In this town we call home, everyone hail to the pumpkin song

This is Halloween. This is Halloween. Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!

Holidays are amazing with my husband. He is suck a big kid; there is no detail spared. This Halloween was no exception.

This year, we made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. After a few years, we returned to Maris Farms (the first time with the kids) and we really had a blast! What a HUGE event! Monster truck rides, corn mazes, pony rides, bouncy toys, canons that shoot pumpkins! There was so much to do! Unfortunately, we got there a little late so we didn't get to do EVERYTHING, but the kids had a really great time and were SO good.

For Mike, holiday spirit is helped along by great themed movies. In the past, we've looked for them on TV, but this year we decided to add a few to our movie collection. The Nightmare Before Christmas and Monster House are two of our favorites, so I was stoked to find them!

The movies were on full blast while we had our Pumpkin Carving Party. Hot apple cider, roasted pumpkin seeds and hours of carving really got us in the mood.

We were worried that Gabe might be afraid of the scariness that is The Nightmare... creepy things, red eyes, severed heads. What were we thinking? ... Gabe's not scared of anything. ;) To the contrary! HE LOVED IT; watching it over and over again, memorizing the songs, reciting the whole movie. He's such a fun kid.

We were SO ready for Halloween to get here. We practiced saying "trick or treat" and they wore their costumes for the 2 days before just to add to the excitement. With all that, Halloween night was no disappointment!

We kept with the tradition of the last few years, driving to grandma and grandpa's house as our first stop.

(mommy taking a picture of Gigi taking her own picture...she's SUCH a diva)

(My own personal Space Ranger)

(I guess you could call her a "leopard ballerina", but "Cute" works, too)

We also made a surprise stop by my dad's house, which he seemed to appreciate. He doesn't get to see them very often.

Keeping with our tradition of the last few years (even before babies of our own), we met up with Mike's parents and his little brother and sister (now 9 and 7!) and went trick or treating around Tapps Island.

The kids were SO good, the weather was a PERFECT Halloween night, and the candy gettin' was good!

Gabe quickly got into the groove; knocking, "trick or treat"ing, and, most importantly to mom, "thank you"ing!

What I didn't expect, which -in hind sight- I CLEARLY should have, was Gigi's love for all things trick or treating. She walked up to almost as many houses as Gabe and said "thank you" (or, her version anyway) almost everytime... but my little piggy, Gigi, was only satisfied if she had candy in her mouth- at all times. Literally. She ate through wrappers, stole, whatever it took.

Sugar high-ing

Trying to eat a Reeses wrapper off... (and, Yes, Mike has black contacts in)

We had such a great time this year; I can't wait for next! But, first up... THANKSGIVING! YAY for HOLIDAYS!