Saturday, November 01, 2008

Halloween 2008 Memories
(Warning...a LOT of pictures to follow!)


We had so much fun celebrating Halloween this year, starting back on Wednesday with our Trunk or Treat at church...and then following it with our "Creepy Cafe" dinner at home the next next... and then finishing up with trick-or-treating on Friday night.

I love Halloween because it is a fun time to let your "inner child" out. Gary and I always dress up (the funniest comment was made Wednesday night by a teenage friend of McKenna. She and her boyfriend were dressing alike--you'll see them, the caveman and cavewoman, in a picture below--and she said, "We're gonna be like Gary and Cheryl. Still dressing up years from now." It was sweet, and a compliment I think!). And who doesn't like a chance to act young and silly with your kids? and to rack up as much candy as possible? (If you don't, I'm officially calling you a party pooper! lol)

Before I get to our celebratory pictures, though, I gotta share a picture of my Halloween cupcake I created for our dinner Thursday night. I want to put it near the top of this post, since I'm submitting it for the Halloween Cupcake Contest being sponsored by I Heart Cuppycakes and How to Eat a Cupcake.

Didn't they turn out cute?


The cupcakes were marble cupcakes (from a box! I went easy!), but then I made cream cheese frosting to go on top. Easy frosting recipe (8 oz. pkg cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, tsp vanilla, and 1 1/2 cups whipping cream) that I then split and colored with orange food coloring to decorate half of the cupcakes. To make the witches hats, it couldn't be easier! A striped shortbread cookie turned upside down and then topped with a Hershey's kiss. I was really pleased how they turned out, AND they tasted yummy!

And now...
how about some pictures from our celebrations?

First are pictures from our Trunk or Treat this past Wednesday night. The whole crew...

McKenna as Little Red Riding Hood and a boy she sweet-talked into being the Big Bad Wolf...

Delaney as a hippie...

and Sydney, of course, as Sleeping Beauty...

Gary came as Batman (he flew home from Orlando Wednesday afternoon; I told him to wear all black and I had a cape and Batman logo waiting for him) and me as Catwoman...

And the with some our other friends, and the other cutie-patootie kids in costume (there was even a set of quadruplets)...








But...of course, I'm biased...but I think our girls were the cutest of them all...

On Thursday night, we had our traditional "Creepy Cafe" family dinner. The kids (usually Delaney more than anyone) helps me come up with a "ghoulish" menu, and this year we decided on: Gumbo, Witches Broomsticks (these were pretzel sticks wrapped with pieces of fruit-by-the-foot that had been "fringed"), Finger Sandwiches (rectangular sandwiches with an almond at the end for a "fingernail"), Bread Bones (biscuit dough shaped into a bone shape), Fruit Cups (hollowed out oranges made to resemble pumpkins, filled with fruit), Putrid Punch (a yummy lime and orange sherbet concoction, served in my favorite Gothtini glasses and served with gummy worms poking out), and the already-mentioned Witches Hat cupcakes.

Here are some pictures of the meal (and some of the little hands that helped me make it!)...












And then on Friday night, we headed out to do some traditional trick-or-treating in our friens Chris and Charles' neighborhood. We got decked out in costume again (except for McKenna, who had to attend the high school football game) and braved the cool night air all in hopes of scoring some good candy (chocolate for me, please!).

But first off, a recommendation to you. It's really quite simple: if you now have teenagers or your kids are out of the house, you need to rent a four-year-old to take trick-or-treating next year with you. There is nothing like watching and listening to a child that age enjoy the experience. Sydney would just traipse up to the door and loud as anything say, "Trick or treat!" She lived in the moment and had such joy in it, and the people handing out treats got such a kick out of her. Thank goodness for four-year-olds!




We even found this great backdrop for a picture. (Not sure what Gary's trying to do. Be scary, maybe?)


At then end of the night, you have to examine all your loot, give the Whoppers and the peanut butter kisses (you know? the candies in the black and orange wrappers that no one seems to like?) to your Daddy (who loves them!), make trades with your sisters, and then head to bed in a candy-induced stupor.

I don't know about you, but Halloween is one of my favorite celebrations. Sure, it's littered with ghosts and goblins and witchy stuff. And it's filled with dentist-unapproved treats. But it's just so danged fun! It's a perfect time to enjoy your friends, your family, and yourself--in a very innocent, sometimes silly, way (which, I think, we need of more in life). So, I say...Live it Up!

28 comments:

Travis Erwin said...

Looks like a great time. And man is that a lot of loot. I Might steal that Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood idea for my wife and I next year.

cinnibonbon said...

Great photos..great times.

