Halloween afternoon/evening

In the afternoon my mom met us and we all went to our wards chili feed and trick or treat. My dad couldn't make it but it was so nice having my mom come. The chili was NOT good...there were at least a dozen different options to choose from and if you choose wrong, well, you starve. I chose wrong. I had 4 or 5 bites before I decided I couldn't eat any more and I was done. oh-well.
Then we went in the halls to trick or treat at the doors of the classrooms, but there were only 3 doors that people had set up for the kids-2 cake walks and 1 bean bag toss. I was really bummed about the whole thing! Once again, the kids had fun though...Ashleigh went off with her friend Jasna to all the doors and we took Preston around with us. My mom was able to get him to the front of each line and when they joined in on the cake walks he actually won! ha ha. It was great.





(Thank you Tamsen for the GREAT cow costume! We got lots of compliments on it!)









We got done way before Ashleigh was ready to go so we waited outside for her. We all chit-chatted...an easy thing for us Ballard women to do. And we enjoyed the great weather. Last year we struggled to trick or treat through freezing cold/rain weather. This was MUCH better!

Isn't Preston so cute!?!
I just LOVE this picture!

When we got outside to wait Nick took a seat on the grass. Preston sat down next to him and copied nicks position-complete with crossing his ankles. It was just the cutest thing I have seen him do. They were like two peas in a pod.

Mom had to go once we were done, they had to continue the rounds at each of my siblings houses to see the grand kids in their costumes. They are such great grandparents! We enjoyed
having my mom with us very much!







Think Ash is excited to trick or treat??? :)









Then we went to Randy and Juli's house and picked them up. We went to Dr. Bairds house (Juli and Quinn's boss) to see his haunted house. He does his garage and back yard So amazing with Halloween scary stuff. It was totally worth it to go see it. I am glad we went. Since we were in a rich neighborhood I decided to start trick or treating there. Preston had fallen asleep so just Ash and I went. We had a contest to see who could run faster from one house to the next. She beat me most of the time, but I claim I lost because I have been sick and am still trying to get over it. ;-)

Then we went to the Calls neighborhood and hit every door we could there. The kids got a LOT of candy! More than I have ever seen them--or me--get before.

Funny story...Preston is addicted to anything candy. He seriously loves it and was very possessive of it so when he would get some from a house he clutched it in his hands and would NOT give it to me or put it in his bag. Then at the next house he would put the candy in his hands down on the ground at his feet/at the door and take the candy that he was given at the new house, then he would try to pick up all the rest of the candy that he had just put down. His hands were so full! Eventually he did give me (or grandma Call) his candy, but usually he would insist on HAVING a piece to eat along the way. It was so stinking funny! He LOVED trick or treating and would say what he was supposed to say to get the candy and he ALWAYS said thank you! :) I love having polite kids. This is by far the best year we've had on Halloween. It was so much fun!

Observation--Kids start trick or treating around 630pm here and I'd say that about 95% of the houses had their lights off ie: no candy by 8pm. We were only able to hit about 5 houses in our own neighborhood when we got home. Oh-well..they got a ton of candy anyway. It was an awesome and very full day! loved it!