2014: The Halloween of the Hobbits

Halloween has come and gone.  The Wife posted a great little summary with many pictures of the amazing costumes she put together.

This year we were surprised to discover that our new ward wasn't having a Halloween anything, but we found some fun activities to enjoy regardless.  We started a week before by checking out the Pumpkin Parade at the Riverwoods.  It was great to debut our complete costumes and The Wife's workmanship of them.  They turned out just great!  That shirt design she came up with was just perfect, and I felt like I was a kid again when I put on that finished cloak and swished it all around the house.

Princess Leia was kind enough to put down her little Stormtrooper or whatever and take this picture for us at Blickenstaff's.

Right on, Cap.  Right on.

I just love how he's looking at me, I was just trying to get him to look at the camera, ha.  He's probably still wondering where The Beard went.

(We skipped the furry feet idea, trusting that our performance/bare (or bare-ish) feet would sell the look.  We definitely drew a lot of amused glances, especially as they figured out Julie's costume.)

(Also, a word about this event, and the holiday this year in general -- I was pleasantly surprised at the unexpected balance in ratio of Annas to Elsas.  That is all.)

Then we tried out a couple different hayride/carnival/pumpkin patches.  Hee Haw Farms was fun (not free), though the hayride was... so-so.  The animals were a big hit and we were glad to be treated to a free pony ride by a departing family who wasn't going to use their ticket, but the biggest hit of all was the Corn Box (like a sandbox, but with corn instead).  Yes, best thing ever.  I mean, it still gets everywhere, and you might find remnants hours later in pockets and diapers, but it's still tidier than sand, and I think more fun.

So many kids!  Lawlawlawl.

Yes corn yes.

Then we went to another pumpkin patch called... the Pumpkin Patch, which was also fun (and was free) (at least when we went).  Mostly they just sell pumpkins and have picture-taking things, but they also have a hayride, which is a little longer and more fun than the other one.  The Boy wore the same generally concerned expression he did last year on the hayride, but he did enjoy tossing the hay about anyway.  Next year, man, he's going to think Halloween's the best.

There's that generally concerned expression!

Oh mah peeps.

Then we carved pumpkins, and I'm telling you, I think we're going to do this thing on Halloween Eve from now on.  They have hardly any time to go bad and they look just perfect on the big day.  Of course, in future Halloweens with older kid(s), there will be interest in doing them before then, but while we may we shall make traditions how we like them!

I did the dirty work.

The Boy did the dirtier work (which he took quite seriously).

Well, I tried.  It's just as well you can't really see him, he was so done and ready for bed at this point.

Something old, something new.

And then came the day itself!  As I said, we didn't have much of a big activity to go to, so it's a good thing we took advantage of opportunities to show off our costumes beforehand.  We tried to find this informal thing some people in the neighborhood were doing, but in the end we visited Mom and Dad, took some fun pictures, walked around my old trick-or-treating stomping grounds to a few select houses, and then headed home to test out our new location.  Little Mister was quickly able to get the hang of things, and happily knocked at each door.  Everyone loved his little Ringbearer costume, and though he loved to gnaw on his wrapped candies, I think one of his favorite treats was a glowstick bracelet (such a rad idea).  I learned that it's hard to find a balance between taking kids trick-or-treating and being home to give out the treats, but it will probably be easier in future years when we don't both so want to take him around.  Luckily we ended up with not TOO much leftover candy, and we still definitely had more trick-or-treaters than we have in any of our previous neighborhoods in the six Halloweens we've had since we've been married.

Oh man, the gesture.  Great usage of the raked-but-not-yet-bagged leaves.

What's over there??  Isengard?  Are they taking the Hobbits there?

The Wife's costumes were fashionable AND functional.  I don't suppose you see anything in this picture but a blank stretch of lawn and a front porch.

The Wife is Barad-Dur and The Poppy is evidently The Eye.  Scary costume, baby!

Now and then the old phone takes a pretty good picture actually.

Happy Halloween, one and all.  Great job this year, Wife!  You worked hard on these costumes and it totally paid off.  I'm so glad they worked out just how you hoped.  (And thanks to ebay for providing those oh so authentic Leaves of Lorien brooches -- they may fall more idly than they ought, but they were just the right touch.)  Now it's November and hurraaaaaaayyyy I can't wait for winter and Christmastime and our travel plans for Thanksgiving too.

Christmas Happenings 2012

I really must do my Christmas/New Year blogpost already!  It's been sitting patiently waiting in very unfinished form for several weeks.

This year The Wife and I were feeling in a particularly festive mood.  There have been a lot of Christmasy goings-on, so we decided to participate in several of them.  A lot of these are thanks to Julie's planning and research on local events, so well done, Wife.

• Decorating!

After Thanksgiving was good and over it was time to get the tree.  My friend Mike recommended we get one at Costco, which his family had done in recent years to some satisfaction.  So we did!  And we also bought a membership while we were at it.  (We did Sam's Club for a couple of years, decided to give Costco a try this time, which is good because CHICKEN BAKE.)

