Carving pumpkins

This year's pumpkin carving took special meaning, this year Killian planted a pumpkin seed in our backyard, watch the vine grow, picked the pumpkin with Chad and then carved it tonight.  It was a very large pumpkin and with some creative carving sits flat and looks like a giant pumpkin:)  Cohen was SUPER excited to carve the pumpkins and very patient during the set up and cleaning out the pumpkin "guts" but not so thrilled (like his momma) to stick his hand inside the pumpkin.

This year we made it an event once again by inviting our friends John and Heather over to have dinner and join in the festivities.  John brought a big supply of his scary masks and Cohen wasn't such a fan of the masks, but loved having new people to play with and the candy that Heather brought for him!

Here is the showcase of our work:

Spooky Lunch....

Today we were invited to a spooky lunch at Shepard Park by our friends the Stephens Family:)  Jessica went to high school with Chad and I and now we live in the same neighborhood as her family.  Her kids are the same age as ours, so it makes for fun get togethers and lots of cross over in our activities, you can find Jessica HERE.
I just had to share though the spooky snack that I took, a spider web dip (aka layered tacto dip.)  What did we do before Google????

Hauntcert 2011

Tonight both Normal Community High School and Normal West will present their annual Hauntcert.  Every year the high school orchestras put together a family friendly pops concert (with a theme) and promote it throughout the schools and community.  This year's theme is animals, so all the music is somehow linked to animals, for example "Baby Elephant Walk," or the "Chicken Dance."  Both schools start their concert at 7 p.m. in the auditorium, kids are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes and in turn can sign up to win prizes:)  Check out the flyer HERE!

My Tiger Scout

Couldn't resist sharing this with all my blogger friends... how cute is my little boy scout????

Family Gatherings

For those of you who don't know my mom is from a big family (I mean REALLY big!)  If all her siblings were alive she would have been one of 10, she is the youngest girl (at the spritely age of 68) and the second to youngest of them all.  Every year we have a casual get together at my Uncle Kenney's house, although we are all spread all over a good chunk still try to come to this little event.  We have even have a chili cookoff (with prize money) and a 50/50 raffle.....  The family that gambles together stays together right?  Anyway, here is a picture of just the people who came to the cookout.  Keep in mind I am the youngest of the first cousins, so everyone younger than me is a 2nd cousin.  Also our family is the smallest with only 3 children if that helps you figure out how large we are!!!

Fundraiser

Tonight is my first official fundraiser for Evans Jr. High School Orchestras.  If you are in the Bloomington-Normal area click on this link, print the flyer and head on out to Monical's tonight for dinner.  Hey, if nothing else it is a good excuse to not cook right?

http://www.monicalspizza.com/assets/eventdocument/EJHSOrchestra101811.pdf

New School; First Concert

Just an FYI (in case you care) my new school George L. Evans Jr. High School will have its first EVER concert on Tuesday night, October 11th, 2011 at 7 p.m. in the gym.  The concert will feature Evans 7th & 8th grade musicians (band, orchestra and choir.)  The grand finale will be the premiere of the school song (written by my colleague Josh Masterman, lyrics by none other than ME!)  There will be a light reception following the concert in the cafeteria.