Be careful...letting that "inner child" loose!!!

Have a great weekend.

Laura S. said...

looks like fun! Love all the photos.

Cheryl Wray said...

Travis--I know you appreciate this post. I always love hearing your Halloween costume stories!!

Cinni--Hee hee. My inner child cuts loose a lot!

Laura--Thanks! It WAS fun!!

Sheila said...

Call me a party pooper, I didn't participate in Halloween. I'm in a college area and the college students do a lot of the trick-o-treating instead of the younger ones...lol

Now, I wish I was celebrating Halloween with you all... you had tons of fun and giggled at the finger pastries :)

Unknown said...

I think I want you to adopt me! LOL!

You guys always have so much fun!

Your cupcakes look AWESOME! Good luck in the contest!

Unknown said...

Hey Cheryl!

It's just me again! LOL! I was blog hopping and saw something you might want to include in your Halloween dinner next year. If you go to http://joysofhome.blogspot.com/ and look at her October 30th post. It's stuffed MUMMY bread! And I think it's too stinkin' cute!

Phats said...

I miss trick or treating!! Although I have found myself doing less and less each Halloween, this year Kris and I went to Purdue for a basketball game, and a party that we left early from last night and didn't even dress up. My favorite part is staying in and watching all the scary movies

It seems like a lot of places are doing Trunk or Treat I think that's a neat idea for sure.

Love the pictures, Gary looks pretty fly for a white guy! haha

ROLL TIDE the new #1 team in the land!

Adrienne said...

You guys look great! Looks like you all had a fun time!

Phats said...

BTW where do I sign up to have these delicious cupcakes sent to me?

Edleen said...

lots of photos indeed! but i enjoy looking @ them all :) you all look great!!!

and those cupcakes...looks so Yummy!

have a Great November Cheryl :)

Auburn Kat said...

Wow! Lots of good treats and great costumes!

Now I want some chocolate...

Anonymous said...

These pictures are all just great. I am so loving your Halloween meal. How fun!

susan said...

oh my, thats alot of candy. and ur cupcakes are so cute! not to mention the costumes too! :)

Cheryl Wray said...

Sheila--We always love Halloween (as you can tell!). You need to get more "in the mood" next year LOL

Kathy--Ooh, thanks for the link. I'm always looking for fun ideas!

Phats-- Woo Hoo!!! #1!!!! It's really almost hard to believe!!

Adrienne--We had a great time!

Phats again--You would seriously be fat if you lived around me. Cupcakes all the time!!! LOL

Cheryl Wray said...

Edleen--Thanks!! You're so sweet!! November will be a good one!!

Kat--Go get some chocolate! :-)

Gin--Thanks! It was very fun!

Susan--Thanks!!! Good to see you here!

CB said...

Your witch hat cupcakes are adorable and SO creative! Thanks for entering the Halloween Cupcake Contest!
Clara @ iheartcuppycakes!

Jen Martakis said...

I love your witch hat cupcakes! Very cute and so clever! I want to come live at your house on Halloween. How fun! What a wonderful and fun way to celebrate!

hippo chick said...

Great post, Cheryl. I'm especially impressed by your creepy dinner party. Very creative meal.

~hippo hugs~
P.

Cheryl Wray said...

Clara--Thanks! I loved your contest idea!! I can't wit to see what everyone else makes!

Jen--We DO have fun, that's for sure! :-)

Pam--Hee hee...it was fun!

Andy said...

looks like you guys had lots of fun.
just wanted to let you know that i am reading water for elephants

Corey said...

Cheryl, you guys always have so much fun! :)
I love the idea of your Creepy Cafe, i may have to try that one year. Oh, and your cupcakes look great!

Cheryl Wray said...

Andy--Ooh, I hope you like the book. I really thought it was wonderful!

Corey--The Creepy Cafe is always fun.We've done it now for four or five years. And I LOVE to make cupcakes!

How To Eat A Cupcake said...

Looks like so much fun!

PS: I love the name Delaney!

Anonymous said...

That almost looks like too much fun to even handle.

Dawn Bibbs said...

Oh my, looks like everyone had a great time. The food looks yummy and ya'll costumes are too cute.

Glad ya'll had fun!

Susie Q said...

I LOVED this!! I am catching up and could not wait to see what you all had done for halloween! I was not dissappointed!
What fun! And yes, we all need some more silliness in our lives!!

Oh, and chocolate too!

Love,
sue

Gretchen said...

Your girls very much were the cutest. Indeed! Lurved you and Gary as Batman and Catwoman.

And, my sentiments exactly about how you feel about Halloween. Isn't there already too much to worry about???

Awesome post.