[ Halloween Party! ]

Every year our neighbor has a Halloween party. She pulls out all the stops and it's always an incredible good time! My best friend's son stayed with us yesterday and spent the night. Brian and Tanner always get along GREAT and they were so excited to head across the road to join the fun. Tanner got his costume for his birthday, after all it's a football uniform, not a halloween costume. ;o) (Shhhh.... don't tell!) Tanner likes costumes so we had a collection in the closet and Brian decided to go as Batman, the capeless crusader. Yes, capeless. Tanner loves his costumes, but tends to lose pieces. Ultimately the costumes are just an added bonus because the kids spend their time running, playing games, playing hide-n-seek, roasting smores and then going on the Haunted Walk! Who needs a big bulky costume to slow you down?! lol

Brian & Tanner - My two favorite little boys in the whole wide world!

Did I mention she goes all out?! Sherry loves to decorate and entertain at Halloween time. It's her favorite holiday. There are skulls around the deck on stakes with yard lanterns, carved pumpkins everywhere, orange strings of lights on all the trees, skeletons sitting in corners, SCAREY scarecrows, witches, warewolves, a fire pit surrounded by bales of straw, tons of food and I'm sure her hubby gets stuck whittling all those hotdog and marshmallow sticks that are so cleverly displayed in a hollow log. It's just awesome!

And her pumpkins aren't just pumpkin faces, or plain ole jack-o-lanterns with big buck teeth. She is a carving artist! I have hostess envy! lol

Then, after a couple of hours of visiting, eating and the kids playing, it's time to go on the huanted walk. It's usually a hayride through the haunted forest but it's been raining so much lately that it was too muddy for the tractor and wagon so we had to venture out on foot. Even some of the adults said it was scarier on foot! At least in a wagon you can close your eyes and turn away! lol There are three separate walks. One for the little kids to visit the good witch. The above pic is a peek into her cabin in the woods. And yes, we live in the country, it's in the woods! Our walks take us through the timber in the dark. Only our guide has a lantern. House rules... no flashlights! The good witch has her bonfire going, candles in her house and of course her cauldron bubbling (with dry ice) and she always has goodies and treats to pass out to the kids.

Then the older kids go for the walk. It takes about 15-20 minutes. Imagine if you will a haunted house you might have been too... only take it outside, in the pitch black, in the cold. Feeling eerie yet? We walk through the 'forest' around grain bins where beasts crawl out growling, wearwolves are rattling their chains as you pass an old abandoned building and he's screaming and howling to be released, there are gouls jumping out of the forest, there are scarecrows that come to life, and we pass by the cemetary complete with skeletons hanging from the trees and bodies in caskets or coming up from the ground under piles of leaves. Then, from a distance, you see a fire.... and hear the chainsaw. Did I mention the woman thrives on fear! lol :) she laughs and smiles the whole time, it's awesome. Now... did that little paragraph strike a fear in you?

Then it's time for the teenager/adult walk. Imagine all those things I typed above, only the wearwolf breaks free from his chains, he breaks the bars from his cage and runs after you, catching some of us. The gouls that creep from beneath the grain bins run between our groups, separating those that are holding onto one another for safety. Our hostess was even 'attacked' this year and rolled to the ground. (which was really funny! It wasn't planned and under her own laughter she says she's going to have to have a talk about that later!). Leatherface doesn't keep his distance in the woods, the chainsaw is real and he does chase you. Are you getting the picture? It's total, FUN! Scarey FUN! Some people enjoy Halloween and scarey movies and haunted houses.... my neighbor could have wrote the rule book. Let me just say it was scarey enough that hearing the screams and the chainsaw and seeing that last gorilla come out of the woods, my 6 year old gave me a HUGE hug and wouldn't let go. He was afraid the goblins got his mommy. He was over it within 30 seconds realizing who the actors were. His friends' daddy's.... it's all in good fun, and it was back to party time.

The kids played a bit more, I tortured them in my own way by taking pictures and then we walked back home. My oldest son is afraid of the dark and he wanted to hang around with his friends before walking home. (teasing him....) I said, are you sure? I know the gouls and offered to pay them to hide in the woods between our houses....was he sure he wanted to walk home alone? lol :) MOM!!! No you didn't!?! Hmmmm...... or did I?

Sissy's best friend Haley was at the party with her parents, Brian and Taylor.

Brian wanted in all the pictures! I love him... my big scaredy cat Tyler, and Haley.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of choice, Christmas runs a VERY close second but we definitely look forward to Halloween every year, just to go to the neighbor's party. Thanks again Sherry for another fantastic time!!! You rock my socks!