Step 1: Hope it looks okay when you unbundle it

Step 2: Unbundle it and heave a sigh of relief (and rotate it until you find the best angle)

Step 3: Put lights on, and buy more to compensate for its massive size

Step 4: Etc. etc.!  We called it Thorin.  You know, from Les Miserables (as Julie likes to say).

It's our biggest tree yet!  So big that I had to go out and buy a couple more strings of lights to cover it adequately.  It was kind of strange to pick one out when it's all bundled up like that, but it turned out to be pretty good.  And I finally figured out how to put up the lights and make them stay up!!!  We bought some of those adhesive wall hooks and they worked perfectly!  I mean, there were a couple of casualties while I was getting the hang of it, but finally they stayed up and I didn't have to worry every time we came home that the lights would be dangling again.  YAY.  And they will probably stay up until next year when it's time to put The Wife's Halloween lights up again.

Our lights and snowflakes.  We are the most festive place in the complex!

Julie also had the idea to make some ornaments for the tree and snowflakes to hang up in our window, which turned out really great!  The internet is most handy when it comes to things like this, and it was great to find some fun and interesting patterns, since my makeshift snowflakes have always ended up rather pitifully.

Julie made some of these for her mama.  They look so pretty and wintry.

She made a little fleet of these for her other family, and they look so charming.  Now and then she is fairly craftsy.

• Utah Valley Handbell Ringers

Julie saw a notice on a website for local Christmas events that this handbell choir was doing a free show in the Provo Library, so we invited Mom and Dad to join us for it, and it was very fun and festive.  They played a variety of Christmas tunes, and there was even a sing-along portion.  And it's apparently a very popular event, as it was completely full, after having turned away many people from their first performance!

• Ward choir Christmas program

I was made choir director just a couple of months ago, so I had a very short time to get a choir and a few pieces together for our contribution to the Christmas program, and it turned out really nice!  (I was glad that I wasn't responsible for an entire program of pieces like last year, what with the limited time to put it together and all, and it was nice to have a variety of pieces in the program too.)

• First Presidency Christmas Devotional

We watched it, and it was nice, and as usual, the choir was my favorite part, ha ha.

• Alfie Boe with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Speaking of the choir, we always love going to the MoTab's Christmas concerts, but when rumors started circulating that ALFIE BOE (you know, Alfie Boe...) was going to be the guest singer, we were like MUST GO, and then Belinda was ever so nice to get us tickets, and we went!  It's always a good show, and this year was no exception, and Alfie was one of our favorite guest stars ever!

Smile, Wife!

Smile, husband!

Theeeere we go.  We took the train all the way up!  It took FOREVER, but I didn't have to worry about weather or traffic or parking, and then I could finish my book instead of concentrating on driving.

Wheeee, Alfieeeee!  And yes, Wife, Bring Him Home IS on the program!!!  (He's the only person who really makes her like that song.)

• Haxton Manor

The next weekend we redeemed a great LivingSocial deal that Julie gave me for my birthday (you know, nine months earlier... and just a few days before it expired... we know how to take advantage of those things).  This English-themed bed & breakfast in Salt Lake City turned out be quite charming.  It was a renovated old house with lots of British decor, with breakfast specially prepared and served either in our room or at the dining table (we had it both ways, since we stayed two nights) with the very nice lady working there that night.  On Saturday we walked down to Temple Square to look at the lights and do lots of shopping, and saw The Hobbit at the Gateway theater (more thoughts on that... maybe it should have its own blogpost...), and in general enjoyed being cozy during the lovely snowstorms.

Chooooow Truuuuuuck...  We love it.  We always look it up when we're going to SLC to see where it's going to be.  Root chips!  Special thanks to the lady behind us in line who offered to buy our hot chocolates!  (Not because we couldn't afford them, just because she was nice, and maybe in a hurry?  I don't know.)

Oh, Bag End.

Welcome welcome, won't you come in?

If I had realized how cold it was going to be I would have brought my heavier coat.  And some gloves.  And a hat.

Kuv yog Hmoob.

Julie insisted the silky robe was for the lady, but it was just so comfortable!  I decided to wear it anyway (mostly because she wanted the terry cloth one).

Taking a little photo tour of London.

What a nice tub!  But, erm, the bathroom had no door.  (That li'l curtain doesn't count.)  Just because?...

Reading a little Dickens by the fireplace.

Us and Dobson (?).  This guy is really creepy to encounter in the dark of night when you're trying to find your way around an unfamiliar old house.

• Grandmother's Christmas party

She had it!  It was fun.

• Christmas River Cruise

 Like we did for Halloween, we found a Groupon for this little (freezing) cruise down the Provo River.  It didn't have pirates like it did in October, but it did have Santa Claus rowing a canoe and Christmas Shoes (a.k.a. one of the worst Christmas songs ever) playing along the shore.  It didn't have as many lights as we expected, or had been led to believe, but it was still festive and fun.

