Halloween Fun and Smiles

We started celebrating Halloween weeks early by participating in a few fall festivals for some inexpensive fall fun with friends and family.
We kicked it off on September 14th at Timberlake United Methodist Church.  My Phone was nearly dead, but it was a nice set up and a free community event.  I brought Anthony (Jayna was at Grandma's) and met up with Wendy who had her 4 kiddos, her 3 siblings and a friend.  Everything was put together so well- hayrides, tattoos, supper even, cotton candy, blow up obstacle courses and slides.  The kids had fun although I have minimal pictures.Anthony spent the entire time on the slides and obstacle courses.  This was also a significant date, because it was the renewing of a friendship, 2nd chances and

most of the kids on the hay ride and Tabi's tattoo

We did Amazement Square Fall Fun Day on Oct 11!  I took Jayna and her cousin, my niece Kierra.  It was during the weekend we were celebrating Kierra's birthday and also conveniently fell the day before my birthday

 It sure is great to have a best friend and a cousin, all in one!

Carmel apples with all the toppings

Making butter and taste testing it with crackers

Loving the crafts and fun: treat bags, chalkboard pumpkin necklaces, headbands, tattoos, hand knitting and leaf jumping

The girls loving the zipline, doing cart wheels and handstands, glow in the dark painting and an I-Spy tunnel search

The girls carving their pumpkin!

Their favorite activity: glow in the dark rock band

The following weekend was Bridge Day, which was already blogged about.  Then on Friday the 24th while Anthony was camping with the Pathfinders, thanks to Uncle Ray's $10, Jayna got to go to Scare Mare.  We met her cousin Kierra and Aunt Beth along with another of Kierra's cousins- Janayla there.

Jayna spent the night at Aunt Beth's.  The next day I got my sweet nephew Tristan and nieces Angela and Tristan.  We started by finding Tristan a costume and then waited until it was time for trunk or treat at West Lynchburg Baptist Church by playing at the playground.  Then Jayna called so I picked up her, Kierra and Cale to join us!

The only Barney I have ever loved

 After we did that trunk or treat I had Kierra call Beth to get permission to take them on a haunted trail.  So we headed to Rustburg and found two separate, fun, not too scary but great haunted trails.  Best of all, one was free and the other only $1 per person!

Afterwards I took the kids to eat supper at Long John's before I took them all home and headed to another lovely 3rd shift.  Look at my super cute Batman in the jammies I got him!

The next day we day we started off at Memorial Ave United Methodist Church's fall festival.  They had a small hot dog lunch, blow up bounce houses, Balloon Dude Travis, crafts, carmel apples, games and a small playground too that my gang enjoyed for 2 hours.  Today I had Angela, Shania, Tristan, Will, Diamond, Alexus and Tabi with me.  Jayna was at Grandma's after having gone to church and enjoying time with Uncle Mark and Jasmine.  At 3:30 they started the trunk or treat, just in time to be done and pick Anthony up from his camping trip.

I picked up Jayna, we went to get Anthony.  Then we headed to our final Fall Fest at Hyland Heights Baptist Church.  Holy Guacamole they were CROWDED.  They had a hay ride, tons of games, bounce houses, face painting, concessions, door prizes, silent auction and again Balloon Dude Travis!  The kids partnered up and had fun.  I played with Tristan and always have fun!

I did have a babysitting day with Payden which included going to the Halloween store to kill time.  The school seemed to think he was sick.... I am not convinced!

On Halloween night I was running like crazy to get everyone who wanted to my house and pick up pizzas for everyone.  As I was picking up pizza's I got a phone call to see if a niece and nephew could join as their mom had a medical emergency.  So our group grew even a little more.

most of the kiddos- minus 3 of them

We started trick or treating about 5:45.  The boys got bored of it by 7, so Alonza, Damien, Cale, Anthony and Will went back to my house w/ Alonza's mom and played video games while Marko supervised them.  About half our group kept going until 8:30/9!  It sure is fun spending time with friends and former employees.  It's a clear reminder every Halloween that Burger King may have just been a job, but it gave me great friendships that have lasted and grown stronger way beyond that job!

As in every year, we ended our evening in the neighborhood grave yard because that's what you're supposed to do on Halloween night, right!?