Halloween...

= Reformation

We had a special Reformation service yesterday with the Missionary Institute and all the Lutheran churches in town. Here is a shot of all of the pastors walking in
And the full church!
The mariachi and various church choirs added special music.
Then, it was on to Halloween activities.

Here is "Thomas the Train"
We went first to a carnival and a church/elementary school. Jaden instantly was interested in the playground equipment and not the games but, he had a good time!
Here he saw some pumpkins and TOOK OFF! He LOVES pumpkins these days!
They had this cool game that was WAY too hard for Jaden...but with Daddy's help Jaden LOVED putting the balls into place.
You put the ball on the pipes and tried to roll it into place
Then you pulled the pipes apart aiming to get the ball into one of the buckets.

Like I said...way to hard - but Jaden loved putting the ball in place!
With Daddy's help he shot a few hoops

We met up with Mia (our goddaughter) there. She was a pumpkin fairy. TOO cute!
Then Jaden ditched the costume for the brinca brina (jumping balloon)
This was the best activity of the evening.
I took a lot of shots trying to get him actually looking at the camera....but at least you can see he was having fun!
Then we went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. We put the kiddos in their cars since they were getting kind of tired. Turns out it just looked like Jaden was RIDING Thomas the Train!
After a LOT of walking (not many houses in our neighborhood were into giving out candy) we all came back to our house to relax.
And eat some candy
Mia and her aunt.
Like Jaden's green spider ring and black bat ring (see index fingers). I thought it was funny that he actually kept these on!


Before heading to bed....Mr Duck and the dog had to be lined up to watch Jaden eat his bedtime snack along with Halloween Elmo (one of Jaden's NEW best friends)!

Pumpkin Patch - Southwest Style

For the sake of the grandparents that live up north and have already seen the pictures of our recent trip to visit them, I'm skipping over a few weeks (to be posted later) in order to quickly get them pictures of our recent Haloween/Fall activites!

This is the "mommy, are you done working yet?" face...
On Friday we went to the pumpkin patch. I've seen other pictures of friends taking their kids to pumpkin patches up north. Apparently we didn't visit one of the patches that has HUGE-O pumpkins but, we had fun anyway!
On a hayride. Can you call it a hayride if there is no hay in sight? Well, it was riding on carts pulled by a tractor - which makes it COOL in Jaden's book.
Grandma and Grandpa H went with us.
Really - he's having WAY more fun than it looks like! He's just intently watching the "da-doh" (tractor)
Bet your pumpkin patch doesn't have a backdrop of mountains!
"Mommy, look, I got one!"
"Look, I can carry TWO!"
"Hey! Where did all the pumpkins go?"
" Ah...here are some more!"
Grandma and Grandpa looking for the perfect one.
"Look, this one is different!"


"Look at our loot!"
It's a LONG way back to the tractor when you have to walk to the back of the pumpkin patch to find the good ones!
Mommy - being silly
Stephen liked this face....As you can see...I'm REALLY strong! I can lift 4 lb pumpkins!
Grandpa back on the trailer
WIth all of our pumpkins stashed beneath our feet.
Awww....


Riding the "cow train"
Jaden had a LOT of fun on this ride. It looks pretty tame, I know. But, once we headed out to the pumpkin patch the driver got a little nuts. Let me tell you - oil barrels set on wheels are NOT very comfortable driving over tractor tire ruts!
I got off and told Stephen that I thought I had "Shaken Mommy Syndrome"
Checking out the farm animals - rabbits

goats

and the pretty view

ducks
and a GORGEOUS sunset to head home with!