This is Halloween

Just needed to document that Halloween really did actually happen.  

And this picture is really scary.  Messy counter.  Honey harvest in the works.  Cactus on the counter.  Pantry door open (what a mess in there).  Mess by the back door.  

She wore this to school.  Seriously.  Oh well.  She didn't get kicked out.

Ever since my MS days, Halloween has been a big deal.  In a fun way.  Not like my neighbors growing up--the Rose family--who celebrated Halloween like Christmas and didn't celebrate Christmas at all.  I've enjoyed having neighborhood parties and Street of Treats.  I kinda think of myself as the Halloween Queen.  (or something like that.)  At least until a couple of years ago.  The year of the anonymous note and other overwhelming issues like bullying and stuff.  Which is why I checked myself out of Halloween last year.  No Halloween Queen for me in 2013.  But, I was back in 2014.  It's kinda hard to put myself out there like I used to.  First I was afraid of another hate note.  And second, I was afraid that nobody would come.  But, thankfully, we had 70 degree, recording breaking weather on a beautiful Halloween Friday night.  A handful of people brought treats.  I set up a table with snacks and water (instead of the planned Hot Chocolate--it was plenty warm without the hot chocolate).  And lots of people came.  My street is more busy now that it is not a dead end street.  So, we went across the street and filled up the Shmule-de-sac.  I passed out flyers to the ward members a couple of weeks earlier (with the help of lots of friends).  It was a great night of visiting with neighbors and exchanging candy.  The kids love it.  And there was still plenty of time for folks to go out and get more sugar by trick-or-treating the old fashioned way.  I had a great Halloween.  It was a good way to end October.