3rd Annual Pumpkin Party

Luckily I had the day off of class so we kind of threw this party together.  Invited were a handful of teens, and 2 families.  1 family never responded to our invite :(  The other family called to say they couldn't make it after all 1 hour before the party started :(  So, that left me and a handful of teens.

PARTY ON!

The invite stated that if you wanted to carve, to bring your own, but that I would have a few for painting.

The paint table set up.

The food table was going to go outside, but since few were coming I just left it in. We had cocktail wienies, chicken salad sandwiches, 7 layer chip dip, chocolate covered pretzels and punch.

Canyon starts the ball rolling and is the first to dig in.

Sahara gets down with her white pumpkin with Terena looking on.

Danielle and Gabrielle chose little pumpkins to paint. 

After Canyon got most of the gunk out of his pumpkin, I tried to scrape the sides.  There was no end!!  This pumpkin would have been perfect to make pumpkin spaghetti with! And it was only 1/2 an inch thick so I stopped trying so I wouldn't collapse the sides. 

Mom's pumpkin. Very simple and quickly made so I could get a fire going.  It was nice, but a tad chilly.

Sahara uses a screwdriver to put holes all over hers.  So she didn't do a face this year.

Canyon heads to the paint table to make his black and gold. (school colors) I believe he did the same last year and he is very aware and remembers things like that.

Canyon passed a little pumpkin to Terena...

...and to Paige to paint too.

Jared shows up from his class and gets busy with his zombie pumpkin / gourd thing.

After using a few tools and finally getting thru 3 1/2 inches of skin and flesh, he busts a hole and to our surprise and disgust.....

BUGS!...little gnat type bugs come flying and crawling out!!!

There were MAGGOTS too!!

And the whole thing was rotten inside!!

Enough of that!  Time to eat!  hahaha

All the food was a hit and everyone started creeping closer and closer to the fire.

Not much of anything was left and some of the dishes were wiped clean.

Even the smallest guest went back for seconds and thirds.

Then back to painting and for Jared, whatever he was planning to do with his nasty nightmare.

This is how they turned out.

Canyon's

Mom's

Sahara's

Jared still working til after dark.

And finally.....

Well, it does look zombieish!

I love these little cuties.  I saved them so they wouldn't get painted or carved.

But wait.....Sahara wasn't done.  She decided to melt crayons on hers for color.

Finally finished!

Equestrian Zone Picnic

The place where Canyon goes for horse therapy had a picnic to say thanks to the volunteers who help out there.

The small playground was right where the pavilion was which was handy. 

The food was amazing!

But after eating, Canyon got an attitude.  That's him on the ground pouting.  I think he wanted to swing and the other boys didn't give their swings up.

Getting to be time to go and time for a group picture that will go in their yearly newsletter.  Where is Canyon??  Still pouting under the swings.  He refused to get up and missed the photo op.

10 minutes later, he was ready, but they were done.  His stubbornness is a mess sometimes!!!

Downtown Fall Fest

WoW!!  Was it packed this year.

In the last years, we would find parking 2 or 3 blocks away.  This year we had to park 5 blocks away and across the main street.  There were tons more vendors as well and 5 times as many cars in the car show.

These were a few of Canyon's picks:

There was also a 57 Metropolitan Nash!!!!!!

I was so excited and had my picture taken with it, but the computer says that picture is corrupt and wont load it :(

Canyon found ALL the firetrucks, old and new.

We got to the dog costume contest early to get a good seat.  We didn't enter Malaki because in the past the competition was tough, but this year only 10 dogs entered and he would have had a good chance to win again.  There were 2 other Yorkies entered, but they were 20 pounders.  Malaki's 4 pound body would have been too cute.

On the way to the car we saw this guy coming from the ground.  I don't think Malaki wasn't too happy to pose here.

Basketball Bust

This years basketball was not up to par.  It started with the shirts, which weren't heat-set and the applique washed off the first time they were washed.  The 'volunteers' came out great, but all the kids/players shirts ended up looking 10 years old in one week.  

Then is was a lack of hoop-la.  

In the past there was a smoke machine or at least a streamer curtain to run thru when the players came onto the court.  This year, nothing.

In the past there was a professional photographer taking the individual and team pictures.  This year, someone with a camera and the kids lined up on the wall.

Finally it was time for the end of season pizza party and awards.  A miss-communication caused not all the players to show up at the correct time for the party.  Pizza was lacking, not enough for everyone....and there were no awards like there have been in the past.  Usually they got a medal and a gift and a booklet of all the teams.  This year they got the gift (the basketball) and a very small baggie of candy.  No apology for the shirts either.  We paid for those shirts.  The volunteers got them for free.  Canyon loves playing and I hate to not let him because there isn't a lot for him to do....but this time, it was simply not worth it :(

And the winner is.....

On a whim we went to the Pet-smart Pet Costume Contest. We dug out the Halloween costumes (doing a MAJOR purge on those tonight!) and headed to the store.

Sascha wore hers from last year.  I dont know what she is but she was looking sexy and she knew it! She had her cheetah blue tu-tu and a wand with a butterfly on it.  She also had a blue ring for her neck which had lost all the ribbon danglies. She was very nervous there because she never gets to go places with us.  She gets waaaay too excited and is very strong and hard to handle.  She is very people friendly (although most people seem to be afraid to come up to her)....it's the other dogs I worry about.  She can be growly and snappy towards strange dogs.  But, all went pretty well.

Malaki wore a fireman's jacket and so did Canyon.  

Guess who took 1st place?!

Our two boys did!

Malaki goes all over with us so he could care less.  He didn't want to walk tho, not with a costume on anyway (he does like to wear sweaters).  He on the other hand, may not be so nice towards strange people, especially kids who tend to want to jump right into the itty-bitty dog's face.  Luckily most of the kids there were over 10.

So, we had to be very careful with both of them at this event but it all turned out great.  I think I'm going to make it a plan to take Sahara there more often so she can get use to bye-byes...and more at ease around strange dogs..

Halloween is in the house

Heading out to get our real pumpkins for carving now.