Halloween Highlights

Zach and our resident witch.

Batman and "Fifi" the poodle.

It was another fun Halloween in Anthem, Arizona, our little hub along the northern fringe of Phoenix.

While I do miss the chill in the air and having family members accompany us on our trick-or-treating ventures, Halloween is loads of fun here.

Some of our 2009 Halloween highlights:

• Zach was Batman -- a family favorite. Blake was Batman back-to-back years when he was 3 and 4. Allie was a little, fancy pink poodle. Many mistook her for a bunny. Nick was some yucky, creepy, bloody, lab tech guy. And Blake, for the first time, opted not to collect candy. Instead he manned the homefront and handed out candy.
• Nick has fun not only trick-or-treating, but also hiding in the bushes and scaring the trick-or-treaters on the way to our door.
• Brett had another stellar jack-o-lantern -- an intricate spider web with a spider. I think if he had it to do all over again he could have been a successful surgeon.
  
• Notwithstanding the cold front that swept through for a few days before Halloween, the weather was awesome. While kids are decked out in costumes, most parents are in short sleeves and flip-flops.
• At most houses, kids don't even need to knock on the door. Many parents are out enjoying the evening on their front porch or driveways as they dole out the candy.
  
• Our neighborhood is DECKED OUT! Most of the houses in our little neighborhood have lights, blow-ups, and plenty of spooky decor to keep the kids on their toes. In fact, since early October it has become our evening ritual to take a walk or bike ride through the neighborhood so Zach and Allie can admire the visionary Halloween feast night after night.
• Parents get into the mood just as much as the kids. The Iowa State fan up on the corner was handing out beers in bags. The woman who lives in the house with the blue lights had a tray full of margaritas alongside the holiday candy and one father was pullining his cooler in a wagon with his little ghosts and gremlins.

Nick carving his pumpkin.

Spooky!

Brett's jack-o-lantern