Halloweens of Yore

Let's discuss Halloween. I'm not a big fan. Never have been. I feel like I've gotten better over the years, but I still don't really like it. I'm a scaredy cat, and I don't like being scared. I don't like going to haunted houses, corn mazes or scary movies. I just don't like scary anything. :) I remember being scared as a kid and having to trick-or-treat in the dark with weird people out and about. A couple of years I even stayed home with mom and just passed out candy. This week I thought it would be fun to show you some old Halloween pictures. (Thanks, Mom, for sending them.) It also didn't surprise me that when she sent them, there were more pictures of my sister than of me. :) I'll try to go in chronological order, if possible.

Here I am as a Popple (awesome) and this is Patrick (friend/neighbor) as Raggedy Andy and Mary Alice as Raggedy Ann. Mary Alice's "costume" is really the clothing off of one of our dolls. This was on the Dunigan's front porch.

Here is Mary Alice in an old dance costume. I don't think that this was one of my many dance costumes. Funny thing is, MA never did take dance. You can tell by her horrible turn out. (just kidding!)

Now this looks like fun! I have a feeling we may have been about to bob for apples or something. This was our backyard. Participants: Cowboy, Bill Campbell; Clown, me; next unidentifiable object, Patrick Dunigan; Little white bunny, Mary Alice; Halloween ghost, Claire Hampton and another Raggedy Ann, Lee Carmichael (which makes me laugh a little since her sister's name is Ann!) I remember my clown costume (I don't really like clowns, either), and I liked it because I got to paint my own face.

 Clown and bunny part two. :)

Mary Alice continuing her animal theme, as a duck. With her cool fiber optic light wand. Those are still cool. I question WHY a duck has a painted face. Strange.

Carving pumpkins where we always carved pumpkins - in the kitchen floor. Why we were wearing matching night gowns and robes, you ask? I have no idea. But aren't we cute? MA, you can thank Mom for selecting this gem of a picture.

This image isn't great, but there are four things I wanted to point out. 1. Mary Alice's cool magician costume. She loved magic tricks. Secretly I think she just liked knowing how tricks worked when other people didn't know. 2. Mary Alice's cool candy collecting pail. That was from McDonald's. I remember begging for Happy Meals that were served to us in these classic pails. Some years, they even had some that glowed in the dark! 3. I'm not really wearing a costume. I probably didn't want to, but still needed to wear at least something that was semi-festive in order to trick-or-treat. 4. Over MA's right shoulder is a pumpkin. I think that was MA's pumpkin for the Austin Elementary Carnival, but it was really good, now that I look back on it. It was Raider Red, one of texas tech's mascots. Dad probably forced her to make that, but it really was pretty good now that I look at it. :)

Imagine scary slasher stabbing music as you view this picture. SCARY, isn't it!? MA with a knife. She could've kept that bow and worn it nowadays. (WHY are bows on girls too old to wear them popular right now? WHY?)

MA has a spoon this time. Muuuccch better. :) And I'm wearing my favorite Pampa Taz sweatshirt. Also funny to me that MA has a cheerleader on her shirt.

This is the last one that mom sent. This had to have been when I was in 8th grade - or freshman year of high school (per the hair). We both had bangs. Wow.
And now to some more recent Halloweens.

A Halloween in college. Beth was a goddess (I think), I was Marilyn Monroe and Mandy was an ice princess. If I remember correctly, Beth and Mandy made their costumes earlier that do. Good job, ladies!

This was my Marilyn standing over the grate pose. Pretty good, eh?

I think that this was my favorite Halloween costume ever. Judy Jetson. And Beth was Jane, my mom! Such a fun night and party.

This was Halloween in HI last year at Steve and Marisol's house. We were recycling those costumes (we used them the year before at Steve and Marisol's other party!), but they still looked good!
This year I am going to be volunteering at the museum for the early evening, and then we will make an appearance at a party. Stay tuned for those pics.
Have a safe and happy Halloween, my friends! And if anyone goes to a haunted house or something near by, ask Zac to join you, because I won't go with him! :)
Me ke aloha,
RAWE

Things I miss about Fall in New Hampshire

With the new "cooler" (aka not 100 degree) temperatures in Texas, I have been thinking about/missing New Hampshire a lot. When you picture a perfect fall, a quintessential fall, you probably picture most of the characteristics of these months in NH.



Among the things I miss most...

Changing leaves that made me wish for a longer commute to/from Lindt every day;

(It really does look like this everywhere!)

