Joey and Crystal's: Halloween Week

I'm so embarrassed! I missed the blog's 1st birthday. On October 30th, our blog turned 1 year old. To think, a year ago, I wasn't sure if I would have anything interesting to even blog about! Well, it turns out I do....well, at least I think I do. And at least some of you must think so too because you are still reading!

Do you have a favorite memory from the blog in the first year? I'd love to hear it! I can't really have a favorite since I wrote them all...and there are just so many to chose from. All the food, puzzles, traveling...all the funny pictures of Joey and some of myself. It was a good year!

So Happy Belated Birthday Blog! I forsee many happy years to come! Now on to the post...

PUMPKIN CARVING

This year we had the honor of introducing Fabian and Moon to the American tradition of pumpkin carving. We had grand plans of going to an actual pumpkin patch for the whole wagon pushing, hay riding experience but due to our lingering cold, that didn't happen. So instead, on Wednesday night we went to the local grocery store and picked up some pumpkins (the real American way...)

For the occasion, I wanted to make a delicious pumpkin treat. I made my favorite pumpkin bars (and this time I even used REAL ingredients - not healthy substitutes for everything). Here I am baking.

Then the carving began!

I also made some delicious hot apple cider (inspired from Sarah's last year). Mmm delicious. If only it were cold enough here to justify it. It's weird when it's summer in October...

Fabian cut out a moon shape for Moon.

Moon's pumpkin was so cute. She carved a heart on one side and a smiley on the other.

Here are the final products. Look at Joey's Frankenpumpkin - he did it himself this year. He didn't even ask me to draw it for him! Mine had somewhat of an anime thing going. Maybe it was the Japanese influence.

All lit up!

Very fun! That night Joey and I put our pumpkins out in our apartment hallway. Unfortunately on Saturday they disappeared. :( I was so mad! Oh well, I guess that saved us from having to get rid of them..

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND

On Friday night, Joey and I went to hang out with some friends and planned on going to the Haunted Trail in Balboa park. We never made it to the trail but had a great time nonetheless. Not much of a story but I just like this picture - especially how Drew is getting some serious lovin' from Mr. Charlie Pants! (Really, that's the dog's name.)

Saturday we didn't have any costumes yet so we figured we would just go to the thrift store and pick something up real quick. Well, big surprise, it wasn't that easy. We spent ALL DAY searching for some sort of costume and could not commit to anything. I had tons of ideas but I just couldn't find what I needed. Joey did find this giant Stewie head...I thought it looked pretty good...

But impractical I suppose...Somehow we made a decision and ran home just in time to throw our costumes together and meet up with our friends. Can you tell what we were?

Joey was a weight loss success story (my favorite lazy costume idea I've ever had!) and I was...wait for it...Teddy Ruxpin! I know what you are probably thinking...WHO? Well it was a teddy bear from when I was a kid. I'm sure SOME of you know who I'm talking about!

See the resemblence? Ok I know, not really. It seemed like a great idea in theory. Too bad I ended up looking like an overgrown 5 year old or an employee at Build-a-Bear workshop. But you are supposed to look stupid on Halloween, right? I mean, at least I looked cuter than my first idea which was to go as Rachel from Glee with a slushee in my face.

That would've just been sticky...I just can't stand the idea of going as something normal. Anyways, on with the night. Here I am with my scary spider drink. It took like 3 stores to find spider gummies.

Then we met up with some friends out in North park.

You can see Fabian (dressed as a "sign spinner" aka guy who stands on the street with a sign, even though you cant see his sign in the picture...very lazy), Moon and her friend (the street signs), Angelica (the tennis player) and me (the giant 5 year old). We also met up with Sarah, Drew, Max and Ashley...the Harlem Globetrotters.