A long rambling story of Hallo-ween

These pumpkin triathletes were at the Tri-expo and I thought they were adorable! Being out of town with kids on Halloween is difficult. I wanted to give my kiddos a fun holiday, while dealing with my own crazy race-prep stuff and not knowing anyone other than Derick's grandmother who is about a half and hour away.

The afternoon was a frustrating circus of missing several Halloween opportunities that would have been easy and over early. by 6:45, we were lost and driving for over and hour, with hungry kids who kept asking where they were going to be able to Trick-or-Treat.

We were discouraged, and I needed to relax for the race in the morning and we kinda just were ready to give up. In the back of the car, was little Brooke, on a CONTINUOUS loop of "Jesus loves me"- singing it OVER and OVER, and it was making us somewhat maniacal, when I turn onto a weird back street in an industrial park and "boom" there is a little strip mall with a church that is setting up for a trunk or treat. We squeal into the parking lot, blather through an explanation, and they joyfully welcome us to join them.

We still have 15 minutes until they are set up, so we decide to go to Wendy's to get the blood sugar deprived kiddos something to eat. While there we put everyone in their costume and they get the first treats of the night from Wendy's. (They were so cute the customers started giving them coins too!)
I was so anxious by that point because it was getting late, and with the luck we had been having, I was envisioning the trunk or treat closing before we even got there, us not getting home until after ten and me not getting to bed until after midnight. We rush to put the kids in the car and I put Delaney's wings on the roof- and of course forget them. I remember when we are 3 miles away, flip the car around and we search every side road, and parking lot, and even run to a Dollar Store to find a set of fairy wings (none left in stock, of course).

I am furious with myself, I feel helpless and stupid and my kids want to go trick or treating, and Delaney has figured out the wings are gone and demanding them and I am trying to make up something to tell her while trying not to Start Swearing (loud enough to be heard anyway). Brooke is still singing "yes, Jesus loves me" in repetition, and then Gibson, followed by Delaney, start sweetly singing "I am a Child of God", we pull up to the light where we turned around to backtrack, and there on the road were her sweet wings, open and unblemished. I screech to a halt, Ali runs out to get them, and when she gets to the car, both of us are SOBBING and kind of doing this wet babbling prayer half thanking the Lord and apologizing to Him for our lack of faith, anger and frustration while our sweet children truly understood where comfort and answers come from. Ali looked at me and I at her and we cracked up because we felt so humbled, silly and relieved.

We headed to the trunk or treat, where the people we had spoken to before RUSHED to greet us again. the girls just latched on to these sweet young ladies, Amanda and Carla and Gibson was treated like a prince. We were introduced to the pastor and his wife, got TWO cakes in the cake walk, got our faces painted, and as we left, they dumped their leftover candy and prizes into the kiddos bags to the point where Brooke was walking backwards and was literally DRAGGING her bag back to the car. The only "mistake", if you can even call it that, was taking Gib through the haunted house where he was OK, until the chainsaw started and then he kinda lost it. He didn't truly cry, but he sure did talk about it for the next three days, and occasionally brings it up weeks later! No nightmares though.
Ali and I couldn't believe the Christmas-type miracles we actually had on Halloween!

(and if you are a grandparent and are still reading me yammer on...) In other Halloween news, the church Trunk or treat was the week before and our "boys" were Appa and Momo from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Delaney was still Tinkerbell, but while we were there, we met AZULA from Avatar! Our Friend Krista and her mom, totally ROCKED a costume and she looked DEAD on for her role- so of course I had to take TONS of pictures!!

I also Collaged some of my other favs of the night! (oh, and upon recommendation from my friend, I took detailed pictures on how to make the Momo costume- I'm not gonna blog it, but you can ask for it if you want it!)