Going to the farm down the highway from our house and shopping for pumpkins, mums and cider;

(this is when Becky and Janie came to visit in 2008!)

Dunkin Donuts (and their annoying Rachel Ray commercials);

Coffee from the drive-though coffee shack in Newmarket -- the reason I am now addicted to caffeine;

Walking around downtown Portsmouth with a jacket on;

Red Hook fall brews;

Windows at the house all the way OPEN during the day;

Having a cute fall-y front porch;

Going to scary haunted corn mazes with Steve and Marisol - and their crazy Halloween parties;

Having the actual woods as our backyard;

Spending our first Thanksgiving as a married couple with Navy friends at the Stacks' house;

Showing off the beautiful states of NH and ME;

AND, all of our friends (who are also our family) on the USS Louisville!

Fall just isn't the same in Texas, and might be one of my few complaints about living here again. So, if you are still in NH/ME - or anywhere where there is a real change of season, enjoy the weather, scenery, food and feeling of FALL.

Me ke aloha,

RAWE

Still playing catch-up - but there is some good stuff in here!!

I last left off after Amy and Austin's beautiful wedding in Katy.

The following weekend in July, Zac and I flew up to the Panhandle for my 10 year high school reunion. I am sure that everyone probably says this, but I really couldn't believe that it had been 10 years since I graduated from high school. I was so excited to be able to see my friends from home, and for them to meet Zac. The first event was a cocktail party at the Buzzard's house. The homecoming committee had everything set up beautifully around the pool. Afterwards some of us met at Tyson and Kristen's house to continue the fun (thanks so much guys!!)

So many of my classmates were able to come in to town for the reunion, and we all had a great time catching up with each other. I was also thankful that we had another day's worth of events to spend even more time with my friends. Sat. morning we toured the new addition of the high school, then had a family picnic at Central Park.

That evening we had a dinner and dance at the country club. The weather was rainy that afternoon, but it worked in our favor. We had to eat inside (the Class of 1980 was also having their reunion there), but then we got to go out by the pool for the dance and the rest of the night. And, the weather was nice and cool. After the dance a lot of us went to Cortnie and Trent's house for an after-party (thank you to the Prices for opening their home to so many of us!!), and we all stayed up talking and catching up until 3 a.m. I am thankful for such an amazing group of classmates, and enjoyed every minute of that weekend! Thank you to the homecoming committee who did an absolutely amazing job and worked so hard to plan the weekend's events.

HERE are all of the pictures!
The next weekend Zac and I spent time in Dallas and went to my friend Andrea's 30th birthday party! We had so much fun with Andrea, Justin and some of their friends bowling. Andrea and I worked together at KB in Dallas, and have stayed close ever since. I just wish we would be able to spend more time together. :) I love you, Andrea!

And then.....
Zac went to Austin for his best friend Ted's bachelor party, and I went to Fort Worth to hang out with Mandy, Meranda and Beth. The next weekend we went back to the Metroplex for Zac's 10 year reunion, and the weekend after that we were back again at Cedar Creek Lake with Zac's aunt and uncle. This year they bought a lake house, and we were thankful to get to stay there for the weekend. I went up to Dallas, yet again, for the John Mayer concert Labor Day weekend. :) Unfortunately I did not have Labor Day off, so I came back to CS the next day. :( That was also the first home game, TAMU v. SFA, and Cameron came up from Houston to go to the game with Zac since I was gone. Our friends Eric and Dayna Comley also came down for the game.

Are you excited to be closer to present day? Can you tell that we have been weekend warriors tearing up the highways across the Great State?

That week, plus three extra days, Mom and Dad went to Italy! They had an amazing time seeing the sights with their friends. That weekend we stayed home (yay) and went to the LA Tech game. Mary Alice came with us, and we had a great weekend hanging out. The game was too close for comfort, but we pulled it out in the end.

The next weekend, the 17th - 18th of Sept., we were back in Dallas for Ted and Kimberly Jakus' wedding. The events were all absolutely wonderful, and we are SO excited for the two of them to be married, and look forward to spending many fun times together! I took several pictures from their festivities.

That Sun. I helped host a shower for my friend Kelsey, who is adopting a baby that is due in Nov.! :) :)

The next weekend mom was in Houston for a school board conference, so we met her in Houston for dinner with Mary Alice. That Sat. morning I drove to Fort Worth again for Meranda's first birthday party! I took several pictures at the baby shower and Meranda's party, as well. I can't believe that Miss Meranda is already one year old. She is so precious.

Pausing here. Another post soon to follow. Yes, really.

Me ke aloha,

RAWE