October-ventures

Hey, remember last October when I was like totally "Mom of the Year" and took my kids on fabulous fall adventures like every weekend in October???  Well, just pretend we did all that stuff this year, too.

I mean, seriously.  October just came and went.  I didn't put my fall harvest scene, complete with scarecrows, in the front yard.  I didn't make either of the boys costumes this year.  We did zero baking with pumpkin spices.  And we didn't even take the boys to the pumpkin patch this year!  We got our pumpkin at Wal-Mart.  (I have failed as a mother.)  Our annual tradition of heading to the pumpkin patch on a beautiful, crisp, fall afternoon so that each of us could select our own, appropriately sized pumpkin did not happen.  I was kinda crushed.  But, lucky for us, there's always next year!

Although we were a bit too busy top the October adventures we had last year, we did still have a blast in October spending time doing fall-y things, taking a much-needed trip to the beach, and spending lots of time with the fabulous fam.

Jus and I actually took a date night the first week of October.  ON A SCHOOL NIGHT!!

We went to Cheekwood on teacher appreciation night (free admission, WOOT!) to see the amazing Bruce Monroe LIGHT exhibit.  It was gorgeous.  The pictures just don't do it justice.

And the scarecrow exhibit was going on, too, and I ran into my faves Jack & Sally!

 After we got back from the beach, we didn't have any groceries of course.  So we took the boys to their first breakfast at Waffle House.  I don't know why Chandler is 6 and hasn't had this right of passage yet.

 Afterward we went to the zoo to check out the new animals since we hadn't been in a while.

 We checked out our old friends the zebras, ostrich, and the bongo, 

 Hung out with the lorikeets for a bit,

And then went to check out the new kangaroos.  They did zero hopping while we were there.  In fact, out of the 17 that I counted, they were all just layin' around.  This one didn't seem to mind us interrupting his slumber.  Lazy bones.

 Later that week, Nana and I took the boys on a picnic to Centennial Park.  We ate, fed the ducks,

climbed the hill to the Parthenon (that's my two rotten kids standing on the edge up there)

and then just spent a while climbing all over the Parthenon and through the park.

Chan & I (and Aunt Carly) took a date to Snow White Drive-In one night for dinner, then headed over to the Capital Theater to see BeetleJuice.  Fun times were had by all.

 We went over to Nama & Ben's one night to check out their new boat.

Celebrated Baba's birthday!

And took the boys to Ghouls at Grassmere (another annual tradition that we just couldn't miss!)

Last weekend we drove down to Atlanta for Justin's Uncle Shawn's surprise 40th birthday party.  (BTW, can you believe he is 40?  I for real need his anti-aging secret.)

 We had a great night spending time with family that we don't get to see too often

 and Chan and cousin Kaia played forever outside before heading in to watch Doc McStuffins.

We carved our jack-o-lantern with buddy Chezney and other friends at Growth Group on Tuesday to prepare for Thursday's trick-or-treating.  Buuuuut, trick-or-treating was postponed to Friday, November 1 due to severe weather in our little part of the world.

 So we just pretended that yesterday was Halloween.

I was the wretchedly wonderful Cruella DeVille this year.  And Liam was Spot.

 Chan was a "Skull Lord Ninja".  He didn't want me to make his costume this year (tear..)

 As usual, Justin made the house super creepy.  Mitch and Trevor came over to scare the daylights out of the poor children in the neighborhood.

 While Grandma, Aunt Carly, and Cruella took the boys trick-or-treating.

 We had super fun, even if it was November 1st.

And after our jam-packed day, these boys were spent.

So, even though we didn't get to do all of our usual fall and Halloween adventures, we still had a great month.  But, next year, I am totally not getting my pumpkin at Wal-Mart.

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."

~L.M. Montgomery~

(from Anne of Green Gables)

Till next time friends!

Brittany :)

Happy Halloween!

"It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark.

Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart.

You start to scream, but terror takes the sound before you make it.

You start to freeze, as horror looks you right between the eyes

You're paralyzed!"

Are you singing it, too??  I love Halloween and it just wouldn't be complete without Thriller, right?  It's been my ringtone for a few weeks now, and it's been in my head all day.  We have had a blast celebrating All Hallow's Eve today :)

We started our Halloween festivities with a trip to Shuckle's Corn Maze.  Or, at least Chan and I did (along with 107 other kindergarteners and many of their parents).  Yep, today was my first chaperoning experience!  We had a blast, though it was pretty cold!  Our third and final visit to the pumpkin patch today was a success!

