Halloween Hullabaloo

 The Dixons had a lot of items on their Halloween checklist this year!

 Halloween essential #1: Carve pumpkin

Ramona requested a scary face, as expected

Halloween essential #2: Costumes

Dressing Ramona up as a unicorn was Mommy's idea--one she soon regretted once paper mache was underway. She quickly realized it would take much longer than anticipated! The finished product, however, was satisfactory, and thankfully stayed on Ramona's little shoulders, too.

 Mika's costume: Pink poodle. But she only kept her ears on for about 30 seconds total.

Halloween essential #3: Halloween party

Our church hosted a party the Saturday before Halloween. The building was brimming with costumed children hunting for candy. A "haunted house" was set up in one of the larger rooms. I crawled through it with Ramona, staying close by in case she got spooked and needed a hand to hold. At the beginning, we had to go around an older girl who was too frightened to go forward or backwards. By the end, I came out with a seven-year-old boy clinging to my arm, who was presumably too scared to finish the adventure by himself. My little Ramona, on the other hand, was about as cool as a cucumber. Nothing seems to scare that kid (except the slides at the playground).

Doing the cake walk

 Halloween essential #4: Trunk or Treat

 Halloween essential #5: Halloween at Avago

Every year Forest's work hosts a huge trick-or-treating event around the cubicles. I only wish we were allowed to take photo/video in the facility. Watching Mika toddle around with her tiny legs, picking candy from office chairs, and carefully dropping it into her bucket is a memory I would love to "replay." She took her first step a month ago and has gradually become more proficient each day--just in time to do her own trick-or-treating!

 Halloween essential #6: Neighborhood Trick-or-Treat

 

Ghost unicorn?

 

 Bonus Halloween Treat: Family over for a visit!

Aunt Maria, Uncle Josh, and Cousin Caleb stayed with us for one night on their way to Illinois, and that night just happened to be Halloween! Caleb snagged a few treats while he was here.

The cousins got a little bit of play time in, too

 

 Halloween essential #7: CANDY
Is it possible that we accumulated enough candy to last until NEXT Halloween? 

Enjoying the artificial fruit flavors of her labors

Halloween checklist: Complete.

It's Autumntime

Time to insert some Fall photos . . .

Picking out Pumpkins

 

 

Posing with the Beehive girls from church

 

Painting pumpkins is serious business

  Raking Leaves

 

 

 October Loving

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Autumn to all!

Grandma Onboard

Last week for about three days Grandma joined us for a ride on the Dixon train.

First stop: She came along for the Music Makers class I help out with at church. There is lots of singing . . .

 . . . props . . .

 

 . . . and sometimes parachutes!

 

Second stop: We borrowed Daddy from work and Grandma took us all out for sushi
Third stop: Grandma played dolls with Ramona and Mika for most of an afternoon so I could catch up on chores and go for a run free from the jogging stroller

Fourth stop: We took Grandma to Estes Park for lunch

 

(then went on a mini-hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, because Ramona thought it was absurd to drive all the way through the canyon and to the mountains if we never got out of the car to walk around)

 

 

  

 

Final stop: All of us spent a day snuggling on the couch, watching conference, and eating food.

 

Thanks for coming aboard, Grandma!