Halloweening

 Happy Halloween from Teddy Roosevelt, his pet zebra (yes!  He really had one!) and his prize hunting mounts...

I've been told by my middle son that this may be Judah's last year dressing up.  

Which means he is becoming a boring old person.  ;-)

Regardless of what happens next year, I am glad that he was a good sport this year.  Our theme wouldn't have worked without him.

He nailed Roosevelt too, didn't he?!

If Teddy looks a bit quizzical here, it is because he was being blinded by prescription glasses from Salvation Army whose lenses I could not pop out with breaking them.  

Ah... but wait!  He sees something!!!

His ferocious kill:

Moses didn't really understand that he was a wall mount and not actually a living, hissing, ferocious cheetah.

Apparently, I didn't understand either.  Pretty sure wall mounts don't smile...

I didn't have to spend more than $2.00 on glasses for Judah.   I *did* spend more than that because I bought felt and brown paint on Friday because I was uptown and couldn't remember what colors I had at home.  (And yes, I had them already,  sooooo.... that was frustrating.)

Oh- and I bought black hairspray for Ineke.

But I didn't sew a single thing and the grand total was less than a fancy coffee.

  Easiest year ever!!!

In my opinion, the age old debate about Christians celebrating Halloween or trick-or-treating doesn't apply to us at all. 

Because this is what Halloween looks like for us...

Visiting and bringing joy and laughter to a handful of special "old people" living nearby is just about where it's at.  

ORANGE you glad?

I am not perfect at it, but I'm doing my best at keeping these blog posts coming. 

For the last week, I have been Frankensteins' monster, with staples in my head- and yesterday I made meals for people, delivered them hither and yon, got my staples removed (a monster, no more!) and then whisked home to make Glupper for a crowd.  It was too busy to blog- but not because I was busy holding a new grandbaby.

Pipsqueak is hanging on and so shall I, as best I can.

But today, too, there is very little time!

Costumes to make!  Pumpkins to carve!  Chili to cook!  Nacho Cheese Bugles to eat!  

There is much to be done...

With zero inspiration and even less time, in honor of Halloween, I gathered some ORANGE things in my life.

From the last bit of butternut squash soup, to picnicking with the moon on our last night of eating on the porch, to a sunset Adele' admired, to the epiphany of using crunched up lasagna instead of spaghetti noodles in chicken soup, to the oodles and oodles of BEAUTIFUL tomatoes, to Judah's first deer (!!) to saying goodbye to our monarch friend... 

orange you glad I posted?!  ;-)

 

 

Martha and Reuben

 These are not from the wedding I took a few days ago, but from a wedding a few months ago of our pastors' daughter, and Adele's dear friend, Martha.  I was asked to take candid photos during the reception and to act as a second shooter during the ceremony so there aren't any beautiful bridal portraits in here, but plenty of memories.

Adele' happened to be maid of honor in this wedding and she did such an amazing job delivering the speech and taking on maid-of-honor responsibilities.  I was so proud of her.  I kept thinking how strange it is to have my middle girl be old enough to be maid of honor at a wedding.  Isn't she still just a child?!?!  

Here are some highlights...

 

 

 

And because there is no other place to put it... Martha and Reuben's wedding present:

I wood burned the picnic basket the morning of the wedding (because I am an idiot) and since the bride grew up in New York and had to leave and cleave to North Carolina, I filled the basket up with New York specialties like maple syrup to remind her of home. 

It was a beautiful, beautiful day.  And we miss Martha dearly.