Chan and some of his buddies on the field trip

Coming down the slide on the saucer---these kids were FLYING!

Picking his last pumpkin of the year

After the field trip, we went to pick up Liam from Nana's, then had some silly family time at home before eating dinner and getting ready for trick-or-treating.

We "mustache" you a question...did you have a Happy Halloween??

Halloween dinner: Mummy dog, zombie pizza, Frankenstein pudding, Halloween mac-n-cheese, owl cupcake

Ready for trick-or-treating...Liam dug in to our stash before we even got off the front porch

I took the boys out trick-or-treating while Justin stayed home to scare the daylights out of the neighborhood kids.  Who doesn't want Michael Meyers passing out Halloween candy, right??  He makes them earn it!  Overall, we had a great evening.  Now, I must go and choose which Halloween movie to end the night with...Hocus Pocus, Halloween, Young Frankenstein, Bram Stoker's Dracula...so many choices!

Happy Halloween Ya'll!

Until next year....Ahahahahaha!!!

"The foulest stench is in the air, the funk of forty thousand years

And grizzly ghouls from every tomb are closing in to seal your doom.

And though you fight to stay alive, your body starts to shiver

For no mere mortal can resist the evil of 

The Thriller."

~Rod Temperton, 

from Michael Jackson's Thriller~

Till next week friends!

Brittany :)

Dragons, & Scarecrows, & Skeletons! Oh, My!!

Well, the Koehns had quite a busy week gearing up for Halloween!  I worked last week on finishing up the boys' costumes since we had some pre-Halloween celebrations/events this past weekend.  Let me just say that I am pretty pleased with how their costumes turned out!  (You can catch a picture below).

We started our week celebrating Baba's (my Dad) birthday on Sunday and playing in some leaves while the guys watched the Titans game.  Wednesday we had a first for Liam...finally cut off his long, flowing locks!  (Slight tear.)  I hated to give him the first haircut already, but if he got called "she" one more time I was gonna go ape on someone!  Thursday I took the boys to Cumberland University (my college alma mater) for their Halloween Fun Fest.  Friday we went to Ghouls at Grassmere, where we always have a ton of fun trick-or-treating and going on the Haunted Hayride.  And finally, we ended the week with a Halloween Party at our house.  Chan has been asking to have one for the past couple of years and I told him once he was in kindergarten we would...so we did.  Here are a few pictures from the week:

Happy Birthday, Baba!  All the grandkids with Baba at his birthday party.

I thought this was funny...taken one second later!  Proof that you must be quick with the camera with this crew!

Playing in the leaves with Mommy

Chan's flying leap into the leaf pile

He sticks it and IT'S GOOD!!!!

Chan needed a trim, too, so Daddy cut his hair

Liam's before shot...look how it feathers out on the sides! 

Liam during the hair cutting process...not a fan.

The best we could do for an after shot.  Not too shabby for a cut from Mommy.

Jus showing Liam how to hit the puck

Since we can't watch hockey right now (thanks, NHL lockout), we shall just play!

The grandkids with Nana at Cumberland's Fall Fun Fest

Chan's costume wasn't ready Thursday, so he went as a "gray soldier"

And Liam used Chan's old dragon costume.  Chan said "I'm a gray soldier and Liam is the dragon I ride on."

My little scarecrow ready for Boo at the Zoo!!  I LOVE how cute this turned out!

And my spooky skeleton!  Thought it turned out really cute!

My littles all dressed up and ready to go.  I love them :)

Photo op in the Haunted Pumpkin Patch.  It was SO, SO cold!

Riding the Haunted Carousel with Daddy

Chan's Halloween party invite...another FREE order from Winkflash (woot!)

Back of his invitation

Some of the kiddos outside eating s'mores and watching the movie

Oddly, I didn't get but a few pictures of Chan's Halloween party.  Very unlike me.  And even more strange, Chandler DID NOT want to dress up for his costume party.  WHAT??!!  Oh, well.  The kiddos had fun playing in the backyard, eating some pizza and fun snacks, and then we watched The Nightmare Before Christmas on the projector outside while we roasted marshmallows for s'mores in the firepit.  We had fun and may have to make this into a yearly tradition!

"When witches go riding, 

and black cats are seen,

the moon laughs and whispers,

'tis near Halloween!"

~Author Unknown~

Till next week friends!

Brittany :)