• The Nutcracker

We went to see this last year, performed by the Utah Regional Ballet at the Covey Center in Provo, and enjoyed it so much that we decided to go again, and invited Mom and Dad so they could share in the fun.  It's always a festive show, and it's so great to hear a live orchestra play those awesome songs.

• Watching fun Christmas movies and reading Christmas books

We actually watched a few Christmas (or Christmasy) movies this year!  Some of them were good (While You Were Sleeping, Muppet Christmas Carol, Home Alone), others not quite as good (The Nutcracker Prince, One Magic Christmas, neither of which hold up very well seeing them again after all these years), and I also read some seasonal books (a couple versions of Dickens's classic A Christmas Carol, and two spin-off stories about Marley, one that was not so good and one that was great).


• Timpanogos Symphony Orchestra's Christmas concert

We went to see Cami's orchestra's Christmas concert, with guest solo violinist Jenny Oaks Baker, and it was really fun and interesting.  She had some very unique arrangements of well-known Christmas carols, and she played them all right!

 •This:

•  Christmas!

And then it was Christmas for certain.  And it was soooo snowy!  We decided that instead of going to Missouri this year (just sooooo expensive!  Though we were sad not to see Julie's family), we would just hunker down and enjoy a Christmas in our little home, which was very nice.  We had the usual family shenanigans (fondue at Cami's on Christmas Eve, gathering at Mom and Dad's on Christmas Day, boys-against-girls puzzle competitions, pajamas for the kids, etc. etc.), and Julie and I really enjoyed our last Christmas with just the two of us...

For meee!

For herrr!  I C U, Wif!

Weee, stockings!

Hurrah, piano music drifting through the house at last!

She REALLY likes this flavor of Ramen...  And it's pretty much unavailable except online.  Well, you have a year's supply of it now, Wife!  (Ha, more like a couple months, the way she loves it.)

It always ends up looking like a lot of presents under the tree after all.

And as a stroke of genius on the part of your truly, The Wife was given her very own Settlers, a family favorite that we can now play right at home!  (This was one I was somehow able to keep a complete secret.)

She likes it.

Ummmm, how well does this girl know me?!?  I ask you.

•  Cousins' Christmas party

We attended the annual Barrett side Christmas party at the Frisbys', where Julie presented her MOST scrumptious orange chocolate cake.  It was some kind of spectacular.

Her first bundt cake, and it was perfect!

Mmmm... we were so glad there were just a few slices leftover for us to take home.

• Les Miserables

Umm...  I both liked and also kind of hated it.  I think this could also very easily be its own future blogpost.  For now, see what I said above about Alfie Boe and Bring Him Home.  Yes.


• Wups

Then there was a lot of snow and icy roads and this happened:

But really, it's a good thing that barrier was there or I would have slid right off the cliff.

• TURKEY

(Originally this was a category more vaguely titled FOOD, but this bird deserves its very own recognition.)  Julie won a turkey in a drawing at work, and it's been a goal of hers for quite some time to roast a chicken of some sort, so this was the perfect opportunity.  So she roasted it up and we ate it and IT WAS (surely!) THE MOST DELICIOUS TURKEY EVER!!!  I know I'm not being disloyal to my mother for her many years of delicious turkey preparing by saying that The Wife's first turkey was a resounding success.  We ate SO SO much of it all by ourselves and kept thinking that we maybe should have invited people over to eat it with us and then were just like, nvrmnd and kept eating it.  It was just... so perfectly cooked.  And I carved it!  And we finally were able to put our electric carving knife (which I forget we even had) to great use.

Just...

(I told her I was glad it didn't turn out like the Griswolds' Christmas turkey, which reference she didn't get, never having seen that movie all the way through [I know...], though of course I never thought it would!)

• New Year's Eve in Park City

And then as a nice little P.S. to the whole season, I had weeks before bought tickets to see Kristin Chenoweth in concert in Park City on New Year's Eve, so we thought we would make an event of it by getting a room at the Homestead and staying up there for the night.

I guess we missed out on family happenings, but I suppose I didn't realize we had such firm traditions for this holiday.  The show was fun and she's just extremely talented (though I would have had a few different numbers on the program, but that's just me, and at least she sang this), and it was nice to stay up late watching The Twilight Zone/House Hunters marathons on TV until we kissed at midnight and promptly thereafter fell asleep.

Like we do.

Photo tour of our room!

Just conducting a little business.

A hide-a-bed!!!  OMGoodness.

We heard those icicles falling occasionally during the night.  That would hurt.

Neat.

So cozy!

 • New Year's Day

And then the New Year's Baby came after all!  Even though we weren't home to receive him until later that day.

Aaaaand then we start to take things down.  *sigh*

PHEW, that's a lot of happenings.  It was such a great Christmas, and with great news to share with all (see previous Christmas card post, as well as a quickly forthcoming post with more details...).