Halloween 2007 was the best yet. The weather was amazingly good, unlike the snow/sleet/ wind versions we have experienced in our years in Wyoming---a stark contrast to the typical Indian summer days in the south. Here we need to add layers unlike the Southern states where you try to shed the layers due to the intense heat. It seemed odd to have more daylight since the we are still in daylight savings time and the clocks have not falling back. (Hmmm, I just realized Kelly and I will have an extra hour to celebrate our anniversary this weekend in Estes Park. How is that for great timing?!)

Needless to say the buzz in the car this morning on the way to school was all about anticipating the day's activities. The girls next door, Shy Anne, Samantha, and younger sister Sydney were all going to be princesses. Their back packs were laden with the costumes for the afternoon parties.

It was fun to head out into the neighborhood as a family. It was a cool, clear winter night. We returned home to add another layer of clothing before completing our quest for treats. It was thirty something degrees with a windchill of 27. Kelly opted to fore go the second half and hand out treats at home. Dylan was running through the neighborhood saying, "Happy Halloween!" to anyone who would listen. Upon his arrival home, he dumped his loot on the table and began patiently counting......"1,2,3,.....225". Yes, 225 assorted pieces of candy and trinkets. He was pleased with his winnings.

Well, my little Ninja has been bathed and is waiting to be tucked in, kissed, and sang to....a routine I will hold on to as long as I can.

Here are more of our pumpkin carving adventures.

Mom was a little nervous seeing Dylan use a knife,

but Kelly was being a good teacher. (I was the one

who knicked my finger!) You should have seen his

face when he scooped out his first handfull of pulp

and seeds. As you can see, he quickly got into it!

We'll be home for (after) Christmas.....We made our travel plans today. We missed one of the few deals a few days ago, but were able to book our tickets to fly home during the holidays today. We will arrive on December 28th and return to home on January 4th. Thankfully Dylan has a longer break and does not return to school until January 7th.

We will be able ring in the New Year with our Southern friends and family. My Colorado husband will likely experience black-eyed peas, rice, greens, jock-jowl and cracklin cornbread. Yes, dear....we really do eat these things!!!

Right now our house is a-buzz with thoughts of Halloween and dreams of trick-or-treating. Dylan will get to take his costume to school where the festivities will begin after lunch. Kelly and I keep asking him if he is going to be a "Ninja Bunny". We think a Ninja with floppy ears and a big fuzzy tale would be adorable. He emphatically says, "No!". Then he says, "Kelly, you're silly!"

Today Dylan accompanied Kelly to physical therapy. I think he talked non-stop during the entire appointment. By the end he conclude his arm was hurt and he needed therapy, too.

Hope your Halloween is happy!

Who says big girls don't cry? Today would have been Daddy's 62nd birthday. The tears have returned. I am reminded of the many condolences I received after his recent death. So many people shared experiences of losing a parent. I was amazed at how fresh the pain was for some even though many years had passed. Mike Stewart reminded me that worse than losing a parent is the loss of a child. That I can appreciate and my heart breaks for the loss Papa is feeling at this time in his life...the unparalleled loss of his buddy and baby boy. The death of my Daddy has left a gapping hole in many of our hearts whether we called him father, husband, granddaddy, brother, son, uncle, or friend. I know we will have many "firsts" to walk through this year without him. When he shared my wedding day one year ago, I would have never imagined he would not be here to celebrate my first anniversary. Even more difficult is his absence at his and Mom's 42nd wedding anniversary on October 9th. I cannot fathom the depth of her loss. I admire her steadfast faith and her unyielding strength in the midst of one of her greatest storms.

I an thankful for the many, many memories and I am taken aback when they overwhelm me--often with very little warning. Just like yesterday at church. In the midst of the praise and worship I felt my Daddy singing steadfastly beside me as we sang a new rendition of "I Stand Amazed in the Presence" in his deep baritone voice. I can close my eyes and recall him standing tall beside me belting out familiar hymns at First Baptist Church. Now the realization that he is spending is 62nd birthday (and thousands to come) in the holy presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I can only imagine......

Too many punpkins, too little time........

Today has been an unseasonable warm October day--perfect for carving pumpkins. We perused the Internet to find the design of our choice and then went shopping for the perfect pumpkins. Rhonda chose the Goodnight Moon pattern, Kelly choice a version of Frankenstein and Dylan picked a spider. Dylan had never carved a pumpkin before. He was a bit hesitant to reach into the pumpkin with his hands to remove the seeds and the slimy gunk. He eventually rolled up his sleeves and got into the moment. If the Weather Channel is correct we will have a cool fall evening to trick-or--treat. During our time in Cheyenne, big coats, scarves and mittens have been the attire of choice on Halloween night. There are dozens of little people waddling down the streets in search of sweet treats. This year school is out on November 1-2 for parent teacher conferences. I know the teachers will be pleased not to have a classroom full of children who are recovering from a late night and a sugar high! When the kids return to school there will be talk of Pilgrims and Indians and the first Thanksgiving Day.

We were thrilled to have Mom and her friend, Barbara, flew out for a visit last weekend. It was a good time. They "blew in" during high wind warnings. Barbara was un-nerved when she saw a semi-truck blown over on the interstate. Saturday we took them to Estes Park, CO and the Rocky Mountain National Park. It was bittersweet knowing it was one of my Daddy's favorite destinations. We got close to nature and enjoyed a waterfall, herds of Elk, a snowy walk around Bear Lake. It was a perfect day. Right on cue, we received a inch of snow by Sunday morning. We had a snow ball fight, built miniature snowmen, and made snow ice-cream before the sun melted our winter wonderland. Monday we took in some last minute sights around Cheyenne. After school we went to Veadauwoo where the temperature dropped to freezing and the winds pick up making it a brief trip. There were several inches of snow on the ground. we were stopped in our tracks when we saw a red fox on the trail.

Kelly and I are looking forward to celebrating our first anniversary at a B&B in Estes Park, CO next weekend. We spent our actual anniversary, Oct. 20th, at Estes Park with Mom and Barbara. We bought season tickets to the performances at the Cheyenne Civic Center. We enjoyed the season opener of "Evita" Saturday night.

Well, my boys are ready for dinner and tomorrow will be Monday again. My hope is the blog will make it easier to keep friends and family in the loop. I encourage you to respond often and let us know what is happening in your corner of our world.

a Wyoming Peach~
Rhonda