The Halloween madness all started when...

Mom sent us an awesome package full of tons of Halloween stuff! Stickers, pencils, bags, paper, candies and the wheels in mind started a turnin'....which led to all the Halloween madness! :)

Gosh- I was kinda worried that my kids wouldn't get the Halloween experience in Brazil since they don't have it here- but we ended up doing so many parties I think they, and especially ME are "Halloweened out!" :) But it was fun while the busyness lasted! The kids loved pulling the guck out of the pumpkin. And as you can see our little 'punkin' Lucas loved being on top of the table. 

He is climbing on everything these days! 

I did a cute little party at Maile's school for the kids. Painting, pumpkins, mummies, ghosts and The Charlie Brown pumpkin movie. I am soaking it up all I can that Maile just thinks it's the coolest when her Mom comes to her class to help. Lukey had a lot of fun with the kids too- he's so easy to take places.

 Our big festa this October in the Primary was Halloween themed and it was a total blast! The YW came and helped me the day before decorate cupcakes, make posters, cut out pumpkins and make all the little goblin foods. I got so many fun ideas off Pinterest! The kids had so much fun at the party and I was sooo happy that everyone came and even a handful of visitors. This party, however, was so much work and so much clean up after that I literally was warn out and got so sick and had no voice the following week! I guess I need to listen to my body better when it tells me to slow down! But it was all worth it! :)

We've been hanging out a lot lately with Hercules and Cida. They are so much fun and recent converts to the church. Hercules cracks me up and he thought it was so much fun to carve a pumpkin. I forget that they've never done stuff like that. And when we left it lit the whole night when I went to blow it out the smell of that burnt pumpkin just remembered me sooo much of Halloween night! I love how smells can bring such memories! We went to the temple this weekend with Cida and Hercules and left the kids with Mari overnight. We slept at the temple and we just had such a good time together. We did a few sessions, (the one after lunch is a bit of a killer though- too full and sleepy! lol)
and it was so nice to have that time with Lee. I love the temple!

Elane, Luan and Leo came over after church on Sunday to eat lunch and help me decorate cupcakes. They come from super humble circumstances and come to church every Sunday even though it's soooo far away and they don't have money to pay for the bus. The ward helps them a lot and they love to come over to our house cause I can't help but spoil them. :) They are sweet kids and the Gospel means everything to them. Luan (in the middle) is turning 12 next year and we have worked so much with him in the Primary. He used to be all over the place and such a little terror, for lack of a better word, but he has made such progress and I have really developed a strong carinho for these sweet kids. Luan wanted me to tell him 20 minutes before we were going back to the church for choir practice so that he'd have enough time to take a shower at my house.
He never gets to have a warm shower so he just thinks that's the best. ohhhhh! 

                                      

We got all of Lee's family together (well, almost all) for a Family Home Evening on Halloween night. Alessandra helped me a ton and it was fun to spend more time with her. Maile and Laysa had so much fun together. :)

We shrunk down our husbands into little babies! But seriously-

 they look so much like their Papais!

 And who can forget about this little princess?! You are such a joy little Maile!