Halloween

Is in a few minutes! Oh how exciting it all is.. I always loved this "festivity",(my mom says it isn't a holiday) however when I was little I remember the night beginning with me being anxious- anxiety ridden. You may ask, "What would a 5, 6, or 7 year old have to be worried about?" Read on, my friends, and you will see.
You see, I had this neighbor... who was already kind of creepy. He had really long hair, rarely wore a shirt, and frankly, he scared me. To make matters worse, every Halloween he'd rise a few levels on the sketch-o-meter.
Every year Mom would take me over to that house, it usually was the 3rd or 4th house.
Every year I'd be scared. Why?
Because every year after I'd reluctantly ring the door bell, he'd answer in THE scariest mask. I swear- it was probably a mold of the devil.. I'm pretty sure it even freaked Mom out a little.
Every year I felt like my teensy heart would jump out of my throat and run away.
I clearly remember the best moment of my young Halloween days was when we went over there one year- I believe I was Esmeralda- and much to my relief, the man's wife/girlfriend/woman answered sans a mask, and carrying her new baby.. Oh, the relief! Funny, the things you remember. :)

As the years went on, it seemed Halloween got less and less fun... in 7th grade I was a sandwich, and that costume was probably the most time & money consuming costume I have or will ever wear... Halloween night three friends and I went out for some free candy, and no joke, Amy Schmeckpeper ripped my costume three houses into the night when some older kids jumped off a roof and scared us. I was so upset! I spent the rest of the evening butt hurt, and basically cursing the tradition. I think it was the last time I went trick or treating.. but no fear, I got over it... and now parts of the the costume serve as cushioning for the seat in my car. (we are quite resourceful in the Ball household.)

So, tomorrow is another Halloween- another time to make some memories, another time to act childish. ( Trust me, for my friends this is NOT a once-a-year type of thing) Stay tuned for some exciting pictures, I am sure. But, to tide you over, here are some from a Halloween party/dance me and the girls went to this week...

It's never to late to accept the gospel!

UPS man, geisha, egyptian, and... ugly sweater.

We're strange.

It's a right of passage in the Ball household to dress in this once in your junior high life..