2008: Kate was a Princess; Dom, an Imperial Storm Trooper from "Star Wars"; and Grant, Darth Vadar.  Baby Finn was a Pumpkin.  This was a unique Halloween this year.  We had just had a new baby brother! Also, we had just found out that we were moving from Naples, Italy to Stuttgart, Germany.  So, the Base in Italy trick or treated the night before Halloween, the 30th, so we did that.  The night of, we prepped for our move, as we were to drive out to Germany the next day (the 1st).  So, we trick or treated, then the night of, we we in a hotel on Base in Italy and watched spooky cartoons (Mickey's "Sleepy Hallow", etc.) and ate candy from the night before.  It was cold outside and we stayed warm and cozy as we watched movies together.

The whole Halloween season, we celebrated from the end of Sept.  With homeschool, we read several fall themed and Halloween themed books, played candy corn Bingo, read about bats and spiders, etc.  We made Halloween cookies, Halloween cake, etc.  We made chili throughout the season and we received fun Halloween treat bags from  Nana and some friends.  Finn was two weeks old as we trick or treated this year!  Enjoy the pictures in our scrapbook below!

2007: We had Halloween in Waterloo, Il. near my family this year! The kids got to trick or treat with their cousins. It was great.  Festivities in Oct. included: Kate's school parade and party, Fall Festival at a nearby church (where all 8 cousins came - both my sisters' kids - and we roasted weenies and marshmallows, bobbed for apples-it was so fun!), pumpkin picking at Eckert's Orchard (complete with hayride), and Halloween cookie baking day with Grandma and cousins.  Kate was 5, Dom was 4 and Grant was almost 3!  The night of, we treated ourselves to dinner out (with the kids in costume) then headed to my parents' house while the kids trick or treated in my childhood neighborhood with Dave and I, my dad, my sister and their cousins. Oh, Cleo the dog got to come, too. (With my parents' dog, Zeb.) :)  P.S. Kate was Snow White, Dominic was Spider Man and Grant was Super Man.

2006: Our second Halloween in England. Kate was 4, Dom was 3 and Grant was almost 2.  We had a little Angel, Batman and Spider that year.  Festivities around the day of Halloween included: our Chapel Fall Festival, Base Halloween Carnival, carving our pumpkin at home, making Halloween cookies and treats (popcorn balls, etc.) and watching fun spooky cartoons and movies. The night of, Dave and I took them out trick or treating for about an hour, then headed home where they got almost as much fun out of giving candy out at the door. :)  We had chili and hot cocoa as we enjoyed the evening.

2005: Our first Halloween in England! Kate was 3, Dom was 2 and Grant was almost 1. Grant's First Halloween!  Kate was Sleeping Beauty, Dom was Bob the Builder and Grant was a Bee.  We baked fun Halloween cookies, took the kids to a spooky reptile show on Base and went to the Base Halloween Carnival throughout the season.  The night of, we trick or treated, handed out candy and Dave and I enjoyed a "Sherlock Holmes" movie and chili and hot cocoa when the kids went to bed.

2004: Our second Halloween in Idaho.  I was very pregnant with Grant (as in 3 days away from his birth...), Kate was almost 3 and Dom was almost 2.  The kids and I made fun  Halloween cookies that year.  We picked our pumpkins at an orchard near Boise (complete with hayride and petting zoo-same as 2003), Dave and I watched old spooky classics like, "Stepford Wives" and "Rosemary's Baby", (I think, again) etc.  Kate was a Ladybug and Dominic was a Bat. :)  We trick or treated that night and handed out candy at the door.

2003: Our first Halloween in Idaho! Dominic's First Halloween!  Kate was only 22 months and Dom was only 9 months old.  He was a Lion, so we taught him to say, "Grrrr".  Kate was a Kitty Cat.  We rolled them around in the wagon trick or treating for about a half hour before they were ready to come home.  Dave and I handed out candy that evening, while enjoying some hot cocoa. :) This was the first year we started our "Classic Spooky Movie" tradition on Halloween night, with (I think) original "Stepford Wives" and "Rosemary's Baby".  We pumpkin picked at a nearby orchard in Boise.

2002: We had Halloween near family this year! Kate's First Halloween! We were in the process of a move back from the Azores, on our way to Idaho-and lived in Waterloo for a short while while awaiting Dominic's birth.  SO, long story short, we took Kate trick or treating in my childhood neighborhood with my parents and her cousins.  She was a Pumpkin for her First Halloween.  She was 10 months old.

2001: Dave and My First Halloween together. I was pregnant with Kate and he and I were living in the Azores.  I have no pictures to share, as we did not do much.  We went to some friends' house for dinner and took it easy. 

Halloweens are always special with us, as we look at it as a day of make believe and dress up.  I LOVE fall weather, and all the fun Halloween festivities-cookies, hot cocoa, hayrides, etc.  I make the kids up a special goody treat bag each year, and Nana is sure to send a special Halloween package in the mail each year-which the kids always look forward to!  We have lots of fun.

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