Halloween 2011

Halloween - this year represented a whole lot for us :)

Instead of the spooky, scary, tricks that Halloween can mean... instead of partying and the act of dressing up (for some its an excuse to dress with less clothes)... God blessed us and gave us a real meaning to Halloween. One that gives great happiness, treats, and sweetness. A very memorable one!

This year we invited Jay's parents over to my parents along with some friends to announce our big news. It's a GIRL!!! We haven't yet made any public announcements because this pregnancy is very delicate. This is our first outright display of our pregnancy with our 2nd child. And it feels so good to be able to blog about it. But for now I'm only keeping it on the blog, no public announcements, we're just not ready yet. After our next appointment - maybe.

We had an appointment early Halloween morning with our doctor who gave us the news that it is going to be another sweet precious little girl. Both of us are super super excited to be having another girl. Given the circumstances we're honestly happy to be having a baby and that it will be healthy. Since it was halloween we couldn't let the celebrating just be about candy and pumpkins. We decided to have a little gender revealing halloween party.

Jay's dad and stepmom came over to join us for dinner. I made a very yummy beefy harvest chili (it has butternut squash and pumpkin in it) along with halloween themed chips and homemade pumpkin spice chips, with salad. For dessert as you can see from the pictures above we had a chocolate yellow cake filled with pudding (yes, homemade - Jay and I decorated together!). It was a fabulous dinner celebrating our special little girl.

After dinner and announcing we did some more pumpkin carving and trick or treating. I only went to two of our neighbors houses since I'm not suppose to be walking around but I had to see Bri'elle treating just a little bit. This year she totally got it. We practiced with her a little bit teaching her she needs to say trick or treat when the person comes up to the door. It was so darn cute. She would say tik treat. Before we headed out the door to go get treating we had a couple treaters ourselves so I let Bri'elle help me. She was so cute handing them their candy with her hands full. If one fell she immediately picked it up to hand it to them. It was like she didn't want them to miss a single piece. When we went to our first neighbors house - who is my boss, Bri'elle says "tik treat" but instead of getting candy she tried to give them her candy from her little pumpkin bag. We all started laughing and figured it was because I had her help me with treating at our house. Bri'elle was so excited to be out treating and seeing all the other kids in their costumes. She was waving and talking up a storm to everyone. Needless to say, she had a good time.

Once they got back from trick or treating we headed over to my nana & papa's and then Jay's grandma (who unfortunately wasn't home) house so Bri'elle could show them her costume and get some last bit of treating done. She had a blast at my nana's house playing with this pole and trying to give the kitty cereal.

Halloween this year has been the best! We will definitely always remember this one! I hope everyone had a great one as well.

P.S. Bri'elles costume was mine when I was her age. Isn't that a trip or should I say a treat that I was able to share that with her.