has a good sense of humor and got us all into the spirit of Halloween early by getting dressed up. Elise loved playing dress up and was all smiles, meanwhile newborn Alina lived up to her nickname of "dollbaby", as she sat still and looked cute for all the photos (she always does!). Elise had more fun later in the evening when all our family got together for dinner, and she got to see her little cousins. They chased each other around the house squealing with delight. This year really was the perfect birthday celebration. The company of friends and family is all the fullfillment I need; the surprises along the way were an added bonus. Thanks daddy for all your hardwork, planning and love; you made this birthday unforgettably fun! 


Lovely October flowers

Our old style family portrait - just in time for Halloween hah!