Welcome to this year's Annual Halloween Costume Photoshoot.  First up is everyone's favorite furry friend, Job the Ewok.  He is sporting this lovely (made by his grandmother for his uncle) Ewok costume.  To authenticate the look, he has added some accessories, the satchel from a hobbit outfit, a stick with the tip burnt into a point and to make sure that even with a black nose, no one can confuse him as a lost boy, he has added a very real yet very dead gorgeous coyote skin.


Our second model is the steampunk girl.  She is wearing her mother's saloon girl dress with her overly gaudy extra large belt.  On her feet, notice her special over priced black combat boots.  She is authenticating this costume with a compass necklace, a pilot hat and goggles from the World's End steampunk store in Port Townsend.  She has also borrowed her mother's black leather jacket.



 And yes for your entertainment, Ewoks do wear skater shoes because they are skaters and can-can dancers.  Well they are when their steampunk sibling forces them to do the can-can in public in front of all their neighbors coming home from work.







And we have Isaac Parks who is going as a teenage gamer.  Not pictured because he does it so well, which means that he at the moment of our photo shoot for our Annual Halloween Costumes was in front of the TV playing what else but FIFA soccer.

Fall has truly come to Washington.  When I learned that we would be in Bellevue for a soccer game I looked around for something else to do.  I've decided to pair our soccer trips with an activity afterwards. Lately she has really noticed what she is giving up just for soccer.  Often times her friends will call wanting to spend the night only to be told no because of soccer.  Or we get home too late for her to call her friend back. There have other things she has given up as well such as completing her 4th year Awana book or youth group. In life we all make decisions and give things up for other things. I have always wanted to live in France for a year and become fluent in that language, yet I gave that dream up to marry my husband who is the man of my dreams. One dream for another. It is a life lesson yet it isn't easy. I thought that I could soften that lesson a little by showing her all that she has gained by making the choice to play on a select soccer team.  It is a privilege that she earned and because of that she is able to do other things.  It allows us to do something together, to make memories, to share an experience. So when I learned that the Botanical Gardens bordered the soccer park I figured why not.  The trees must be spectacular judging by our trees here.  I was amazing that just 100 miles south has an effect on the timing of changing leaves.  They weren't quite as colorful as I had thought they would be. We wandered the gardens, shaking water off the trees onto each other, taking photos and being goofy.  The sun would play hide and peek, hiding more than peeking.

Photo by Lona

Photo by Lona (iphone)

Photo by Lona (iphone)

This year I am purposing to take time with Lona to go do things.  Things that we should be taking advantage of.  Sometimes those things have to do with our soccer travels and other times it is meeting up with friends that we don't get to see often and stay in county.  This was one of the second things. I had so much fun with Lona last year at Stoney Ridge that I wanted to go back this year.  I had envisioned a foggy morning but we had rain instead. The foggy morning happened the week before. Never the less it was a fabulous time. We did the traditional stuff, animals, photos, ride to the fields and pumpkin choosing.  There of course was the corn maze and Lona and her new shadow ran through it while being timed.  We finished off our time with their apple pie and the works.  I think that it may be the whole reason I go besides the incredible photo opportunity.  On the way home we randomly drove down the country roads weaving our way back towards our house.  We were greated by an amazing sight; a bald eagle perched upon a power pole.  I don't think I could get tired of looking at these amazing birds.